Roger Goodell’s reign over the NFL will be known as the era of safety. Numerous rules and regulations have been implemented to make the game safer for the players. From the heightened concussion awareness to the scaling back of the off season programs, they want player safety ingrained in the consciousness of today’s football player at all levels of competition. They want their product to remain safe for generations to come. This is an admirable stance from Goodell, but it’s really all bullshit. Because at the end of the day his #1 concern isn’t player safety, it’s making money.
And you know what, I have no problem with that. Professional football is a business, and it needs to make money. It’s Goodell’s job to make the NFL as profitable as he can. I just can’t stand his talking from both sides of an issue.
He’s spewing player safety from one side of his mouth and talking an 18 game schedule from the other. He’s disgusted at the violence of the bounty scandal, but then adds to the slate of Thursday Night games.
I nearly forgot about the NFL Network Thursday Night games until the 2012 schedule came out. As usual they’ll have the big season opening game on Thursday night, but now weeks 2-15 will each get a Thursday Night contest starting with the Bears visiting the Packers on September 13th.
Is that quick of a turnaround for the athletes really the safest thing for their bodies?
The veterans usually just start shaking off the Sunday soreness by midweek, but now a couple teams will have to play every Thursday. Where’s the concern for their well being? There may have been some thought put into the safety aspect of those games, but Thursday Night Prime time TV Coverage is a money maker for the NFL Network and that’s all that matters.
Roger Goodell has long been a proponent for an 18 game schedule, and why wouldn’t he? It’s another money maker for the league. The extra game will be more wear and tear on the players. But they’ll knock off a preseason game, you say… And I say so what. Many veterans don’t play but a handful of snaps in the 1st and 4th preseason games anyway, so all that will really do is take away a chance for some unheralded player to make an impression on pro scouts.
If player safety is his chief concern, then the Thursday nighters shouldn’t happen because the turnaround is too short. If he’s looking for another revenue stream for his network then add a few Saturday night games. The 18 game schedule isn’t favored by the NFL players, but take the schedule to 18 weeks with an additional bye for each team and I’ll bet he gains their support.
Until Goodell gains some consistency with his policies, it makes it hard to believe much of what he says.