Understanding Roger Goodell's Letter to Fans
This past Monday, NFL Despot Dictator Commissioner Roger Goodell penned a letter to fans regarding the upcoming labor negotiations. Few things get me excited as professional sports labor strife and as loyal DSB Army readers know I like to look between the lines and break down for you what people are really saying in public statements. As before my insight and comments are in red…
This is my serious face...
With one of the most exciting regular seasons now completed and the playoffs about to begin, let me first thank you and all NFL fans for your incredible support.
We have a 7-9 team in the playoffs! Nothing is more exciting than watching losers profit. I would know I am a Pirates fan.
Many fans have been asking me where we stand on signing a new collective bargaining agreement with the player's union. Let me update you and be clear at the outset:
I know we can and will reach an agreement.
No shit! You mean that eventually you will reach and agreement to continue to make huge sums of cash? That is crazy I thought you would just reach impasse and then dissolve the league.
My goal as Commissioner now is to help our teams and players find a solution that is fair to everyone and ensures that football becomes more popular, accessible, and fun.
Help the players? I thought they NFLPA was their representative. I guess Goodell thinks he is some kind of mediator that is just looking out for everyone. Players and the owners who actually write his checks. What a nice guy.
We want the next decade to be the best yet for our fans, and I'm ready to work day and night to make that happen. We've come a long way. Compare where we are today with 10 years ago. From player accountability (fines) to player safety (again, fines), more and better television coverage, upgrading the in-stadium experience (building huge stadiums at tax payer expense), innovations like the RedZone channel, the Draft in prime time and playing the Pro Bowl before the Super Bowl (mostly because no one wanted to play or watch it after the Super Bowl), we are focused on doing what's best for the players (by help he means fines), teams, and fans (he would like to fine you too if he could). My priority is and always will be the game and the fans who love our game.
By love he means the huge sums of cash that fans fork over to attend, watch or do anything regarding the NFL.
The NFL is great because fans care deeply about it. (care deeply = reaching deeply into your wallet) Economic conditions, however, have changed dramatically inside and outside the NFL since 2006 when we negotiated the last CBA (Our growth has tapped out at annual double digit increases. How will owners feed their families?). A 10 percent unemployment rate hurts us all. /spits coffee all over my computer Fans have limited budgets and rightly want the most for their money. I get it. We want ALL YOUR MONEY!
Yes, NFL players deserve to be paid well (Otherwise, I can‘t fine them as much). Unfortunately, economic realities are forcing everyone to make tough choices and the NFL is no different.
Exactly when did the NFL start operating inside an economic reality? Was that before or after they started convincing bankrupt cities to buy them billion dollar stadiums?
These are not easy negotiations, but the outcome can be positive. If both sides give a little, everyone, including fans, will get a lot and the game will improve through innovation.
I have not heard exactly what the owners plan to give… have you?
Even in difficult economic times, a new CBA presents us with the opportunity to secure the future of our game. You may ask how will the NFL look under this vision?
I am guessing it will look expensive.
A significant change would be to resolve fan complaints about preseason by modifying our 20-game format. Fans tell us they don't like the quality of the preseason games, and we're listening. An enhanced season of 18 regular season and two preseason games would not add a single game for the players collectively, but would give fans more meaningful, high-quality football.
More injuries by which to cripple my fantasy team!!! I can’t wait!
Our emphasis on player health (fines) and safety (fines) is absolutely essential to the future of our game. We are strictly enforcing rules that protect players from unnecessarily dangerous play, especially involving hits to the head (of Quarterbacks that do not run and other “marketable“ players… forget you offensive linemen, your brains can turn to mush). We are changing the "play through it" culture to a "player-first" culture to ensure that if a player has a head injury, he doesn't play again until his health is certain. We are also addressing the potential wear-and-tear on players in the way they train in-season and off-season.
It's not just the health of players that concerns us. We must ensure the health of the league (an unhealthy league produces little money). That includes a new system that properly compensates proven veterans and retired players by shifting some of the outrageous sums paid to many unproven rookies (I totally thought he was going to say owners pockets there… I did). Earlier this year, Sports Illustrated published a list of the 50 highest-paid American athletes that included five 2009 NFL rookies. Every other athlete on the list was a proven veteran.
Proven veterans have never been overpaid. Look at Haynesworth… he is totally worth that nine figure contract. The Redskins regret nothing about paying that "proven veteran."
In 2009, NFL clubs contracted $1.2 billion to 256 drafted rookies with $585 million guaranteed before they had stepped on an NFL field. Don't get me wrong: top draft choices will continue to be highly paid. All we're asking for is a return to common sense in paying our rookies. Other leagues have done this and we can too.
The owners can’t control themselves so they need me to step in and break the union.
These improvements and more will lead to better football, plain and simple. A forward looking CBA that is fair to players and clubs will lead to a great future for the NFL and our fans. My job is to represent the game - the fans, teams, players, coaches and business partners. Protecting the integrity of the game (fines) and ensuring it thrives is a responsibility I take very seriously (seriously means big fines). This is about more than a labor agreement (its about huge sums of money). It's about the future of the NFL. We have to improve and will be relentless in our quest.
Relentless, like James Harrison sacking a quarterback relentless. We are going to rip the fucking head off of this quest.
The commitment to our fans is to make the NFL experience even better in the years ahead. With a responsible CBA, we will fulfill that vision.
Happy New Year and enjoy the playoffs (or I will fine you).
- Roger Goodell
Thanks for coming and suckling on Daddy's Sugar Ball...
Bearcat
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