Former NFL head of officiating Mike Pereira alleges in a new book that the commissioner shoved him during an argument over the now infamous 2001 “Bottlegate” game.
This came on the heels of Browns fans throwing bottles on the field following a controversial call. Then NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue overrode McAulay’s decision, sending the teams back on to the field.
At the time of the incident, Goodell was the league’s Chief Operating Officer.
“Goodell persisted, but I refused to give in. What happened next was anything but good. The conversation escalated, and when he was down in front of my office, with others present, he was so frustrated and, I’m sure, getting so much heat from Cleveland that he gave me a hard shove into my door to try and continue the argument about McAulay in my office,” Pereira wrote in the book, via Deadspin. “Quite frankly, it startled me, and I think it startled him a little because the discussion ended shortly after that.”
The argument apparently started when Goodell started criticizing official Terry McAulay, who stopped the game between the Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars with 43 seconds left. This came on the heels of Browns fans throwing bottles on the field following a controversial call. Then NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue overrode McAulay’s decision, sending the teams back on to the field.
At the time of the incident, Goodell was the league’s Chief Operating Officer.
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