NFL Owners in disarray as Goodell is losing control of the league

[PatsWickedPissah]

Refs have always been human and make mistakes. Today's HDTV and replay simply exposes more of the same. However, the product quality is diluted from past decades. Diluted by rules changes. Those for player safety where efficacious, we must live with, but there are far more rule changes introduced that greatly enhance the ability of mediocre QBs to rack up gaudy numbers. The quest for fantasy fans.

What is/will hurt football is concussions. I hope effective preventive measures can be found. Not sure the sport will survive in recognizable form.
Our quick look, twitter, phone oriented culture works against sitting down and watching 3+ solid hours of football. Although it beats MLB by a mile, the cultural change hurts the NFL.
This last season has shown that there is a serious lack of first rate QB talent in this league. The supposed next generation of Bird-Magic, Brady-Manning-Rogers-Roethlesbergers guys are simply not there. Even without the absolute super stars the league would do OK if there were more Wilsons, Lucks(?) but even they are too few.
The other risk to the NFL is in this thread. It's abundantly clear that there is no steady entertainment business acumen actually running the league. It's a free for all, as growth-obsessed owners pull in myriad directions, many of them without serious personal business experience like Bob Kraft.

 

[XLIX]

They're only nebulous if you don't know what to look for, or haven't witnessed the game's evolution/de-evolution over decades confirming an erosion in the overall quality of play fundamentally. I attended my first NFL game in 1971 and have been a Patriots season ticket holder since 1994; I played a bit of football myself and know what I'm looking at.

Perhaps this is how it's worked for you. I go by what I see on the field, in person.

Well now you're embarrassing yourself. If you go by what you have see on field in person, and you go to Patriots games, and you feel the overall quality is lower today than it was 40 years ago, good luck getting others to agree with that.

Please. I prefer competitive balance between offense and defense. THAT is what makes the game exciting. Are you a fantasy football enthusiast, by chance?

Nope. Sorry to disappoint.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2015/12/25/nfl-season-marked-by-mediocrity-not-parity-in-2015/77906948/#

You're proving the point I am making. There's no difference in gameplay, the only difference is now that there is literally hundreds of times more media taking note.

If we could magically grab 2 average NFL teams circa 1985 and bring them to the present day and watch them, you'd be saying "geez these guys suck.... they are nowhere near as good as teams were 30 years ago..."

 

[XLIX]

Refs have always been human and make mistakes. Today's HDTV and replay simply exposes more of the same.

I agree with this point, but I also think it goes far beyond that. Go back to the 80's. ESPN existed, but was nowhere near as ubiquitous as it is now. There was no Sunday Night Football, no Thursday Night Football. People would literally - literally - get about 2 to 3 minutes of NFL highlights on a Sunday night, a half hour pregame show with Brent Musberger and Irv Cross every Sunday, and that's it. These days you get a bad call, and people discuss it for hours and hours and hours.

 

[Big Bucks]

Over 100 million Americans watched the Super Bowl. Roughly 1.1 million people in this country watched the most recent MLS final, which represented a sharp decline from the previous year (despite all the silliness that the 2014 World Cupnwouod propel soccer to even new heights in the US).

Football has nothing to fear from soccer in this country, nor will it anytime in our lifetimes. People have been writing articles like this for about 40 years now, ever since Pele joined the Cosmos.

I'd be interested in the numbers involving the English Premier League, since it left Fox and moved to NBC whilst paying a Billion for the TV contract I am sure that this may be the main constant threat that is when soccer is concerned on TV on a week to week basis.

Remember the world cup is during the off season of the NFL so isn't really competition. Although still relatively small viewing in your country EPL is definitely growing. Will be interesting what the next contract is paid when NBC runs out.

 

[Fencer]

Kraft went all in defending his BFF. They used to call Bob the "Assistant Commish",so he evidently carried a lot of pull around the league.

And he did it on issues where Goodell was in the wrong, especially Ray Rice and uncapped season cap penalty.

 

[Koma]

I agree with your point and I still don't understand why so many people think Goodell is pulling the strings on any of the dumpster fires the league has lit in the past 10 years. He's the puppet not the puppeteer. He's simply an extension of 32 unimaginably rich and grotesquely irresponsible owners. He does what they tell him to do so he can keep collecting his absurd pay package and he takes the heat from the media and fans when things inevitably blows up. Anyone who thinks this guy is making any meaningful decisions is giving him way too much credit.

It's only one example, but consider this:

The ESPN article mentions things started to go wrong with the LA relocation effort because of the fallout from the Ray Rice situation. Meetings were postponed and owners started to make their own plans. On the surface, this looks like one screw up Goodell leading to another screw up.

If you go back to the Rice situation, though, what got Goodell in trouble was his original, 2 game suspension. Even before the second video appeared, people were mocking that decision because other players were getting 4 games for drug suspensions at the same time. I remember someone posting a joke about the Welker and Rice suspensions: "Take Molly - 4 games. Knock out Molly - 2 games." The reason why Goodell went with a lighter punishment for Rice was that the Ravens owner went to bat for Rice and Goodell went along with the owner's wishes. The Ravens owner never gets any heat for that, Goodell does.

An owner's input led to the Ray Rice issue blowing up, which negatively impacted the LA meetings, but the perception is that it was all Goodell's fault.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

If you go back to the Rice situation, though, what got Goodell in trouble was his original, 2 game suspension. Even before the second video appeared, people were mocking that decision because other players were getting 4 games for drug suspensions at the same time. I remember someone posting a joke about the Welker and Rice suspensions: "Take Molly - 4 games. Knock out Molly - 2 games." The reason why Goodell went with a lighter punishment for Rice was that the Ravens owner went to bat for Rice and Goodell went along with the owner's wishes. The Ravens owner never gets any heat for that, Goodell does.
.

If only our owner went to bat for HIS superstar player who was totally innocent & Kraft knew it or certainly should have known it by then. Did Bob not listen to BB's press conference? Did he not talk to any physics professor or engineer (Me!)?

Let me say that if Kraft's intercession got Tom reduced from 4 games to 2 I'd even be more dissatisfied than I am today so I guess Bob just can't win.

 

[Tunescribe]

Well now you're embarrassing yourself. If you go by what you have see on field in person, and you go to Patriots games, and you feel the overall quality is lower today than it was 40 years ago, good luck getting others to agree with that.
Nope. Sorry to disappoint.
You're proving the point I am making. There's no difference in gameplay, the only difference is now that there is literally hundreds of times more media taking note.

If we could magically grab 2 average NFL teams circa 1985 and bring them to the present day and watch them, you'd be saying "geez these guys suck.... they are nowhere near as good as teams were 30 years ago..."

My references were to the NFL game in general, not the Patriots specifically. Obviously, the Patriots have played at a higher level relative to their competition over the past 15 years due to superior coaching (hint: BB is "old-school" in his approach). But even then, aspects of subpar fundamental play have crept into their game for reasons beyond BB's control. If you're not aware of this either you haven't been following the game long enough or don't know what to look for. I suspect both.

No, I wasn't embarrassing myself -- I have embarrassed YOU! You have offered nothing to counter my points other than conjecture drawn from "increased media coverage." It's the sort of argument that only someone with limited short-range perspective (and lack of knowledgeable observation) would offer. Did you read the article I linked? I'm not the only one crying foul on the league's shabby trend.

 

[Tony2046]

It's only one example, but consider this:

The ESPN article mentions things started to go wrong with the LA relocation effort because of the fallout from the Ray Rice situation. Meetings were postponed and owners started to make their own plans. On the surface, this looks like one screw up Goodell leading to another screw up.

If you go back to the Rice situation, though, what got Goodell in trouble was his original, 2 game suspension. Even before the second video appeared, people were mocking that decision because other players were getting 4 games for drug suspensions at the same time. I remember someone posting a joke about the Welker and Rice suspensions: "Take Molly - 4 games. Knock out Molly - 2 games." The reason why Goodell went with a lighter punishment for Rice was that the Ravens owner went to bat for Rice and Goodell went along with the owner's wishes. The Ravens owner never gets any heat for that, Goodell does.

An owner's input led to the Ray Rice issue blowing up, which negatively impacted the LA meetings, but the perception is that it was all Goodell's fault.

Whether or not he is in control or is a puppet with many strings he is the NFL's commissioner and is paid to take the heat. His dismissal will be a representation of the owner's dissatisfaction with the way the league is going and any joyous celebration from the fans will be a representation of how those fans feel about the league. So when I say "Roger", it doesn't matter to me whether it is his fault or not.

Beyond that it was his decision to lie and participate in the cover ups, scandals etc... so the "hate" he feels belongs to him.

 

[Joker]

There is no doubt that rule changes favor the offense, but your other points are too nebulous to address. What is happening is you are watching way more football today than back then. That includes live action AND highlights/analysis. So you're seeing far more bad plays that just never made the airwaves back in the dark ages. There was no Ron Jaworski type analyst in 1980 on TV everyday breaking down 15 minutes of game film showing you everything everybody did wrong.

Btw, how is a league that completed roughly 70% of passes a worse thing than a league that completes roughly 60%..?? Are incomplete passes something you find tremendously exciting and you long for more??

Revisionist bullshyt...and YOU know it.

 

[Tunescribe]

Revisionist bullshyt...and YOU know it.

Either that, or he's a relative late-comer who thinks he has "figured things out."

 

[IllegalContact]

If only our owner went to bat for HIS superstar player who was totally innocent & Kraft knew it or certainly should have known it by then. Did Bob not listen to BB's press conference? Did he not talk to any physics professor or engineer (Me!)?

Let me say that if Kraft's intercession got Tom reduced from 4 games to 2 I'd even be more dissatisfied than I am today so I guess Bob just can't win.

Sure he can......all he has to is ignore the hating drivel ..... Which he already does .....

 

[ivanvamp]

OTL: NFL rewards, punishes as research funder

The more we learn about the NFL, the more corrupt it appears to be. I love the sport, but my goodness. How can anyone trust ANYTHING the NFL says or does?

 

[supafly]

im going to suggest that goodell has NOTHING to do with it.

unless roger goodell invented fantasy football that is.

So, he didn't negotiate new record television deals?

Increased the bargaining position by having 17 Thursday night games where networks not only fought each other, but ended up having his fingers in ALL the pies by including CBS, NBC, NFLN, and ESPN?

Increase revenue by bringing NFL football to other countries such as the UK, Canada, and Mexico?

A new CBA where the owners clearly won certainly made him favorable in the eyes of his bosses, no?

He didn't get the concussion parties to agree on financial compensation that was at 5-10% what everyone believed they'd have to pay?

Your claim that he did "nothing" to increase revenue for the owners is not correct, as much as I hate him. It goes way beyond fantasy football.

 

[supafly]

Yes, and this might be more accurately stated as, "Because the NFL product has made the owners record amounts of money since Goodell has been in the job."

I don't think Goodell is seen as the primary cause of the success, but as one factor, and they don't want to upset the apple cart. And I think I read somewhere that he has a ridiculous golden parachute clause in his contract.

Goodell is given more credit by the owners that anyone cares to admit, particularly in N.England.

We've seen, heard, and read many comments from various high ranking owners who have talked about the laundry list that I included in my post above.

Obviously, some of it would've gotten done without him, but he's proven to be all about the paper and the owners are more than happy with that.

 

[IllegalContact]

OTL: NFL rewards, punishes as research funder

The more we learn about the NFL, the more corrupt it appears to be. I love the sport, but my goodness. How can anyone trust ANYTHING the NFL says or does?

Needing to trust them is overrated

It's entertainment

 

[Tunescribe]

Needing to trust them is overrated

It's entertainment

Perhaps you feel that way, but for most dedicated followers it's a bit beyond mere entertainment. And there's nothing wrong with that.

 

[IllegalContact]

Perhaps you feel that way, but for most dedicated followers it's a bit beyond mere entertainment. And there's nothing wrong with that.

I am a dedicated follower ..... But there's no victim here ..... None of it is forced ..... To sit here and express hostility towards Kraft is pathetic ..... I'm not going to allow something that appears scripted to bother me

 

[Tony2046]

My references were to the NFL game in general, not the Patriots specifically. Obviously, the Patriots have played at a higher level relative to their competition over the past 15 years due to superior coaching (hint: BB is "old-school" in his approach). But even then, aspects of subpar fundamental play have crept into their game for reasons beyond BB's control. If you're not aware of this either you haven't been following the game long enough or don't know what to look for. I suspect both.

No, I wasn't embarrassing myself -- I have embarrassed YOU! You have offered nothing to counter my observation other than conjecture drawn from media coverage. It's the sort of argument that only someone with limited short-range perspective (and lack of knowledgeable observation) would offer. Did you read the article I linked? I'm not the only one crying foul on the league's shabby trend.

I've noticed the deterioration in the game and yes I believe you can compare it to the 70's and 80's. It seemed purer back then or less tainted. The league was growing exponentially, the owners were gaining wealth, concussion wasn't a thing and millions of kids were dreaming about becoming the next Roger Staubach or Lynn Swan. Those days are gone. IMO, they have changed the rules for both safety and to increase ratings (scoring) but because they seem desperate to maintain a continued ratings growth they seem dangerously close to game manipulation via "rule interpretation" and "rule implementation". What is a catch? Why is that an OPI today and not yesterday? On top of that we now have a league that seems to enjoy scandal after scandal. Are they mimicking the WWE for improved ratings? Sure seems like it.

XLIX is correct in that the players today may be more talented but that may have, oddly enough, led to poorer on field play. Players are bigger, stronger and faster and are hitting each other at a higher rate of impact. In the 70's the players may have had an offseason job. Today they are training practically year round to be as elite an athlete as possible which means they are pushing their bodies to higher limits. Critical injuries to starters leads to less experienced rookies or FA backups to replace them.

Anyways those are my thoughts.

 

[ThatllMoveTheChains!!!]

There is no doubt that rule changes favor the offense, but your other points are too nebulous to address. What is happening is you are watching way more football today than back then. That includes live action AND highlights/analysis. So you're seeing far more bad plays that just never made the airwaves back in the dark ages. There was no Ron Jaworski type analyst in 1980 on TV everyday breaking down 15 minutes of game film showing you everything everybody did wrong.

Btw, how is a league that completed roughly 70% of passes a worse thing than a league that completes roughly 60%..?? Are incomplete passes something you find tremendously exciting and you long for more??

I can't wait for them to achieve 100%... So much excitement!