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It was better than I thought it would be, with Goodell answering questions by the 75 fans in attendance (full house in the Pats Hall of Fame theater) on a variety of topics. I thought both Goodell and Bob Kraft were sincere and interested in what people had to say.
The session started with viewing of a 15-minute film on the history of the Patriots on the theater's panoramic screen. Bob Kraft introduced Goodell and praised him effusively as doing a great job for the league. Goodell and Kraft then sat together on stools at center stage and answered questions for an hour as microphones were circulated in the audience. It was like a press conference only with fans asking the questions. There were no questions asked about spygate, tripgate or Roger's alleged coziness with the Green Beans. I asked about how the league expects the proposed 18-game regular season not to degenerate into an injury riddled war of attrition. Below are my Cliff Notes on some of the topics discussed:
18-game regular season: Roger said statistical models show that more teams will be in the playoff hunt longer vs. the current 16-game schedule. Adjustments will be made in off-season demands on players to help mitigate physical wear and tear. Key divisional match-ups will be weighted toward the end of the season as they are now to ensure that teams will play to win. He stressed that NFL fans nationwide are adamant about not paying full price for two preseason games, and stressed that making one of those games “count” is a great improvement in the product. Kraft said ticket prices will not go up because of change to 18-game regular season.
Concussions: Goodell said this remains a front-burner issue the league is working hard on addressing. He believes that re-emphasis on proper player technique backed by fines has been successful, and that the fines do matter to players even though they make millions.
Personal conduct policy: The players’ union recognizes the value of keeping it preserved and emphasized in the next collective bargaining agreement.
Michael Vick: Goodell said he is a great believer in redemption/second chances; said he speaks to Vick often and feels he has proven himself worthy of that second chance off the field.
Brett Favre: The league will announce findings of its investigation before the end of the season.
Television: Goodell and Kraft stressed that the NFL's ongoing success is tied to all games being broadcast on free television (the only pro league to do so) and there are no plans to move into pay-per-view.
A team in Los Angeles: This depends almost exclusively on a new stadium being built. No mention of how a team might be brought there.
Games overseas: Will remain an active league experiment. Goodell said the games in London could have been sold out several times over due to strong demand. He said he felt the market could one day support a full-time team. This was when some idiot said he loved going to the Pats game last year in London, wants them to go there again and would love to see a Super Bowl there.
Super Bowl Tickets: Several fans expressed frustration over lack of access. Goodell said he considers the secondary (re-sale) market a good thing as it allows the average fan a shot at going. He also said that some season ticket holders who get SB tix directly from the team turn around and sell them for profit and the league has no control over that. One fan noted that most SB tix landing in places like eBay are from corporate sources. Apparently the league has no plan or desire to control SB ticket scalping.
Officiating: One fan complained that officiating this year seems especially poor. Roger countered that we see more now after the fact because of all the camera angles, super slo-mo replays, etc. He said NFL refs generally do an excellent job and that new advancements in technology to help them be even better will always be considered.
New CBA: Roger said he believes a work stoppage will be avoided and that both sides realize a lockout/strike situation would harm all involved, especially the fans.
The session started with viewing of a 15-minute film on the history of the Patriots on the theater's panoramic screen. Bob Kraft introduced Goodell and praised him effusively as doing a great job for the league. Goodell and Kraft then sat together on stools at center stage and answered questions for an hour as microphones were circulated in the audience. It was like a press conference only with fans asking the questions. There were no questions asked about spygate, tripgate or Roger's alleged coziness with the Green Beans. I asked about how the league expects the proposed 18-game regular season not to degenerate into an injury riddled war of attrition. Below are my Cliff Notes on some of the topics discussed:
18-game regular season: Roger said statistical models show that more teams will be in the playoff hunt longer vs. the current 16-game schedule. Adjustments will be made in off-season demands on players to help mitigate physical wear and tear. Key divisional match-ups will be weighted toward the end of the season as they are now to ensure that teams will play to win. He stressed that NFL fans nationwide are adamant about not paying full price for two preseason games, and stressed that making one of those games “count” is a great improvement in the product. Kraft said ticket prices will not go up because of change to 18-game regular season.
Concussions: Goodell said this remains a front-burner issue the league is working hard on addressing. He believes that re-emphasis on proper player technique backed by fines has been successful, and that the fines do matter to players even though they make millions.
Personal conduct policy: The players’ union recognizes the value of keeping it preserved and emphasized in the next collective bargaining agreement.
Michael Vick: Goodell said he is a great believer in redemption/second chances; said he speaks to Vick often and feels he has proven himself worthy of that second chance off the field.
Brett Favre: The league will announce findings of its investigation before the end of the season.
Television: Goodell and Kraft stressed that the NFL's ongoing success is tied to all games being broadcast on free television (the only pro league to do so) and there are no plans to move into pay-per-view.
A team in Los Angeles: This depends almost exclusively on a new stadium being built. No mention of how a team might be brought there.
Games overseas: Will remain an active league experiment. Goodell said the games in London could have been sold out several times over due to strong demand. He said he felt the market could one day support a full-time team. This was when some idiot said he loved going to the Pats game last year in London, wants them to go there again and would love to see a Super Bowl there.
Super Bowl Tickets: Several fans expressed frustration over lack of access. Goodell said he considers the secondary (re-sale) market a good thing as it allows the average fan a shot at going. He also said that some season ticket holders who get SB tix directly from the team turn around and sell them for profit and the league has no control over that. One fan noted that most SB tix landing in places like eBay are from corporate sources. Apparently the league has no plan or desire to control SB ticket scalping.
Officiating: One fan complained that officiating this year seems especially poor. Roger countered that we see more now after the fact because of all the camera angles, super slo-mo replays, etc. He said NFL refs generally do an excellent job and that new advancements in technology to help them be even better will always be considered.
New CBA: Roger said he believes a work stoppage will be avoided and that both sides realize a lockout/strike situation would harm all involved, especially the fans.
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