Got my appointment with Roger Goodell!

[bruce_w]

How about the current PI enforcment ruining the game? Nothing is so frustrating as the PI calls in todays games. The way it is now if a ball is underthrown or thrown in anyway on the defenders side of the reciever - and the reciever tries to go through the defender - it is a defensive PI. So in effect they are saying the defender has pretty much no right to be on the field. This should not be PI, the defender NEVER interferred! He just ran beside the reciever!

 

[RayClay]

As luck would have it, someone canceled. The Patriots Special Events office called me today (as I requested) and said they'd put me on the list of 75 season ticket holders who get an audience with Roger Goodell before Sunday's game. I also was advised that questions will not be pre-screened. SO, assuming I get the chance to ask, my queries will include:

* The 18-game schedule, which only the owners seem to want. Between the Patriots and Packers there are some 27 players on IR. How has the league convinced itself that an 18-game schedule won't result in a watered-down product and war of attrition?

* Why has the league not taken punitive action against the Jets for last week's tripgate incident? And, are you at all concerned that failure to do so only reinforces the public's view of you being soft on the Jets in general?

* Since the spygate incident, many NFL coaches, both current and former, have come out and said that what the Patriots did was nothing unusual and in fact, practiced widely. In retrospect, wouldn't you consider the fines and loss of a draft choice something akin to killing a mosquito with a sledgehammer?

Anyone with suggestions on recasting the above questions or adding other questions, please post. Below is the confirmation e-mail from the Patriots on Sunday's session with Roger.

Join Patriots Owner Robert Kraft and the New England Patriots in welcoming NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell for a Question & Answer Session on December 19, 2010. This event will begin at 5:00 PM at The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon.

After parking, please use the attached map to navigate to The Hall.

§ Space is limited. If you do not arrive by 5:00PM we reserve the right to fill your seat.

§ There are no tickets for this event. Your name will be on a registration list.

§ Feel free to arrive early to tour The Hall.

§ Gillette Stadium gates will open at 6:30PM. To access your seats following the event please bring your game tickets with you.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Patriots Events by phone or by email.

We look forward to seeing you on Sunday as we take on the Green Bay Packers!

Go Pats!

Sincerely,

The New England Patriots

You'll be in shackles before you get through half that list. Probably end up in a cell with the wikileaks guy.

 

[Joker]

Tunes...best of luck...I KNOW you will acquit us all well...hopefully you can impress on Lord High Omissioner how deep OUR resentment is STILL for his Spygate actions...

 

[upstater1]

Tune - GOOD LUCK !! I agree, the way PFK has written it here is by far what bugs the crap out of me!! It's not too late for him to right his wrongs by pointing out the truth and at the very least - come clean about no taping of the Rams walk through once and for all from his lips.


Go for it buddy and please let us know.

I have to disagree with patsfanken here. Goodell called Belichick a liar on national TV before the Super Bowl. Costas already offered up patsfanken's argument to Goodell, and Goodell said, "I know he said that, I don't believe him."

 

[Joker]

I have to disagree with patsfanken here. Goodell called Belichick a liar on national TV before the Super Bowl. Costas already offered up patsfanken's argument to Goodell, and Goodell said, "I know he said that, I don't believe him."

and WE don't believe Goodell...therefore...IF he has the gall to actually show for this he NEEDS to be told WE do not believe HIM...and we need him to explain HIS action vis a vis the NE Patriots as it contrasts with the rest of the NFL, ESPECIALLY His former E-M-P-L-O-Y-E-R, the NY Jets....WHY can't this be asked?????? why HASN'T this EVER been asked???

 

[sieglo]

I doubt you will get the chance to ask 3 questions. You need to prioritize which one is most important to hear an answer. Also maybe find two other stooges to give the other 2 questions if they dont let you.

Personally I would want to hear the answer on the jesters question first.

+1. Don't bother asking about the 18 game schedule. He''s been asked that a million times and you won't get anything new out of him.

 

[Frezo]

I wish you the best of luck. Goody will likely have 10 shills in the audience with 10 prepared questions that he will spend a great deal of time answering. If he answers 10 more questions you will all be lucky. His answers will be totally generic and when he's finished with one he'll simply say next question. He won't allow himself to get in a verbal brawl with anybody. He's a lawyer and he'll be right in his element controlling the entire situation. He'll be tough to trap. It will take a very well thought out and sneaky question. If anyone can do it, it's a Patsfans member. Want him to pick you? Wear a Jets hat.

 

[Joker]

I wish you the best of luck. Goody will likely have 10 shills in the audience with 10 prepared questions that he will spend a great deal of time answering. If he answers 10 more questions you will all be lucky. His answers will be totally generic and when he's finished with one he'll simply say next question. He won't allow himself to get in a verbal brawl with anybody. He's a lawyer and he'll be right in his element controlling the entire situation. He'll be tough to trap. It will take a very well thought out and sneaky question. If anyone can do it, it's a Patsfans member. Want him to pick you? Wear a Jets hat.

Nice post..sneaky...I like that...and if what you say happens, maybe Tunes can pull a Bluto from Animal House by coughing "bullshyt" under his breath in unison with other Pats fans...

 

[slam]

"Commissioner Goodell, of the many bad decisions that you make, and I must reiterate there are many, from Spygate to Helmet to Helmet Gate to Thighgate to Brett Favre's Junkgate to Overtime Rule Change Gate to 18 Game Season gate, the common thread seems to be that you do not seem to be deciding issues based on reasoned, carefully thought out analysis but by the amount of apparent outrage there is in the media. How are we supposed to trust your regime when it seems that you bend to even the gentlest wind and completely lack backbone? Grow a spine and stop letting Peter King run the league."

 

[Joker]

"Commissioner Goodell, of the many bad decisions that you make, and I must reiterate there are many, from Spygate to Helmet to Helmet Gate to Thighgate to Brett Favre's Junkgate to Overtime Rule Change Gate to 18 Game Season gate, the common thread seems to be that you do not seem to be deciding issues based on reasoned, carefully thought out analysis but by the amount of apparent outrage there is in the media. How are we supposed to trust your regime when it seems that you bend to even the gentlest wind and completely lack backbone? Grow a spine and stop letting Peter King run the league."

wow...more slam less spam please....:eat2:

 

[shirtsleeve]

As luck would have it, someone canceled. The Patriots Special Events office called me today (as I requested) and said they'd put me on the list of 75 season ticket holders who get an audience with Roger Goodell before Sunday's game. I also was advised that questions will not be pre-screened. SO, assuming I get the chance to ask, my queries will include:

* The 18-game schedule, which only the owners seem to want. Between the Patriots and Packers there are some 27 players on IR. How has the league convinced itself that an 18-game schedule won't result in a watered-down product and war of attrition?

* Why has the league not taken punitive action against the Jets for last week's tripgate incident? And, are you at all concerned that failure to do so only reinforces the public's view of you being soft on the Jets in general?

* Since the spygate incident, many NFL coaches, both current and former, have come out and said that what the Patriots did was nothing unusual and in fact, practiced widely. In retrospect, wouldn't you consider the fines and loss of a draft choice something akin to killing a mosquito with a sledgehammer?

Anyone with suggestions on recasting the above questions or adding other questions, please post. Below is the confirmation e-mail from the Patriots on Sunday's session with Roger.

Join Patriots Owner Robert Kraft and the New England Patriots in welcoming NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell for a Question & Answer Session on December 19, 2010. This event will begin at 5:00 PM at The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon.

After parking, please use the attached map to navigate to The Hall.

§ Space is limited. If you do not arrive by 5:00PM we reserve the right to fill your seat.

§ There are no tickets for this event. Your name will be on a registration list.

§ Feel free to arrive early to tour The Hall.

§ Gillette Stadium gates will open at 6:30PM. To access your seats following the event please bring your game tickets with you.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Patriots Events by phone or by email.

We look forward to seeing you on Sunday as we take on the Green Bay Packers!

Go Pats!

Sincerely,

The New England Patriots

Hey scribe. Stick with question #2, reinforce it with Roger Dodger's lack of response to penis gate, and the Jets organization's involvement, then follow it up with Inezgate and how it was team wide. Corner him to ask him if he favors the Jets due to his former ties, and if he realizes his inaction is proof of his bias. That is what I would do.

edit: If he is stooopid enough to try to answer, just start throwing out conspiracy to commit sexual assault, sexual harrassment, stalking, assault and assault and battery. Say they are serious felonies. Then mention camera placement and fairness....

 

[JustEndTheSeason]

Just curious why?

They won't be taken seriously. Goodell will assume you are a blind homer and I bet he has heard all the spygate questions.

Please make sure he knows how awful an 18 game season would be.

 

[Dr Pain]

You seem like an OK dude.

PLEASE...PLEASE...

Dont ask homer questions like 2 of your three listed.

SPYGATE - :nono:

TRIPGATE - :nono:


That's all I got. GL.

The heck with that. Ask what you want. You are a consumer. This guy isn’t a king. If you are more interested in 18 games than the other questions ask that but I for one am a homer and that’s what I’d be interested in.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

Two pieces of advice to add to the "sneaky" question advice:

1) have a short form of the sneaky question ready.
2) have a smart phone with you set to audio-record (at least)
3) Practice with (2)

I assume this is a no cameras event, for one thing, because I've never seen media coming out of them (regardless of the location they set the camera up in )

The fact that "video out" is unusual in such surroundings kind of helps you. If you do manage to get video, and especially if you get a sympathetic reaction within the Gang of 75, it's more likely you could get air time out of it because of the novelty factor.

I'd suggest something simple like,

"Do you think you're going easy on the Jets and historically went harder on the Pats because you used to work for the Jets?"

Very simple, very homeristic, and easily swept aside (admittedly.) You can't make a winning case in one question. Be ready with your backup questions if he wants to argue... he probably won't.

Maybe if he's talking about the relative seriousness, have something punchy ready like "Coaches tripping players, that's not serious?"

If you can get video, or at least audio, what will be significant is that you got it out, and got out a question from the Pats faithful impugninig Goodell's impartiality.

If they confiscate all smart phones when they're getting rid of cameras well forget it. If they don't...

...Heh. Someone work on getting an e-mail contact w/the local news/sports radio shows.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

Oh but btw, you get kicked out of other events like this automatically LOL

 

[BTTA]

As tempting as it is, let's not get fooled into thinking there will be anything authentic about this. It's a politicians press conference, not a true conversation.

The best thing that could happen would be for the 75 of you to show up early, have a great time chatting with each other, and then when the formal Q&A starts, just leave. Leave him standing there at the podium with no one but Patriots personnel.

Or, have the first question be about Tripgate, and when he gives a meaningless answer, everyone walk out then, shaking their heads, like, "just what we expected" but without any verbal protest.

 

[RelocatedPatFan]

Go for something besides #2. He'll probably say it's an ongoing investigation and he can't give any more details at this time.

 

[NovaScotiaPatsFan]

Go get him!

 

[JoeSixPat]

I don't mind a Spygate Question... the only reason it was a scandal in the first place is because most fans don't realize the filming and analysis of signal calling has been, and continues to be, legal since the inception of the game.

It's just a question of asking the RIGHT Spygate question.

Goodell himself unwittingly reiterated that the filming of signal calling is allowed from the stands and other locations - just not from the sidelines... he'd very much prefer that NO attention be drawn to that, because while it vindicates the Patriots it calls into question, not so much the "integrity of the game" but the integrity of Goodell's PR influenced policies...

As such my short question would be...

"Mr. Goodell, Spygate continues to be a sore spot for many New England fans.

'Since you've made it clear that teams ARE allowed to make their own films of NFL plays from various non-sideline locations, what steps, if any, does the NFL take to ensure that opposing team video and telescopic microphones are NOT being used to gather information about playcalling?"

The answer, of course is that the NFL does nothing to prevent or even monitor this, nor has any interest in doing so... taping of playcalling by teams other than the Patriots continues today (hence that's why you still see coordinators covering their mouths).

Goodell's huge fine against the Patriots had more to do with making himself look good and promoting a perception of "the integrity of the game" for ignorant fans who don't realize that Goodell's own rules allow, and even encourage, teams to engage in this practice.

Few felt it truly impacted the integrity of the game going back to the 1950s when George Halas and Lamar Hunt were recognized as the pioneers of this practice - it's just that Goodell would rather continue to see the Patriots be perceived as cheaters rather than come clean about the NFL's past and current support for such practices. (Goodell would prefer that the public not be made aware that these football "greats" engaged in the same practice he's denounced too)

I think given the false and distracting allegations faced by the Pats on the eve of Super Bowl XLII I think it's fair to hold Goodell's feet to the fire to answer this question once and for all. The Patriots themselves made a point of drawing attention to the filming practices of other teams, throwing out the Jets film crew from the stands later in 2007 - of course the NFL had no interest in reviewing the Jets game film at that time because Goodell preferred not to know whether the Jets were gathering playcalling intelligence thumbing their nose at him so soon after Spygate.

In answering the question he can either come clean - that that NFL allows the taping of playcalling and/or does nothing to stop it as long as its not from the sidelines ... OR he gets caught in a lie.

 

[BTTA]

"Most Patriots fans believe you have it in for us, and have demonstrated a pattern of favoritism toward your ex employer, the Jets. Because the Pats have become the model franchise, and the Jets continue to be among the worst in the league with a long history of failure and mediocrity, we believe this will continue. Is there anything you can say to us today that would begin to chip away at this belief?"