Is Roger Goodell Good For the NFL?

[SmootSmack]

Ok. Agree to disagree then

[CrustyRedskin]

I really dont like the guy, but if he knew me he wouldnt like me either.

[mlmpetert]

Jack Del Rio: Kickoff change means lower-scoring games | ProFootballTalk

“If you back up the offense and start them on the 20, you’re going to reduce the chances of scoring,” Del Rio said on ESPN Radio. “So I think what’s going to happen is when they get done looking at this year they’re going to say, ‘Boy, scoring dropped. Wow. I wonder what caused that.’ Well, I think kickoffs are going to play a part in that.”

Del Rio is almost certainly right: There will be more touchbacks and fewer returned kickoffs, which means not only fewer return touchdowns but also fewer long returns that set up the offense in good field position. So that will make for less interesting games, unless you find touchbacks interesting.

“You’re going to watch the kicking team line up and then you’ll watch the offense get the ball at the 20,” Del Rio said. “That’s what’s going to happen the majority of the time. Unless you get a real strong breeze or something where the ball can’t go deep enough to not bring it out, you’re going to see a tremendous amount of balls staying in the end zone or kicked through the end zone, and the ball’s going to stay at the 20.”

[mlmpetert]

So from a saftey prespective yes
Fan's no
Player's no
Coach's no

If the play is deemed so dangerous they need to effectively render it useless why not just remove it and get rid of kickoffs? Why risk a players safety some of the time?

I guess i dont understand the purpose of changing the rules before making safety strides in other areas. I mean for God’s sake mouth guards are not mandatory. If you wear the wrong socks you get fined, if you don’t wear a mouth guard its okay???? Im sure some mouth guards are much better than others. A lot of concussions come from knees hitting the helmet, force players to wear knee pads and elbow pads, hip and thigh pads. Force players to wear certain helmets that are proven less risky. Force players to wear neck braces like Chris Samuels. Have a R&D department study safety gear. But making significant changes to the sport before doing any of these things seems completely backwards and ridiculous to me.

[MTK]

Originally Posted by mlmpetert

So from a saftey prespective yes
Fan's no
Player's no
Coach's no

If the play is deemed so dangerous they need to effectively render it useless why not just remove it and get rid of kickoffs? Why risk a players safety some of the time?

I guess i dont understand the purpose of changing the rules before making safety strides in other areas. I mean for God’s sake mouth guards are not mandatory. If you wear the wrong socks you get fined, if you don’t wear a mouth guard its okay???? Im sure some mouth guards are much better than others. A lot of concussions come from knees hitting the helmet, force players to wear knee pads and elbow pads, hip and thigh pads. Force players to wear certain helmets that are proven less risky. Force players to wear neck braces like Chris Samuels. Have a R&D department study safety gear. But making significant changes to the sport before doing any of these things seems completely backwards and ridiculous to me.

League tables plan for mandatory knee, thigh pads | ProFootballTalk

[mlmpetert]

Originally Posted by Mattyk

League tables plan for mandatory knee, thigh pads | ProFootballTalk

Exactly. Why table this and make the wedge illegal 2 years ago, dramatically change the enforcement of hard hits last year, and then render the kickoff useless this year? He’s got things completely backwards

[MTK]

Originally Posted by mlmpetert

Exactly. Why table this and make the wedge illegal 2 years ago, dramatically change the enforcement of hard hits last year, and then render the kickoff useless this year? He’s got things completely backwards

So I guess you think more padding = more safety?

Not sure there's any real basis for that, but ok.

[mlmpetert]

Originally Posted by Mattyk

So I guess you think more padding = more safety?

Not sure there's any real basis for that, but ok.

Would you advocate differently?

[sportscurmudgeon]

Originally Posted by mlmpetert

Exactly. Why table this and make the wedge illegal 2 years ago, dramatically change the enforcement of hard hits last year, and then render the kickoff useless this year? He’s got things completely backwards

Yet - - he manages to keep his job...


How can he possibly do that? Does he have some mass hypnotic powers over all of the owners and the players union and only you are immune to them?

[mlmpetert]

Originally Posted by sportscurmudgeon

Yet - - he manages to keep his job...


How can he possibly do that? Does he have some mass hypnotic powers over all of the owners and the players union and only you are immune to them?

Again I believe the question posed by the op and what I am answering to (and what most besides you are answering to) is “is roger goodell for the nfl…. the sport” not is he good for the business. Roger was elected by the owners, his interests are intrinsically in line with the owners. Theres very little players or the players union, or as smootsmack pointed out the fans can do, to remove him from power.

So again sure he may be fabulous for the business side of the NFL but in my opinion, humble and somehow immune and irrelevant to his power, think hes bad for the nfl…. the sport. I would also go as far to say that most players, formers players, coaches and fans also think his modifying of the game is also bad for the sport.

[Paintrain]

Overall I think he's good for the league but he's a bit heavy handed and not a great communicator. He can do a better job at explaining his reasoning behind rule changes and desiring changes to the game (18 games, plans for LA market, etc) but he's a little stiff. Some of his decisions on fines and discipline seem to be excessive also and he alienates players by those decisions.

[mlmpetert]

Originally Posted by Paintrain

Overall I think he's good for the league but he's a bit heavy handed and not a great communicator. He can do a better job at explaining his reasoning behind rule changes and desiring changes to the game (18 games, plans for LA market, etc) but he's a little stiff. Some of his decisions on fines and discipline seem to be excessive also and he alienates players by those decisions.

Thats one of the main issue i have with him. If he wants to come down hard on players for hard hitting or getting in trouble off the field thats fine, but he doesnt seem to ahve any real consistency. Why not spell out what the fine/suspension is going to be beforehand. Theres no clarity or consistency in his discipline process.

[MTK]

He evaluates each fine on an individual basis, that's why there doesn't appear to be consistency, but I think to be fair you can't just hand out mandatory infractions.

[sportscurmudgeon]

Originally Posted by Mattyk

Personally I think more padding is just window dressing and doesn't do much to prevent head injuries. You could wrap guys in bubble wrap, but if they crash into each other with enough force the brain is going to get jarred no matter what you do. So the most logical thing to do is reduce (or eventually eliminate) some of the plays where the highest speed collisions take place.

I am surprised they don't make mouth guards mandatory though. I know in high school we had to wear them. I'm not sure what research says about them reducing head injuries though. I think I remember reading the conclusions are mixed.

Studies I read regarding mouthguards about ten years ago were inconclusive with regard to their ability to mitigate concussions. However, there were no data to suggest that using a mouthguard increased the likelihood of a concussion. So, high schools in most places mandated their use.

[rbanerjee23]

I think sportscurmudgeon is Roger Goodell. Haha, just kidding -- I don't think I've seen such a dogged defense of any player, coach, owner etc. on this board.