Why the Commissioner pisses me off.

[BigDaddyFin]

This is just a plain old rant. 

Roger Goodell has been Mr. Anti-Concussion and Mr. Player Safety since he became Commissioner a few years ago.  Tagliabue was probably headed in this direction when he quit also. 

These are the following things that they adopted to cut down on hits players take.

1.  Moving the kickoff to the 35 yardline.  The Kickoff was at the 35 for years.  They wanted more returns at one point to try to drive up the scoring, so they moved it to the 30, now they moved it back to the 35.

2. Helmet to helmet contact on the quarterback/WR. The problem with this is they throw the flag a lot of times for what LOOKS like a helmet to helmet hit and sometimes isn't. 

3.  Hits on defenseless players.  This is where it gets a little stupid.  It used to be if you couldn't protect yourself you weren't allowed to play even in grade school.  It takes away separating the receiver from the ball. 

4.  One practice day in full pads/full contact per week  This probably does more to protect the players than anything else.  More guys get hurt and take more hits to the head in practice than they would in two or three games. 

So why am I pissed at the Commissioner?

With all the talk about player safety, The NFL now wants to go to an 18-game schedule and expand the playoff.  This is something we argue about every so often on here.  If you're so worried about player safety, shouldn't you be considering SHORTENING the season and going down from 12 playoff teams to 10 or 8?   Not once have I ever heard this mentioned.  Or is the TV money just too good?   Shortening the preseason is fine.  Make it that all teams are limited to 3 exhibition games. 

[Brian Fein]

Your last one there (#4) was part of the new CBA negotiations which the players wanted as part of the agreement.  Not sure that Goodell had much to do with that.

Bottom line is more games = more money for the league, the teams, etc.  This was also discussed in the CBA hearings, and I don't know if anything came of it.  I doubt it will happen.  In the end the NFL is a business and the Commish is going to want to make more money...  But I am certain that nothing will be done until the player safety numbers are improved, to make a case for it.

[Landshark]

A helmet to helmet hit should be reviewable and if it is determined that it did not occur (aka the Florida State-Miami game in 2011), then the flag should be picked up. 

As for hits on defenseless receivers, I totally agree there.  It used to be that if the receiver caught the ball, you could wallop him and if he dropped it, it's an incomplete pass.

As for expanding the schedule, I say expand it four games and have each team play eight teams from the other conference.  It would make interconference rivalries occur more often.

[MikeO]

I might be the one guy who is a Goodell fan. He has begun cleaning up the sport with these players who always got in trouble off the field and only got slaps on the wrists. I love the suspensions of Big Ben, Vick...etc and that kind of stuff. I support him on his punishment of the Saints situation. Even though it got overturned Goodell was 100% right in my book!

The kickoff thing and helmet to helmet, defenselessness players is a safety issue which I have no problem with. Plus that is more competition committee than Goodell.

[Pappy13]

So why am I pissed at the Commissioner?

With all the talk about player safety, The NFL now wants to go to an 18-game schedule and expand the playoff.

Technically speaking the season is now 20 games, 16 regular season and 4 preseason games. The NFL would like to change that to 18 regular season games and 2 preseason games so it wouldn't be adding more games to the schedule, just changing 2 preseason games to regular season games. Yes, it's still more chances for starters to be hurt, but not by a large amount. I personally think 4 preseason games is too many, so I have no problem with going to 2, but there's no way the NFL would agree to go to 16 regular season and 2 preseason. The 18-2 season seems like a bit of a compromise. I think what the players are really concerned about though is that if they are going to play 18 regular season games, they need to get paid for 18 regular season games. I agree with that, so that it's a sticking point to be worked out.

[CF DolFan]

I might be the one guy who is a Goodell fan. He has begun cleaning up the sport with these players who always got in trouble off the field and only got slaps on the wrists. I love the suspensions of Big Ben, Vick...etc and that kind of stuff. I support him on his punishment of the Saints situation. Even though it got overturned Goodell was 100% right in my book!

The kickoff thing and helmet to helmet, defenselessness players is a safety issue which I have no problem with. Plus that is more competition committee than Goodell.

I'm with you too. Other than the way he handled video gate I haven't felt the need to complain much.

[Spider-Dan]

Goodell totally botched the labor agreements with the players and the referees.  He thinks he's an emperor and Tags gave him a well-deserved slapdown.

He's damn far from Paul Tagliabue when it comes to competency, that's for sure.

[BigDaddyFin]

Your last one there (#4) was part of the new CBA negotiations which the players wanted as part of the agreement.  Not sure that Goodell had much to do with that.

It's one of the changes I'm actually ok with.

[MikeO]

Goodell totally botched the labor agreements with the players and the referees. 

Can't hang that on Goodell. Goodell is only a puppet for the owners in those cases. Just the messenger for them. He has no power in those regards really

[Brian Fein]

I didn't think the owners had anything to do with the labor negotiations with the referees.  I thought that was between the officials' union and the league office (aka Commish).

[EKnight]

Would just like to point out for those of you complaining about the "safety" rules, that if it weren't for them, the ticky tack penalty against Seattle would have not been called, resulting in RT's INT in the end zone counting and Miami would have not won that game. I didn't hear anyone complaining when that happened. Can't have it both ways. -EK

[Brian Fein]

Right and all the ticky-tack penalties in all the other games that hurt the Dolphins wouldn't have been called either.

[EKnight]

Fair enough. I don't recall any of them being game changers, though. -EK

[MikeO]

I didn't think the owners had anything to do with the labor negotiations with the referees.  I thought that was between the officials' union and the league office (aka Commish).

It was all the owners. Goodell works for the owners and nobody else

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

I didn't think the owners had anything to do with the labor negotiations with the referees.  I thought that was between the officials' union and the league office (aka Commish).

The owners call the shots.  ALL owners call the shots, regardless of the business.

Sometimes the owner of a business will delegate some of the decisions.  (E.g. Ross doesn't decided to pass the ball or run on 3rd and 2nd) but ultimately if Ross said, "I want the Dolphins to pass more and run less" the coach would either have to respect that or look for a new job.  I doubt Ross would ever micromanage like that.  But Al Davis did.

In the case of both labor negociations, the handling of the bounty program and the changes to player safety, Goodel appears to have the support of the majority of the owners. Yes, the Saints owner wasn't happy with the bounty punishment, and the Steelers owner had came out in opposition of some of the safety measures, but Goodel is doing what the majority of owners want.