WE’LL BE RIGHT BACK.>>> WELCOME
WE HAVE A THIRD HOUR "TODAY"
EXCLUSIVE WITH EMMANUEL ACHO.
FOLLOWING THE DEATH OF GEORGE
FLOYD, ACHO STARTED A WEB SERIES
THAT’S BECOME WILDLY POPULAR.
IT’S CALLED "UNCOMFORTABLE
CONVERSATIONS WITH A BLACK MAN."
THE HOPE IS TO BRIDGE THE GAP
BETWEEN THE EXPERIENCES OF BLACK
AND WHITE AMERICANS.
AND LAST NIGHT ACHO DROPPED PART
ONE OF THE GREATEST CONVERSATION
WITH NONE OTHER THAN NFL
COMMISSIONER ROGER GOODELL WHERE
THEY TALKED ABOUT THE PROTESTS
AND PATRIOTISM.
EMMANUEL, GOOD MORNING, SIR.
>> GOOD MORNING, MY FRIEND.
HOW YOU DOING?
>> I’M GREAT.
I’M GREAT.
I WATCHED PART ONE.
AS I WAS TELLING SAVANNAH AND
HODA THIS MORNING, IT REALLY IS
THE MOST REVEALING NINE MINUTES
OF ROGER GOODELL I’VE EVER SEEN
OR LISTENED TO.
HE TELLS YOU AT THE BEGINNING OF
THE CONVERSATION THAT HE’S QUITE
COMFORTABLE TALKING ABOUT RACE.
WHAT DID YOU MAKE OF THE
CONVERSATION?
>> IT WAS THE MOST REAL I HAVE
EVER SEEN COMMISSIONER GOODELL.
IT WAS THE MOST AUTHENTIC I HAVE
EVER SEEN HIM.
HEARD SOME THINGS THAT I HAD
NEVER HEARD BEFORE.
WHAT I MADE WAS, I SAW A MAN WHO
MOST PEOPLE ONLY UNDERSTAND OR
KNOW AS THE COMMISSIONER.
I SAW HIM AS A REAL HUMAN BEING.
HE REALIZES HE’S MADE SOME
MISTAKES IN THE PAST.
HE HAS A LOT TO CHANGE.
AND HE’S STARTING TO WORK
TOWARDS MAKING THAT CHANGE.
I FEEL LIKE ROGER GOODELL
EMBODIES WHAT A LOT OF AMERICA
IS TRYING TO EMBODY AND WHAT A
LOT OF AMERICA WE CONTINUE TO
NEED TO EMBODY.
IDENTIFY THE MISTAKES WE’VE MADE
AND LET’S MOVE FORWARD TO DO
BETTER.
>> I ALSO FOUND THAT -- I DIDN’T
KNOW THAT HIS FATHER HAD MARCHED
WITH CORETTA SCOTT KING.
AND YOU GET THE IMPRESSION THAT
HE WAS GENUINELY MOVED BY
CONVERSATIONS THAT HE’S HAD WITH
PEOPLE -- HE TALKS ABOUT THE
RIDE ALONGS WITH POLICE OFFICERS
AND GOING TO DOMESTIC ABUSE CALL
CENTERS.
YOU REALLY GET THE IMPRESSION
THAT THE COMMISSIONER IS MAYBE A
LITTLE WOKE NOW.
>> WELL, IT’S INTERESTING.
I THINK, CRAIG, A LOT OF PEOPLE
ARE TRYING TO HAVE THEIR OWN
AWAKENING.
I JUST TRY TO CREATE A SAFE
SPACE TO HELP OTHER PEOPLE
REALLY VERBALIZE THIS AWAKENING
THAT THEY’RE HAVING.
I THINK COMMISSIONER GOODELL
REALIZES HIS FATHER WAS CALLED
SCHIZOPHRENIC BECAUSE HE HAD A
PICTURE WITH BLACK KIDS ON HIS
MANTLE.
HIS FATHER HIRED THE FIRST PRESS
SECRETARY, SENATOR CHARLES
GOODELL HIRES FOR NEGRO PRESS
AIDE.
SO I THINK COMMISSIONER GOODELL
NOW REALIZES IT’S NOT ONLY IN MY
DNA BUT IT’S MY DUTY TO FIGHT
FOR IT FOR MY PLAYERS.
>> HE TALKED ABOUT COLIN
KAEPERNICK.
I DON’T WANT TO GIVE AWAY TOO
MUCH, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY WE WANT
PEOPLE TO WATCH YOUR
CONVERSATION WITH HIM.
BUT DID YOU GET A SENSE HE PLANS
TO PERSONALLY REACH OUT AND
APOLOGIZE TO KAEPERNICK OR
EXTEND ANOTHER INVITATION TO
TALK?
>> I BELIEVE THAT COMMISSIONER
GOODELL CHOSE HIS WORDS WISELY.
THAT’S WHAT I KNOW.
I’M NOT SURE WHO REACHED OUT TO
WHO AND WHY IT WASN’T ABLE TO
COME TOGETHER, BUT I DO
UNDERSTAND THIS.
HE THOROUGHLY KNOWS IF HE WERE
TO EVER TALK TO COLIN
KAEPERNICK, HE WOULD BENEFIT
FROM THAT CONVERSATION.
HE THOROUGHLY KNOWS AND
GENUINELY FEELS CONTRITION FOR
HOW THAT SITUATION HAS UNFOLDED
AND DEVELOPED.
AND LIKE HE ALLUDED TO IN SO
MANY WORDS, HE WISHES HE COULD
HAVE HAD THAT CONVERSATION.
SO I DON’T KNOW WHAT THE FUTURE
HOLDS FOR COMMISSIONER GOODELL.
I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE FUTURE
HOLDS FOR COLIN KAEPERNICK, BUT
IF THOSE TWO WERE TO COME
TOGETHER AND HAVE A
CONVERSATION, WHICH I HOPE MY
EPISODE CAN LEAD TO, THEN THERE
WILL BE GROWTH FROM THAT.
>> MOVING FORWARD, DID YOU GET
THE SENSE THAT WHEN THE SEASON
STARTS IN A FEW WEEKS THE
COMMISSIONER IS GOING TO BE OPEN
TO PLAYERS WHO WANT TO ENGAGE IN
PEACEFUL PROTESTS EVEN IF THAT
INCLUDES TAKING A KNEE?
>> PHENOMENAL QUESTION.
AT THE END OF MY EPISODE, I
TEASE PART TWO WHICH COMES OUT
TONIGHT AT 7:00 P.M. EASTERN
TIME WHERE I ACTUALLY ASK
COMMISSIONER GOODELL, WILL YOU
SUPPORT PLAYERS IF THEY CHOOSE
TO TAKE A KNEE THIS SEASON.
HE GIVES A VERY, VERY
INTERESTING ANSWER TO THAT
QUESTION TONIGHT.
SO I’M NOT SURE HOW IT WILL PLAY
OUT, BUT YOU CAN HEAR HIS WORDS
ON IT TONIGHT ON THE EPISODE.
>> IN THE BUSINESS, THAT’S
CALLED A TEASE.
WELL DONE, EMMANUEL.
>> A LITTLE CLIFF-HANGER.
>> IT IS A FANTASTIC PUBLIC
SERVICE YOU’RE PROVIDING.
WELL DONE.
PART TWO OF "UNCOMFORTABLE