What to Look For – 2012 Pro Bowl

For the complete release, click here

20 players selected to take part in first-ever “NFL Business of Music Boot Camp”

Program for current & former players runs Feb 27-March 1 in New York

Twenty current and former NFL players including seven-time Pro Bowl wide receiver and NFL Network analyst TORRY HOLT and two-time All-Star defensive backs ANTOINE BETHEA and AL HARRIS will take part in the first-ever NFL Business of Music Boot Camp at New York University’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music in New York, it was announced today.

The program, which runs from February 27-March 1, is being directed by NFL Player Engagement and the Clive Davis Institute in NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and offers professional training for creative entrepreneurs in the music industry.

Following are the current and former NFL players enrolled in the NFL Business of Music Boot Camp:

NFL clubs extend Commissioner Goodell’s contract to 2019

The NFL clubs have agreed to a new contract with Roger Goodell that extends his term as commissioner through the 2018 season, the NFL confirmed today.

The announcement was made by Atlanta Falcons Owner and Chairman Arthur M. Blank, who serves as chairman of the NFL Compensation Committee.  

NFL clubs unanimously approved a resolution at a December 14 league meeting in Dallas that said, “The commissioner has performed his duties in an exemplary fashion since his election in 2006 and the membership has determined that the interests of the NFL would be best served by a continuation of the commissioner’s employment beyond the terms of his current employment contract.” The resolution authorized the Compensation Committee to complete negotiations on a new contract, the third of Goodell’s tenure as commissioner. His original five-year contract was extended in 2009. The new contract continues until March 31, 2019.

Other members of the Compensation Committee are Tom Benson (New Orleans), Pat Bowlen (Denver), Robert Kraft (New England), Jerry Richardson (Carolina), and Steve Ross (Miami).

“I speak on behalf of 32 NFL club owners in saying we are fortunate to have Roger Goodell as our commissioner,” Blank said. “Since becoming commissioner in 2006, the NFL – already the leader in professional sports – has gotten even stronger.  As evidenced by this contract extension, we have great confidence in Roger’s vision and leadership of the NFL. Our clubs, players and fans could not ask for a better CEO.”

Goodell, 52, has focused his priorities on successfully growing the NFL’s popularity and leadership role by strengthening the game and all 32 NFL franchises through innovation.

The game on the field is more competitive and exciting than ever. As a result, fan interest in the NFL has soared under Goodell’s leadership, including the largest television audiences in league history, 23 of the 25 highest-rated programs of the current television season, enormous growth in online and social media engagement, and other measures of success and popularity. The NFL’s status as America’s most popular sports league has grown under Goodell.

“It is a privilege for me to serve the NFL,” Goodell said. “It is the only place I have ever wanted to work. I am grateful for the contributions and counsel of NFL owners in managing our league, the talented staff that supports us, and the players and coaches that perform their magic on the field. It is truly a team effort. I am eagerly looking ahead to the challenge of building on our momentum and doing all we can to improve our game for the fans and everyone that is part of our league.”  

In his first six seasons as commissioner, Goodell has addressed a wide range of issues to improve the NFL, including player health and safety; the medical needs and pensions of retired players; personal conduct; labor and revenue sharing; stadium construction; media innovation; and international development.

In 2011, his leadership helped secure a landmark 10-year Collective Bargaining Agreement with the NFL Players Association, the longest in the history of professional sports. That was followed by long-term extensions of the NFL’s television contracts. The nine-year agreements with CBS, FOX, and NBC are the longest ever for NFL broadcast television contracts and continue the NFL’s tradition of being the only sports league that shows all of its regular-season and playoff games on free, over-the-air television.

In addition to nurturing the NFL to new heights of fan popularity, Goodell has led the way in creating new playing rules, policies, and programs to make the game better and safer. This includes $100 million committed to medical research during the 10-year term of the new CBA. Goodell’s leadership on health and safety has had a significant positive impact on all levels of football and other sports.

During his tenure, Commissioner Goodell also has strengthened the league’s anti-steroids policy, launched innovative media initiatives and a new series of international regular-season games, improved the NFL’s news media access policies to better serve fan interest, and revamped and enhanced the league’s programs to support and assist players and former players in their lives off the field.

Prior to taking command as commissioner in September of 2006, Goodell managed a wide array of football and business operations during a 24-year career in the NFL that started with an internship in the NFL office in 1982 under former Commissioner Pete Rozelle.

After spending the 1983 season as an intern with the New York Jets, Goodell returned to the league office in 1984 as an assistant in the public relations department. Under Rozelle’s successor, Paul Tagliabue, Goodell served in various senior executive roles and was appointed executive vice president and chief operating officer in 2001. As chief operating officer, Goodell was responsible for the league’s football operations and officiating departments in addition to supervising all league business functions.

Goodell is a native of Jamestown, New York. He spent his high school years in Bronxville, New York, where he captained the football, basketball, and baseball teams as a senior and was named athlete of the year at Bronxville High School. Goodell graduated magna cum laude from Washington & Jefferson College in Washington, Pennsylvania in 1981 with a degree in economics. 

# # #

NFL Stars Take Center Stage as 2012 Pro Bowl Kicks Off Super Bowl Week

The NFL’s best will be in the spotlight on Sunday, January 29 (7:00 PM ET, NBC) as the 2012 Pro Bowl kicks off Super Bowl Week.

The NFL All-Star Game will take place once again at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii and will be the signature event to start the week leading up to Super Bowl XLVI between the New England Patriots and New York Giants in Indianapolis (Sunday, February 5, NBC).

“Being selected to represent the NFC team in the Pro Bowl is a tremendous honor,” says New Orleans Saints tight end JIMMY GRAHAM. “I think any guy who gets named to the Pro Bowl realizes that it’s a heck of a compliment and I am grateful and humbled by it.”

For the third consecutive year, the Pro Bowl will be played the week before the Super Bowl. The 2011 Pro Bowl on FOX was watched by an average of 13.4 million viewers, the most for a Pro Bowl since 1997 (13.5 million viewers), making it the most-watched All-Star game of any sport since 2009.

For the complete release, click here

AFC & NFC Championship Game What to Look For — A Look Back

BRADY BUNCH OF RECORDS: New England quarterback TOM BRADY completed 22 of 36 passes (61.1 percent) for 239 yards in the Patriots’ 23-20 victory over the Baltimore Ravens.

 Brady has passed for 5,009 yards in his postseason career, the fourth-most in NFL playoff history after surpassing Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback JOHN ELWAY on Sunday.

 For the complete release, click here.

Most watched conference championship Sunday in 30 years

AVERAGE OF 53.7 MILLION VIEWERS WATCHED EACH GAME

 GIANTS-49ERS THIRD MOST-WATCHED CONF. CHAMPIONSHIP EVER

RECORD FIVE 2011 PLAYOFF GAMES TOP 35 MILLION VIEWERS

Football fans across America continue to tune in to NFL games, resulting in the most-watched conference championship Sunday in 30 years.  An average of 53.7 million viewers watched NFL games last weekend, the most for an NFL conference championship Sunday since January 1982 (game-by-game comparison below).

The New York Giants-San Francisco 49ers NFC Championship Game on FOX drew 57.6 million viewers to rank as the third most-watched conference championship game ever (chart below).

The Baltimore Ravens-New England Patriots AFC Championship Game on CBS drew 48.7 million viewers.  The conference championship games are television’s two most-watched shows since Super Bowl XLV.

In addition, a record five 2011 playoff games averaged at least 35 million viewers – up from four in 2010. Read more

Matt Birk, Philip Rivers & Charles Tillman Named Finalists for Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award

WINNER TO BE ANNOUNCED AT NFL HONORS BEFORE SUPER BOWL XLVI

 Three community-minded NFL players will be recognized during Super Bowl week as finalists for the WALTER PAYTON NFL MAN OF THE YEAR AWARD, it was announced today. MATT BIRK of the Baltimore Ravens, PHILIP RIVERS of the San Diego Chargers and CHARLES TILLMAN of the Chicago Bears are the top candidates for this year’s award, named for the legendary Bears running back who died in 1999.  

 The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award is the only league award that recognizes a player’s off-the-field community service as well as his playing excellence. 

The winner of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award will be announced in Indianapolis, the site of Super Bowl XLVI, during NFL Honors, a two-hour primetime awards special to air nationally on February 4 from    9-11 p.m. EST on NBC. 

For the complete release, click here.

St. Louis Rams to Host Regular-Season Game in United Kingdom in Each of Next Three Years

RAMS FACE NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS AT WEMBLEY STADIUM ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28

 In an unprecedented step that begins the next chapter of the NFL’s continued momentum of growing the international fan base, the St. Louis Rams have committed to becoming the first NFL team to play regular-season games abroad on an annual basis, the league announced today.

The Rams will play one regular-season home game in the U.K. in 2012, 2013 and 2014, beginning with a game against the New England Patriots on Sunday, October 28, 2012 at London’s historic Wembley Stadium.  The game will kick off at 1:00 p.m. ET (5:00 p.m. UK) and be televised live in the United States on CBS. 

 “The response to NFL games in the U.K. among our British fans has been exceptional,” said NFL Commissioner ROGER GOODELL.  “We are confident that having the Rams host one game in the U.K. in each of the next three seasons will allow us to better serve the growing popularity of our sport beyond the borders of the United States.”  Read more

65 Players Granted Special Eligibility for 2012 NFL Draft

The National Football League announced today the names of 65 players who have been granted special eligibility for the 2012 NFL Draft on April 26-28 in New York. 

Each of the 65 players has met the league’s three-year eligibility rule and each has submitted a written application in which he renounced his remaining college football eligibility.  The deadline for receiving applications was January 15. 

The NFL Draft will kick off in primetime for the third consecutive year.  The first round will be held on Thursday, April 26 at 8:00 PM ET.  The second and third rounds are set for Friday, April 27 at 7:00 PM ET.  Rounds four through seven will be held on Saturday, April 28 at noon ET.   Read more

What to Look For — AFC & NFC Championship Game

For the AFC Championship Game What to Look For release, click here.

For the NFC Championship Game What to Look For release, click here.