There is no God: The NFL pays Roger Goodell $35 million a year

What's the difference between pro football and pro wrestling?

In pro wrestling, the good guys win.

The NFL's 2014 season began with Ray Rice punching his spouse in an elevator, and ended with the Seahawks and Pats punching each other on the sidelines. In between, there were racial slurs and concussions and tax breaks and an underlying, relentless dehumanization of women. It a league played by Hulks and owned by Lex Luthors. One man sits atop the bone pile. His name is Roger Goodell - pronounced "Go to Hell" - and every two weeks, more or less, he receives a check of about $1 million.

Christians, Muslims, Jews, whomever you are: There is no God.

Roger Goodell and the NFL are living proof.

Today, the Gray Lady reports that Goodell received $35 million in 2013, according to the league's IRS filings as a non-profit. Yep. We NY Giant fans sit around moaning about the dollars wasted on Mathias Kiwanuka, who actually put his bones on the line every Sunday - (though he sucks; GET RID OF THE BUM, REESE!) - while Roger Goodell is earning being paid about five times the amount, just sitting behind a desk... jellin.'

But wait. There is justice here: Goodell took a pay cut over 2012, when he received $44.2 million, thanks to a $9.1 million bonus.

The Times quoted a spokesman for the owners, aka the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen:

“The commissioner’s total compensation in 2013 is a fair reflection of his leadership and contributions during the year,” Arthur Blank, the chairman of the compensation committee and the owner of the Atlanta Falcons, said in a statement.

A fair reflection of his leadership and contributions.

Thirty five million dollars a year.

It would nice to think this will collapse in my lifetime - that at some point, out of desperation, disgust and dignity, the American fan and taxpayer will simply stop bending over. That will never happen. The NFL owners have been given a precious piece of America: Its hate.

It should have had a bad year. Yet revenues grew more than ever. The owners - many of whom inherited their teams - can never lose. They suck up our hate and then sell it back to us.

I am an incurable Giants fan. It goes back to youth. When my team falls out of the running by Halloween - behind the good and righteous Coach for Life Tom Coughlin! - I simply roll over and start rooting for Cowboys to die in an outbreak of sheep-carried venereal disease. Every time a fan like me screams an obscenity, Roger Goodell banks a nickel.

Thirty five million dollars a year.

And yesterday, it was Ray Rice who was apologizing to the fans. Happy Valentine's Day, everybody.