NFL plays political football

PHOENIX – Spygate won’t go away.

Roger Goodell defended his decision to destroy notes and videotapes linked to the New England Patriots’ cheating scandal Friday, a day after Sen. Arlen Specter asked why the NFL commissioner trashed the evidence.

Specter, who is on the Judiciary Committee, told the New York Times that the committee at some point will call on Goodell to explain the destruction of evidence, as well as the NFL’s anti-trust exemption.

Goodell said he ordered the destruction of six tapes and some notes, partly because a portion of the video had been leaked and shown on television.

By destroying that evidence, Goodell said, he will know if the Patriots were not forthcoming should additional video appear later.

Specter, R-Pa., said Goodell’s explanation “didn’t make any sense at all.”

“If they are under lock and key at the NFL headquarters, they aren’t going to be available at all,” he said in Philadelphia.

Goodell also addressed other topics:

•The New Orleans Saints will host the San Diego Chargers at Wembley Stadium in London on Oct. 26 in the latest international game, part of a three-year commitment to play at least one game in the United Kingdom. He noted that many franchises were interested in playing in this year’s game.

•For the first time in years, the league is considering revamping seedings in the playoffs to assure that more late-season games are meaningful. That could lead to a wild-card team actually hosting a first-round game if it has a better record than the division winner it is meeting.

•There is no timetable for testing of human growth hormone in the NFL. The league has given anti-doping researcher Don Catlin $500,000 to look into an HGH urine test, and also invested $3 million with the USOC to be used for anti-doping research.

•He was confident owners and the NFL Players Association can make progress toward extending or revamping the collective bargaining agreement, which runs through 2010. Both sides can opt out of the deal in November, which would lead to no salary cap for the 2010 season.