NFL

[shafnutz05]

Zeke Elliott has dropped his appeal and will serve the balance of his suspension.

How many games has he missed thus far? Just one or two? He's a dope for just not getting it over with early on, because there's a good chance that his absence late in the season will cost them a playoff berth.

On top of that, their schedule is brutal down the stretch, including two games against the Eagles.

[shmenguin]

Jerry Jones' one man crusade against Goodell It's no secret other NFL owners hate him too.

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/2142 ... tal-league

if other owners hated him, he wouldn't have a job. he just takes their cues. this ruse where he appears to have autonomy is still tricking people, somehow.

[Morkle]

You would think with future negotiations on the horizon this would be the worst possible time the owners want to play hardball with a guy who's grown their sport to an even bigger mega business.

Goodell takes the heat for the owners, if I'm him and they're low balling me, I'd just walk. There's zero left to prove.

[shmenguin]

You would think with future negotiations on the horizon this would be the worst possible time the owners want to play hardball with a guy who's grown their sport to an even bigger mega business.

Goodell takes the heat for the owners, if I'm him and they're low balling me, I'd just walk. There's zero left to prove.

define "low balling". he has an 8 figure salary as is.

[willeyeam]

Goodell is a jagoff but he's good at his job

[Dickie Dunn]

An update on the current petty infighting among the NFL’s most powerful men, courtesy of the Wall Street Journal: multiple team owners have reportedly discussed the possibility of removing Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones over his recent threat to sue the league, part of his attempt to block a contract extension for commissioner Roger Goodell.

Jones has been claiming that the league’s compensation committee, chaired by Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank, has been misleading about the contract negotiation process for Goodell’s extension. He first threatened to sue a week and a half ago and was promptly stripped of his non-voting committee role as a result. Now, per the Journal, the NFL has sent a letter to Jones’s attorney calling his behavior “detrimental to the league’s best interests.”

That language represents exactly the standard that would be needed for Jones to be booted from the league—proof that his conduct goes against the best interests of the NFL. While the league’s letter reportedly doesn’t make that suggestion outright, some owners have been discussing the potential there, according to the Journal.  

[Morkle]

You would think with future negotiations on the horizon this would be the worst possible time the owners want to play hardball with a guy who's grown their sport to an even bigger mega business.

Goodell takes the heat for the owners, if I'm him and they're low balling me, I'd just walk. There's zero left to prove.

define "low balling". he has an 8 figure salary as is.

Low ball, as in taking less or accepting a non-guaranteed contract after constructing the money printing machine the NFL has become. Sure we're talking in millions/billions - but it's insulting to a T to do this great work for his owners, then they're trying to jerk you around because of player-related issues that the GM and owners are responsible for.

I hate Goodell, but for some owners to quasi-deny that he's less of a reason for what the NFL is, seems really dumb.

Sure, the lifetime jet stuff is ridiculous, but that's negotiation - you put out what you want and negotiate down. I don't find it really that absurd.

[slappybrown]

Goodell didnt build sht

[shmenguin]

Goodell didnt build sht

he rode a wave. he gets no credit for the increase in popularity and no blame for the decrease. the owners run every pro sports league. they make the rules

[slappybrown]

Certain commissioners can genuinely be credited as visionaries who played vital roles in the expansion and growth of their leagues -- David Stern is an obvious one. Goodell is a caretaker commissioner at best, and his primary function is human pin cushion. He's shown no ability to navigate controversies effectively, and while he takes the blame instead of the owners (good for the owners), many of the controversies are of his own making.

[Morkle]

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell reportedly asked for a $49.5 million contract extension but Marc Ganis, president of Sportscorp and consultant to the league’s 32 team owners, told FOX Business’s “Varney & Co.” the lavish demands, which were reported by ESPN, are untrue.

“He didn’t ask for the contract—the term of art these days, fake news. One person puts out a story because they have an agenda—that’s what happened here. To quote one of the members of the committee: ‘that story is garbage,’” Ganis told Stuart Varney.

Goodell also reportedly requested the lifetime use of a private jet and health insurance for his family, but Ganis struck down those claims as well.

“The reality is where Roger’s contract would be is roughly the same amount of money that he is making now and with that being many specific performance clauses that would be voted on by many of the owners as each year comes up,” he said.

Despite NFL protests, which have resulted in a ratings slide, team owners will look to Goodell to play a key role in leading the league through the next collective bargaining agreement and broadcast contract cycle.

[Troy Loney]

I imagine there's eventually going to be a domino effect of ESPN tanking. The NFL lives and dies on their TV deals. If Football stops being profitable to networks, then those deals go down. I'm not sure how their product will play out in a web based arena, but I think other sports are expanding their web offerings, I'm not sure if the NFL has the same options.

[Morkle]

I think if the NFL doesn't seriously grasp streaming in the next few years or the next TV deal, they're going to continue to slide.

[columbia]

I wouldn't actively pay to watch an NFL stream, if that is what is being proposed.

[Troy Loney]

I wouldn't actively pay to watch an NFL stream, if that is what is being proposed.

I imagine it would be an app like MLB TV so out of market viewers can watch their game of choice. It would obviously sink Sunday ticket, but I imagine that is already of life support.

[Morkle]

I wouldn't actively pay to watch an NFL stream, if that is what is being proposed.

I imagine it would be an app like MLB TV so out of market viewers can watch their game of choice. It would obviously sink Sunday ticket, but I imagine that is already of life support.

Pretty much this. I've always just wondered if that's a negotiation right with the networks too - but even then, allowing streaming of games on those channels that you're a subscriber of would be ideal too.

[columbia]

I have direct TV streaming now, mainly so I can watch CFB. If that weren't an interest, I'd just VPN my away around NHL.TV blackouts and screw any general streaming service. I guess the NFL could find a niche with an app service. Many NFL fans would find something else to do with their time and the true believers would end up paying a lot more for access. As available, I watch the Steelers games with e sound down, but...yeah, would never pay an extra dime for that experience.

[Morkle]

I mean if I had a need to stream, I wouldn't pay anything ever. I've never had a problem being able to find any sporting event that wasn't hosted somewhere for free online. There is a large majority though of people that don't think that way, and would happily pay for a service which is what the NFL needs to open up.

[dodint]

For me to pay for a streaming NFL service it would need to include "DVR" controls that allow me to skip all of those beer and car commercials. If not I might as well watch it live on a pirated stream.

[shafnutz05]

Certain commissioners can genuinely be credited as visionaries who played vital roles in the expansion and growth of their leagues -- David Stern is an obvious one. Goodell is a caretaker commissioner at best, and his primary function is human pin cushion. He's shown no ability to navigate controversies effectively, and while he takes the blame instead of the owners (good for the owners), many of the controversies are of his own making.

Pete Rozelle--he is the one that made the NFL what it is today.

[willeyeam]

Teams that can actually win the super bowl:

NE
Steelers
Eagles
Saints
Panthers
Pushing it here but Rams/Seahawks

I posted in the game thread yesterday that the league just stinks and there are only a few teams that could win it all so wanted to write it down and see what it looked like. Just feel like there are teams with 2 or 3 losses like the Titans before yesterday that really suck at the end of the day (see Minnesota).

[Kaiser]

The seahawks wont make the playoffs.

[shmenguin]

If the steelers and pats are the only afc teams worth a hoot, then go ahead and shrink that list to just the pats. Because we still can't beat that team.

[tifosi77]

Tombrady and, more importantly, Bellichick have Tomlin's number. Brady's TD:INT in the past seven games v PIT is 22:0. That's kind of absurdly difficult to do against one team that has not been awful.

But Bell was a non-factor in the playoff game last year, and there was generally very bad juju. Now, they have very good JuJu. Brown, Bell, JuJu, Bryant... and the secondary is making plays again, giving up less than 200 yds a game. Maybe if given a mulligan they'll not replay the soft zone scheme again.

I don't know if they can beat them twice in five weeks, but if things keep going the way they are, hopefully the Pats will lose at least one more game (doubtful) so that second game is also played in Pittsburgh.

[NTP66]

If our offense starts clicking (or Ben just goes hurry up full time), I like our chances for a deep run.