#DFG: Canceling the Noise
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Complete log:
ROGER GOODELL, NFL COMMISSIONER
132830 Good morning. Before getting to your questions, let me make a few comments.
2837 First, congratulations to the Seahawks and the Patriots. They emerged as the best of the best in a terrific year of football. A season of amazing competition and plenty of challenges, learning and real progress.
2859 We know when we meet our challenges effectively, we are a better league and a positive contributor to society. It's on us.
2912 I truly believe that we will continue to make progress. Because the NFL is made up of good and caring people. I'm realistic about the work that lies ahead and confident that we will do what is expected of us and even more importantly of ourselves.
2937 Looking to the off-season, we will focus on innovation and technology in three key areas -- the game, player safety and the fan experience. We are doing more to protect our players from unnecessary risk. Hits to defenseless players this season were down 68%. And there were similar decreases in other areas pertaining to the safety of the game. We reported yesterday that concussions were down 25% this past regular season. Continuing a three-year trend.
3022 Since 2012, concussions in regular season games have dropped from 173 to 111. A decrease of more than one third.
3036 The real credit goes to the players and coaches. They have adjusted to the rules and the challenge of creating a culture of safety for our game. But there's more to do on player health and safety. Carefully reviewing and improving our concussion protocols will be a focus of our medical committees this off-season.
3103 And we are establishing the position of a chief medical officer. This individual who we expect to have in place very soon will oversee our medical-related policies. Ensure that we update them regularly and work closely with our medical committees, our advisers and the players association.
3128 There's more work to do on other fronts. While the quality of the game continues to improve, fans want every play to have suspense. But the extra point has become virtually automatic. We have experimented with alternatives to make it more competitive play and we expect to advance these ideas through the competition committee this off-season.
3158 We are looking at expanding the use of technology and innovation for our football and medical staffs as well as our fans. Last year, technology improved officiating. For the first time it enabled us to directly involve officiating supervisors in our office in instant replay. And for officials to use wireless communications on the field. Replay and other officiating decisions took less time. That's important. Fans don't want to delays. Coaches don't want delays. They want action and accuracy.
3244 We are looking at other ways to enhance replay and officiating. That includes potentially expanding replay to penalties. If it can be done without more disruption to the pace of the game. And we are discussing rotating members of the officiating crews during the season as a way to improve consistency throughout our regular season and benefit our crews in the postseason. In officiating, consistency is our number one objective.
3319 The possibility of expanding the playoffs has also been a topic over the last couple of years. There are positives to it, but there are concerns as well. Among them being the risk of diluting our regular season and conflicting with college football in January.
3342 In another important area we are continuing our work to uphold the highest standards of responsible conduct so that we represent our fans and communities in a way that will make them proud.
3358 Yesterday we held the first meeting of our new league conduct committee chaired by Michael Bidwell. The committee reviewed our new personal conduct policy. It emphasizes ongoing education, prevention, support services and raises the standards for all of us in the NFL. Most importantly, it is clearly more effective.
3429 On the issue of footballs used in the afc championship game, we have been hard at work conducting an objective and thorough investigation. As you would expect, we take seriously anything that potentially impacts the integrity of the game.
3450 We are focusing principally on two questions -- why were some footballs used in the game that were not in compliance with the rules and was this the result of deliberate action? I want to emphasize, we have made no judgments on these points. And we will not compromise the investigation by engaging in speculation. When Ted Wells has completed his investigation and made his determination based on all relevant evidence, we will share his report publicly.
3532 Finally, on steps to grow the game and serve the fans, we are excited about the success of Thursday night football and the extension of our agreement with CBS. We have the best partners in media. And together we will continue to develop new platforms, expand fan interaction and deepen fan engagement. Technology, great football and our fans, that's a winning combination.
3609 How our fans, especially younger ones, connect with the game is changing every day. To that end, we are aggressively pursuing the streaming of a regular season game with our first over-the-top telecast. It would be carried on broadcast stations in both team markets, but it would also reach a worldwide audience including millions of homes that do not have traditional television service.
3639 Let me finish with this. Football's popularity is extraordinary. The credit goes to the players, coaches and the fans. We know the NFL's impact is far reaching. It is most dramatically seen on super bowl Sunday. It means we have enormous responsibility to lead every day by example. It is what our fans deserve.
3714 We are humbled by and grateful for their passion. They are the ones who inspire me, our owners and coaches and men like our Walter Peyton award finalists who are with us today. And we know we must earn the trust of our fans every day. I know you have a question on these and many other issues, so let's get to it.
3747 From the "Associated press," in light of what you just finished -- your statement, with such a focus on off-the-field issues, dating back to the saints bounties as well as problems on the field that you just referred to, what do you plan to do specifically before next season to restore faith in the league and in the "Shield"?
3814 Yes. We've already begun that process, Barry. We have already begun to process of adding additional resources in terms of individuals that can bring an expertise to our office, an expertise to investigations. As you know, last fall I announced that we would hire a special council for investigations in conduct. We are in the search process and hope to conclude that in the very near future.
3844 We have great people working for the NFL. And we are adding resources, adding assets that will make sure that we have a thorough and fair process. We are also, as we demonstrated with Ted wells, not afraid to go outside and to get outside perspective that can be valuable to us, a professional perspective that will give us the kind of outcome we want, which is a fair, with the truth being clear.
3913 Roger, Jim Thomas, "St. Louis post dispatch." Two-part question for you. What is the league's level of commitment to keeping a franchise in St. Louis, especially given the region's efforts to build a new stadium for the rams for the second time in 20 years? And secondly, rams ownership by all appearances seems to be more interested in the L.A. Project than the St. Louis stadium project. How does this meet relocation guidelines which call for teams to exhaust every opportunity in their own market before moving? Thank you.
3946 Well, Jim, the first answer to your initial question is that we want all of our franchises to stay in their current markets. That's a shared responsibility. It's something that we all have to work together on. The league has programs, including stadium funding programs that we make available. And we will work and have worked with communities, including St. Louis.
4009 We also will make sure that we're engaging the business community and the public sector in a way that can help us lead to solutions that work in those communities and in your case St. Louis, and make sure that it works for the community as well as for the team. So our teams can be successful over the long term.
4029 The second part of your question, Jim, was the interest and the ownership. You know, Stan has been working on the stadium issue in St. Louis, as you know, for several years. They had a very formal process as part of their lease. That process -- they went through that entire process. It did not result in a solution that works either for St. Louis or for the team. So I don't think the stadium is a surprise to anybody in any market that is having these issues. There's quite a bit of discussion about it. And the St. Louis representatives seem determined to build the stadium. That's a positive development and something we look forward to working with them on.
4114 Commissioner, Bob Kravitz, Robert Craft said the other day that he felt that you and your office owed him an apology if nothing came out of the investigation, the wells investigation. What are your thoughts on that matter?
4130 Well, bob, my thoughts are, this is my job, this is my responsibility, to protect the integrity of the game. I represent 32 teams. All of us want to make sure that the rules are being followed. And if we have any information where the potential is that those rules were violated, I have to pursue that. And I have to pursue that aggressively. So this is my job. This is the job of the league office. It is what all 32 clubs expect. And I believe our partners, our fans expect. And we will do it vigorously. And it is important for it to be thorough and fair.
4208 Roger, "Los Angeles times," 2015 marks the 20th year without a franchise in the nation's second largest market. And coincidentally, the 20th year that I've asked this question --
4229 I do recognize it already, Sam, you want me to finish it for you?
4233 Should I drop the Mic? Earlier this month, as Jim mentioned, rams owner announced plans for a stadium there. Considering he has the land, the vast resources, both financial and political, can anyone else win this race? What's the criteria that the league is going to use to determine which team or teams are able to relocate to los Angeles? And what if an owner decides to go rogue and without the NFL's blessing says, I'm just going to move my team no matter what you say?
4314 Well, Sam, several points that you made there, let me try to be responsive to all of them. First, let me start with your second question. The ownership takes very seriously the obligation for us all to vote on any serious matter, including relocation of a franchise. There's a relocation policy that is very clear. We have shared it with our ownership over the last several years. We have emphasized the point in each of those meetings that there will be at least one vote if not multiple votes if there is any relocation. We would have potentially the relocation itself, potential stadium funding, potential super bowls. So a lot of things would likely be subject to a vote.
4400 And our ownership takes that very seriously and we take that very seriously. So any relocation will be subject to a vote. As it relates to the first part of your question, there have been no determinations of us going to Los Angeles, any particular team going to los Angeles or going to any particular stadium.
4420 We have several alternatives that we're evaluating both from a site standpoint. There are teams that are interested but are trying to work their issues out locally. And so as a league, we haven't gotten to that stage yet. And it will all be subject to our relocation policy. There are requirements in that policy, as you know, particularly as it relates to cooperation and working to make sure that they solve the issues in their local market. But I'm confident all of that will be covered within the relocation policy and with our membership approval.
4458 I realize this question might seem to some people petty, especially in comparison to some of the other things you'll be asked, but Marshawn lynch's cooperation or lack thereof with the media has become a big story. Since even before you were commissioner you concerned yourself with growing the game, with marketing the game, so what's your take on how he handled the media this week and has your office made a decision whether he'll be fined for a lack of position or for wearing a non-licensed hat?
4527 On the second part of your question, I do not believe any decisions will be made on that. Our staff will look at that following the super bowl and make a determination as they have in the past.
4540 I've been very clear that when you're in the NFL, you have an obligation, an obligation to the fans. It is part of your job. And there are things that we all have to do in our jobs that we may not necessarily want to do. I think Marshawn understands the importance of the super bowl, the importance of his appearance and the importance of him as an individual in this game. And fans are curious, fans want to know. The media would like to make the story clear to our fans.
4616 I understand it may not be on the top of his list. But everyone else is cooperating, everyone else is doing their part because it is our obligation. As I say, there are a lot of things we don't like to do in our jobs, but it comes with the territory and it comes with the privilege of playing in the super bowl.
4635 Commissioner Goodell, Darren Mckee, speaking of jobs, it's been a tough year for you in your job this year. Many people in America, if they went through the year you've had, probably would have resigned or been fired. Can you envision any set of circumstances which would lead you to resigning or being fired as your job as commissioner?
4657 No, I can't. Does that surprise you? Listen, it has been a tough year. It's been a tough year on me personally. It's been a year of what I would say humility and learning. We obviously as an organization have gone through adversity. But more importantly, it's been adversity for me. And that is something where we take that seriously. It's an opportunity for us to get better. It's an opportunity for us -- for our organization to get better. So we've all done a lot of soul searching, starting with yours truly. And we have taken action.
4740 A lot of the concerns that we had back in August where we didn't have a policy that addressed a very complex issue, we didn't have answers for that. We didn't fully understand those issues. Well, now we have experts in the field. They're in our office. They're helping us understand this. Advisers that have given us a better understanding of the issues and how to deal with these complex issues. We went on the road. We've spoken to -- last count I had was well over 150 experts, whether they're former players, college university presidents, law enforcement officials. How can we do a better job of managing these complex issues?
4820 And we set out to create a new personal conduct policy, which was unanimously approved by our 32 owners in December. So we made enormous progress. The things we didn't know and the things where we were in August are not where we were today. We're in a good place in knowing and learning and being more -- having a lot more humility.
4843 And as an organization and as an individual, it's been a tough year but a year of great progress. And I'm excited about the future.
4852 The second and probably important issue for us is we want to make a difference in this area, not just internally but externally. We've done a great deal to bring more awareness to these issues of domestic violence and sexual assault. We are committed to that. We are working with various organizations to try to make sure that we, as my advisers like to say, normalize the conversation, bring awareness, understand what victims and survivors are going through. One of the most compelling moments I had of this entire fall was going to shelters or going to a hotline center and being able to speak to the advocates and hear the fear, the emotion, the economic consequences. That is compelling. And it will make you understand this issue much more deeply.
4948 And we as the NFL and this commissioner understands it a lot better today than he did before. And I think we as the NFL want to make this an important issue where we can make a difference in society in general because this is a problem in the broader society.
5005 Commissioner, ESPN, taking into account, what the Mexican market means for the league, largest attendance, since 2005 league has had a regular season in Mexico season. Fans don't understand why. Can you explain to them why?
5026 John, we have tremendous fans in Mexico. We had a great experience with the regular season game down there. As you know, that was our first ever. It was a tremendous success for us. We want to get back there. We want to play more games from. It's a combination of stadium availabilities, making sure we can do it at the standards and level we like to do it. When we do it, we'll do it well. We've had a tremendous amount of focus in London. We're looking at markets including Mexico. We certainly hope to be back there soon.
5103 Rachel Nichols from CNN. Roger, you have faced problems over the past year over a wide range. A lot of issues are conflicts of interests. When you add an outside investigator like Ted wells, you're still paying him and craft who owns patriots still paying you. Even when you do everything right in those situations, it opens you up to credibility gap with public and most high profile players. What steps can you guys take in the future to mitigate those conflict of interest issues?
5143 Rachel, I don't agree with you on a lot of assumptions you make in your question. I think we have had people that have uncompromising integrity. Robert muller, for example, who I think you asked me the same question last fall about the conflict of interest. Integrity is impeccable. Ted's integrity is impeccable. These are professionals.
5204 They bring in outside expertise and outside perspective. And their conclusions are drawn only by the evidence and only by the attempt to identify the truth.
5217 I think we have done an excellent job of bringing in outside consultants in. Somebody has to pay them, Rachel, so unless you’re volunteering, which I don’t think you are, we will do that. We have the responsibility to protect the integrity of the league whether we have an owner being investigated or a commissioner being investigated. They're done at the highest level of integrity and quality.
5246 Roger, good morning. Ron Mott, NBC news. A two part question. One, how do you describe your relationship with the league's players? How do you plan to strengthen that going forward?
5306 Well Ron, obviously there's close to 3,000 players at any given time in the NFL. I communicate with players on a regular basis on every case privately. I seek their input particularly when making decisions that affect players, which are most decisions. We spend an awful lot of time talking to former players who are great input in personal conduct policy. We reach out to the player's association for their perspective. We are not going to agree on every matter. We understand that. No one has more respect for the players, what they do in our communities, what they do on the field, their importance to NFL going forward.
5352 I've had the great privilege of working closely with them 30 some odd years. That's a privilege for me. Their wellbeing, their future are important to me. We spend a great deal of time on player health and safety. We want to make this game as safe as possible for them. We want to make sure we do everything while they're here and when they transition out of football, we're helping them be successful.
5417 I'll continue to reach out for them, continue to have the input they're willing to give me. We'll also work with the players association. When we disagree on matters such as personal conduct poll circumstances we're not going to compromise the NFL.
5433 We agree we need to raise standards in the NFL. That's what our owners said. We agree we have to make sure we're not completely reliant on law enforcement. Owners agree. We don't want to wait until law enforcement concludes a process that could take months. We had a fundamental difference with the players association. We implemented personal conduct policy to make sure we have that ability. We'll continue to work with them, try to find ways to strengthen that policy and address issues raised.
5511 I'm Jason. In the league's quest to keep into it vaing technology and digital media, has there been discussion using both even better to persuade kids and parents about getting involved with kids about football rather than being dissuaded by it?
5531 Absolutely. We spent a great deal of time with usa football, helped the player association to create that to help us promote the game of football on all levels. They've did done an extraordinary job. We created the heads up football program just two or three years old now, which the adoption rate on youth level and high school level is extraordinary.
5557 It's teaching coaches how to teach safe techniques, teaching kids how to play the game safety. That's good for the long term future of the game. We'll continue to invest in it. We've committed $45 million to promote the game being played safely. The game of football and someone that played youth football through high school -- I think the values, character from playing a team sport like football is extraordinary. I want kids to have that same opportunity.
5637 Hi. My name is Bobby, I'm the NFL play super kid.
5641 Just met you. Nice to see you again.
5644 Well playing 60 is an important part of my life. How do you play 60? I told you it was a tough question.
5652 Well bobby, I played 65 this morning. I was in the gym quarter to 5:00 doing the elliptical. I believe in that. I believe in the importance of taking care of yourself from a physical standpoint, emotional standpoint, mental standpoint. That's a routine I have. I get in a routine and don't let it go.
5720 Roger, fox 29 TV and sports radio 94 wip Philadelphia. When Shaun was suspended he said ignorance was no excuse. Will the same standards apply when you said to the integrity of the game when you complete your investigation on footballs and if they were deflated by anybody, will the same standards hold true for Bill Belichick? One other question. Richard Sherman said if players should be available every week, you as the commissioner should be available to fans and media on a weekly basis as well. Can you address his question as well?
5809 Well let me start with the second one. I understand the obligation of my job to meet with the media. I don't know whether I meet with them in a press conference every week, but I'm available to media almost every day of my job professionally. So we try to make ourselves available on a very regular basis. It's my responsibility, my job, and I'll do that.
5832 The first part of your question. I want to make sure we don't mix issues. These are individual cases. The saint's case was -- without getting into allegations -- we investigate had the a year prior and we investigated it and didn't find anything.
5849 Later, information came to us that verified a bounty program was in place. At that point in time, they were all on notice that bounty programs are obviously are unacceptable, that there were suspicions and that they shouldn’t continue to exist. I hold the head coach responsible. We don't know who's responsible or even if there was an infraction. When we get the case from Ted wells, we'll take all that into account and make the decision to protect the integrity of the league.
5926 Over here. Amber Dickson, Las Vegas. Las Vegas has long awaited a sports team whether NHL, NFL. Do you think Las Vegas could sustain a professional team?
5941 I can't speak to other sports. I can't even speak to NFL because I haven't had dialogue with officials in Las Vegas about how that could happen successfully for Las Vegas and the NFL. A stadium would be a big component to that. I'm not sure that exists now. I understand the passion from fans in Las Vegas and their interest in football.
140013 Neil Reynolds, united Kingdom. Can you tell us the thinking behind the move to early kickoff times in games in London 2:15 and whether that moving to earlier time shot would enhance time slot or expanded package in UK?
0030 It's something we experimented with here. It was successful as our fans had a national window on Sunday morning. Fans said we love it. We'd like to see more. We also had a tremendous reaction in London with our fans. At that particular week last week, last year, it was 1:30 the game. Our fans were able to go to the game in the afternoon, some coming there other parts of the Europe were able to get home. We found it was a positive change.
0107 We wanted to expand with more. We did that this year. All three games will be at 9:30. We found it's a terrific thing for fan on this side of the pond also. We'll continue it. I'm not sure it has anything to do with long term future of whether the franchise is there. We're excited about the continuing growth of the popularity of NFL in the UK, particularly London. We're going to continue to learn every year from our experience and continue to try to give them more football which is what they want.
0142 Mike Reese with espn.com covering the patriots. I'm curious, has the NFL ever tested the air pressure of footballs in the middle of a game? How important is that as a frame of reference in this patriot's investigation?
0158 Just so I'm clear, when you say middle of the game, do you meanwhile play is going on?
0202 At halftime.
0204 I think we were clear we tested them at the championship game at halftime.
0210 Have they been tested as a frame of reference related to a that?
0215 I don't know the answer to that question. That is something I presume Ted wells will look into. We'll provide that information.
0227 Commissioner, New York times. I understand this is ultimately not your decision, but do you believe you personally deserve a pay cut for your performance?
0236 That's up to the owners. They evaluate my performance, my compensation every year. I don't argue.
0246 Hi commissioner, sports business journal. Four years ago you challenged owners to get to $25 billion league revenue within a 15 to 17 year time frame. Do you think you'll reach that objective?
0302 The challenge wasn't just to owners. It was to all of us. We wanted to make sure we were continuing to grow the league not only in popularity but also opportunities to grow revenue. I don't know whether we'll get there. We're working towards that goal. It's something that we think is practical. But we want to do the growth in the right way. The most important thing is everything we do has to become high quality. It has to be done in a way that reflects well in the NFL.
0335 We're not going to pursue revenue without an important aspect of how does that impact our brand? How does that impact what we're doing to make sure we're delivering on what we need to deliver to our fans. It's a goal, but it's not something we're going to overlook other important objectives for.
0356 Heather yacco, NBC news 11 in Arizona. Thank you. Why do you plan on having super bowl XLIX in Arizona this year? Do you feel the ball controversy has taken away from Sunday's game.
0411 What was the first part of your question?
0412 Why you went with Arizona for super bowl XLIX?
0417 Arizona earned it. We've had a great experience here in Arizona in prior years. They put together a winning bid our ownership selected. They deserve it. I think the proof is in pudding. They've done an outstanding job. We couldn't be happier with the hospitality, with the plans, the cooperation. To put on an event like this takes a lot of people.
0445 This community has wrapped their arms around every opportunity and made the super bowl bigger and better for our fans and NFL overall. We're thrilled about being here. We look forward to coming back.
0501 Commissioner, Buffalo news. In light of the new ownership in Buffalo, what's your perspective on the need for a new stadium? What would be the timetable in your mind for when that should be built?
0514 They have new ownership. Terry and Kim have been very focused on the stadium. I think that's one of the things they're evaluating with their franchise. What's the next generation of stadium? I think that's an important consideration for the Buffalo market in that region but also for NFL and terry and Kim.
0538 I do believe that a stadium long term is going to be needed in that marketplace. I'm from western New York. I love Ralph Wilson stadium, but it's got to compete against new stadiums that have a lot of very important features that that stadium doesn't have. They're going through that process. We'll certainly work with them cooperate with them. If we can be helpful, we will.
0606 Roger from the New York post. Richard Sherman alluded to possible favoritism on your part toward specific owner, specifically Robert craft and gq quoted calling him an executive commissioner. How do you react to this? Will you avoid having your picture taken at owner's houses before conference games?
0635 No, I won't. I was at the craft's resident with ticket season holder sponsors, sponsors, media partners, the night before as part of a championship party. That's part of what we do. I was there to participate in a program with our partner CBS, taking questions from the audience. It's something that I do on a regular basis. So that's not unusual.
0705 It's also not unusual I work closely with ownership, particularly someone like Robert craft who serves on multiple committees. The broadcast committee, we spent an awful lot of time on that. He's on the finance committee. He works on several important league initiatives. So professionally, I have relationship with him. I also admire, respect, and think highly of him on a personal level. So there's no hiding from that standpoint. Since he knows me so well and he knows me and that I'm not going to do anything to compromise the integrity of the league, I think he has no doubt I'll do the right thing for the NFL.
0753 Roger, Jesse coal, bleacher report.com. The question about deflate gate game. How is throwing a deflated ball drastically different from throwing a spinner in baseball which is not considered the worst crime in the world -- a suspendable offense, maybe a few games. How do you see it differently?
0819 I can't really respond to what happens in baseball and other ports. We have rules. We're a league of rules. There are 32 teams, partners, every fan expects us to follow those rules. If there are rules that dictate the pressure in footballs or rules about how the game is played between the white lines, we're going to enforce those rules. They'll be enforced whether they're enforced with penalties, financial penalties, suspensions, draft choices. Any number of things can be used in the context of that if there's violation of those rules. Whether a competitor advantage was gained or not is in mind whether the rule was violated. When rules are violated, we'll take that seriously. Yes?
0917 From San Diego tribune. Minutes ago the mayor in San Diego announced a task force to explore the stadium getting built there. You've been complimentary what dean has done in terms of getting that done there. Can you speak to fans there about how important it is? Do they need a new stadium? Has dean can done enough to demonstrate he's tried to work things out locally?
0945 The answer is, we all have to work together on this. So from a fan perspective, charger standpoint, from the NFL standpoint, from public officials and the business community, this is a shared responsibility. Dean and his family have worked 10-12 years trying to get a new stadium. They need a new stadium for the chargers to be successful long term. It's one of the oldest stadium if not the oldest in the league. We need that for fans.
1017 It's important for the franchise to remain competitive. It's important for fans. Fans expect amenities. I'm glad to hear he's got a task force going. They've been working at this 12 years. It's something we need to see tangible results sooner rather than later.
1042 Roger, Jeff Duncan. Happy mardi gras.
1046 Happy mardi gras to you too.
1049 As you’re aware I’m sure, a lawsuit has been filed in New Orleans for saint's owner Vinson. In question, his mental acuity, physical ability to run the team. In your opinion, is he mentally and physically able to run the team? Should saints’ fans have concern about the stability of the organization and future of success?
1116 Jeff, I spoke to him just the other day. He was going in the office as usual. He was in complete control, energetic, excited about getting to the office, asking about league issues. As you know, he's been one of our more active owners in the league on various committees. They obviously have a dispute going on which is always unfortunate in this case.
1143 It deals with succession as opposed to current management. Tom is a man of great integrity and man enthusiastic about the NFL, saint, New Orleans. Somebody that demonstrated to me he's got complete control over what he's doing to make sure that organization goes in the right direction. Yes?
1209 Hi. Dan from the London times. Just following up on London. You've got support over there from the government and media and your scheme play 60 introduced in London schools which is fantastic. What more does London need to do to progress the game there and somewhere down the line a achieve a franchise?
1231 I would tell you London has done not only everything we expected but more than we expected. They're responding to the game better than we ever dreamed with more enthusiasm, more passion. You see it every year. When I was back last fall, you can see the passion and understanding of the game. Every event we have explodes with interest.
1255 We are continuing to advance our interests over there from the standpoint of playing more games. The more media coverage we have obviously leads to better understanding of the game on a national basis. We are working with sponsors, working with fans directly. Already, the three games we have here, the report I had yesterday was just a couple thousand tickets that may be sold out by now.
1320 That's three games in an incredibly short amount of time. Their passion is obvious. We want to continue to respond to that fan interest. If we do, we don't know where it will go. There's great potential in London for the NFL. Yes?
1339 Dave Briggs, CNBC. The average ticket is over $10,000 making it the most expensive super bowl and sporting event of all time. There's concern the free market is not dictating prices, that it's being fixed and manipulated. Is there concern? Is that something the league has looked into?
1357 Just to be specific to your question, I think you meant on secondary level the prices are at that level. That shows the incredible fan demand. We obviously follow that closely. We follow the various secondary ticket marketing companies. We want to make sure that our fans are protected. We will follow that closely and make sure everything is done to protect the fan interest as this game continues to increase in popularity.
1429 We want to make sure the game remains successful. I want to thank the people of this region in Arizona starting with the Bidwell family who without them, their leadership, the work they've done, we would not be here. So we thank them, Mike and his entire family, for the tremendous work. I'd also like to thank of course the governor who I had the pleasure of having dinner with last night. The work he's done, cooperation, various regions who have been wonderful. We want to thank all of you for that work. David brewso and jay Perry. They've done an extraordinary job. We thank them for that work.
1524 Roger mask Y Washington post. You wrote of I think creased penalties and lower threshold of standard of proof and owners Ralph identifying those. Have standards come up in any case since then? Do you consider burden of proof to be in effect as you move forward investigating this case is this?
1552 We have the truth mark. That's what our fans and clubs want. What we want to do is make sure we find that truth. If there are violations of the rules, we take them seriously, particularly when they deal with integrity of the game and rules. The standards are always re-evaluated. We will make sure that if the penalties that exist in any given circumstances don't fit those violations, we'll adjust that and increase that. That's important as we continue to make sure the league is run in the appropriate way and with the right integrity.
Okay. Thank you. Enjoy the weekend.
132830 Good morning. Before getting to your questions, let me make a few comments.
2837 First, congratulations to the Seahawks and the Patriots. They emerged as the best of the best in a terrific year of football. A season of amazing competition and plenty of challenges, learning and real progress.
2859 We know when we meet our challenges effectively, we are a better league and a positive contributor to society. It's on us.
2912 I truly believe that we will continue to make progress. Because the NFL is made up of good and caring people. I'm realistic about the work that lies ahead and confident that we will do what is expected of us and even more importantly of ourselves.
2937 Looking to the off-season, we will focus on innovation and technology in three key areas -- the game, player safety and the fan experience. We are doing more to protect our players from unnecessary risk. Hits to defenseless players this season were down 68%. And there were similar decreases in other areas pertaining to the safety of the game. We reported yesterday that concussions were down 25% this past regular season. Continuing a three-year trend.
3022 Since 2012, concussions in regular season games have dropped from 173 to 111. A decrease of more than one third.
3036 The real credit goes to the players and coaches. They have adjusted to the rules and the challenge of creating a culture of safety for our game. But there's more to do on player health and safety. Carefully reviewing and improving our concussion protocols will be a focus of our medical committees this off-season.
3103 And we are establishing the position of a chief medical officer. This individual who we expect to have in place very soon will oversee our medical-related policies. Ensure that we update them regularly and work closely with our medical committees, our advisers and the players association.
3128 There's more work to do on other fronts. While the quality of the game continues to improve, fans want every play to have suspense. But the extra point has become virtually automatic. We have experimented with alternatives to make it more competitive play and we expect to advance these ideas through the competition committee this off-season.
3158 We are looking at expanding the use of technology and innovation for our football and medical staffs as well as our fans. Last year, technology improved officiating. For the first time it enabled us to directly involve officiating supervisors in our office in instant replay. And for officials to use wireless communications on the field. Replay and other officiating decisions took less time. That's important. Fans don't want to delays. Coaches don't want delays. They want action and accuracy.
3244 We are looking at other ways to enhance replay and officiating. That includes potentially expanding replay to penalties. If it can be done without more disruption to the pace of the game. And we are discussing rotating members of the officiating crews during the season as a way to improve consistency throughout our regular season and benefit our crews in the postseason. In officiating, consistency is our number one objective.
3319 The possibility of expanding the playoffs has also been a topic over the last couple of years. There are positives to it, but there are concerns as well. Among them being the risk of diluting our regular season and conflicting with college football in January.
3342 In another important area we are continuing our work to uphold the highest standards of responsible conduct so that we represent our fans and communities in a way that will make them proud.
3358 Yesterday we held the first meeting of our new league conduct committee chaired by Michael Bidwell. The committee reviewed our new personal conduct policy. It emphasizes ongoing education, prevention, support services and raises the standards for all of us in the NFL. Most importantly, it is clearly more effective.
3429 On the issue of footballs used in the afc championship game, we have been hard at work conducting an objective and thorough investigation. As you would expect, we take seriously anything that potentially impacts the integrity of the game.
3450 We are focusing principally on two questions -- why were some footballs used in the game that were not in compliance with the rules and was this the result of deliberate action? I want to emphasize, we have made no judgments on these points. And we will not compromise the investigation by engaging in speculation. When Ted Wells has completed his investigation and made his determination based on all relevant evidence, we will share his report publicly.
3532 Finally, on steps to grow the game and serve the fans, we are excited about the success of Thursday night football and the extension of our agreement with CBS. We have the best partners in media. And together we will continue to develop new platforms, expand fan interaction and deepen fan engagement. Technology, great football and our fans, that's a winning combination.
3609 How our fans, especially younger ones, connect with the game is changing every day. To that end, we are aggressively pursuing the streaming of a regular season game with our first over-the-top telecast. It would be carried on broadcast stations in both team markets, but it would also reach a worldwide audience including millions of homes that do not have traditional television service.
3639 Let me finish with this. Football's popularity is extraordinary. The credit goes to the players, coaches and the fans. We know the NFL's impact is far reaching. It is most dramatically seen on super bowl Sunday. It means we have enormous responsibility to lead every day by example. It is what our fans deserve.
3714 We are humbled by and grateful for their passion. They are the ones who inspire me, our owners and coaches and men like our Walter Peyton award finalists who are with us today. And we know we must earn the trust of our fans every day. I know you have a question on these and many other issues, so let's get to it.
3747 From the "Associated press," in light of what you just finished -- your statement, with such a focus on off-the-field issues, dating back to the saints bounties as well as problems on the field that you just referred to, what do you plan to do specifically before next season to restore faith in the league and in the "Shield"?
3814 Yes. We've already begun that process, Barry. We have already begun to process of adding additional resources in terms of individuals that can bring an expertise to our office, an expertise to investigations. As you know, last fall I announced that we would hire a special council for investigations in conduct. We are in the search process and hope to conclude that in the very near future.
3844 We have great people working for the NFL. And we are adding resources, adding assets that will make sure that we have a thorough and fair process. We are also, as we demonstrated with Ted wells, not afraid to go outside and to get outside perspective that can be valuable to us, a professional perspective that will give us the kind of outcome we want, which is a fair, with the truth being clear.
3913 Roger, Jim Thomas, "St. Louis post dispatch." Two-part question for you. What is the league's level of commitment to keeping a franchise in St. Louis, especially given the region's efforts to build a new stadium for the rams for the second time in 20 years? And secondly, rams ownership by all appearances seems to be more interested in the L.A. Project than the St. Louis stadium project. How does this meet relocation guidelines which call for teams to exhaust every opportunity in their own market before moving? Thank you.
3946 Well, Jim, the first answer to your initial question is that we want all of our franchises to stay in their current markets. That's a shared responsibility. It's something that we all have to work together on. The league has programs, including stadium funding programs that we make available. And we will work and have worked with communities, including St. Louis.
4009 We also will make sure that we're engaging the business community and the public sector in a way that can help us lead to solutions that work in those communities and in your case St. Louis, and make sure that it works for the community as well as for the team. So our teams can be successful over the long term.
4029 The second part of your question, Jim, was the interest and the ownership. You know, Stan has been working on the stadium issue in St. Louis, as you know, for several years. They had a very formal process as part of their lease. That process -- they went through that entire process. It did not result in a solution that works either for St. Louis or for the team. So I don't think the stadium is a surprise to anybody in any market that is having these issues. There's quite a bit of discussion about it. And the St. Louis representatives seem determined to build the stadium. That's a positive development and something we look forward to working with them on.
4114 Commissioner, Bob Kravitz, Robert Craft said the other day that he felt that you and your office owed him an apology if nothing came out of the investigation, the wells investigation. What are your thoughts on that matter?
4130 Well, bob, my thoughts are, this is my job, this is my responsibility, to protect the integrity of the game. I represent 32 teams. All of us want to make sure that the rules are being followed. And if we have any information where the potential is that those rules were violated, I have to pursue that. And I have to pursue that aggressively. So this is my job. This is the job of the league office. It is what all 32 clubs expect. And I believe our partners, our fans expect. And we will do it vigorously. And it is important for it to be thorough and fair.
4208 Roger, "Los Angeles times," 2015 marks the 20th year without a franchise in the nation's second largest market. And coincidentally, the 20th year that I've asked this question --
4229 I do recognize it already, Sam, you want me to finish it for you?
4233 Should I drop the Mic? Earlier this month, as Jim mentioned, rams owner announced plans for a stadium there. Considering he has the land, the vast resources, both financial and political, can anyone else win this race? What's the criteria that the league is going to use to determine which team or teams are able to relocate to los Angeles? And what if an owner decides to go rogue and without the NFL's blessing says, I'm just going to move my team no matter what you say?
4314 Well, Sam, several points that you made there, let me try to be responsive to all of them. First, let me start with your second question. The ownership takes very seriously the obligation for us all to vote on any serious matter, including relocation of a franchise. There's a relocation policy that is very clear. We have shared it with our ownership over the last several years. We have emphasized the point in each of those meetings that there will be at least one vote if not multiple votes if there is any relocation. We would have potentially the relocation itself, potential stadium funding, potential super bowls. So a lot of things would likely be subject to a vote.
4400 And our ownership takes that very seriously and we take that very seriously. So any relocation will be subject to a vote. As it relates to the first part of your question, there have been no determinations of us going to Los Angeles, any particular team going to los Angeles or going to any particular stadium.
4420 We have several alternatives that we're evaluating both from a site standpoint. There are teams that are interested but are trying to work their issues out locally. And so as a league, we haven't gotten to that stage yet. And it will all be subject to our relocation policy. There are requirements in that policy, as you know, particularly as it relates to cooperation and working to make sure that they solve the issues in their local market. But I'm confident all of that will be covered within the relocation policy and with our membership approval.
4458 I realize this question might seem to some people petty, especially in comparison to some of the other things you'll be asked, but Marshawn lynch's cooperation or lack thereof with the media has become a big story. Since even before you were commissioner you concerned yourself with growing the game, with marketing the game, so what's your take on how he handled the media this week and has your office made a decision whether he'll be fined for a lack of position or for wearing a non-licensed hat?
4527 On the second part of your question, I do not believe any decisions will be made on that. Our staff will look at that following the super bowl and make a determination as they have in the past.
4540 I've been very clear that when you're in the NFL, you have an obligation, an obligation to the fans. It is part of your job. And there are things that we all have to do in our jobs that we may not necessarily want to do. I think Marshawn understands the importance of the super bowl, the importance of his appearance and the importance of him as an individual in this game. And fans are curious, fans want to know. The media would like to make the story clear to our fans.
4616 I understand it may not be on the top of his list. But everyone else is cooperating, everyone else is doing their part because it is our obligation. As I say, there are a lot of things we don't like to do in our jobs, but it comes with the territory and it comes with the privilege of playing in the super bowl.
4635 Commissioner Goodell, Darren Mckee, speaking of jobs, it's been a tough year for you in your job this year. Many people in America, if they went through the year you've had, probably would have resigned or been fired. Can you envision any set of circumstances which would lead you to resigning or being fired as your job as commissioner?
4657 No, I can't. Does that surprise you? Listen, it has been a tough year. It's been a tough year on me personally. It's been a year of what I would say humility and learning. We obviously as an organization have gone through adversity. But more importantly, it's been adversity for me. And that is something where we take that seriously. It's an opportunity for us to get better. It's an opportunity for us -- for our organization to get better. So we've all done a lot of soul searching, starting with yours truly. And we have taken action.
4740 A lot of the concerns that we had back in August where we didn't have a policy that addressed a very complex issue, we didn't have answers for that. We didn't fully understand those issues. Well, now we have experts in the field. They're in our office. They're helping us understand this. Advisers that have given us a better understanding of the issues and how to deal with these complex issues. We went on the road. We've spoken to -- last count I had was well over 150 experts, whether they're former players, college university presidents, law enforcement officials. How can we do a better job of managing these complex issues?
4820 And we set out to create a new personal conduct policy, which was unanimously approved by our 32 owners in December. So we made enormous progress. The things we didn't know and the things where we were in August are not where we were today. We're in a good place in knowing and learning and being more -- having a lot more humility.
4843 And as an organization and as an individual, it's been a tough year but a year of great progress. And I'm excited about the future.
4852 The second and probably important issue for us is we want to make a difference in this area, not just internally but externally. We've done a great deal to bring more awareness to these issues of domestic violence and sexual assault. We are committed to that. We are working with various organizations to try to make sure that we, as my advisers like to say, normalize the conversation, bring awareness, understand what victims and survivors are going through. One of the most compelling moments I had of this entire fall was going to shelters or going to a hotline center and being able to speak to the advocates and hear the fear, the emotion, the economic consequences. That is compelling. And it will make you understand this issue much more deeply.
4948 And we as the NFL and this commissioner understands it a lot better today than he did before. And I think we as the NFL want to make this an important issue where we can make a difference in society in general because this is a problem in the broader society.
5005 Commissioner, ESPN, taking into account, what the Mexican market means for the league, largest attendance, since 2005 league has had a regular season in Mexico season. Fans don't understand why. Can you explain to them why?
5026 John, we have tremendous fans in Mexico. We had a great experience with the regular season game down there. As you know, that was our first ever. It was a tremendous success for us. We want to get back there. We want to play more games from. It's a combination of stadium availabilities, making sure we can do it at the standards and level we like to do it. When we do it, we'll do it well. We've had a tremendous amount of focus in London. We're looking at markets including Mexico. We certainly hope to be back there soon.
5103 Rachel Nichols from CNN. Roger, you have faced problems over the past year over a wide range. A lot of issues are conflicts of interests. When you add an outside investigator like Ted wells, you're still paying him and craft who owns patriots still paying you. Even when you do everything right in those situations, it opens you up to credibility gap with public and most high profile players. What steps can you guys take in the future to mitigate those conflict of interest issues?
5143 Rachel, I don't agree with you on a lot of assumptions you make in your question. I think we have had people that have uncompromising integrity. Robert muller, for example, who I think you asked me the same question last fall about the conflict of interest. Integrity is impeccable. Ted's integrity is impeccable. These are professionals.
5204 They bring in outside expertise and outside perspective. And their conclusions are drawn only by the evidence and only by the attempt to identify the truth.
5217 I think we have done an excellent job of bringing in outside consultants in. Somebody has to pay them, Rachel, so unless you’re volunteering, which I don’t think you are, we will do that. We have the responsibility to protect the integrity of the league whether we have an owner being investigated or a commissioner being investigated. They're done at the highest level of integrity and quality.
5246 Roger, good morning. Ron Mott, NBC news. A two part question. One, how do you describe your relationship with the league's players? How do you plan to strengthen that going forward?
5306 Well Ron, obviously there's close to 3,000 players at any given time in the NFL. I communicate with players on a regular basis on every case privately. I seek their input particularly when making decisions that affect players, which are most decisions. We spend an awful lot of time talking to former players who are great input in personal conduct policy. We reach out to the player's association for their perspective. We are not going to agree on every matter. We understand that. No one has more respect for the players, what they do in our communities, what they do on the field, their importance to NFL going forward.
5352 I've had the great privilege of working closely with them 30 some odd years. That's a privilege for me. Their wellbeing, their future are important to me. We spend a great deal of time on player health and safety. We want to make this game as safe as possible for them. We want to make sure we do everything while they're here and when they transition out of football, we're helping them be successful.
5417 I'll continue to reach out for them, continue to have the input they're willing to give me. We'll also work with the players association. When we disagree on matters such as personal conduct poll circumstances we're not going to compromise the NFL.
5433 We agree we need to raise standards in the NFL. That's what our owners said. We agree we have to make sure we're not completely reliant on law enforcement. Owners agree. We don't want to wait until law enforcement concludes a process that could take months. We had a fundamental difference with the players association. We implemented personal conduct policy to make sure we have that ability. We'll continue to work with them, try to find ways to strengthen that policy and address issues raised.
5511 I'm Jason. In the league's quest to keep into it vaing technology and digital media, has there been discussion using both even better to persuade kids and parents about getting involved with kids about football rather than being dissuaded by it?
5531 Absolutely. We spent a great deal of time with usa football, helped the player association to create that to help us promote the game of football on all levels. They've did done an extraordinary job. We created the heads up football program just two or three years old now, which the adoption rate on youth level and high school level is extraordinary.
5557 It's teaching coaches how to teach safe techniques, teaching kids how to play the game safety. That's good for the long term future of the game. We'll continue to invest in it. We've committed $45 million to promote the game being played safely. The game of football and someone that played youth football through high school -- I think the values, character from playing a team sport like football is extraordinary. I want kids to have that same opportunity.
5637 Hi. My name is Bobby, I'm the NFL play super kid.
5641 Just met you. Nice to see you again.
5644 Well playing 60 is an important part of my life. How do you play 60? I told you it was a tough question.
5652 Well bobby, I played 65 this morning. I was in the gym quarter to 5:00 doing the elliptical. I believe in that. I believe in the importance of taking care of yourself from a physical standpoint, emotional standpoint, mental standpoint. That's a routine I have. I get in a routine and don't let it go.
5720 Roger, fox 29 TV and sports radio 94 wip Philadelphia. When Shaun was suspended he said ignorance was no excuse. Will the same standards apply when you said to the integrity of the game when you complete your investigation on footballs and if they were deflated by anybody, will the same standards hold true for Bill Belichick? One other question. Richard Sherman said if players should be available every week, you as the commissioner should be available to fans and media on a weekly basis as well. Can you address his question as well?
5809 Well let me start with the second one. I understand the obligation of my job to meet with the media. I don't know whether I meet with them in a press conference every week, but I'm available to media almost every day of my job professionally. So we try to make ourselves available on a very regular basis. It's my responsibility, my job, and I'll do that.
5832 The first part of your question. I want to make sure we don't mix issues. These are individual cases. The saint's case was -- without getting into allegations -- we investigate had the a year prior and we investigated it and didn't find anything.
5849 Later, information came to us that verified a bounty program was in place. At that point in time, they were all on notice that bounty programs are obviously are unacceptable, that there were suspicions and that they shouldn’t continue to exist. I hold the head coach responsible. We don't know who's responsible or even if there was an infraction. When we get the case from Ted wells, we'll take all that into account and make the decision to protect the integrity of the league.
5926 Over here. Amber Dickson, Las Vegas. Las Vegas has long awaited a sports team whether NHL, NFL. Do you think Las Vegas could sustain a professional team?
5941 I can't speak to other sports. I can't even speak to NFL because I haven't had dialogue with officials in Las Vegas about how that could happen successfully for Las Vegas and the NFL. A stadium would be a big component to that. I'm not sure that exists now. I understand the passion from fans in Las Vegas and their interest in football.
140013 Neil Reynolds, united Kingdom. Can you tell us the thinking behind the move to early kickoff times in games in London 2:15 and whether that moving to earlier time shot would enhance time slot or expanded package in UK?
0030 It's something we experimented with here. It was successful as our fans had a national window on Sunday morning. Fans said we love it. We'd like to see more. We also had a tremendous reaction in London with our fans. At that particular week last week, last year, it was 1:30 the game. Our fans were able to go to the game in the afternoon, some coming there other parts of the Europe were able to get home. We found it was a positive change.
0107 We wanted to expand with more. We did that this year. All three games will be at 9:30. We found it's a terrific thing for fan on this side of the pond also. We'll continue it. I'm not sure it has anything to do with long term future of whether the franchise is there. We're excited about the continuing growth of the popularity of NFL in the UK, particularly London. We're going to continue to learn every year from our experience and continue to try to give them more football which is what they want.
0142 Mike Reese with espn.com covering the patriots. I'm curious, has the NFL ever tested the air pressure of footballs in the middle of a game? How important is that as a frame of reference in this patriot's investigation?
0158 Just so I'm clear, when you say middle of the game, do you meanwhile play is going on?
0202 At halftime.
0204 I think we were clear we tested them at the championship game at halftime.
0210 Have they been tested as a frame of reference related to a that?
0215 I don't know the answer to that question. That is something I presume Ted wells will look into. We'll provide that information.
0227 Commissioner, New York times. I understand this is ultimately not your decision, but do you believe you personally deserve a pay cut for your performance?
0236 That's up to the owners. They evaluate my performance, my compensation every year. I don't argue.
0246 Hi commissioner, sports business journal. Four years ago you challenged owners to get to $25 billion league revenue within a 15 to 17 year time frame. Do you think you'll reach that objective?
0302 The challenge wasn't just to owners. It was to all of us. We wanted to make sure we were continuing to grow the league not only in popularity but also opportunities to grow revenue. I don't know whether we'll get there. We're working towards that goal. It's something that we think is practical. But we want to do the growth in the right way. The most important thing is everything we do has to become high quality. It has to be done in a way that reflects well in the NFL.
0335 We're not going to pursue revenue without an important aspect of how does that impact our brand? How does that impact what we're doing to make sure we're delivering on what we need to deliver to our fans. It's a goal, but it's not something we're going to overlook other important objectives for.
0356 Heather yacco, NBC news 11 in Arizona. Thank you. Why do you plan on having super bowl XLIX in Arizona this year? Do you feel the ball controversy has taken away from Sunday's game.
0411 What was the first part of your question?
0412 Why you went with Arizona for super bowl XLIX?
0417 Arizona earned it. We've had a great experience here in Arizona in prior years. They put together a winning bid our ownership selected. They deserve it. I think the proof is in pudding. They've done an outstanding job. We couldn't be happier with the hospitality, with the plans, the cooperation. To put on an event like this takes a lot of people.
0445 This community has wrapped their arms around every opportunity and made the super bowl bigger and better for our fans and NFL overall. We're thrilled about being here. We look forward to coming back.
0501 Commissioner, Buffalo news. In light of the new ownership in Buffalo, what's your perspective on the need for a new stadium? What would be the timetable in your mind for when that should be built?
0514 They have new ownership. Terry and Kim have been very focused on the stadium. I think that's one of the things they're evaluating with their franchise. What's the next generation of stadium? I think that's an important consideration for the Buffalo market in that region but also for NFL and terry and Kim.
0538 I do believe that a stadium long term is going to be needed in that marketplace. I'm from western New York. I love Ralph Wilson stadium, but it's got to compete against new stadiums that have a lot of very important features that that stadium doesn't have. They're going through that process. We'll certainly work with them cooperate with them. If we can be helpful, we will.
0606 Roger from the New York post. Richard Sherman alluded to possible favoritism on your part toward specific owner, specifically Robert craft and gq quoted calling him an executive commissioner. How do you react to this? Will you avoid having your picture taken at owner's houses before conference games?
0635 No, I won't. I was at the craft's resident with ticket season holder sponsors, sponsors, media partners, the night before as part of a championship party. That's part of what we do. I was there to participate in a program with our partner CBS, taking questions from the audience. It's something that I do on a regular basis. So that's not unusual.
0705 It's also not unusual I work closely with ownership, particularly someone like Robert craft who serves on multiple committees. The broadcast committee, we spent an awful lot of time on that. He's on the finance committee. He works on several important league initiatives. So professionally, I have relationship with him. I also admire, respect, and think highly of him on a personal level. So there's no hiding from that standpoint. Since he knows me so well and he knows me and that I'm not going to do anything to compromise the integrity of the league, I think he has no doubt I'll do the right thing for the NFL.
0753 Roger, Jesse coal, bleacher report.com. The question about deflate gate game. How is throwing a deflated ball drastically different from throwing a spinner in baseball which is not considered the worst crime in the world -- a suspendable offense, maybe a few games. How do you see it differently?
0819 I can't really respond to what happens in baseball and other ports. We have rules. We're a league of rules. There are 32 teams, partners, every fan expects us to follow those rules. If there are rules that dictate the pressure in footballs or rules about how the game is played between the white lines, we're going to enforce those rules. They'll be enforced whether they're enforced with penalties, financial penalties, suspensions, draft choices. Any number of things can be used in the context of that if there's violation of those rules. Whether a competitor advantage was gained or not is in mind whether the rule was violated. When rules are violated, we'll take that seriously. Yes?
0917 From San Diego tribune. Minutes ago the mayor in San Diego announced a task force to explore the stadium getting built there. You've been complimentary what dean has done in terms of getting that done there. Can you speak to fans there about how important it is? Do they need a new stadium? Has dean can done enough to demonstrate he's tried to work things out locally?
0945 The answer is, we all have to work together on this. So from a fan perspective, charger standpoint, from the NFL standpoint, from public officials and the business community, this is a shared responsibility. Dean and his family have worked 10-12 years trying to get a new stadium. They need a new stadium for the chargers to be successful long term. It's one of the oldest stadium if not the oldest in the league. We need that for fans.
1017 It's important for the franchise to remain competitive. It's important for fans. Fans expect amenities. I'm glad to hear he's got a task force going. They've been working at this 12 years. It's something we need to see tangible results sooner rather than later.
1042 Roger, Jeff Duncan. Happy mardi gras.
1046 Happy mardi gras to you too.
1049 As you’re aware I’m sure, a lawsuit has been filed in New Orleans for saint's owner Vinson. In question, his mental acuity, physical ability to run the team. In your opinion, is he mentally and physically able to run the team? Should saints’ fans have concern about the stability of the organization and future of success?
1116 Jeff, I spoke to him just the other day. He was going in the office as usual. He was in complete control, energetic, excited about getting to the office, asking about league issues. As you know, he's been one of our more active owners in the league on various committees. They obviously have a dispute going on which is always unfortunate in this case.
1143 It deals with succession as opposed to current management. Tom is a man of great integrity and man enthusiastic about the NFL, saint, New Orleans. Somebody that demonstrated to me he's got complete control over what he's doing to make sure that organization goes in the right direction. Yes?
1209 Hi. Dan from the London times. Just following up on London. You've got support over there from the government and media and your scheme play 60 introduced in London schools which is fantastic. What more does London need to do to progress the game there and somewhere down the line a achieve a franchise?
1231 I would tell you London has done not only everything we expected but more than we expected. They're responding to the game better than we ever dreamed with more enthusiasm, more passion. You see it every year. When I was back last fall, you can see the passion and understanding of the game. Every event we have explodes with interest.
1255 We are continuing to advance our interests over there from the standpoint of playing more games. The more media coverage we have obviously leads to better understanding of the game on a national basis. We are working with sponsors, working with fans directly. Already, the three games we have here, the report I had yesterday was just a couple thousand tickets that may be sold out by now.
1320 That's three games in an incredibly short amount of time. Their passion is obvious. We want to continue to respond to that fan interest. If we do, we don't know where it will go. There's great potential in London for the NFL. Yes?
1339 Dave Briggs, CNBC. The average ticket is over $10,000 making it the most expensive super bowl and sporting event of all time. There's concern the free market is not dictating prices, that it's being fixed and manipulated. Is there concern? Is that something the league has looked into?
1357 Just to be specific to your question, I think you meant on secondary level the prices are at that level. That shows the incredible fan demand. We obviously follow that closely. We follow the various secondary ticket marketing companies. We want to make sure that our fans are protected. We will follow that closely and make sure everything is done to protect the fan interest as this game continues to increase in popularity.
1429 We want to make sure the game remains successful. I want to thank the people of this region in Arizona starting with the Bidwell family who without them, their leadership, the work they've done, we would not be here. So we thank them, Mike and his entire family, for the tremendous work. I'd also like to thank of course the governor who I had the pleasure of having dinner with last night. The work he's done, cooperation, various regions who have been wonderful. We want to thank all of you for that work. David brewso and jay Perry. They've done an extraordinary job. We thank them for that work.
1524 Roger mask Y Washington post. You wrote of I think creased penalties and lower threshold of standard of proof and owners Ralph identifying those. Have standards come up in any case since then? Do you consider burden of proof to be in effect as you move forward investigating this case is this?
1552 We have the truth mark. That's what our fans and clubs want. What we want to do is make sure we find that truth. If there are violations of the rules, we take them seriously, particularly when they deal with integrity of the game and rules. The standards are always re-evaluated. We will make sure that if the penalties that exist in any given circumstances don't fit those violations, we'll adjust that and increase that. That's important as we continue to make sure the league is run in the appropriate way and with the right integrity.
Okay. Thank you. Enjoy the weekend.
riboflav said:
It may have been purposeful to have few owners there, given that the league is hyper-aware that people think Goodell's "investigations" are junk due to owner influence.
Valek123 said:
Hm...
a. I think Nichols posed a really good and thoughtful question
b. I wasn't as thrown off by his response as some people here. I guess he was trying to be funny or clever, and it really just came off flat. But, I didn't find it to be totally condescending. And really, while she's correct, what can he do? Who's going to pay for it? The NFLPA? conflict. Coaches somehow? Conflict. Kraft? Conflict. What outside entity can even get involved, unless it's the feds?
edit: but maybe I'm missing something
tims4wins said:
I know you jest, but could you imagine how much money the League would get if they started a kickstarter to investigate the Patriots?
Seriously, learn to use the spoiler tag so this doesn't fill the screen or stop posting these logs.ifmanis5 said:
ilol@u said:
it takes two seconds to put on teh spoiler tags and its a bitch when you are mobile to scroll past them
Video of Rachel Nichols Q&A in the presser on Youtube [via Fox News]
[video]http://youtu.be/BsuwYCeNUVY[/video]
And if these past two weeks (and the entire 2014 season) have taught us anything, it's that the NFL is in dire need of a Michael Clayton-level fixer and a Karl Rove/David Axelrod-level PR guru.
[video]http://youtu.be/BsuwYCeNUVY[/video]
And if these past two weeks (and the entire 2014 season) have taught us anything, it's that the NFL is in dire need of a Michael Clayton-level fixer and a Karl Rove/David Axelrod-level PR guru.
simplyeric said:
I think the point is to take other steps to mitigate the appearance of impropriety. More transparency, a commissioner actually talks to the press more than once every four months, and a stop to the damning and false leaks (perhaps by having more transparency) would probably go a long way in convincing the public of the NFL's sincerity in actually finding truth. Obviously, no one else is going to pay for the investigation, but it's up to the league to make sure the investigation doesn't look like a bag job.
The first part of his answer was acceptable. It didn't fully answer the question but at least he attempted something coherent. The second part was uncalled for. It wasn't delivered like a joke. It sounded to me like it was smug and condescending and that he didn't appreciate the seriousness of the question. That's just my take on it. I don't think that much of him as a commissioner and hope that he is on his way out.
theapportioner said:
Between his verbal diarrhea and being so completely full of shit, Goodell would be the first one out.
Nightslyr said:
You think THAT'S embarrassing? Check out this video. Smarmy and superior...then he puts the balls in the fridge...then he DOES A TEST ("this, my friends, is science") - spews about climate change for awhile (blaiming Brady and BB for a contribution to it) - rings a timer at a random time - FEELS THE BALL WITHOUT MEASURING PRESSURE ON EITHER SIDE - concludes that it feels "pretty much the same" (true, that - accidentally, but still) - "concludes" that the Pats "bent the rules" - and ends with GO SEAHAWKS.
I used to encourage the kids to watch this POS!
http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/3d0c94936c/bill-nye-addresses-deflategate
He shouldn't have been condescending to Nichols, but the question was shit, especially compared to her work during the Rice investigation.
How, exactly, is the league supposed to conduct an investigation into a team, ever, without the situation she's talking about taking place? Are there a whole bunch of pro bono investigators just hanging around?
How, exactly, is the league supposed to conduct an investigation into a team, ever, without the situation she's talking about taking place? Are there a whole bunch of pro bono investigators just hanging around?
SMU_Sox said:
Commish: How dare you question my authority and integrity! He can't resist returning fire when getting just a little bit of heat.
At this point Bill Nye is either just stupid & too arrogant to listen to the many people that have sent him explanations on the error he is making, or is so much of an asshole that he is willing to put a football game above the scientific "credibility" he somehow lucked into. Either way I'm done giving him any clicks or attention any way until he makes a public apology admitting he is wrong.
Myt1 said:
But she didn't ask if there was some other way to do the investigation. She specifically said "even when you do everything right". She asked how could they better deal with the perception that everyone is in bed together.
He could have said something like "That's something we are trying to figure out, but there's no independent 3rd party out there beyond the league and the players. I understand what the perception is, but as long as we hire people with integrity then, despite the perception, we have 100% faith in the independence of the investigation."
That wasn't my take at all. I think this was in the context of Bountygate, where Goodell said that they came down harder once they determined that there was an ongoing problem after the issue was first broached. In that regard, it would be consistent with Spygate: Goodell had said not to do it and Belichick kept doing it.E5 Yaz said:
For Maske's take to apply here, little Jimmy would have to deflate the SB balls - then the Hammer would bring down the hammer.
I don't think past wrongdoing in an unrelated matter factors in based on his words today and the Bountygate precedent.
https://twitter.com/TheScienceGuy/status/561248278734729217Nightslyr said:
link to tweet
Made the same fucking mistake as NDT lmao.
Trlicek's Whip said:
The correct answer was:
"We are creating a fully funded NFL Internal investigation unit. This unit will be funded fully by fines paid for NFL rule infractions. The unit will be staffed by full time operatives from outside of Football and will answer to a governing body, elected by internet vote, to comprise representatives of the Players, Owners, Networks, Sponsors and Fans. In addition, two special interest bodies will be represented perennially, starting with the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. I thank you for your question Rachel, we need this kind of challenge.
Where have you gone Prof. Irwin Corey, a nation turns its lonely eyes to you........riboflav said:
shepard50 said:
So Roger, you are going to take the money that currently goes to charities away from the charities to pay for NFL investigations?
It's still a stupid question. "People have no idea what the fuck they're talking about. How do you combat that?"DrewDawg said:
That there is an an obviously better answer doesn't make the question any less stupid. Let's not act like she had just laid down some diamond hard journalism.
His answer was even worse in light of what a softball question it was.
Mr. Wizard for the win.
So to build on a previous point, here are the options for the Haters:
Refs are part of a grand conspiracy to cover for the Patriots cheating ways.
Laws of physics were temporarily suspended on both sidelines.
Laws of physics were temporarily suspended on only the Colts sideline (their balls never lost air!!1)
The Colts cheated by doctoring their footballs to avoid pressure loss.
Both teams were above board. Pats balls measured lower simply because they were measured first.
As someone said upthread, when does choice A. gain traction. We all know it's coming.
So to build on a previous point, here are the options for the Haters:
Refs are part of a grand conspiracy to cover for the Patriots cheating ways.
Laws of physics were temporarily suspended on both sidelines.
Laws of physics were temporarily suspended on only the Colts sideline (their balls never lost air!!1)
The Colts cheated by doctoring their footballs to avoid pressure loss.
Both teams were above board. Pats balls measured lower simply because they were measured first.
As someone said upthread, when does choice A. gain traction. We all know it's coming.
NortheasternPJ said:
I had no idea!
How about a .01% tax on Sponsorships? Frankly, it's not a large amount if funding. And no, let's not take it form the Ronald McDonald House kids....
Why couldn't the NFL get some retired judge or lawyer to look into this, pro bono? Is a chance to work on an NFL investigation not a big enough deal? There are hundreds of scientists submitting stuff without getting paid for it.
Infield Infidel said:
Clearly anyone who would work for free lacks integrity and is "unprofessional" by definition.
Infield Infidel said:
Ya, but those exonerated the Pats. Gotta spend some money to yell at a ball boy for taking a piss.
Infield Infidel said:
If I'm a big name lawyer why would I do pro bono work for a billion dollar industry especially when they're willing to pay Ted Wells x million dollars? I'll try and get somebody off of death row or try to end a foie gras ban or try to get the Elgin marbles back to Greece or something.
Also you don't just need 1 lawyer, you need a whole bunch of them, and IT support and a records keep system and and secretaries and paralegals, etc.
Exposure? There are a lot of people who know who Ted Wells is who didn't know him from Vernon Wells 12 days ago.
edit- Obviously, it's dumb that they feel the need to do an investigation into deflated balls, but paying $2m seems to be spending good money to clean up a mess that the NFL created in not handling this well to begin with.
edit- Obviously, it's dumb that they feel the need to do an investigation into deflated balls, but paying $2m seems to be spending good money to clean up a mess that the NFL created in not handling this well to begin with.