Pack93z
You retired too? .... Not me. I'm in my prime
Rookie salary numbers and cable companies... he is ambitious I will say that.
Speech
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell visited the Lions facility this morning and covered several subjects in a 30-minute interview with the local media.
On the league's concern about a NBA-type gambling scandal hitting the NFL: We have always felt that gambling has a tremendous impact on the integrity of the sport and we spend an awful lot of time making sure, not only with our officials and our coaches and our players and anybody in our office, that we do everything to protect the integrity of the league. We have significant systems with the respect of background checks are constantly being done and reviews of performances with officials that are second to none. We always re-evaluate what we can do and what we can do better. We've sat down with people from the NBA and other sports to make sure we're doing everything possible. I'm confident that we are leading the way with respect to our systems and I'm confident our officials are doing the best possible job out there without influence.''
On whether the league plans on changing the Lions' traditional Thanksgiving Day game: "We have no plans to change that. I expect to be here on Thanksgiving Day myself.''
On the high guaranteed bonus money that incoming draft choices receive and whether that system needs to be changed: "It's a concern. I think it's a concern also for other reasons that are less obvious that came out when we talked to the players this year. It's difficult when a rookie comes in to a locker room and has that kind of a signing bonus. It's difficult of the veterans to provide that kind of leadership that's so important on teams. Money changes that dynamic a little bit. We'll talk to Gene (Upshaw, president of the players association). We're not trying to save the dollars, we just think the dollars should go to players who have earned that on the field through their accomplishments and leadership. It's a system we have and we'll do the best we can with it right now.''
On whether the four-game preseason schedule is too long: "We've debated that. It used to be six (preseason games). It's been debated and it's something we continue to evaluate on a regular basis. There are different viewpoints on that. Some coaches will tell you it's just right and some would say it's too much and some would say we want to go back to six. It's important, I think, getting players and the team ready to play for that season so I think they serve an important purpose.''
On whether the league should stop the practice of teams charging full price for preseason games because it's a minor league product: "I disagree that it's a minor league product. I find the preseason exciting. No. 1, because it's in anticipation of the season coming and, No. 2, it's seeing these players who are fighting to make a football team. That's part of developing your team, that's part of creating a team that's going to compete during the regular season and hopefully the postseason. But I understand the issue and I understand the issue from a fan's perspective. There's a concern about pricing in any case. We obviously want to be careful not to overprice our fans and make sure we're responsive to our fans.''
On the fact that some cable television operators are charging more for subscribers to receive the league's all-football NFL Network channel: "We're working on it because it's obviously a business negotiation and there are two sides to that story. We are trying to get the broadest possible audience and we want it in every home in America and we're being told by some cable operators - and one which took us from seven million homes down to one million homes and they're charging the consumers more money than they were last year. We don't get that money, that's going to the cable operators. My concern there is that it's not good for consumer and we want the consumers to get the product they want so we would love to have this in every home. So we're trying to struggle and negotiate with those cable operators.''
Finally, Goodell got a little irritated with one media member who questioned why the commissioner was being so harsh in suspending players based on his "new'' personal conduct policy: "What wasn't a policy before? I beg to differ with you. That's one of the main responsibilities of the commissioner of the National Football League. You've never seen a player suspended? OK, we can give you the facts on that. The answer to your basic question is that I do what's in the best interest of the National Football League and that represents 2,000 players, that represents coaches, owners and fans. I do what I think is in the best interest of them and we do that with a great deal of thought, a great deal of consideration. I've met with well over 150 players now and I think players are supportive of what we're doing and we're being responsible. We're being responsible to our fans and the game of football.''
Speech
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell visited the Lions facility this morning and covered several subjects in a 30-minute interview with the local media.
On the league's concern about a NBA-type gambling scandal hitting the NFL: We have always felt that gambling has a tremendous impact on the integrity of the sport and we spend an awful lot of time making sure, not only with our officials and our coaches and our players and anybody in our office, that we do everything to protect the integrity of the league. We have significant systems with the respect of background checks are constantly being done and reviews of performances with officials that are second to none. We always re-evaluate what we can do and what we can do better. We've sat down with people from the NBA and other sports to make sure we're doing everything possible. I'm confident that we are leading the way with respect to our systems and I'm confident our officials are doing the best possible job out there without influence.''
On whether the league plans on changing the Lions' traditional Thanksgiving Day game: "We have no plans to change that. I expect to be here on Thanksgiving Day myself.''
On the high guaranteed bonus money that incoming draft choices receive and whether that system needs to be changed: "It's a concern. I think it's a concern also for other reasons that are less obvious that came out when we talked to the players this year. It's difficult when a rookie comes in to a locker room and has that kind of a signing bonus. It's difficult of the veterans to provide that kind of leadership that's so important on teams. Money changes that dynamic a little bit. We'll talk to Gene (Upshaw, president of the players association). We're not trying to save the dollars, we just think the dollars should go to players who have earned that on the field through their accomplishments and leadership. It's a system we have and we'll do the best we can with it right now.''
On whether the four-game preseason schedule is too long: "We've debated that. It used to be six (preseason games). It's been debated and it's something we continue to evaluate on a regular basis. There are different viewpoints on that. Some coaches will tell you it's just right and some would say it's too much and some would say we want to go back to six. It's important, I think, getting players and the team ready to play for that season so I think they serve an important purpose.''
On whether the league should stop the practice of teams charging full price for preseason games because it's a minor league product: "I disagree that it's a minor league product. I find the preseason exciting. No. 1, because it's in anticipation of the season coming and, No. 2, it's seeing these players who are fighting to make a football team. That's part of developing your team, that's part of creating a team that's going to compete during the regular season and hopefully the postseason. But I understand the issue and I understand the issue from a fan's perspective. There's a concern about pricing in any case. We obviously want to be careful not to overprice our fans and make sure we're responsive to our fans.''
On the fact that some cable television operators are charging more for subscribers to receive the league's all-football NFL Network channel: "We're working on it because it's obviously a business negotiation and there are two sides to that story. We are trying to get the broadest possible audience and we want it in every home in America and we're being told by some cable operators - and one which took us from seven million homes down to one million homes and they're charging the consumers more money than they were last year. We don't get that money, that's going to the cable operators. My concern there is that it's not good for consumer and we want the consumers to get the product they want so we would love to have this in every home. So we're trying to struggle and negotiate with those cable operators.''
Finally, Goodell got a little irritated with one media member who questioned why the commissioner was being so harsh in suspending players based on his "new'' personal conduct policy: "What wasn't a policy before? I beg to differ with you. That's one of the main responsibilities of the commissioner of the National Football League. You've never seen a player suspended? OK, we can give you the facts on that. The answer to your basic question is that I do what's in the best interest of the National Football League and that represents 2,000 players, that represents coaches, owners and fans. I do what I think is in the best interest of them and we do that with a great deal of thought, a great deal of consideration. I've met with well over 150 players now and I think players are supportive of what we're doing and we're being responsible. We're being responsible to our fans and the game of football.''
