Goodell needs to get out of punishment business

As the commissioner of the greatest sports league on the planet, Goodell’s primary focus, every single day, is to keep the train on tracks. The NFL is one of the greatest brands on the planet. Goodell’s job is to keep that intact.
The league and its owners make money faster than the Denver mint can print it; Goodell doesn’t need to channel his energies on getting the league into the black. He certainly doesn’t need to overthink the marketing efforts of America’s most-popular game; if anything, the league is already “over-marketed.” And aside from the ever-growing issue of player safety, Goodell doesn’t need to tinker with the game itself, either. Fans already love what it is.
But there are days when it’s tough to decide if Goodell is preserving the greatness of the NFL or doing his damndest to tear it down. Yesterday was one such day.
The following scenario played out all across Denver yesterday: Broncos fan arrives at work. Rather than actually working (it was a Monday), Broncos fan eases into his workspace, turns on his computer and immediately surfs his way to his favorite sports news web site. Anxious to learn more about the recent suspension handed down to Broncos kicker Matt Prater, he scans for clues that help to make sense of it all. It’s a tough one to wrap his arms around because Prater’s violation is confusing, at best.
Broncos fan reads that Prater’s lawyer says his client was busted for drinking a few beers over the summer. A New York Times article he comes across claims that an NFL spokesperson “declined to confirm the suspension.” He learns that the Broncos aren’t commenting on the situation, either.
He finds some apologies and confessions from Prater himself – the standard, politically correct, written-by-a-public-relations-professional, regretful(ish) kind of statements – but still, he can’t make heads or tails of the suspension.
Frustrated, Broncos fan gives up his quest, determining only that Prater has – in some way, at some point in time – violated the NFL’s murky-as-mud substance abuse policy. He begrudgingly gets back to his actual job.
Later in the day, Broncos fan decides to rekindle his search for truth. He again scours the internet. Still, he can’t find much that’s “definitive” regarding Prater – only that his favorite kicker will be sitting out four games.
He does find a statement from Goodell, though. It’s not about Prater, but somehow his search has led him to this: “I would say the one person that has been very responsive and gone through the program is Richie Incognito. We are working with his people and monitoring his progress and it’s gone well.”
Broncos fan learns that Incognito, who was suspended indefinitely last season after a bizarre bullying incident with the Dolphins, may soon be returning to the NFL. Goodell seems supportive for some reason.
By now, Broncos fan can’t help but look at blog sites and fan interaction. He finds that he’s not the only one trying to figure out what’s going on with Prater. He learns, or thinks he learns, that in the NFL, it’s better to be involved in a domestic violence incident than drinking a few beers; that it’s better to intentionally try to hurt another player than consume alcohol in one’s own home; that some drugs, including a few legal ones, are less “bad” than others.
Discouraged, Broncos fan returns to real work.
Sound, or feel, familiar? Can you clearly determine what in the hell happened to Matt Prater? Nobody in Denver will stand up and shout that Prater is an angel, but this seems out of whack.
Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t. Maybe Prater has been flirting with disaster all along – it’s just that nobody knew about it. According to most sources, a penalty of this severity generally follows someone’s third violation of the league’s substance abuse policy. The problem, or at least it would seem, is that most violations are kept under wraps, all part of the confidentiality clauses written into the fine print of the NFL’s lengthy rules that outline the substance abuse or personal conduct policy.
Chances are, Goodell is simply administering punishment based on how the rules have been written and agreed upon by the NFL Players Association.
Ray Rice’s domestic violence incident certainly looked worse than whatever it was that Prater did. Rice’s actions were on full display, and they looked ugly. Fans don’t take into consideration that this particular incident was Rice’s first, or that Prater, allegedly, has had multiple infractions. This is not to say beating one’s girlfriend is “better” than drinking one too many beers – it’s most definitely not – but chances are, and in an odd defense of the commissioner, Goodell is likely following some kind of predetermined protocol.
But the problem is that perception is different from reality; and the real problem is that Goodell is in the perception business. How his league or his jurisdiction is perceived is everything; and right now, people are being turned off by the NFL.
Prater’s lawyer, Harvey Steinberg, planted a seed yesterday that dumped fuel on the fire.
“I wonder if we shouldn’t take a second look at the policy when only a couple beers were consumed at home while he was on vacation,” Steinberg subtly jabbed in a Denver Post article.
Adding to the perception that the league cares more about “a couple of beers” than domestic violence, Steinberg reinforced what every fan is thinking – right or wrong.

Buffalo Bills don't need new stadium to make money, succeed in NFL

The Buffalo Bills' ownership situation aside, one of the hot topics in Western New York is whether the team will need a new stadium at some point in the not-so distant future.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell believes the team will need a new venue to replace Ralph Wilson Stadium. Goodell sees the $130 million renovations to The Ralph as more of a short-term fix. In order to stay in the Buffalo area, Goodell believes the team will need a new stadium.

But is a new stadium necessary? If some of the stadiums around the NFL are any indication, it's not.

Soldier Field, home of the Chicago Bears, underwent renovations in the mid-2000s and is still a great venue for football, even though the stadium has been open for 90 years.

Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium is another great stadium. Renovations to the stadium were completed a few years ago.

Lambeau Field in Green Bay was also renovated in the mid-2000s and is one of the great venues for football. Sure, it won't host a Super Bowl. But it's one of the most historic stadiums in the NFL.

This is where Goodell is wrong. The Bills don't need a new stadium to guarantee the team's long-term viability in the league. The Bills need good ownership and, let's be honest, a winning team. The Bills have been a losing team for 15 years. The lack of on-field success hurts any team. It's one of the biggest challenges facing the Bills today.

The renovations at Ralph Wilson Stadium should help. The team should also consider a naming rights deal for the stadium. That could be a nice source of revenue for the team.

More renovations may be needed down the road. But the fact of the matter is that Buffalo doesn't need a Super Bowl-caliber stadium. Most NFL cities don't have such a stadium.

A total of 14 current stadiums have either hosted a Super Bowl or will host a Super Bowl in the next few years. That leaves 18 stadiums, including the aforementioned Arrowhead Stadium, Lambeau Field and Soldier Field, that haven't hosted a Super Bowl and probably won't host one.

Yes, the Bills should upgrade their stadium and make significant renovations to improve the fan experience. But building a new stadium isn't necessary.

If a new owner comes in and decides a new stadium is needed and wants to invest at least some of their money into a new home for the Bills, that's their decision. But the NFL suggesting that the Bills need a new stadium to remain viable is wrong.

Kelly's former players feel at home with the Eagles

Home? Kaddu is an undrafted rookie who dresses in one of those temporary stalls on wheels set up in the middle of the room. He went to high school in Vacaville, Calif., which resembles South Philly not in the least.
But Kaddu attended college at Oregon, the alma mater of no fewer than nine of the 75 remaining Eagles, as they prepare for their preseason finale tomorrow night against the Jets.
"We get jokes from the guys here and there, but nothing too serious," said wide receiver Will Murphy, who walked on at Oregon and says he never had a one-on-one conversation with Chip Kelly - until the coach called Murphy with an NFL invitation, Kelly having moved from the Ducks to the Eagles last year.

Single Digits, Eagles Training Camp Edition

♦ Nick Foles threw his only two interceptions last season in back-to-back games. In between (covering a little over five quarters), he was 24-for-39 (61.5%) for 356 yards and one touchdown.
♦ No fewer than four non-QBs listed on the Eagles’ training camp roster played quarterback in high school: WR Josh Huff, T Lane Johnson, LB Marcus Smith II and DB Jaylen Watkins.
♦ Guard Evan Mathis has been on the field for 120 of the Eagles’ last 121 offensive touchdowns.

♦ The Eagles and Panthers (each 7-1) had the best records in the NFL over their final eight games of 2013.
♦ LeSean McCoy’s 217 rushing yards against the Lions last season was a single-game franchise record. Just his 148 rushing yards in the fourth quarter of that game would have tied for the 26th best “game” in team history.
♦ Nick Foles had more rushing yards than the opposing quarterback in 7 of his 10 regular season starts in 2013.
♦ Of the 90 players that attended Andy Reid’s final training camp in 2012, only 25 were around for Chiop Kelly’s second training camp in 2014.
♦ Michael Vick started 40 games at quarterback in his Eagles’ career. The Birds were 20-20 in those games.
♦ Most points in the NFL over the final eight regular season games of 2013: Eagles 266, Patriots 265, Broncos 263.
♦ Only two franchises have gone longer than the Eagles (1960) since their last NFL title: Cardinals (1947) and Lions (1957). (Note: The Vikings won 1969 NFL title before losing in Super Bowl IV, the last one before the merger.)
♦ The 53 plays the Eagles ran in the first half of their first game of the Chip Kelly era was the most they would run in any half all season.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/boopstats/Single-Digits-Eagles-Training-Camp-Edition0827.html#wBWD2ooMg1lyGDGc.99

Preseason finale important for those building a resume

THEY HAVE MOVED past tomorrow night's game already. At least some of them have. Amid a world that is unwavering in its devotion to the immediate task at hand, a team's final exhibition game is the NFL equivalent of a Sadie Hawkins dance, a night in which protocol gives way to practicality.
The Eagles have 75 players on their active roster. At 4:01 Saturday afternoon, they will have 53. Of that total, at least half already have begun to work on the game plan for the Sept. 7 opener against Jacksonville here, which means they will roam the sideline tomorrow night with the intensity of casual fans who were gifted their tickets.
For the rest, though, tomorrow is intensity personified, one last chance to secure a spot on the roster, to convince the coaches of their aptitude or versatility, to add some film that can be used to find work elsewhere.
"That's key," linebacker Emmanuel Acho said after practice yesterday. "You've got to get quality film. Your tape is your resumé. Your tape is who you are. It could be a numbers game why you don't catch on in Philly. But if you have good tape out there, maybe somebody else will find you."

No contract talks during season

The Dallas Cowboys were giving their star receiver the fancy timepiece as a reward for being among just four players chosen to attend a news conference announcing a partnership with the Swiss manufacturer Hublot.

Bryant beamed during Monday night’s ritzy event at the $1.2 billion home of the Cowboys, and then offered one more illustration of his transformation.

While reiterating that he wants to be paid like a big-time receiver, he wants negotiations to stop before the Sept. 7 opener against San Francisco with or without deal.

Why? Because a player who was the king of distractions four years ago doesn’t want to be “distracted” once the regular season starts.

“I don’t want to talk about it anymore,” Bryant said. “Put it behind me. I love this game. Either way, I feel like I can’t be distracted once I’m on the football field.”

The fifth-year receiver out of Oklahoma State is entering the final year of his rookie contract after Tyron Smith, drafted a year later and one of the teammates joining him for the watch presentation, recently got an eight-year extension that pushed the value of his deal past $100 million.

Bryant has a base salary of $1.8 million in 2014, and the average of the highest-paid receivers is around $12 million per year. The 25-year-old believes he belongs in that company.

“I believe a player should get paid what he deserves,” said Bryant, who is tied for the league lead with 25 touchdowns over the past two seasons. “If I’m top five, I’m top five. If I’m top three, I’m top three. If I’m top two, I’m top two.”

Owner Jerry Jones, not one to offer many details on negotiations, didn’t reject Bryant’s suggestion that there was a “big chance” a deal could be done by the end of next week. Bryant’s agent, Eugene Parker, didn’t return a call seeking comment.

“He’s got a good sense of it,” Jones said at Monday’s event, which was also attended by tight end Jason Witten and running back DeMarco Murray. “He obviously feels in the right circumstances he wants to get something done. We do, too.”

Bryant’s tumultuous first two years with the Cowboys included jewelry lawsuits that were settled, a baggy pants incident at an upscale Dallas mall and a domestic disturbance charge over an incident with his mother. He’s also created stirs with a variety of sideline antics.

While the sideline shows are more recent, the brushes with the law are now at least 2 years old.

Bengals fail to breach top-50 selling NFL jerseys

Bengals fans just don't care about stinking jersey sales; they just want championships. None of the top-50 jersey sales belong to Bengals players, including one of the more popular receivers in the game.

The Cincinnati Bengals just aren't a popular team.

At least that's what you infer after the NFL Players Association released the top jersey sales in the first quarter this year (March 1-May 31). Of the top 50 jersey sales in the first quarter, none are from Cincinnati. Not A.J. Green, not Andy Dalton, Leon Hall, Geno Atkins or Orson "freaking" Charles!

Maybe that's a poor deduction of popularity. None of the top-50 include Steelers or Ravens players, but two Browns: Quarterback Johnny Manziel and tight end Jordan Cameron. Rookies make sense during that stretch -- after all, they are brand new.. but Cameron?

Michael Sam’s jersey in top 10 of NFL sales

The St. Louis Rams uniform jersey of defensive end Michael Sam, the first openly gay player drafted in the NFL, has cracked the top 10 in NFL jersey sales.

Sam’s No. 96 placed sixth in NFL jersey sales since April, ahead of QB legends Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers.

Sales of Sam’s jersey were likely fueled by supporters of the gay and lesbian community.

Johnny Manziel’s No. 2 Cleveland Browns jersey was the NFL’s best selling shirt during the first quarter of the league’s fiscal year.

Super Bowl-winning Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson came in second in jersey sales, followed by San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning and Seahawks cornerback Ruchard Sherman, ESPN reported.

Aside from Sam and Manziel, other rookies with best-selling jerseys included Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (No. 13), Houston Texans defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (No. 16) and Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles (No. 18).

While supporters propelled Sam’s jersey onto the top 10 list, he’s not without his NFL detractors.

Former Buccaneers and Colts head coach Tony Dungy said he wouldn’t have drafted the former University of Missouri star.

Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/jul/21/michael-sams-jersey-in-top-10-of-nfl-sales/#ixzz39TLp2pnT
Follow us: @washtimes on Twitter

Johnny Manziel top 2014 NFL jersey-seller, Michael Sam sixth

The Browns didn't just draft a quarterback. They drafted a freaking marketing machine: Johnny Manziel's No. 2 Browns jersey is the NFL Shop's top-selling jersey through the first portion of 2014's fiscal year.

Darren Rovell of ESPN reports the league will announce Manziel as the top-selling jersey on Monday, with the Browns quarterback beating out Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson for the top-selling spot.

The Super Bowl champion Seahawks did dominate the list though: Wilson (2nd), Richard Sherman (5th), Marshawn Lynch (11th) and Earl Thomas (12th) check in, as did the "12th Man" jersey many Seattle fans wear (10th!).

Other notable NFC West names include Colin Kaepernick (3rd) and Rams rookie Michael Sam (6th), the first openly-gay player in NFL history. (It's doubtful Tony Dungy purchased a jersey.)

Several rookies will also crack the top 25: Teddy Bridgewater (13th), Jadeveon Clowney (16th) and Blake Bortles (18th).

The biggest surprise of all, though? The Browns are the THIRD best-selling team. In the NFL. Out of all the teams!

Johnny Football is business. And business is good.