Could This Be What Goodell Really Wants?

[MoLewisrocks]

I think Goodell wants us talking about the NFL. We're talking about the referees and the lack of integrity of the game.

While the bad refs are sometimes making one player base quite happy (Seattle, though the number of penalties i nteh game was bad), you may have other games where both sides feel like they have the right to complain (Pats@Ravens).

And ultimately bad publicity is going to be bad publicity. A new viewer to the game might not like the present product.

Two old adages claim there is no bad publicity and the only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about.

A decade or two ago the No Fun League was really geared to it's hard core following. Today it's target demographic is so much more diverse, and much more drawn to controversey and melo drama. How else to explain JETS fans...

 

[Wolfpack]

1.) Vegas just had a swing of over 200 million dollars because of one call. Lives were just significantly impacted by officials who weren't good enough for the Lingerie League.

Anyone whose life was significantly impacted by the results of last night's game - besides the participants themselves - shouldn't be gambling. I have no sympathy for those people and don't think Goodell should base NFL policy on how it impacts the gambling public.

2.) I'm an avid football fan, generally watching 7-10 games a week during their normal time, and often watching others during replays. The NFL just lost me as a viewer for all but one of those games, and will eventually lose me for that last game when the fake refs screw up another Patriots game.

So you'll still be watching 1 NFL game per week? Yeah, I'm sure Goodell is losing sleep over people who generate "boycotts" but can't even extend it to the entire product.

 

[Kontradiction]

Unfortunately there's little that can be done. Tickets are sold, NFL Season Ticket is sold.

What am I going to do ? Not buy any Patriots stuff for 12 months. I wear almost all Patriots clothing, T-Shirts and Hoodies. A few are getting old and would normally be freshened up by my wife on December 25. This year ? I will tell her "no thanks", I'll go a year without new ones. At about $75 per hoodie, that and $30 per T-Shirt that's about $200. If a million fans did the same thing that would be $200 Million in merchandise not sold.

Join me if you like. Save some money and do your tiny little part to make a statement.

The USPS just lost a $50+ New Era fitted hat that I bought. So I won't be buying merchandise for a while because of that. But for convenience, I'll say that I'm joining you.

 

[jnug]

I don't think this is what Goodell wants at all. After it is all over he may joke about it and may even be joking about it now with close friends and family.

However this is a business. The owners own businesses. Uncertainty is risk in business. Asset valuations are made in part based on the risk inherent to the business you own or are in.

Pro football and major pro sports in general are complicated business structures. Comparing the NFL to the NBA makes little sense since you could say that in part the differences in how the NBA and the NFL handles it business accounts in part for the huge difference in popularity and team valuations between the two leagues.

This is not what Goodell wants or wanted.

One thing Goodell could have done depending on his view of the various positions and how they impact the league is that he could have planned better for an extended impasse in the negotiations. Does it look to you that Goodell had a good plan under any circumstances? He certainly would have had an insiders vision of what the owners planned to do. With all of that knowledge at his disposal, this was his plan?

Pretty lame if you ask me.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

It's what Goodell would want if he had an inferior product, losing ground to his main competition, and had to resort to a more controversial 'cutting edge' style. That's not the case here, the NFL is not in desperation mode. Sorry for referencing pro wrestling, but it's a relevant example IMO. This is how Vince Mcmahon regained the edge over WCW when they were losing the Monday night wars, by the infamous 'Montreal screw job' over Bret Hart. It was viewed by most as a scumbag move but in the end it's controversial, it got people talking and watching WWF again, then eventually they regained the #1 spot.

But Goodell doesn't have the inferior product, or a product that is being threated by ANYTHING. He inherited by far the most popular professional sport in the country. Hockey may be locked out once again this year, MLB and NBA don't hold a candle to this league. He doesn't need this and he SHOULDN'T want this.

If destroying the integrity of the game is his goal, then yes this is what he wants.

 

[aluminum seats]

Only we've been there and done that multiple times with the regular officials...and the game has soldiered on to record interest and ratings levels.

I actually thought this thread was tongue-in-cheek.

Do you guys actually believe Goodell's that stupid? For that matter, are you guys that stupid? Good ratings right now isn't the point at all. If the ratings actually decline--meaning fans have decided not to watch--it's not as easy as flipping a switch (hiring the old refs back) and they'll come back. They'll find that a lot WON'T come back.

There have already been chinks in the armor w/the concussion stuff, parents not wanting their kids to play, etc.

Sure, the NFL's on top now. But watch out. Fall of Rome, boys.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

I don't think Goodell wants the chaos per se but as long as ratings don't decline and if they possibly increase he and the owners who have the power to stop this at any time will let it continue. Casual viewers with little personal emotional investment in a game may tune in more hoping to see the train wreck. Goodell and the owners know that the hard core, no matter what they profess they'll do on a message board will still watch.

Yes, there is a short term impact on the "integrity of the game" but were the league to get professional full time focused refs with the key ability to remove the bottom 10% or so non-performers the long term integrity will improve.

One final thought, there is a way us hard core can make a difference however slight. Follow the suggestions of those temporarily boycotting any and all NFL merchandise and even better food and drink at stadium concessions. A concerted widespread effort by the hardcore will unlike TV revenue very quickly appear on the owners reduced revenue statements and measures will be taken. Doubt fans will do this in enough numbers though.

 

[Wolfpack]

Attendance has been in decline for years. Viewership is just the offset. Casual fans will lose interest, as they do whenever situations like this happen. By losing me, the NFL has lost the equivalent of about 8 casual fans.

Good luck with that business model.

By your own admission, they haven't lost you. You aren't giving up the NFL, you're just not following it as much. That's not exactly the most principled boycott you got going there.

 

[DefenseRules]

Make that two ..... but I'm giving it until after week 5 then, if not resolved, it's baseball to me as well.

I have already tuned into baseball. The NFL has to much chaos going on. That Sunday night game was bad for my health.
I'll have to be carefull from now on.

 

[UK_Pat37]

Of course Goodell doesn't want this...but he also doesn't want to be taken the mug out of by a bunch of over privileged and over payed (as it is) referees. The refs won't budge if the NFL keeps its proposal to have more back up crews...simply because it means more risk to their jobs when they suck (which is a lot)....why should they budge on that? I think that's a highly important issue, given the performance of some crews in 2011.

Simple fact is if you keep talking about it and keep hitting their website and keep buying tickets and keep watching the games...how does this really hurt them as a business? It doesn't. Ratings aren't down at all...if anything I bet they have gone up.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

I have already tuned into baseball.

PWP: you have my deepest sympathies in your tragic loss

The NFL has to much chaos going on. That Sunday night game was bad for my health.
I'll have to be carefull from now on.

Classic pink hat response

 

[QuantumMechanic]

Keep this sort of thing up, and the NFL becomes the NBA. Eventually, they will lose viewers.

This "thing" will only be "up" for at most this season. After the season is over, if there hasn't been a settlement, the NFL will do exactly what Callahan has been talking about this morning:

1. Fire all the locked-out refs
2. Rewrite the job descriptions to be for full-time work, subject to being replaced in-season for bad performance, have a 401(k), etc.
3. Tell the fired refs and NCAA Division 1 refs they're welcome to apply for jobs.

They'll get the bodies they need (it'd be a huge payraise for NCAAD1 officials) and since they'll be working with decent refs in the first place and will have from February to August to get them trained up, things will be back to normal pretty quickly.

This season will be nuts, though.

 

[Wolfpack]

One final thought, there is a way us hard core can make a difference however slight. Follow the suggestions of those temporarily boycotting any and all NFL merchandise and even better food and drink at stadium concessions. A concerted widespread effort by the hardcore will unlike TV revenue very quickly appear on the owners reduced revenue statements and measures will be taken. Doubt fans will do this in enough numbers though.

+1. I've been saying the same thing for a couple weeks now. The people complaining the most about how bad the product is are the same ones watching 5-6 games per weekend.

Bad calls will not put any pressure on the owners to settle. Bad ratings and bad ticket sales will, but those are not problems.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

The NFL gained in popularity during an offseason marred by a lockout. They are relatively bullit proof at this juncture. They are actually more worried about long range scenarios than fans or mediots ever are. We live in the moment and are part of the immediate gratification generation. Just like with the players the owners have dug in in order to get it right for the long haul. Same thing with a lot of the contact rules changes fans and media alternately call for and decry. Because we don't really know what we want. Believe me, these new age owners do and their track record of getting it is pretty damn impressive.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

This "thing" will only be "up" for at most this season. After the season is over, if there hasn't been a settlement, the NFL will do exactly what Callahan has been talking about this morning:

1. Fire all the locked-out refs
2. Rewrite the job descriptions to be for full-time work, subject to being replaced in-season for bad performance, have a 401(k), etc.
3. Tell the fired refs and NCAA Division 1 refs they're welcome to apply for jobs.

They'll get the bodies they need (it'd be a huge payraise for NCAAD1 officials) and since they'll be working with decent refs in the first place and will have from February to August to get them trained up, things will be back to normal pretty quickly.

This season will be nuts, though.

I think that this is the plan.

Us fans will likely see several teams get totally tooled in the playoffs though, just like with the Ellis Hobbs "face guarding" and the atrocious SB where refs disemboweled the SeaHags for Pittsburgh and its 22 passer rating QB.

 

[Steve102]

I am all over the place on this. It reminds me of a former employer who desperately wanted to avoid lawsuits and everything they did was around that. I really can't help but think that the NFL is playing hardball with the refs to avoid setting a precedent that will open up the floodgates for lawsuits. And then in the same thought process I think these guys can't be that short sighted, yet we've seen them try to lesson injuries/concussions to avoid suits.

I also think Mo's statement that they are trying to break the union has merit. Unfortunately IMO I would wager the NFL didn't envision the cluster they have on the field, witness last night's debacle. I really think they thought they'd have minimal collateral damage, and not a mess like last night.

It just seems like a complete waste of breath to nickle and dime these guys with billion dollar product going to hell and a handbasket. Pay them and get them back in the games.

 

[Kontradiction]

This "thing" will only be "up" for at most this season. After the season is over, if there hasn't been a settlement, the NFL will do exactly what Callahan has been talking about this morning:

1. Fire all the locked-out refs
2. Rewrite the job descriptions to be for full-time work, subject to being replaced in-season for bad performance, have a 401(k), etc.
3. Tell the fired refs and NCAA Division 1 refs they're welcome to apply for jobs.

They'll get the bodies they need (it'd be a huge payraise for NCAAD1 officials) and since they'll be working with decent refs in the first place and will have from February to August to get them trained up, things will be back to normal pretty quickly.

This season will be nuts, though.

SEC officials are probably the only zebras that are competent and capable enough of doing the job. They see this type of speed all the time. But they'd still be a step down from the regulars.

 

[Patstopia]

So far for these last 3 games, the Refs have screwed up calls, made up calls, been involved in the final score of multiple games and dismissed for possible favoritism (fantasy football).

The only thing left for them to be caught at is fixing the game. How long before this also becomes a fact? Does anyone believe that these replacements could not be swayed by cold hard cash in the correct quantity.

It's time for Goodell to stop being a horses butt and settle this thing before something happens that will permanently stain the game.

 

[aluminum seats]

The only thing left for them to be caught at is fixing the game. How long before this also becomes a fact? Does anyone believe that these replacements could not be swayed by cold hard cash in the correct quantity.

Well, I don't think there's any indication that the replacements are more prone to criminal behavior, so that's probably not a real worry.

But I suppose it would be impossible to tell the difference between intentionally thowing a game and what's happening now, so you've got a point there.

 

[jnug]

I do think the major issues can be negotiated successfully if both sides come to the table intending to negotiate successfully. If in fact I am correct and the owners plan has been to break the union, then we might well see an entire season like this.

I have no issue with not wanting refs to end up the isolated from criticism dinks the MLB umps have become. I do see what they are trying to do, in the pensions and with regard to accountability. I agree for the most part.

I would just be surprised if the owners are unable to make their case in a way that makes for meaningful negotiation. From what I have seen so far, it does not look like there is any negotiation. In part that is what suggests to me that the owners plan is to break the union. Do they really have to go there?

Going back again to something I mentioned earlier. the original mistake made by MLB that has in my view tainted every sports labor relations/CBA negotiation from then till now was not that they negotiated with the players as a union. The mistake was in not taking the entire thing seriously and opposing Marvin Miller with serious labor relations professionals. The MLB owners got their doors blown off setting the stage for the mess that the MLB now has. It may look fine but compared to the NFL, it is not even close.

The point is, you don't have to eliminate the other side in these things. Total victory may be attractive but is not necessary. You just have to take care of business on your end and never ever open Pandora's Box in the way that the MLB owners did in their very first negotiation with Marvin Miller and the Players. Just my opinion but it looks to me that the owners have been aiming at total victory here as in breaking the union.

Nice try owners but in my view at this stage of events, I think you have reached to far.