MATT WALSH | STATEMENT BY THE NFL ON MATT WALSH -NFLMedia.com

MATT WALSH | STATEMENT BY THE NFL ON MATT WALSH -NFLMedia.com

Statement By The NFL On Matt Walsh
04/23/2008
STATEMENT BY THE NFL ON MATT WALSH



An agreement has been completed between the NFL and Matt Walsh that will allow Mr. Walsh, a former videotape operator with the New England Patriots, to share with the NFL information about activities occurring during his employment with the club from 1997-2003.



Commissioner Goodell will meet with Mr. Walsh in the commissioner’s office on Tuesday, May 13, the earliest date that Mr. Walsh, who lives in Hawaii, will be available on the east coast.



The agreement also requires Mr. Walsh to return any tapes and other items in his possession that belong to the Patriots. In return, the NFL and the Patriots have promised not to sue Mr. Walsh. They also will indemnify him for any expenses, including legal fees that he incurs in connection with the interview.



Commissioner Goodell determined last September that the Patriots had violated league rules by videotaping opposing coaches' defensive signals during Patriots games throughout Bill Belichick’s tenure as head coach. Coach Belichick admitted to his use of the taping practice on a regular basis as a result of what he said was his misinterpretation of the rule. Commissioner Goodell imposed substantial discipline on Coach Belichick and the club as a result of that practice. The interview with Mr. Walsh will seek to determine whether he has any new information about that videotaping practice or other possible violations of league rules.



Following the meeting with Mr. Walsh on May 13, there will be a news media briefing later that day in New York that will be attended by Commissioner Goodell (specific time and location to be provided at a later date).



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COMMISSIONER GOODELL Q&A - NFL Fall Meeting - Philadelphia, PA, 2007

COMMISSIONER GOODELL Q&A
NFL Fall Meeting
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – October 23, 2007

Roger Goodell: We had a very productive day. We had a long day of meetings, but let me give you the highlights of some of the things we talked about and then I’ll take your questions and answer anything you have outside of this. We began the day with a report on the game. We always do that with a focus on the game and the key factors we look at with respect to the game; points scored, length of the game, pace of the game, and number of penalties. All of that was very positive.

We did a report, within the context of that, on the draft and the changes to the NFL Draft for next year, which I believe you have a release on. We also did a report on the Pro Bowl and some of the changes we’ve been contemplating to try to bring back some excitement to that game. Then we had a very long discussion on the NFL Network. We have the chairman of the NFL Network, Jerry Jones, here who will be happy to answer any questions also. The importance of this to us is as a strategic asset and our future plans with respect to media.

We also had some important votes on the NFL.com business model. It is an important step for us to make our site and all 32 sites, the clubs and our league site, better for our fans and we made some very big steps in that regard today.

We had some discussion on the Buffalo-Toronto proposal. Ralph Wilson addressed the ownership. We had a report on it. We did not take a vote on that, but we will have further discussion.

Then we had a vote on lowering the debt ceiling. All of you are aware of the current market conditions and the credit markets. We as a league like to make sure we are making prudent decisions about our business structure and what we are doing to respond to those credit markets. We have agreed to reduce the debt ceiling by $30 million per club over the next three years. I think that hits the key points and I’ll be happy to take your questions.

Q: Length of Ralph Wilson’s proposal:

RG: It is a five-year proposal. One regular season game and I believe three preseason games.

Q: Any objections?

RG: No. There were a number of issues that we raised for the membership that we would like to address. This is still relatively fresh for all of us so we as a league have a responsibility to look into a number of issues. It was made clear by Mr. Wilson and by the Bills’ people that the county and the state had passed their agreement that they could go forward on this. We don’t have agreement that I know of with respect to the parties in Toronto so we want to see all that and look at all of those issues.

Q: Speaking with Mark Cohon, CFL Commissioner about the proposal…

RG: I did. I believe it was last Friday. I assured him that we continue to have a great interest in the CFL and their continued viability. That is one of the issues that was raised today with respect to this. We would certainly want to understand the impact and have greater discussions with the CFL and the promoters of the games in Toronto to make sure that we do it in a way that is responsive and continues to promote CFL football because we think that has a great heritage. We have been very active in continuing to support that.

Q: Belichick and spying incident…

RG: I do a normal report to the membership which takes 15 minutes or so and then we start focusing on the game with our Competition Committee, but in the context of that we spoke about the integrity of the game and how important it is that all of our fans understand that our game is being played by the same rules. We continue to make sure that all of our clubs and the league are doing everything possible to make sure that our games are played within the rules that we’ve established and that our fans have that confidence. I think that they do and I just reassured them that if they have issues with respect to things that are happening in our game that they contact us so that we can pursue them.

Q: Reaction to charges that this incident is being swept under the rug…

RG: First, we were the ones who brought it out so if we’re sweeping it under the rug…we’re the ones who raised it. I don’t agree with that assessment. I think we dealt with it forcefully, aggressively, and effectively. The thing that you want in discipline is to make sure that it doesn’t happen again and the other clubs understand that there are very significant consequences if policies are violated. I think that message was sent. We also want to send that message to our fans so they understand that all teams are playing by the same rules. The inference that you make in regards to us destroying the tapes, that was our intention from the get-go. There was no purpose for those. We said that we wanted those materials destroyed because we didn’t want anyone to have that material or the notes that could’ve come out from that. We went ahead and did that as we expected to do. Everything that we found was consistent with what we thought.

Q: Shortening on the draft and discussions about moving it to Friday night…

RG: We’ve talked about that. We at this point don’t think that it’s the right move. We think that Saturday is still the better time for us. I don’t anticipate that in the short term but we have evaluated that.

Q: Situation with San Diego…

RG: When I get through here I am going to meet with Dean Spanos and the team people. I haven’t gotten an update because I’ve been in a meeting all day but I understand that there are thousands of people at Qualcomm Stadium and of course public safety is our number one concern. We certainly don’t want to interfere with anything in that area. Of course we also have to work with the local officials to tell us whether the facility is going to be available. In the meantime I think you’re aware that the team is on its way or about to go out to Arizona. They will be working out in that facility for the week. We’ll have to make a decision on the game as soon as we have more information.

Q: Pro Bowl…

RG: The big issue is how we can bring more focus to the Pro Bowl, to our star players, and to the event itself. We have discussed everything, including moving the time of the game to prior to the Super Bowl so that it is in advance and part of the buildup of the Super Bowl. We have also talked about whether we would alter the location on some kind of rotating basis to some site here in the United States, particularly around the Super Bowl or in the Super Bowl site. Hawaii would probably be part of that rotation in some fashion but I would expect some decisions would be made. This isn’t for this year’s Pro Bowl; this is for 14 or 15 months from now.

Q: Debt ceiling…

RG: It was very simple. One of the reasons that the NFL is one of the most admired businesses and sports leagues is because we manage our business properly. When you look at the amount of debt that is out there and where the markets are it is just a prudent business decision.

Any discussion today on the disability issue?

RG: No. We’re doing that first thing in the morning, Paul.

Q: Vote on funding…

RG: There very likely will. There is a resolution on the floor. I would expect a vote, yes.

Q: What the proposal calls for…

RG: The proposal is essentially a one-time funding to allow us to put some additional funds into the alliance that we’ve created so that there is sufficient funding and that we’d be able to handle issues in an ongoing manner. It is not pension related. It is for medical needs for people that have a specific need that we can take care of.

Q: Joint replacement?

RG: Joint replacement is one of those programs. Also cardiovascular screening and possibly assisted living.

Q: Future of games internationally…

RG: A year ago is when we passed the resolution allowing the regular season series. As you know we are playing in London this week and every indication is that we’re going to have a tremendously successful event. I think it is a logical step for us. Next year would be to add a second market. We’re going step-by-step but the reaction that we’re getting is extraordinary.

Q: Advantages of Bills playing in Toronto…

RG: The key point that was made by Ralph Wilson, and I share this, is that this is to make the team viable in the Buffalo market. It is an extension of the regionalization that they started 10 years ago that I actually had some involvement with, so I understand what they are trying to accomplish. That is to reach out to the broadest audience by regionalizing and the southern Ontario, Toronto area is an important market to them. They are selling more and more tickets there and I think this is an important opportunity to bring more fans to Buffalo from the southern Ontario area.

Q: Just to confirm, is it one preseason and one regular season game every year for five years?

RG: No. It is one regular season game for the next five years and three preseason games starting next year and the third and fifth year.

Q: Regular season games would start next year also?

RG: I believe so, yes.

Q: Alternatives for Chargers game…

RG: I’d be able to give you better information on that in about a half-hour from now. Our staff is working on that. They go everywhere from San Diego to Los Angeles to Texas to Arizona, and in between.

Q: Is scheduling more attractive games one of the options for the NFL Network, i.e. Patriots vs. Colts, in order to have more leverage over cable companies…

RG: First, we believe as it relates to the cable operators that we have a very compelling product outside of our games. We think that the production quality and content that we have on the NFL Network on a year-round basis is in great demand and the consumers want it. That is the issue that we are having with our cable operators. They are trying to restrict the distribution of that to a point that we’re not comfortable. We think that it should be available to a broader audience and that is really the fundamental aspect of our broadcast policy. As it relates to the games, we have a very attractive series of games this year. We are fortunate to have the Cowboys on twice; we have Cowboys and Packers on the second game of the year. We think all of our games are attractive but we have some great matchups that fell in place for us when we set our schedule last April.

Q: How much leverage do these attractive matchups give you right now with the cable companies?

RG: The bottom line is that consumers are the ones who should win here. The consumers should get the product and that is what we are trying to do. We are trying to make sure that our consumers understand that we have a great product, we have some great games that are going to be on, and some of them won’t get to see it because the cable operators are not distributing it. We have one cable operator that happens to be close to here which has taken us from nine million homes to one million homes. That is a significant difference. They have the right to put is in nine million homes. It is not a matter of negotiation. It is just a decision that they made.

Q: Ongoing talks…

RG: There are very little talks that are going on with Comcast right now. We’ve had some discussions with Time Warner recently but right now we don’t see that this is going to get resolved and that is a concern for us. Let me have Jerry speak now.

Q: Assuming the Dallas-Green Bay was on FOX, how much of the country would see that?

RG: There are really only two games that go on a national basis -- NBC’s game on Sunday night and ESPN’s Monday Night Football. Most of our games on Sunday afternoon are regionalized, so if it had been a Sunday afternoon game it would be regionalized like the rest of our Sunday afternoon package and go to a smaller percentage of the country.

We have some games that to go six or seven percent of the country, and that’s one of the reasons why we think the NFL Network is so valuable here. This gives us a chance to bring more football to more fans 365 days a year.

This takes a game that might have gone to 10 or 12 percent of the country to a broader audience now, if it’s fully distributed. That’s our issue.

Q: What is the current number of subscribers, and what could it be if you got the cable companies to go your route?

RG: It’s a tough question to answer. The first part of your question is 35 million. The tough part to answer is it would depend on what you negotiate in terms of distribution levels with those cable operators. They all have different amounts of homes. Comcast, for example, is nine million homes. They were at eight million last year, and their digital package penetration has gone up one million, so the network would have been available in nine million homes this year. People who got that last year don’t have that now. The only way to get that back is to spend $5 to $10 per month for a sports tier.

Q: Any ongoing conversations with Comcast?

RG: We discontinued discussions with them back in August because we weren’t getting anywhere. It was clear they were telling consumers that we were in negotiations, and we weren’t. We were disappointed in the fact that they tiered us, that they took this away from consumers, and now they’re charging consumers more money to get it back again. We thought that was inappropriate.

Q: Same with Time Warner and Cablevision?

RG: From time to time, there are discussions that go on, but I would say that right now we’re not optimistic a deal is going to get done.

Q: When NFLN was first created, did you have an estimate of how many homes you’d be in by this point?

RG: Yes, we’re slightly below that. We were hoping we’d be closer to 50 million homes right now.

Q: Aside from DirecTV, what are the other options you can suggest to fans in an area like Philadelphia, which is monopolized by Comcast?

RG: Telephone companies are now getting in the business of video distribution. Verizon, AT&T – they are now building up these services, which carry the NFL Network.

Last game of the season on NFLN, if the Patriots enter that game 15-0, who would fans be angriest at? The NFL or the cable companies?

RG: I think the reality is they’d probably be angry at all of us. Comcast is a perfect example of that. Last year, eight million people would have been able to see that game. They’re not going to get to see that game this year unless they pay Comcast $8 a month for the next 12 months. We think that’s wrong, and that’s why we’re taking the position we’re taking. We are not going to take our distribution down. We know our fans want to see us. The last time I looked, 95 of the top 100 cable shows in history are NFL games. We know we are the most popular programming on cable television. That’s been proven by the facts.

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Condoning Cheating? - NFL Coaches Unfairly Treating Jets Coach Eric Mangini

Profootballtalk.com and The New York Times report today that several NFL Coaches and executives are working to gang-up on New York Jets Head Coach Eric Mangini for blowing the whistle on New England Coach Bill Belichek for telling NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell that the Pats vidoed defensive signals from opposing teams, a violation of NFL rules.

Selena Roberts of the NY Times writes:

Mangini didn’t just flip on Belichick, costing his former mentor a celebrated image that has been reflected in a shelf-full of Lombardi Trophies, as well as a $500,000 fine and a prime draft pick. He did more. He also humiliated the respected Patriots owner and league power player Robert K. Kraft.

That sin has left Mangini toxic to some team executives. After all, would you trust him? Is there anyone — a player, assistant, general manager, owner or mascot — that he wouldn’t betray in a pinch?

Mike Florio of Profootballtalk.com reports:

The reality, however, is that Mangini has likely learned his lesson, and that he knows that he has pulled the trigger on a one-shot pistol. But this doesn't change the fact that no NFL executive could justify taking the risk that Mangini might offer up a sequel.

Meanwhile, Mangini might have problems keeping the job he currently has. As one league insider opined on Tuesday:

"The biggest issue that Mangini faces is that his team absolutely stinks. One of the problems with being a surprise team is that you can't surprise anyone anymore. They won't win more than six games this year. The Ravens tried to hand the game to the Jets after dominating for three quarters and the Jets refused to take it. The offensive line is awful, the defensive line is terrible, the running back is old, the wideouts drop passes, and the secondary is beat up. The Patriots will win that division by five or six games, easy. That, more than anything, is going to put heat on Mangini."

Wait. That's not right. It points to the observation that some NFL execs may have actually known that New England was cheating and kept quiet; indeed, if Mangini himself knew this, and talked, then how many other people knew? It doesn't make the NFL look good at all, and with these latest headlines, sends up more smoke, implying there's a fire burning somewhere in the league.

This matter of punishing Mangini as whistle-blower also opens another question -- at least in my mind. Why does the NFL allow a double-standard to exist, where players transgressions are blurted out to the public with abandon, and there's no threat of backlash by NFL team execs, but when it comes to the matter of an NFL coach like Bill Belichek, this invisible protective shield is thrown up?

It's not right. The Commissioner should release a statement warning the league's execs of punishment if such statements are made in the future. I personally dislike this aspect of how the NFL functions. Yes, Bill Belichek's a great coach, and while he should not have done what he did, and his overall record is somewhat tainted, he's got three Super Bowl trophies, and that didn't come just from hard-to-get videos.

But look at the facts -- the Pats have won some very close games in Super Bowl history. It's fair to ask if the video practice was used prior to each Super Bowl the Pats were in under Belichek. I'm not saying take his awards away, but the way they were gotten is under scrutiny.

That process of investigation must begin. But meanwhile, leave Eric Mangini alone. I'm certain he got tired of being well-prepared for New England only to have his hat handed to him by a too-well-prepared Patriots team, and knowing how they got ready to play, and what they did during the game steamed him.

Enough was enough.

Pats Bill Belichick issues Apology, says he's spoken with Goodell

Belichick issues apology, says he's spoken with Goodell

ESPN.com news services

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- This videotape needs no interpretation: New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick walked out of his news conference on Wednesday when pressed repeatedly about the sideline spying scandal that landed him on NFL commissioner Roger Goodell's crowded docket.

Ten minutes before his regular availability, Belichick issued a one-paragraph statement apologizing to his team and confirming that he has spoken to Goodell about an "interpretation" of league rules that ban videotaping of the opposing sideline.

"Although it remains a league matter, I want to apologize to everyone who has been affected, most of all ownership, staff and players," Belichick said. "Following the league's decision, I will have further comment."

It was not clear whether Belichick was apologizing for his actions or the distraction it has caused his team as it prepares for Sunday night's marquee game against San Diego. But if he thought -- or even hoped -- that the standing-room crowd of media was there to talk about the Chargers, he failed to prepare in the manner that has made him one of the most successful coaches in the history of the league.

Never one to relish his interactions with the media, Belichick grimly refused to respond to a half-dozen questions about the scandal, possible punishments and the potential effect on his team. Begging for a football question, he seemed ready to abort the news conference after just a few minutes at the podium.

Cheatwave

In August, ESPN.com ran a comprehensive package on cheating in sports. Jeffri Chadiha wrote the NFL portion of the package. Among the ways NFL coaches try to gain an advantage was trying to descramble signals sent from coach to player:

"When Marty Schottenheimer coached the Cleveland Browns in the late 1980s, he routinely sent a scout to watch the signals opposing teams used to relay messages from coaches to players. When the scout returned, Schottenheimer's staff would watch the game film and match the signals to the plays that followed.

"[Herm] Edwards said the same is true today. It's common for coaches to watch standard game tapes [which include shots from the press box and end zone angles], sideline tapes [which usually wind up on highlight shows and include footage of players and coaches talking on the sidelines] and even the television shows of opposing coaches for tips."

"Any questions about the Chargers?" he pleaded in his standard, other-things-to-do monotone. "Want to talk about the football game? If not, I think that statement pretty much covers it."

It appeared that there were none, before one reporter asked about Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson.

The prospect of defending against the reigning NFL offensive player of the year is not the sort of thing that usually cheers up opposing coaches.

But Belichick smiled.

"I think the Chargers are a concern. Their football team is a concern. That's what we're concerned about," he said. "Whatever happens out there Sunday night, out there on the field, that's when everybody will make their statement."

After another 15 minutes of football questions, though, the subject returned to the spying scandal.

"Is there any other question on the Chargers?" Belichick said before walking out. "OK. Yep. That's all. OK. Thank you."

NFL security confiscated a video camera and tape from Patriots video assistant Matt Estrella on Sunday when he was working on the New York Jets' sideline during New England's 38-14 victory. The league has confirmed that it is investigating whether the Patriots were taping the Jets' defensive coaches as they signaled to players on the field.

However, league sources told ESPN's Chris Mortensen that Goodell has already determined that the Patriots have violated league rules when they videotaped defensive signals by the Jets' coaches.

Goodell is considering severe sanctions, including the possibility of docking the Patriots "multiple draft picks" because it is the competitive violation in the wake of a stern warning to all teams since he became commissioner, the sources said. The Patriots have been suspected in previous incidents.

"It's really hard to say [they should] forfeit games," Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Hines Ward said. "Draft picks would hurt a lot of teams; take away their first or second-round pick -- that would be a stiff penalty to make sure nobody does it again.

"You would hope that, during their run, when they were winning all their Super Bowls, all that stuff wasn't going on. You look back in the past, and we played them in the championship games, and you kind of wonder. It seemed like they were a step ahead of us at all times, but those games are behind us. There's nothing we can do about it. You just look forward and see what the commissioner will do."

Tennessee Titans coach Jeff Fisher, a co-chairman of the NFL's competition committee, said the league is trying to keep technology from overtaking the game.

"If they are in fact found guilty of this, it only shows that the steps the league has taken are good steps," Fisher said. "There's no place for it. Everybody clearly understands the rules. The competition committee's responsibility is to protect the integrity of the game. With technology the way it is right now, things could get out of hand in a matter of weeks if we don't protect the integrity of the game."

Jets coach Eric Mangini, a former Belichick assistant, also declined to comment. Asked if he had any knowledge of such shenanigans while he was in New England, he followed the form of his mentor.

"As I said with this whole issue, it's a league issue and they are handling it," Mangini said. "And we are really focused on the Ravens."

Patriots players also tried to focus on their game.


How it came to light?


NEW YORK -- A story in Wednesday's New York Daily News claims that Jets coach Eric Mangini, a former New England assistant under Bill Belichick, came armed with keen knowledge of the team's surveillance methods -- and finally decided to act.

"[The Jets] knew they did it," the Daily News wrote, citing a person with knowledge of the situation, who sent the newspaper an e-mail. "They caught the guy a year ago, but couldn't do anything about it. When Eric came, he said that's what they used to do. Bill is going to be [ticked] at Eric. He kissed and told."

Sunday's game was the fifth time Mangini has coached against Belichick since joining the Jets.

-- ESPN.com news services

"I'm the last person in the world to know any of that stuff, anyway," offensive lineman Matt Light said. "I could care less what happens outside of my little world."

But Goodell doesn't have that luxury.

In a busy year for his misbehaving minions, the commissioner has already banned Tennessee cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones for the entire season after repeated run-ins with police. Atlanta quarterback Michael Vick has been suspended indefinitely while he faces a likely jail term for his role in a dogfighting ring.

The Bengals had 10 players charged with crimes during a 14-month span, and both receiver Chris Henry and linebacker Odell Thurman are currently suspended. Cincinnati quarterback Carson Palmer wants Goodell to be consistent with his punishment, whether the offender is wearing a uniform or not.

"Hopefully there's a harsh enough penalty that it's not worth it to try to cheat and try to get any advantage that you're not allowed to get," Palmer said. "I hope the commissioner is just as harsh on them as he's been on individual players for making mistakes."

Other players reacted strongly.

"It just makes you wonder how long they've been doing this and has it really helped them win some games?" Giants defensive end Michael Strahan said on a conference call with Wisconsin media. "That's no different from the cheating ref in basketball."

Last November during New England's 35-0 victory in Green Bay, the Packers caught Estrella shooting unauthorized video told him to stop.

"When you look back, it's scary," Packers cornerback Al Harris said. "I don't want to say anything wrong towards their organization, because I think highly of their coaching staff and their personnel, but if that's the case, that's not right. I would consider it cheating. I honestly would."

Belichick sidestepped questions about the commissioner's timetable and about whether he had any contingencies in place should he get suspended -- the most drastic of the potential penalties Goodell could consider. The coach also refused to discuss whether he worried that the scandal -- dubbed "videogate" in the press room, of course -- would distract his players.

Also at stake is the legacy of the NFL's latest dynasty, one that memorably rejected individual on-field introductions before its first Super Bowl victory, instead "choosing to be introduced as a team." Stressing individual discipline and salary cap selflessness in a league where they tend to be in short supply, the Patriots won three NFL titles in four years and held themselves up as a model organization.

Now, they're being accused of cheating.

"That's not going to tarnish this team," running back Kevin Faulk said. "We know what we do and how hard we work."

Linebacker Chad Brown, who re-signed for a second stint with the team this week and landed in the middle of the tumult, acknowledged it would be embarrassing if the allegations turn out to be true. But he also said the videotaping is an offshoot of the gamesmanship all teams indulge in.

"I think that all the facts should come out before people judge this organization," Brown said. "I think we do things the right way."

Information from The Associated Press and ESPN's Chris Mortensen was used in this report.

Commissioner Roger Goodell Visits Titans Training Camp

To the rave reviews of players like Al Haynesworth, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell visited Tennessee Titans training camp according to Sports Illustrated .

"He grabbed me right after the meeting and said he wanted to talk about the help he was getting," Goodell said during a ride to the airport with an Associated Press reporter. "He wanted me to know he was getting help for his problems. It was good to hear. You like to think that players who get in trouble can work on turning around their lives."

COMMISSIONER GOODELL PRESS CONFERENCE - NFL Rookie Symposium

From NFL Media.com

COMMISSIONER GOODELL PRESS CONFERENCE
NFL Rookie Symposium
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida – June 25, 2007


Re: How the Symposium has lasted this long and the concern about
players in their first year...

RG: The focus for us is how do we make these guys better men. What can we do
to help prepare them for the decisions they will have to make as NFL players?
It’s a big transition from college, so I think we’re providing some tools for them.
The big focus for us is how do we expand on this, how do we make it better? It’s
a great start but we want to make sure that we continue to promote these
messages and give the players the kind of resources and tools they need to
make good choices.

Re: On the rookies and if they asked questions of him...

RG: Yes. I thought they were great. There were a lot of questions. They were
good questions, direct questions. I think that’s terrific and I’m glad they felt
comfortable enough to ask them.

Re: If this will help the players in the long term. Is the goal to help them no
matter what kind of career they have?

RG: The whole focus is how do we make these men better men, and how do we
make sure that they understand that the skills they learn here are life skills;
things that will help them throughout their lives and well beyond their NFL career.

Re: How the message on player conduct is getting across...

RG: I think we’re being more clear with them of what we expect. There is a
higher standard of behavior being that they are football players. The vast majority
of our players do understand; only a select few of our players don’t. They get a
lot of focus, they get a lot of attention, and it has a negative impact on the players
in our league and the NFL in general. I think they have a better understanding of
what we’re going expect from them in the future.

Q: Why do they have a better understanding?

RG: Because we reinforce it at every opportunity. We feel very strongly here. The
clubs are doing it at the club level and I think what we’ve done with the personal
conduct policy came out just great. There are not many people who are unaware
of what our standards are.

Re: Why some players still don’t seem to grasp it...
2

RG: I’d be naïve to think that everyone will understand it. We’re going to have to
make it a priority going forward. Again, we’re making players more aware of our
standards of behavior. Secondly, we’re giving them more tools and resources to
make sure that they can make those decisions, and hopefully that will have a
great impact.

Re: What you discussed with the players...

RG: Several things. I just tell them a little bit about my own background, being in
the league for 26 years. I told them about what I think is important with respect
to supporting the NFL shield. I did discuss personal conduct. I did talk about our
responsibility to them, and about the resources we’re providing to them. I spoke
to them about how important it is making their families proud in everything they
do both on and off of the field.

Re: The reaction of the players while he was speaking...

RG: I thought they were outstanding. It was a little difficult in the room to survey
every conversation. You could tell the players were engaged. They asked very
good questions, very responsive questions to what I had said, and I think they
listened very intently.

Re: The process in evaluating a violation of the policy...

RG: First we get the facts, and then once we’ve done that we make an evaluation
of where it sits in our personal conduct policy and make a determination.

Re: Overall goal of the symposium and this class of rookies...

RG: That we are concerned about them as men. Not only how they become
great NFL players but how they become great men. How they conduct
themselves appropriately for the remainder of their lives, not just in the National
Football League.

Re: How did the players ask questions? Did they raise their hand, stand up,
grab a microphone?

RG: They did both, they had a microphone. They asked a lot of questions about
the services they have available to them, what we could do to help them, am I
available, what is my perspective and how I go about making decisions. They
were very good questions.

Re: Your perception of how the fans perceive personal conduct issues...Do
you believe personal conduct is a problem in the fans’ eyes?

3
RG: The reaction I’m getting from the fans is quite supportive. We are standing
up; we are making sure our players are held to a higher standard. They want
that. People have put an awful lot of time, energy, money, into the National
Football League, and I want them to feel good about what they’re doing.

Re: Whether the symposium always has the same focus...

RG: We adapt the symposium to whatever the issues are at the time. We
obviously have adapted the agenda here to some extent to make sure it’s
responsive to issues that they may be facing, that they’re comfortable making the
transition to pro football from college football.

Re: Congressional hearing on retired players...

RG: The focus on retired players is that we have an obligation and a
responsibility to retired players. I think we’ve done some very positive things for
retired players and we’re considering doing some additional things that I think are
quite responsive to the issues. I’ve spent a fair amount of time listening to retired
players and listening to what the issues actually are. Both Gene and I will be
having a meeting with the retired players on July 24th to talk about some of the
ideas that we’ve been developing and hopefully we’ll be able to move this
forward. I think we’re being very responsive to our retired players and I
understand the interest in this. I hope were going to be seen in a very positive
light in terms of being responsive to this.

Re: The London Game and the loss of a home game for the Dolphins...

RG: I understand that and that’s why we’ve said all along that we’re going to
have a limited number of regular-season games overseas because we recognize
that it can be difficult for fans and they lose one of their eight regular-season
home games. It’s not going to happen on a frequent basis. Even if we did two a
year it wouldn’t happen frequently. On the other hand, any time a fan loses a
home game we understand it’s a negative. We’re glad it’s on television. It’s not
the same experience, but I think the club should be proud that their fans are
going to be able to see it on television and more importantly they’re expanding on
a global basis. Hopefully some good will come out of that. There’s not much I can
say other than that. The fact is they are losing a regular-season home game.

Re: Reaction to Pacman and Tank’s latest issues...

RG: We’re waiting to get the facts. They’re both under suspension right now so
we’ll look at the facts and take it under consideration. They understand, as part of
their suspension, that we’ll be evaluating every activity that is going on with them.
They understand that so we’ll take that under consideration.

Re: Hearing their names continually coming up in the news this
offseason...

RG: I would rather them be making good choices. They know that and knew that
when I met with them, and they each pledged to try to make good choices going
forward. We’re trying to do everything we can to support them to make choices. If
they don’t, that’s the decision they make and it will affect their future.

Re: Reaction to hearing these names again...

RG: Disappointment, more than anything else. Either they aren’t getting the
message or they don’t have the ability or the desire. It’s disappointing.

# # #

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell Q&A - Charlotte, NC – June 5, 2007

Q&A with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell

Charlotte, NC – June 5, 2007

Re: What it means to present the award to Carolina Panthers Owner/Founder
Jerry Richardson?
A great deal. Jerry Richardson is not only an important person to the NFL, but he’s also
an incredibly important person to this region. What he’s done for this region and to be
able to honor him was a great honor for me.

Re: His relationship with Richardson.
It goes back now almost 20 years to when he began his effort to get an expansion
franchise. From the moment I met him, you just have a great admiration and respect for
his integrity, his values and for his can-do attitude. He’s always demonstrated that and
he’s been incredibly important both to me but more importantly to the league in his
tenure as the owner of the Carolina Panthers. I can’t say enough good things about
Jerry Richardson.

Re: What kind of addition to the NFL the Panthers have been?
I stated earlier I believe he’s put together a model franchise here. It’s representative of
his community. It’s representative of his family. He’s done everything he can to make
sure this franchise represents the community in the best possible way. I think he’s
somebody this region should be very proud of.

Re: Conduct being a focus this offseason.
It hasn’t been our focus. Obviously, we’ve had to deal with that and we believe we’re off
to setting some important standards to making sure our players and their coaches and
everyone involved in the NFL understand the importance of it. But it’s an ongoing issue
and it’s going to continue to be an ongoing issue.

Re: The feedback he has gotten from the players on his conduct policy.
We put this policy together with a lot of input from the players. I met with well over 100
players, including the union, and got a great deal of input to try to understand what are
the issues we’re dealing with and what should we do to try to address this issue. I think
the reaction has been quite supportive. Our players are outstanding young men, and
they are doing great things in their community. Obviously, we’ve had a few incidents
we’re not happy about and we’ve dealt with this and we’ve had the support of players in
doing that.

Re: When he will know if the steps he has taken are successful?
I think it’s an ongoing issue you just have to address. You have to recognize we’re
dealing with young people, a large number of people, 2,000 young men, and mistakes,
they’re going to make mistakes. What we need to do is provide as many resources as
we possibly can to help them make good decisions. But it’s going to happen, and when
it happens, they have to understand the consequences of that also.

2
Re: Richardson stressing the importance of character in his players.
It’s important for Jerry Richardson because this franchise represents this community
and his family, and it represents the National Football League. It’s no mistake he’s got
the NFL shield at the 50-yard line of Bank of America Stadium. It means a great deal to
him. I know he’s supportive of the policy and so are the players, having met with them
this morning.

Re: The rift between retired players and NFL Players Association Executive
Director Gene Upshaw.
The retired players are important to us. They helped us build the game. I don’t think
there’s anybody that I know of that’s done more for retired players or players in general
than Gene Upshaw. I think he’s done a tremendous amount toward that. I think it’s
unfortunate that this kind of thing is going on. I think that’s the reason Gene and I have
talked about forming this alliance to make sure we can address these issues in a
responsible fashion. I don’t think it’s helpful, but I understand it’s an emotional issue
also.

Re: What say to both sides?
I don’t think there are both sides. I think we have a genuine interest, and Gene leans
that way, to try to do what’s responsible for our players. No one has done more for
players than Gene Upshaw.

Re: Upshaw saying he would break Joe DeLamielleure’s neck.
I wasn’t part of those discussions so I don’t have any response to it.

Re: The prospect of a competing professional football league involving Dallas
Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban.
I don’t know many of the details of it so I really couldn’t comment too much on it.

Re: How much bigger the NFL can get?
I think our game is a great game. I think it’s healthy on all levels, and we’re looking for
ways to expand the popularity of our game, not only in the United States but on a global
basis. We think there’s still tremendous growth out of the National Football League
because the game is so strong and our fans are so passionate.

Re: Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick’s status for the 2007 season.
We don’t deal with hypotheticals. We’re waiting to make sure we gather all the facts and
we understand what the circumstances are. Michael and I have met. We’ve talked on
the phone. He understands what is expected of him, and I expect he’s going to make
the changes necessary in his life to make sure he avoids these things going forward.

Re: Role as the NFL commissioner and being comfortable in his new position.
Non-stop. It’s always an issue we have to deal with, but I knew that getting into it. There
weren’t a lot of surprises when you start this job after being in it 25 years. You
understand the role and the responsibility and the accountability we have to our fans.
3
It’s an awesome responsibility, but I enjoy it. I love the NFL and I want to contribute
whatever I can to that.

Re: Conduct being his stamp and other issues he hopes to advance.
I understand why the media is focused on the player conduct issue. We are not. We
have a number of challenges we are dealing with on a daily basis, mostly on how we
continue to expand the popularity of the game. I think the player conduct issue is
something that’s important to the league, to make sure people respect our players and
the NFL in general. But we’re focused more on how we can continue to promote the
league on a broader basis.

The media world is changing. We have to be responsive to that and make sure we can
find ways to continue to deliver NFL football to future generations of NFL fans. So we’re
continuing to make sure we stay up with those changes and making sure we’re
positioned properly to continue to do that.

Re: Looking forward to the end of his first year as NFL commissioner:
I can’t wait.

Re: His first year as NFL commissioner.
There have been no surprises. When you work for the NFL for 25 years, when you work
for the two greatest sports commissioners, as I did with Pete Rozelle and Paul
Tagliabue, you’re not surprised by much. On the other hand, feeling that awesome
responsibility is really something you feel as much to the fans as to the ownership or
anyone associated with the NFL.

# # #

Goodell Strengthens NFL Conduct Policy

Goodell Strengthens NFL Conduct Policy
By BARRY WILNER
AP Football Writer

NEW YORK -- NFL teams will be disciplined when their employees, including players, violate the league's personal conduct policy.

Moments after announcing the one-year suspension of Tennessee Titans cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones, and an eight-game ban for Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chris Henry, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell released his strengthened conduct policy Tuesday. Along with longer suspensions and larger fines for individuals who violate the policy, Goodell will hold teams responsible, as well.

He did not say how he would punish those teams, although stripping them of draft choices is considered one of the most effective ways to do so.

"It is important that the NFL be represented consistently by outstanding people as well as great football players, coaches, and staff," Goodell said. "We hold ourselves to higher standards of responsible conduct because of what it means to be part of the National Football League. We have long had policies and programs designed to encourage responsible behavior, and this policy is a further step in ensuring that everyone who is part of the NFL meets that standard. We will continue to review the policy and modify it as warranted."

The strengthened standards apply to all NFL employees: players, coaches, officials, owners, front-office and league personnel. And Goodell emphasized in the new policy that those standards will be considerably tighter than outside the league.

"It is not enough to simply avoid being found guilty of a crime," the new policy says. "Instead, as an employee of the NFL or a member club, you are held to a higher standard and expected to conduct yourself in a way that is responsible, promotes the values upon which the league is based, and is lawful.

"Persons who fail to live up to this standard of conduct are guilty of conduct detrimental and subject to discipline, even where the conduct itself does not result in conviction of a crime."

The new policy comes in the wake of a series of off-field issues involving several players, notably Jones, Henry and Chicago Bears defensive tackle Tank Johnson.

There were 10 occasions in which Jones was interviewed by police, the most recent during the NBA All-Star weekend in Las Vegas. Police there recommended felony and misdemeanor charges against Jones after a fight and shooting at a strip club left one man paralyzed.

Henry was arrested four times in a 14-month span, and received a two-game league suspension last year. He was one of nine Bengals arrested in nine months. Johnson currently is in jail, serving four months for violating probation in a 2005 gun case.

Two of Henry's teammates, along with NFL Players Association executive director Gene Upshaw, recognized the need for stronger league guidelines for player conduct.

"You would think it's necessary just because of the negative publicity the NFL is beginning to receive because of what's happening," said Bengals receiver T. J. Houshmandzadeh. "It was going on for an extended period of time. Each day, each week, something was happening."

Added Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer: "I think it will (help). With all of the things that have been happening recently, I think it will be good and hopefully give the league a little better image. I hope that it works and that guys abide by the rules and do what's right."

So does Upshaw, of course. He consulted with Goodell before the commissioner, now in his seventh month on the job, revised the conduct policy. Goodell also established a panel of players to offer advice on such matters.

"The NFL Players Association and the Player Advisory Council have been discussing this issue for several months," Upshaw said. "We believe that these are steps that the commissioner needs to take and we support the policy. It is important that players in violation of the policy will have the opportunity and the support to change their conduct and earn their way back."

Tony Dungy said placing responsibility on the teams for their players and employees makes sense, even if it results in penalties that affect more than the wallet.

"That seems to be the thing that gets everyone's attention," the coach of the Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts said of potentially lost draft picks and player availability. "We talked about fines at the league meetings, and that may not do the trick. But when you start talking about playing time and draft picks, that seems to get your attention."

___

AP Sports Writers Joe Kay in Cincinnati and Michael Marot in Indianapolis contributed to this story.

Goodell Meets with Jones, Henry, Union Leaders

Jones, Henry, union leaders all meet with NFL chief
By DAVE GOLDBERG, AP Football Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and league officials met with Adam "Pacman" Jones Tuesday as the Tennessee Titans' cornerback attempted to avoid a long suspension following a series of arrests.

Goodell and his staff also met with Cincinnati wide receiver Chris Henry and members of the NFL Players Association executive board as he prepared a tougher policy on NFL players who violate the law.

Goodell has said he will announce his decision on suspensions or other disciplinary action before the draft on April 28 and perhaps in the next 10 days.

The NFL had no comment and lawyers for the players had no immediate response. The meeting with the players was held away from the NFL offices where six television cameras stationed themselves with no one to interview.

The Titans couldn't add much either Tuesday night.

"We have not heard anything from the NFL office," Titans general manager Mike Reinfeldt said.

Goodell also met with Gene Upshaw, executive director of the NFLPA and other union officials as he tried to get a consensus for his policy. Upshaw also has been critical of player misbehavior.

Henry is one of nine Bengals who were arrested last season, leading to calls for a crackdown on player behavior. But Jones has become the focus for Goodell, who took over as commissioner in September and has been preoccupied by the issue almost from the start of his tenure.

"It went pretty good, to have the chance to meet the commissioner face to face," Henry told The Cincinnati Enquirer. "I just wanted to explain my situation to the commissioner and move on. I told him I was learning from my mistakes and how to handle myself in a better manner."

Since being drafted in April 2005, Jones has been arrested five times and questioned by police in 10 episodes. Last week, Las Vegas police recommended he be charged with a felony and two misdemeanors for his role in a Feb. 19 strip club fight that led to a triple shooting.

His lawyer, Manny Arora, did not return calls or e-mails from The Associated Press. However, he told the Nashville Tennessean on Monday: "I fully expect him to be part of that team when the season kicks off in September.

However, Jones' former agent, Gary Wichard, told the AP that he thinks Goodell could be hard on Jones. "In the commissioner's mind, he's trying to make a statement because the league needs this," Wichard said.

That seems to be the general consensus around the NFL -- that the problems have gone too far. Henry, Jones' teammate at West Virginia, was suspended by Goodell for two games last season and could face more discipline after serving two days in a Kentucky jail for letting minors drink in a hotel room he had rented.

AP Sports Writer Teresa Walker in Nashville contributed to this story.

Profootballltalk.com - Did NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell Get Involved In Steelers Hiring Of Mike Tomlin?

This comes from Profootballtalk.com. If it's true that Goodell did get involved by suggesting to Rooney that someone like Tomlin be the choice, I so wish hed done that in the case of the Oakland Raiders, who hired the way, way underqualified Lane Kiffin and mainted a kind of affirmative action for young white guys. Notice how none of the white male media types are screaming about this, but they are focusingg on Tomlin?

January 23, 2007

DID STEELERS YANK RUG FROM GRIMM?

As the media continues to try to understand the process that resulted in conflicting reports regarding whether the Steelers would hire Mike Tomlin or Russ Grimm to be the team's next head coach, the hot rumor at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama (where various league types currently are gathered) is that Grimm was indeed offered the job before it went to Tomlin.

As the story goes, the Steelers called Grimm on Saturday and told him not to believe what the media was reporting about Tomlin. Then, the Steelers and Grimm negotiated a contract, and Grimm was told that he could tell his family that he was the guy, which he did.

But then, as the story goes, Commissioner Roger Goodell got involved and suggested to Steelers chairman Dan Rooney that it would be nice if the Steelers would hire one of the minority candidates, given that the Rooney Rule was named after him. Rooney relented.

On Sunday morning, Rooney met with Art II and Kevin Colbert and told them about the decision. Both initially disagreed because a deal had been done with Grimm. But the contract hadn't been signed, and Art II and Colbert deferred to Dan.

Grimm was then told about the decision, and he was obviously pissed. But, to date, he has been discreet regarding his displeasure, presumably because he plans to continue working in the industry that has only 32 job locations. Tomlin was then called on Sunday afternoon, and he was informed that he was the guy.

One source told us that he has been hearing this rumor "all day" in Alabama. Though we're not saying that any of this actually happened, the mere fact that this story is making the rounds at the Senior Bowl is newsworthy, in our opinion.

Especially since the events that transpired on Saturday night and Sunday were so damn bizarre.

Meanwhile, a reader tells us that Mike Prisuta of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review has been insisting in radio appearances that his story linking Grimm to the job was on the money. Though we poked fun at Prisuta's predicament on Sunday, it could be that he was right, after all.

LONDON TO HOST NFL REGULAR-SEASON GAME - NFLMedia.com

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
280 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
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WWW.NFLMedia.com

Joe Browne, Executive Vice President-Communications
Greg Aiello, Vice President-Public Relations

LONDON TO HOST NFL REGULAR-SEASON GAME

London will be the venue for the first regular-season NFL game to be played outside North America, the National Football League announced today.

The NFL will stage the first in its new series of international regular-season games in the United Kingdom’s capital city in the fall of 2007. NFL owners voted in October to play up to two games outside the United States every year for the next five years, with the series kicking off with a single game in 2007.

“There is great interest in the NFL around the world,” said NFL Commissioner ROGER GOODELL. “Playing a limited number of regular-season games outside the United States is the next step for us in serving that interest. This is what our international fans, media partners, and sponsors want. There is no better place to begin this initiative than London. It is one of the
great cities of the world with an established and growing fan base for our game. We are thrilled to bring the excitement of the NFL regular season to the United Kingdom.”

London’s effort to secure the game was supported by Mayor of London KEN LIVINGSTONE, who visited Commissioner Goodell in New York to state the city’s case for staging an NFL game.

“London is proud to host the first competitive NFL game held outside the North American continent,” Mayor Livingstone said. “There are many NFL fans in London – both American and non-American – and this will be a spectacular sporting occasion. The Super Bowl is followed by almost five-million people in the UK. Hosting an NFL game in London will bring more than
10,000 international visitors to the city. London will be working with the NFL to build on this success to ensure that Londoners, NFL fans, international visitors, and the tens of millions who will watch the game on television have a great day of sport and experience London at its best."

London was selected based upon several factors, including general fan interest, current NFL visibility through existing media agreements, the range and quality of large, world-class stadia, including Wembley and Twickenham, the size and value of the overall sports and entertainment market and the potential to build year-round marketing, sponsorship and fan engagement.
More details about the London game – including the venue and participating teams – are expected to be confirmed during Super Bowl week (January 29-February 4) in South Florida.

The NFL staged its first regular-season game outside of the United States in 2005 when 103,467 people saw the Arizona Cardinals play the San Francisco 49ers in Mexico City on October 2 – the largest crowd for a regular-season game in NFL history.
# # #

NFL Headquarters - Commissioner Roger Goodell in Background (in Blue shirt)

Lining the hall - Commissioner Goodell in background (in blue shirt), originally uploaded by kriscuz.

If you've ever wondered what an NFL office party looks like, here you go. This is a holiday party photo I found on Flickr and it features new NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell enjoying a little holiday cheer beer with NFL staffers. A bit of a tight fit for all in the cubicle enviroment, but chummy none the less.

The photo shows why Goodell's so well liked. He doesn't place himself above anyone else and treats all with the respect they deserve. He's "one of the guys" without being so much so that his position is compromised.