Commissioner Goodell: NFL success due to “magic of game and passion of fans”

In a wide-ranging interview this morning on CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” Commissioner Roger Goodell noted that exciting on-field play has resulted in viewership numbers that top all other programs on television by a wide margin.

“It is the magic of the game.  It is the passion and the diversity of our fan base.  They love football.  Our game is so unpredictable.” Commissioner Goodell said when asked about NFL viewership doubling the average primetime show and NFL games ranking as 18 of the 20 most-watched shows on TV this fall.

“Our league is so competitive now,” the Commissioner continued. “Of the eight divisions last year, we would have six new division champions if things hold as they are today.  The competitiveness is what the fans want, the unpredictable nature of our game. You saw it last night (in the Jets-Broncos game).”

Last night’s game was decided on a touchdown with 58 seconds left and continued the trend of fantastic finishes.  Two-thirds of this season’s games (98 of 147) have had the opponents within seven points in the fourth quarter.

Following is a transcript of the Commissioner’s CNBC appearance:
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Commissioner Goodell: League Meeting Media Briefing

Commissioner Roger Goodell addressed media members this evening to close the  most recent league meeting, which was hosted in Houston, Texas.  A full transcript of Commissioner Goodell’s briefing is included below:

NFL COMMISSIONER ROGER GOODELL
LEAGUE MEETING MEDIA BRIEFING
HOUSTON, TEXAS

October 11, 2011

Opening remarks:

I think you’re aware of most of the things that we discussed today and voted on, including Super XLIX going to Arizona. We also voted on the extension and expansion of our international resolution and our ESPN deal was formally approved by the membership today. We also had a number of reports on a variety of topics, including collective bargaining and a number of business issues, including our gate initiatives. There is a continuing focus on our momentum coming out of the labor negotiations and how we continue to seize those opportunities and continue to grow the business.
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Statement by Roger Goodell on death of Al Davis

“Al Davis’s passion for football and his influence on the game were extraordinary.  He defined the Raiders and contributed to pro football at every level.  The respect he commanded was evident in the way that people listened carefully every time he spoke.  He is a true legend of the game whose impact and legacy will forever be part of the NFL.”

Decision to Suspend Terrelle Pryor for Five Games for Manipulation of NFL Eligibility Rules is Affirmed

Commissioner Roger Goodell notified Terrelle Pryor today that the decision to suspend the Oakland Raiders’ quarterback for the first five games of the regular season for improperly manipulating the NFL’s eligibility rules has been affirmed. Pryor may be activated by the Raiders following their game at Houston on October 9.

Commissioner Goodell approved Pryor’s application for entry into this year’s NFL Supplemental Draft, which took place on August 22.  He was selected in the third round of the supplemental draft by the Raiders, who forfeited their third-round selection in the 2012 Draft as a result. Pryor participated in the remainder of the Raiders’ training camp after his selection.

Following are excerpts from Commissioner Goodell’s decision on Pryor’s appeal:

• “Based on Mr. Pryor’s actions, I believe it is a fair conclusion that he intentionally took steps to ensure that he would be declared ineligible for further college play and would be able to enter the NFL via the Supplemental Draft. Taken as a whole, I found that this conduct was tantamount to a deliberate manipulation of our eligibility rules in a way that distorts the underlying principles and calls into question the integrity of those rules.”

• “Mr. Pryor – not Ohio State or the NCAA – made the judgment that he was ineligible for college play, and then took a series of affirmative steps that were intended to, and had the effect of, accomplishing that result. Moreover, Mr. Pryor did so in order to avoid the consequences of his conduct while in college – conduct to which he had admitted and for which he had accepted a suspension – and to hasten the day when he could pursue a potentially lucrative professional career in the NFL.”

• “This smacks of a calculated effort to manipulate our eligibility rules in a way that undermines the integrity of, and public confidence in, those rules.  Mr. Pryor made an affirmative decision to remain in college and play for Ohio State in 2011.  He later reconsidered and decided that he wanted to enter the NFL.  In order to do so, he needed to forfeit his remaining college eligibility and took steps to ensure that would happen.  Based on the specific facts presented here, I conclude that Mr. Pryor’s actions warranted imposition of conditions on his entry into the NFL, namely, that he serve the same five-game suspension that he had previously agreed to while at Ohio State.”

• “In my judgment, allowing players to secure their own ineligibility for college play in order to avoid previously determined disciplinary consequences for admitted conduct reflects poorly not on college football – which acted to discipline the transgressor – but on the NFL, by making it into a sanctuary where a player cannot only avoid the consequences of his conduct, but be paid for doing so.”

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NFL Encourages Fans to Join in Fight Against Breast Cancer

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell today emailed fans a letter encouraging them to support the NFL’s “A Crucial Catch” program against breast cancer. The letter is below.

To NFL Fans:

On behalf of the National Football League, please join us in supporting the NFL’s “A Crucial Catch” campaign in October for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This is the third season in which NFL teams, coaches, officials and players will wear pink in recognition of the fight against breast cancer.

Just about everyone knows someone who has been affected by breast cancer. That is why the NFL is proud to join thousands of others committed to fighting this terrible disease.

Throughout October, all NFL teams will celebrate survivors, visit patients at hospitals and turn their stadiums pink to show our enduring support. Alongside our partners at the American Cancer Society, we will emphasize the importance of prevention by encouraging all women over the age of 40 to get a yearly mammogram. We know that annual screenings can, and do, save lives.

Thanks to the passion of NFL fans, we have the collective strength as a league to connect with millions of people and make a positive difference. Please support the American Cancer Society’s programs to help people stay well, get well, and find a cure. We can fight back against a disease that has taken far too much from too many for too long.

There are several ways you can participate in “A Crucial Catch.” Visit nfl.com/pink for the resources and tools you can use to get involved.

An annual screening saves lives. Let’s spread the word

Commissioner Goodell: 10-year foundation to make game better is great for fans

Prior to the kickoff of Thursday night’s season opener in Green Bay, Commissioner Roger Goodell spoke with Alex Marvez of SiriusXM NFL Radio and discussed several topics, including his email to fans earlier that day.

“We are glad we are back,” Commissioner Goodell said about the point of his message to the fans. “We are glad that we have a great and exciting season ahead of us and that the fans can enjoy football.  That is what they want to do.  You know that better than anybody.  We are thrilled about the prospects of this season.  We want the fans to know how important they are.  We know that it has been a difficult offseason, but that is behind us now and great football is ahead.  We have 10 years of a great foundation to make the game better, and that is great for fans.”

The commissioner added that the NFL and its clubs would continue innovating to improve the game-day experience in stadiums, at home or wherever fans are.

“Whether you are watching in the stadiums where we are trying to improve the environment or watching at home where technology is making that experience even better – we are working to bring that technology into the stadiums,” he said. “However you want to interface with football, we want to encourage that and we want to make it a better experience.  That is what we are going to continue to do.”

Following is the complete SiriusXM Radio transcript:
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Commissioner Goodell: “We can teach kids the importance of healthy lifestyles”

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell today helped build a playground at Lincoln Elementary School in Green Bay with former players Larry Brown, John Randle, Andre Reed and Aeneas Williams as part of the community events leading up to tonight’s Kickoff game.

“It is a great opportunity to give back to the communities that make the NFL special,” Commissioner Goodell said later in a media briefing. “I know I grew up on a playground and how important it was to me.  To give these kids that same opportunity is a good thing.

“Physical fitness means so much to all of us in the NFL,” the Commissioner continued. “Our great players, they all grew up on playgrounds.  I grew up on a playground.  We all had some great experiences as kids.  It is part of a healthy lifestyle.  We can give back in that way.  We can teach kids the importance of healthy lifestyles and proper nutrition.  While you may not get to the NFL, it is the way to live a healthy lifestyle.”

Following is a transcript of the Commissioner’s media briefing in Green Bay:
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Commissioner emails fans: “Thank you for your support. Let’s get it started”

With the 2011 NFL season kicking off tonight in Green Bay, Commissioner Roger Goodell thanked fans for their support and pledged to continue to improve the game and league in all ways possible. Below is the email the Commissioner sent to fans:

To NFL Fans:

This may be the first week of the regular season, but it has the feel of a Super Bowl week for the NFL. One of the reasons is that we will unite with the rest of the nation on Sunday to reflect on the anniversary of 9/11 and honor the spirit of America.

All of us in the NFL appreciate your patience and understanding through what was a most unusual and challenging off-season. Now we are ready to enjoy what the NFL is all about — great players, great fans, intense competition, the performance and passion surrounding America’s most popular game.

Thanks to the hard work of our players, club owners, teams, and staff, the NFL’s pledge to deliver great football to our fans has been strengthened and is more secure than ever. We start the regular season and the race to Super Bowl XLVI with tremendous anticipation and momentum.

We want you most of all to sit back and enjoy it – in our stadiums, on television, and wherever else you connect with the NFL. Football fans enjoying football is what we love.

Be assured, however, that we believe in better. Players, owners, coaches, team and league staff – working together — will be putting our collective foot on the accelerator. We have more work to do to improve our league and game on a variety of fronts. We will do that by continuing to focus on the quality of the game and innovation. And we will do it relentlessly.

On behalf of everyone in the NFL, thank you for your incredible support, and thank you especially for sharing your views with us. Please keep it coming. We value your opinion because it helps make us better. The passion of our fans and communities is what makes the NFL so special.

Thank you again. Let’s get it started.

Roger Goodell

Commissioner Goodell: “We have to do everything we can to remove HGH from the game”

Commissioner Roger Goodell reiterated the importance of HGH testing in a wide-ranging interview this morning on the Mike and Mike Show on ESPN Radio.

“When you talk about player health and safety, clearly, removing HGH and all performance-enhancing drugs from our game or performance enhancing drugs has to be high on the list,” Commissioner Goodell said. “It sends the wrong message to other players not only in the NFL but down throughout the game of football and beyond football into other sports.  They are shooting themselves up with things that they don’t know where it came from; they don’t know what it is and we don’t know the health consequences of it long term.  We have to do everything we can to remove that from the game for player health and safety and second of all for the integrity of the game.

“We are going to continue to work to try to get this implemented,” Commissioner Goodell continued. “We have a commitment from both sides as part of the collective bargaining agreement to get this done.  I am disappointed it is not being done for the start of the regular season, but I am going to continue to work at it.”

Commissioner Goodell also said there is no disputing the validity of the test.

“There is a proper test,” he said.  “WADA is implementing it in the Olympics.  It is being used in Minor League Baseball.  It is being used in sports throughout the world, obviously cycling where it has gotten a lot of attention.  The test is developed to such a point where the technology is such that the window of detection has expanded to a point where it is more reasonable to detect the use of HGH.  As that technology evolves, we have to evolve and so does the policy.  It is appropriate and I think the Players Association agrees that it is appropriate to implement that.  I hope we can get that done quickly.”

Following is the complete interview transcript:
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Commissioner Goodell & DeMaurice Smith interview transcript

Following is a transcript of that interview:

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell & NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith interview with NFL Network’s Rich Eisen

August 5, 2011

Rich Eisen: Look what I have here: I have here a signed Collective Bargaining Agreement in my hands. And I have the head of the NFL Players’ Association DeMaurice Smith, good to see you. Commissioner, good to see you. How about us? All of us together with this signed agreement. The fans are all here in Canton, Ohio. What emotion do you have right now, De?”

DeMaurice Smith: “It’s a great day for our fans. Anytime you can be in a place like Canton and be surrounded by the men who made our game great, and to do it on a day where we’re celebrating the signing of a Collective Bargaining Agreement is special. For the players and for the NFL, it was a certainly a very long, sometimes arduous, process to say the least. But today I think that we can celebrate something that’s great for the fans and great for the game of football.”

Eisen: “How about you, Commissioner?”

Commissioner Roger Goodell: “Relief, because we know how much the game means to our fans. People want football, and football is back. We think the agreement that we reached is going to be great for the game, it’s going to be great for the fans and we are going to be able to grow the sport. I think this is a true partnership in trying to get that done.”
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