Jets owner says he wasn't questioning Goodell's integrity

In a classic attempt at damage control, New York Jets team owner Woody Johnson is downplaying the controversy sparked by his angry statement ripping the secret coin flip that awarded the the first game at the teams' new stadium to the rival New York Giants.

Johnson told the New York Times that he wasn't trying to attack NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's integrity when he made his comments.

“He and I just disagree, and we have disagreed in the past and probably in the future as well,” Johnson told the Times. “I never directed anything towards Roger. Just the process we were talking about, not Roger.”

This is what Johnson had to say after the NFL announced that the Giants would host the first game at the new stadium with the Jets being awarded a Monday night game: "When the issue of which team would be hosting the first regular season game could not be resolved on the merits, I suggested a coin toss as the fairest way to resolve this issue. The League rejected that idea. Then, I was told on Friday that a coin toss had taken place at the League office and that the Jets had lost. We rejected a process in which neither team was present. The League departed from our time-honored tradition and declined the opportunity to set the matter straight with a transparent process."

Johnson's major beef, besides not winning the coin toss, is that neither team was allowed to send a representative to the coin toss.

Johnson acknowledged he might need to make nice with some fellow owners who are angry about his comments. He said that he spoke to Goodell face to face before issuing the statement.

“They might have disagreements,” he said. “They might have an interpretation that was unintended by me, and I’ll be happy to talk to them.”

Johnson is hopeful that the New York bid for the 2014 Super Bowl won't be affected by the controversy.

Per the report, Goodell was angry initially, but has since moved on.

Giants owner John Mara will have to make up any ground, real or perceived, that was possibly lost through this dust-up.

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