Goodell visits virtual reality lab to learn about empathy

One of the biggest criticisms of Roger Goodell in his time as commissioner has been his inability to connect with the common fan. So, naturally, he turned to robots for help.

Goodell visited Stanford University's Virtual Human Interaction Lab recently to test out the newest technology and learn about how to understand and share feelings, according to the lab's director, professor Jeremy Bailenson.

"He came here to learn about empathy," Bailenson told the "Too Embarrassed to Ask" podcast, according to SB Nation's Ryan Van Bibber. "He really wanted to understand how to think about issues of race, issues of gender. A lot of our lab's research is about having people think about becoming someone else, and that's why Goodell came."