Note from Roger Goodell

[Avenger]

Just got this in my EMail

To NFL Fans:

The National Football League is at its best when the focus is on the players and the action on the field, not on labor negotiations.

All of us who love the sport appreciate the skills and dedication of the players and coaches. That is why we are focused not just on what happens on the field but what our game will be like in another decade or two. The NFL has always tried to look ahead, to innovate, and to constantly improve in all we do.

We recognize that some decisions may be difficult to accept in the passion of the moment, but my most important responsibility is to improve the game for this generation and the next.

I believe in accountability, not excuses. And I regret we were not able to secure an agreement sooner in the process and avoid the unfortunate distractions to the game. You deserve better.

As a lifelong fan, this wasn't an easy process for anyone involved. I particularly want to commend the replacement officials for taking on an unenviable task and doing it with focus and dedication in the most adverse of circumstances.

Our new agreement gives long-term stability to an important aspect of our game, officiating. More important, with this agreement, officiating will be better in the long run. While the financial issues received the most attention, these negotiations were much more about long-term reforms. For example, beginning with the 2013 season, the NFL will have the option of hiring a number of officials on a full-time basis to work year-round, including on the field. In addition, the NFL will have the option to retain additional officials for training and development purposes, and may assign those additional officials to work NFL games.

We are moving forward with the finest officials in sports back on the field. It's time to put the focus where it belongs – on the clubs and players and our magnificent game, with a special thanks to our fans for their passion.

Roger Goodell

 

[Armchair Quarterback]

He can shove it.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Translation........

I was getting so fu(king scared with these increasing death threats that kept flooding my inbox and mailbox that I feared for my life,so I had no other choice but to open the NFLs wallet a little wider and satisfy those greedy hungry bastard zebras you guys all wanted back.

Are you all fu(king satisfied now?...I feel safer for my health and can fire that security guard that shadowed my every movement

 

[Avenger]

I understand the long term reforms and agree with them, I just feel that they should have gotten the Refs in for the start of the season by giving them what they wanted monetarily in exchange for the reforms, letting them keep the pensions and giving them a pay bump.

 

[Fball]

This won't be a popular position, but Goodell got way too much of the blame here. First, he has sort of been at the mercy of the owners, and anyone could see by that post-Monday night interview w/ Jerry Jones what that must have been like.

Second, this wasn't a money thing or an NFL thing, as much as it was an effort to improve the officiating long-term. The stipulations that the NFL wanted on that front were not, imo, unreasonable. It's the same things we see in education, where the unions demand tenure, but schools want the ability to get rid of bad teachers.

They took a gamble w/ the replacement refs & it failed, but I think their intent was in the right place.

 

[Deus Irae]

Goodell could have resigned in protest, or he could have at least come out publicly against what was going on. Instead, he carried the owners' water.

He's a clown.

 

[DarrylS]

Just got this in my EMail

Somehow this part of the quote got edited in your version...

As a lifelong Jets fan, as I bleed green, this wasn't an easy process for anyone involved. I particularly want to commend the replacement officials for taking on an unenviable task and doing it with focus and dedication in the most adverse of circumstances, even though they ****ed up incredibly. This is not anywhere as bad as cameragate, bountygate or that rotten baztard Belichick attacking and beating up officials..

Did you notice none of those whiny veterans and their so called injuries made any noise when this was going on?? That is the way it should be, perhaps they will just go away and be thankful for what they have.

 

[Sicilian]

I don't like the man, but it sounds like the two sides came to a mutually beneficial agreement, and the fact that they couldn't do that sooner is not the fault of one side of the other. They were both stubborn and decided to play their leverage. In the end, despite the league losing the public relations battle, they still somehow got a better deal for themselves. I just think this is how things are handled in the modern sports era, get used to it.

 

[Gwedd]

Goodell could have resigned in protest, or he could have at least come out publicly against what was going on. Instead, he carried the owners' water.

He's a clown.

Agreed. Goodell can go pound sand. I will never have any respect for him. He showed his true colors with his tyrannical ruling regarding "spygate".

He needs to resign and be replaced with someone with extensive CEO experience who is NOT from the NFL ranks.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

I don't like the man, but it sounds like the two sides came to a mutually beneficial agreement, and the fact that they couldn't do that sooner is not the fault of one side of the other. They were both stubborn and decided to play their leverage. In the end, despite the league losing the public relations battle, they still somehow got a better deal for themselves. I just think this is how things are handled in the modern sports era, get used to it.

I am not so sure its as clear cut as that.

The NFL,a multi billion dollar industry did NOT care about protecting the shield and its integrity and could not have cared less about its fans or employees (coaches,players) UNTIL something like the GB/Seattle call came up for controversy.

The NFL never would have budged on the agreement until one of two things happened.....

• The Referees caved in and gave up their demands

• There was going to be situation that the replacement refs would be 100% the fault of a team directly losing and thereby causing a near riot throughout the football land

In other words it was either going to be the regular refs giving up or a team was going to be screwed at the very end of a game by a dumb call....it was going to be one or the other.

Without the GB/Seattle finish there should absolutely be no doubt that the keystone cop refs would still be calling the shots this weekend and would have been for a long time.

But its too late for the real refs now,the season is already damaged and the new refs are only putting a bandaid on a cut that bled too long
....the 2012 Super bowl winner should have an asterisk after its name because too many plays in the first 3 weeks changed the entire course of the season.

 

[Sicilian]

I am not so sure its as clear cut as that.

The NFL,a multi billion dollar industry did NOT care about protecting the shield and its integrity and could not have cared less about its fans or employees (coaches,players) UNTIL something like the GB/Seattle call came up for controversy.

The NFL never would have budged on the agreement until one of two things happened.....

• The Referees caved in and gave up their demands

• There was going to be situation that the replacement refs would be 100% the fault of a team directly losing and thereby causing a near riot throughout the football land

In other words it was either going to be the regular refs giving up or a team was going to be screwed....it was going to be one or the other.

I guess what I'm looking at is, from the owners perspective, they got a deal they're happy with and the NFL isn't going to lose a penny over this. As bad as it looks to us fans, who's going to stop watching the NFL over three weeks of weird officiating? Again, we can think Goodell is a sleazeball all we want, but as far as his job is concerned, I'll bet the owners think he's doing great.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

I guess what I'm looking at is, from the owners perspective, they got a deal they're happy with and the NFL isn't going to lose a penny over this. As bad as it looks to us fans, who's going to stop watching the NFL over three weeks of weird officiating? Again, we can think Goodell is a sleazeball all we want, but as far as his job is concerned, I'll bet the owners think he's doing great.

Nobody is going to stop watching the NFL,we all love the game ...however I can't help but continously thinking of what irreversible damage the league sustained in 3 weeks

 

[thenepatsrule]

He can shove it.

while he is at shoving things , he may as well shove rex ryan up...............too

 

[Gwedd]

while he is at shoving things , he may as well shove rex ryan up...............too

That's gonna hurt.......

 

[thenepatsrule]

That's gonna hurt.......

wont hurt as much as RG THE 666 has hurt the fans with his handling of the refs strike........
infact no punishment is enough for that guy...... we could easily have been 3-0 ...especially the Ravens game with all those Phantom PI calls.......

 

[Deus Irae]

I guess what I'm looking at is, from the owners perspective, they got a deal they're happy with and the NFL isn't going to lose a penny over this. As bad as it looks to us fans, who's going to stop watching the NFL over three weeks of weird officiating? Again, we can think Goodell is a sleazeball all we want, but as far as his job is concerned, I'll bet the owners think he's doing great.

The key here, in my opinion, is the length of the deals. Baseball was able to weather a lot of stoppages but, eventually, having 8 in just about 22 years caught up with them, and they were knocked off the top spot by a combination of the NFL's popularity rise and growing disinterest from the young people who'd been getting yanked around for more than 2 decades (shortening attention spans fed into it, too). The NFL owners have been every bit as callous and disgraceful as the MLB owners (and players), IMO, but they've done it less often and will now have 8 years before it's an issue again, so people will have time to forgive and forget.

 

[goheels22002]

"For example, beginning with the 2013 season, the NFL will have the option of hiring a number of officials on a full-time basis to work year-round, including on the field."

What the hell is that?

Goodell is going to make the refs "work year-round,- including on the field?" What's he running here? A gardening club? A chain gang? Is he going to make them pick cotton?

Holy cow! The Super Bowl is the first Sunday in February and the preseason doesn't begin until August. That's at least six months working on the field! If you live in a city with a dome, what are you supposed to be doing on the field? Are they going to paint the blades of artificial grass?

Somebody better tell the referees what Goodell is up to.

"Swing low sweet chariot, comin' for to carry me home..."

 

[Sicilian]

The key here, in my opinion, is the length of the deals. Baseball was able to weather a lot of stoppages but, eventually, having 8 in just about 22 years caught up with them, and they were knocked off the top spot by a combination of the NFL's popularity rise and growing disinterest from the young people who'd been getting yanked around for more than 2 decades (shortening attention spans fed into it, too). The NFL owners have been every bit as callous and disgraceful as the MLB owners (and players), IMO, but they've done it less often and will now have 8 years before it's an issue again, so people will have time to forgive and forget.

A good point. On the flip side of that is the NHL, who is now on their what? FOURTH work stoppage in 20 years? It remains to be seen what the long term effects will be of this latest one, but that's really going to hurt them if they miss significant time.

 

[Deus Irae]

A good point. On the flip side of that is the NHL, who is now on their what? FOURTH work stoppage in 20 years? It remains to be seen what the long term effects will be of this latest one, but that's really going to hurt them if they miss significant time.

I think I'd could make a convincing argument that the NHL owners have decided to commit league suicide. It's a labor dispute where the owners are, even more than the NFL owners, clearly in the wrong and being far too demanding of the players while giving themselves a pass. It's a distant 4th in the "big 4 sports" setup. And, unlike baseball and football, hockey is not a sport where the players don't have other options if the NHL closes down. The players can live without the NHL, and that should* be a game changer.










*I say "should" because the NFLPA and NFLRA should have held out for better deals, but both caved needlessly.

 

[JJDChE]

Nobody is going to stop watching the NFL,we all love the game ...however I can't help but continously thinking of what irreversible damage the league sustained in 3 weeks

Irreversible damage? Puuh-lease. No one will remember this in a few years.