NFL COMMISSIONER ROGER GOODELL TAKES QUESTIONS FROM COLTS SEASON-TICKET HOLDERSNFL Commissioner Roger Goodell held a version of a town hall meeting on Wednesday evening with Colts season-ticket holders.
In a 30-minute conference call with the fans, Goodell addressed various issues, most involving the current labor negotiations in the league. The commissioner has been doing such calls with the fan bases of all 32 NFL teams.
Bob Lamey, the radio voice of the Colts, moderated the session. When it ended, Lamey said more than 4,200 fans tried to call in and speak with Goodell.
"I'm sorry I can't get to all 4,200 questions," Goodell said in wrapping up the conference call. " … I thank all the fans of the Colts and the NFL. (There is) nothing better than attending a game in Indianapolis."
Here are most of Goodell's comments, in question-and-answer form:
Question: Can you update us on the status of NFL labor negotiations?
"Unfortunately we're not at the negotiating table or the bargaining table. We're in the midst of litigation. And I think that's unfortunate, and I think it's delaying what ultimately is going to solve this issue: negotiations. We're expecting to have a hearing in front of the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals on June 3. In the meantime, we do have a mediation session scheduled for May 16 and 17 in Minneapolis. I hope we can get back and start talking."
Question: Did the 2011 NFL Draft provide some normality over the weekend?"Well … it was great to get back to football. The draft is always a highlight for me (and) … I think it's a great thing for the fans. They see their teams improving that day and it's exciting for them. But it's also a great privilege to be with those young men as they start their careers – both the young men and their families coming to New York. It's an extraordinary day, and I'm really honored to be a part of that. We have a terrific group of young men that are going to be starting in the league."
Question: Are you proud of the way the league has grown and advanced in recent years?
"Well, I am. But it's because, I think, we've been responsive to our fans. We've made the game better. We've always looked to see how we can improve. We believe in better. We believe the league has an ability to continue to grow in its popularity. And that's what we're trying to do. That's what's frustrating right now. … We're not negotiating an agreement here that will allow us to continue that growth. It will be good for everybody. It will be good for the fans most of all. And it will be good for the clubs and the players.
Question: How will tickets be dealt with if the work stoppage affects the season?"Every ticket situation is established by the club in the sense of pricing and various policies, with one exception. … We have a league-wide policy that if – if – we do miss any games due to work stoppage, we're going to have a league-wide commitment to having a refund. Each club will be handling those. We think it's important for our fans to understand that. We're preparing for the 2011 season, we've released our schedule, we've had our draft. I know teams are busy trying to sell tickets or prepare, and hopefully we'll get back to football quickly."
Question: Has any thought been given to cutting prices on preseason games?"You raise a point that I hear from fans all the time about the quality of the preseason. There are various ways to approach that. One is ticket pricing. We've talked about – and in fact we're dealing with the committee today – looking at additional comp tickets that we could provide to get more people the opportunity to come into our stadiums that may not be able to afford it. And you also mention another issue which is: How do we improve the quality of what we do? Which is one of the aspects behind (the possibility of) changing to the two preseason games and 18 regular-season games. So there are a variety of things we are talking about. I know from hearing from our fans this is an area we need to improve on. It's not up to the standards that people expect from the NFL, and we're going to look at every alternative."
Question: Has any consideration been given to going back to last year's rules so football can get started?"I understand that alternative. … Our contract was up in early March. It's obviously one way of proceeding. But we have been dealing with this for the last couple of years and not been able to successfully get to a negotiation that leads to an agreement that addresses, I think, some of the very important issues that we need to address as a league. So, we want to make sure we do that in a responsible fashion. I believe we should address those issues sooner rather than later. They're important, I think, to the health of the game, to the health of the players and to the health of the clubs. We're in a position now where we have that opportunity to negotiate it, and we should do that. The pressure is on us, and we should take advantage of that and get this done and get this agreement in a place, where we can continue to provide the great football that I know you want to see."
Question: Could the preseason be eliminated?
"I guess, if your question is along the lines of eliminating the preseason altogether – every preseason – I think there is some important value, particularly to the clubs, on preseason games. They need to evaluate the players and they need to prepare their teams. We believe you can do that with two preseason games rather than the current four. If you're talking about just in the context of this year, based on where we are in the labor negotiations, I don't want to miss any games. It's wrong for the game of football. It's wrong for our fans. And I think it's wrong for all of the clubs and the players. I'm hoping that won't be a result if we get this negotiation done now and get back to football. If we decide to re-format the season and reduce the preseason from four to two, it's something we want to do working with the players and trying to make the best decision for the game of football."
Question: Is there a drop-dead date for getting the 2011 season started?
"Our intention and, certainly, our objective is to play every game as scheduled, including the preseason for the 2011 season. That's what we're working to do, and I am hopeful that's where we're going to be. If unfortunately we're not successful in getting a Collective Bargaining Agreement in advance, the first games that unfortunately will be missed just because of the calendar … are the preseason games. We would make those decisions as we go. And unfortunately, time is drawing near (and) we need to get to those issues. … If your question is specifically that we would reschedule a preseason game instead of a regular-season game, I don't see that as any scenario. We haven't talked about that at all."
Question: Is an 18-game regular-season really a possibility? It seems that is not what fans are asking for."I've talked to a lot of fans directly and I think people would like to see 18 regular-season games and less preseason games, in a majority. But I also know there are people who probably have a difference of opinion. The most important thing is that if you do it, you have to do it responsibly. The first priority should be that we do it in a way that protects the health and safety of our players and make sure that, two, we improve the quality of the game of football. We want to make sure that everything we do creates greater quality. The one thing I definitely hear is: How do we increase the value for our season-ticket holders? That is something I have heard very strongly from our fans."
Question: What happens to the 2012 Super Bowl, scheduled for Indianapolis, if the season is lost? Will Indy be a host, then, for 2013?"Well, we've made commitment for (2013), but I do feel strongly that we've made a commitment to the city of Indianapolis. We look forward to being there. We look forward to playing in Indianapolis, and we'll stand behind that commitment. We would certainly, in the unfortunate case that happens – and I certainly hope that is not going to be the case; we haven't thought through that process – but I believe we've made a commitment to the city of Indianapolis … and we'll stand behind that.
Question: What is the plan for a rookie salary cap?
"You raise a very important point, and one of the things that we think needs to be addressed in the Collective Bargaining Agreement (is) how rookies are compensated. As I mentioned earlier, we have some great young men that are coming into the league, but I really, firmly, believe that the compensation should go to the men that have proven it on the NFL field. That's where you should be rewarded for your performance – on the NFL field. I hope every young man that is drafted ends up being a great player in the NFL, and they should be rewarded for that when they achieve that. We are looking at getting a new system in place. The ownership proposed what is called a rookie wage scale. During discussions we had some modifications to that that the players asked for. That's all part of bargaining. We want to bargain to a system that makes better sense for everybody, most importantly the veteran players."
Question: How late can the 2011 season get started?"There is no drop-dead date. We need to get a new system in place so all 32 clubs know what system they're operating under, and do that as soon as possible, and continue to prepare for the season, and get our players ready to play and put the best product on the field. The sooner we can remove that uncertainty, I think, the better for everybody. But there is not a specific drop-dead date.
Question: What is the major issue in the contract talks?"The owners made a proposal back on March 11, after the 17 days of mediation, one, in hopes of getting an agreement and, two, in hopes of at least continuing the bargaining process. At that point in time, unfortunately, the union decided to end the negotiations and pursue this litigation strategy. I think all that's done is delayed serious negotiations. There are a number of important issues that have to be addressed, obviously, the amount of money that goes toward player compensation. The ownership put a proposal together that would be a slight increase in 2011 over the 2010 numbers and then grow by 14 percent through 2014. We need to get back and start talking about that and see if we can reach an agreement. We talked about improvements to retired players, a 60 percent increase in pension that was proposed. We need to get back to that. We talked about many changes in player health and safety that could happen in the offseason, the training camp and even in the regular season, to make the game safer for the men who play. … We have to get back to that and make improvements. … I think we've got to find a better rookie pool system. There are a number of issues that, I think, separate us, but they are going to get resolved at the negotiating table. And the sooner we can get back to that, the better."
Question: Are you satisfied with the success of the new rules concerning concussions?
"It's a great question. You said, 'Am I satisfied?' I guess one of my major faults is that I'm never satisfied. I think we can always improve the game, and we continue to look for ways to improve the game, particularly the safety. I think we've made enormous progress over the last several seasons with rule changes that make the game safer. We've made progress in equipment that makes the game safer. I think we've brought a tremendous awareness to head injuries and the type of techniques. We've tried to remove those techniques from the game, and (Colts Vice Chairman) Bill Polian, who sits on the Competition Committee, has been a big driver of this. Those techniques, we can identify and take out of the game. We need to do that, and I think we've been effective in doing that. There is always an adjustment period. … I think the general view of the coaches and general managers is that we made real progress last year, that the changes made are going to benefit the game and the health and safety of our players. We're going to look for every opportunity. In fact, in May, we'll be coming back with another proposal to sharpen our rules even more clearly to make the game safer and take certain techniques out of the game."
Question: Would the NFL ever consider changing its distribution plan for Super Bowl tickets?
"You make a very good point and one that we've spent an awful lot of time trying to address in a responsible way. The unfortunate side of it is – and maybe it's a good thing in that we have so much interest in the game that we can't nearly fit everybody into the stadium – but you want to make sure … that the loyal customers, the people who have supported the team, get that opportunity to attend. We have changed our policy to try to make sure that the share of the tickets … continues to go to our fans. We have made policies at the league level that we price a certain number of tickets that go to our fans and make (them) affordable. We clearly just don't have enough supply to meet the demand, quite honestly. It's always a struggle for us. I think the secondary ticketing is creating another dynamic that is different than we've had in the past. Instead of necessarily scalping tickets, people are offering the tickets on secondary markets. You can see those prices rise dramatically on that kind of a market. It's a difficult challenge for us, but we'll continue to try to do better at it and try to make the game as accessible as possible for our fans."
Question: Are there any plans for league expansion and would there be any changes in division or conference alignment?
"Well … we just went through realignment, I guess, in early 2000. I think we have a very good alignment. We want to create the kind of rivalries that I think everybody is looking for. We think we've come up with a very good system and it also works from a scheduling standpoint. We are trying to keep our teams where they are. We think that's in the best interests of the fans. We are not looking to … re-locations. But unfortunately that might happen. It's one of the things we're trying to address in the collective bargaining process. (That is) make sure we get the kind of system that will allow our teams to continue to be successful. One of the things that make our league so popular, I believe, is the competitive balance we have, the ability of teams to be successful in smaller markets like Indianapolis. … That's what makes football unique. All of our teams have an opportunity to win. There are hopes of all our fans to have a competitive team when they enter the season. We want to keep that kind of a system. That's the kind of thing that will continue to make the game more successful going forward. That's what I'm committed to doing."
