Got my appointment with Roger Goodell!

[Froob]

"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."

Hey the overtime change was the only thing he did right. It not being passed for regular season was ******ed. I hate overtime rules and it sucks even more in madden :bricks:

 

[DaBruinz]

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

Tune - I would stick with number 2. However, I would amend it slightly.

Why has the league not taken punitive action against the Jets for last week's tripgate incident? 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, particularly in light of Santonio Holmes not being suspended for his DUI and the lack of punishment for Brett Favre for his actions while with the Jets?

 

[Bella*chick]

Tune - I would stick with number 2. However, I would amend it slightly.

Why has the league not taken punitive action against the Jets for last week's tripgate incident? 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, particularly in light of Santonio Holmes not being suspended for his DUI and the lack of punishment for Brett Favre for his actions while with the Jets?

Ooooh, this is good.

 

[AtivanPatsFan]

Congrats! What an amazing opportunity!

 

[TB146]

Wear a t-shirt that has a big "18" circled and slashed (like a no smoking sign). This will make them think that your question will be a relatively innocent one in opposition to the 18-game season. (Because if they have any idea you're going to ask about any of the "gates", they won't pick you at all).

Then if they call on you, combine your 2nd and 3rd questions by comparing the two incidents: Case A- what turns out to be a minor infraction -even by the admission of opposing coaches- is severely punished, vs. Case B- a member of one coaching staff deliberately tripping an opposing player and risking injury, etc. etc. is basically swept under the rug. Why the difference in treatment?

Effectively, you can address all three of your concerns in one go. If they say "Your t-shirt made me think your question was going to be about the 18-game season." you can just reply "No, this is because I think Peyton Manning sucks."

 

[Horace Ivory]

Roger....

You're, quite possibly, the worst sports commissioner in U.S. major sports history. Dead people could do a better job than you have. When will you be resigning?

Bingo! We've got bingo!

 

[Dagg]

Commish your wifes pretty hot,how did you pull that off looking like howdy doody?

 

[Kontradiction]

I think you should be like Chris Hanson and tell him to "take a seat" before you ask your questions.

 

[belichickaholic]

Ask him why the spygate penalty was so harsh. Mike Perreirra, the director of officiating, stated several times that the video taping rule was put into effect many, many years ago. If that's the case, and the rule went unenforced all that time, why was the penalty so harsh? I'd love to know the answer to that question. And then if you don't get the chance to ask a question, please take an old soft tomato and throw it in his face for me!! hehe Good Luck

 

[Mountain_Commando]

Regarding Goodell's handling of Spygate, Pats fans think the punishment was too harsh...while other team fans think it was too lenient ("OMG Goodell destroyed the tapes"). To me, the best answer to whether Goodell is JAG in a corporation, or a corrupt dictator, would come from Mr. Robert Kraft. If Mr. Kraft, in his own personal (non-public) opinion thinks Goodell is just a figurehead of the NFL enterprise, then that's that. If he thinks Goodell personally did the Pats wrong, then Goodell indeed is scum.

Now, we will obviously never know what Mr. Kraft's personal opinion is. But in speculation, I would have to say that I cannot bring myself to imagine that Mr. Kraft thinks Goodell abused his power to spite the Pats. Why? Because I do not believe that Goodell has that much power. The NFL is a business, but Goodell is NOT the CEO...the owners collectively are, because they own the largest stake, the supply the most capital, and they assume the largest share of risk/reward. So while it is entirely possible that Goodell went rogue when he punished the Pats, I do feel its unlikely.

What is possible, is that the OTHER owners orchestrated this against the Pats, as an act of business competition (fair or not), and used Goodell the figurehead to execute their collective decision. As such, blaming Goodell is simply blaming the messenger.

Anyway, good luck to ya Tune. To be honest, I doubt you'll get more out out of Goodell than insulated diplomatic answers that don't mean much. But if anything, he will hopefully walk away from this session with a good understanding of how the NE Pats fanbase 'feels'. This is important, because although we only represent a little more than 1/32 of the fan base, how the league interacts with us has been and will continue to be scrutinized by the entirety of the league's viewership, and this the league needs to tread carefully and deliberately...and they are well cognizant of this fact.

 

[Jackson 2]

Commish your wifes pretty hot,how did you pull that off looking like howdy doody?

She calls him Mr. Goodwrench...

 

[CheeseMonkeys]

Wear a t-shirt that has a big "18" circled and slashed (like a no smoking sign). If they say "Your t-shirt made me think your question was going to be about the 18-game season." you can just reply "No, this is because I think Peyton Manning sucks."

Initially, I thought you were referring to Manning with your shirt idea and not the 18 game season.

 

[Tunescribe]

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.

Or, we could all boo him loudly and then leave. :singing:

 

[BradyBranch39]

Roger needs to come here for a questioning session. He's terrible and the fact that there are this many things to talk about says something.

 

[BradyBranch39]

Tune - I would stick with number 2. However, I would amend it slightly.

Why has the league not taken punitive action against the Jets for last week's tripgate incident? 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, particularly in light of Santonio Holmes not being suspended for his DUI and the lack of punishment for Brett Favre for his actions while with the Jets?

THERRE WE GO! This is a jet one.

(must always replace good with jet?)

 

[BSR]

Here is what I would ask:

"Commissioner, I appreciate you coming out today to field questions from the Patriots fan base today. I commend you on facing a group that, as you can imagine, aren't your biggest fans given your unclear explanation of the fines and penalties imposed on the organization in 2007 for videotaping violations. In that light I would hope you will try to be forthright with questions regarding that subject given that is the first and maybe only opportunity that fans may be able to ask questions to perhaps the only person that can answer them.

At that time you issued the greatest penalty ever imposed on a team in the history of the NFL. Given that there have been numerous well respected coaches to come out including Knox, Cowher and Jimmy Johnson, that have said the process of filming signals has had little to no effect on the games and has a long history in football (much like lining up players on sidelines during punt coverage), what were the elements you considered and process you went through in issuing the largest penalty in the history of football? Do you in fact as the media suggests, think this is the most egregious COMPETITIVE violation in the history of the NFL? And if so, what evidence and fact you considered to come to that conclusion?"

 

[Zeus]

Suggest you bring him a Christmas present. I was thinking maybe a dunce cap would be nice.

 

[Pewsterbaby]

I wanna know if he's heard of Kontradiction or read his thousands upon thousands of encyclopedic posts. Ask the commish if he has a successor in line and if he's got Kontra in mind for the post. That's what I wanna know. ehhh haa haaa.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

ask him why only 31 teams ever get flagged for PI

 

[wiggins!]

Tunescribe,

I echo those who say you should prioritze cause you'll probably only get one. For what it's worth, I'd go with the jets question over the schedule in order of priority.

I think Goodell is gonna get bombarded with 18-game scheduling questions the Friday before the Super Bowl. (even though i love your point of 27-some-odd players on IR between the Packers and the Pats....would be perfect timing). I think goodell will get hit hard with these kinds of questions by the media.

BUT....i will guarantee you that NO media member will have the *guts* to ask why the Jets weren't punished by HIM. that's the kind of question (in relation to spy-gate discipline) that needs to be asked by an educated fan.


Have fun