PHOENIX -- Competitive advantage will not be a vital factor in the league’s ruling about Ray Farmer's in-game text messaging last season.
“The violation of the rule and the integrity of the rule is not necessarily whether you got an advantage or not,” commissioner Roger Goodell said Wednesday. “It’s the fact that you broke the rule. That's a more general comment. We don't want people breaking the rules.
"There are 32 clubs who are going to be operating under the same rules.’'
Which means the context of the texts from the Cleveland Browns' general manager to an assistant coach isn’t as important as the fact they happened -- because they mean Farmer violated the league's ruling about electronic devices.
The league’s investigation continues. Goodell said it will be a focus the next couple of days.
A decision, though, probably will not come this week.
The Browns could be fined or lose a draft pick. The investigation is being led by Troy Vincent, the NFL’s Vice President of Football Operations.
It’s interesting that the situation has dragged on this long. Farmer admitted one month at the combine that he did text during games, and he admitted he was wrong to do so.
“It definitely gave me more pause and that pause in my mind was rooted in, ‘I know I did something wrong and I answered to that,’” Farmer said earlier in the week. “Again, at the end of the day, every trial I face or every circumstance that's not positive or whatever, it'll make me better.
“I saw this at a buddy's office. He had a saying on a little rock, like a little statue thing. He had a saying on there. It said that 'thunderstorms come in everybody's direction. Those that really get it learn to dance in the rain.’
"So that's one of the things I've kind of taken away from it. Sometimes you've got to learn to dance in the rain.”
Farmer said he has not been hampered by the thought of a potential sanction. He said the possibility of losing a draft pick has not interfered with his attempts or ability to trade one.
“I guess I could [make a trade],” Farmer said. “And then if I traded enough of [those picks], they wouldn't have [any] to take.”
Farmer was joking.
Goodell was not.
“Any violation of our rules,” Goodell said, “is something we take seriously.’'