"I actually grew up in this area," Goodell said at one point. "I grew up in Washington right down in the city, and spent the first eleven years of my life here. So I know about Redskins passion."

And, later, in response to a question about what a Redskins Super Bowl win would mean:

"Well, as a former Redskins fan ... you know, this fanbase is so passionate, and they love the game so much, and they've got a national following and an international following and I think that's a great thing for the game.

"But, as you point out, what makes our game so great is that teams can go from last to first, win the Super Bowl; unfortunately the opposite is true also. You can have great success and the next year it doesn't mean anything. And I think that shows the competitiveness of our league and the difference between winning and losing is really razor thin. And I think that's a great thing for our fans, because everyone has hope as we begin the season, and recognizes that you can start off poorly and still come back and make your run into the playoffs, as many teams have demonstrated."

Nothing Earth-shaking, no. But I'd say that this means fans can table for the moment the occasionally-mooted idea that the NFL -- in scheduling, rule-making, etc. -- is particularly biased against the Redskins.