Sports
Roger Goodell talks controversies surrounding NFL in state of the league address
Feb 2, 2026; San Jose, CA, USA; NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell pose for a photograph at San Jose Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images NFL commissioner Roger Goodell tackled a multitude of controversies surrounding the league Monday including New York Giants co-owner Steve Tisch’s appearance in the Epstein Files, the league’s ongoing diversity problems in the coaching system and Bill Belichick’s recent Hall of Fame snub during his state of the league address Monday in San Jose, Calif.
Super Bowl LX between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks is Sunday in nearby Santa Clara.
Goodell was asked multiple times about Tisch reportedly being mentioned more than 400 times in the Jeffrey Epstein files. Tisch often had interactions with Epstein about various women in files released publicly.
He was very brief with the comments each time, but Goodell indicated the league would investigate if needed.
“Absolutely we are going to look at all the facts,” Goodell said. “We’re going to look at the context and try to understand that. We’ll look at how that falls under the policy. I think we take one step at a time. Let’s get the facts first.”
The emails, which were sent in 2013, were released Friday by the Department of Justice among 3.5 million documents related to Epstein’s sex trafficking case and were first reported on by The Athletic.
The NFL had 10 head-coaching vacancies this season and nine of them went to white men. The one minority hire was Robert Saleh by the Tennessee Titans. He’s Lebanese and also has previously been a head coach with the New York Jets
“Teams are trying to get the coach they think will help them win,” Goodell.
The Rooney Rule has been in place since 2003 and it requires teams to interview at least two external minority candidates for head coaching positions and for some executive roles.
Goodell was asked about the possibility that some NFL teams might satisfy the Rooney Rule when they have no intention of hiring a minority candidate.
“I would dispute the context of the question,” Goodell said. “I think the Rooney Rule has been seen as a positive by our clubs by giving them an opportunity to look at a diverse set of candidates.
“They make the choice, ultimately, but I think it has shown them the value of looking at talent where you might not know it or might not see it.”
As for recent reports that Belichick won’t be selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, Goodell said the former Patriots head coach should be a clear entrant.
“He’s the second winningest coach in NFL football and six Super Bowls as a head coach and two as a defensive coordinator, that’s a Hall of Fame career,” Goodell said. “Bill Belichick deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.”
Goodell emphasized that the NFL has nothing to do with the voting process.
Goodell was asked about the reported sale of the Seahawks and he said the trust of the late Paul Allen requires the team to be sold. Owner Jody Allen is handling that.
“Eventually the team will need to be solid in accordance of that (trust). It will be Jody’s decision on when she does that and we will be supportive of that.”
Goodell said reports that the Seahawks were fined $5 million for failing to be in compliance with league ownership requirements were “not true.”
–Goodell praised the level of officiating and said he’s not sure the league has ever seen higher quality.
“I’m so amazed at how good our officials are,” Goodell said. “These guys have to make a split-second decision. They have proven over and over they are very wonderful at what they do … it’s a difficult sport to officiate. It’s fast, it’s quick and we have to use technology to prevent the obvious errors.
“I think replay assist has been a terrific advance and we need to expand on it.
–The NFL will host nine international games in 2026 across four continents. London will host three games. Landing one game each will be Paris, Madrid, Munich, Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro and Melbourne. The New Orleans Saints will play in Paris and the Los Angeles Rams will play in Australia.
“We’re hearing from cities all over the world who want to host these games,” Goodell said. “They want to get more American football.”
Goodell said his goal is to annually have 16 international games so every NFL team is playing in one.
–Goodell said there hasn’t been much dialogue with the NFL Players Association about expanding the season by one game to 18.
“We have not had any formal discussion and, frankly, very little informal discussion,” Goodell said. “It’s not a given that we’ll do that. It’s not something we assume will happen.”
–Goodell said security for the game is tight but normal for Super Bowls. He also thinks halftime performer Bad Bunny will put on a good show.
“This platform is used to unite people and to be able to bring people together with their creativity and their talents and to be able to use this moment to do that,” Goodell said. “I think artists in the past have done that and I think he will have a great performance.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
No. 20 Clemson nips Stanford to extend ACC road win streak
Feb 4, 2026; Stanford, California, USA; Clemson Tigers forward RJ Godfrey (0) shoots as Stanford Cardinal forward Oskar Giltay (15) defends during the first half at Maples Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-Imagn Images Nick Davidson scored 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds as No. 20 Clemson extended its Atlantic Coast Conference road winning streak to 13 games with a 66-64 victory over Stanford on Wednesday night.
Davidson made two free throws to put Clemson (19-4, 9-1 ACC) ahead 64-62 with 23 seconds left. The Tigers maintained the lead after the Cardinal’s Ebuka Okorie missed a 3-point try with 7.1 seconds remaining.
Ace Buckner added two free throws with 3.7 seconds left to help Clemson win for the 12th time in the past 13 games. Okorie scored at the buzzer for the final margin.
Buckner finished with 11 points and Chase Thompson added a career-high 10 for the Tigers, who won despite not making a field goal in the final four minutes.
Aidan Cammann led Stanford (14-9, 3-7) with a career-high 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting. Okorie added 18 points, and Oskar Giltay had 11 rebounds.
The Cardinal have lost five straight since beginning the season 14-4.
Clemson led 26-19 with 5:23 left in the first half before Okorie made two 3-pointers during a 13-4 run to help Stanford move ahead 32-30 entering halftime.
Okorie led all scorers with 12 points in the first half, while eight players scored for Clemson.
The Tigers, who were held to one field goal in the final 5:23 the opening half, fell behind 41-35 on Okorie’s dunk with 14:19 left in the contest.
After Clemson moved ahead 56-50 on Davidson’s 3-pointer, Stanford answered with an 8-2 run to tie the game at 58-all with 5:36 remaining on a hoop from Jeremy Dent-Smith.
Okorie, who entered the game ranked 10th in the country in scoring at 21.8 points per game, made two free throws to tie the game at 62-all with 3:08 left. The star freshman hit 6 of 11 shots from the field and dished three assists.
RJ Godfrey scored nine points and Jestin Porter added eight for Clemson, which shot 45.7% from the field and 41.2% (7 of 17) from 3-point range. Carter Welling pulled down eight rebounds.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Jamie Benn scores with 23 seconds left to lift Stars past Blues
Feb 4, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Stars left wing Jamie Benn (14) and center Sam Steel (18) and defenseman Miro Heiskanen (4) celebrate after Benn scores the game winning goal against the St. Louis Blues during the third period at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Jamie Benn had two goals, including the winner with 23 seconds left, and an assist as the Dallas Stars defeated the visiting St. Louis Blues 5-4 Wednesday night for their sixth straight victory.
The Stars beat the Blues three times during that span, all on late goals.
Jason Robertson and Matt Duchene had a goal and an assist for Dallas. Mavrik Bourque also scored, Miro Heiskanen had two assists, and Jake Oettinger made 14 saves.
Jordan Kyrou and Jimmy Snuggerud had a goal and an assist for the Blues, who lost for the eighth time in ninth games.
Pavel Buchnevich and Alexey Toropchenko also scored for St. Louis. Justin Faulk earned two assists and Jordan Binnington made 23 saves.
The Stars put six shots on goal during the game’s first 62 seconds. The Blues survived that onslaught, then moved ahead 1-0 on Buchnevich’s power-play goal at the 7:29 mark.
Dallas tied the game 1-1 with Robertson’s 200th career goal. Mikko Rantanen sliced to the slot and fed Robertson for his goal.
During a delayed penalty call, Kyrou put the Blues up 2-1 with 1:27 left in the period with a shot from the left circle.
The Stars outshot the Blues 13-5 during the second period and surged ahead 4-2.
Duchene tied the game 2-2 at the end of a power play by converting the long rebound from Thomas Harley’s slap shot.
The Stars moved ahead 3-2 just over two minutes later when Robertson fired a turnaround shot from the left circle and Bourque banged in the rebound.
Benn took Duchene’s pass from the left wall and scored from the slot to make it 4-2 with 8:03 left in the period.
Snuggerud zig-zagged through the Stars and scored to cut the Stars’ lead to 4-3 at 11:05 of the third period. Toropchenko tied the game 4-4 by driving the pass and converting Philip Broberg’s no-look drop pass at 15:31.
But Benn scored off the rush with 23 seconds left to decide the game.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Flames take Battle of Alberta with tight win over Oilers
Feb 4, 2026; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Calgary Flames center Connor Zary (47) celebrates his goal with teammates against the Edmonton Oilers during the second period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images Ryan Lomberg broke a third-period tie and rookie Matvei Gridin scored once and added an assist to lead the host Calgary Flames to a 4-3 victory over the slumping Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday.
Jonathan Huberdeau and Connor Zary also scored for the Flames in the final clash before the Olympic break for both clubs.
Goaltender Devin Cooley made 36 saves and recorded an assist.
Zach Whitecloud, MacKenzie Weegar and Nazem Kadri all collected two assists.
Calgary claimed the season’s Battle of Alberta by winning three of the four meetings.
Leon Draisaitl scored twice, while Kasperi Kapanen added a single for the Oilers, who have lost three straight games and five of eight outings.
Goalie Tristan Jarry stopped 21 shots, and Evan Bouchard netted a pair of assists.
Calgary has won 49 consecutive games when scoring four or more goals, a total hit when Lomberg scored the winner.
The fourth-line winger broke the deadlock when he pounced on the rebound and chipped it home at 6:44 of the third period.
The Oilers had a frantic push, but Cooley stood tall to close out the back-and-forth clash.
Huberdeau opened the scoring with the first of four power-play goals on the night by unloading a one-timer from the right face-off dot at the 3:12 mark.
Draisaitl replied just over two minutes later with the first of his two man-advantage markers, coming when he neatly lifted a back-hand shot from near the net.
Gridin again put the Flames ahead on the power play by converting a shot off the wing when he was sprung on a breakaway at 14:44 of the first period. It is the first multi-point game for the 2024 first-round draft pick (28th overall), who skated in his 13th career game.
Zary made it a 3-1 contest when Whitecloud’s point shot ricocheted off his leg while he was setting the screen at 11:43 of the second period.
However, the Oilers again tied the clash. Draisaitl notched his second of the game with a sharp-angled one-timer from his off-wing at 18:26 of the second period.
Then, Kapanen evened the score at 3-3 when his rising shot from the high slot was originally stopped by Cooley, but the puck slid down and off his equipment and into the net at 4:17 of the third period.
–Field Level Media
Perfect, R-Rated 1970s Crime Thriller Is A Heist Turned Media Circus
No. 20 Clemson nips Stanford to extend ACC road win streak
