Patriots' Chad Ochocinco Defends Roger Goodell Against Criticism

Amid the harsh media criticism that's been leveled at the NFL and its commissioner Roger Goodell in the wake of Junior Seau's suicide, New England Patriots receiver Chad Ochocinco published a letter to Goodell yesterday to voice his support, according to ESPN Boston.

"I know it has been a rough week, so I wanted to reach out," he wrote. "Players dying, players suing and on top of that my peers are just going off on you in the media. It does not help that ESPN has all of a sudden become Medical TV with damn near every brain expert on the planet. This has got to be the worst week ever. Since no one is showing any support, I figured I would be the first."

Goodell has been criticized for not enacting stronger policies to ensure player safety, as it's been speculated that head injuries played a role in Seau's mental deterioration. Seau ended his life by shooting himself in the chest on May 2 at his Oceanside, Calif., home.

Ochocinco defended Goodell against the attacks over player safety, but he also noted that the league's public relations arm is hurting its efforts.