HBO Sports, NFL Films and the Miami Dolphins team up for an all-access look at what it takes to make it in the National Football League when HARD KNOCKS:  TRAINING CAMP WITH THE MIAMI DOLPHINS debuts in August.  The first sports-based reality series – and one of the fastest-turnaround reality series – kicks off its five-episode seventh season, presented in HD, TUESDAY, AUG. 7 (10:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO.  Other hour-long episodes debut subsequent Tuesdays at the same time, with an encore play every Wednesday in August at 11:00 p.m., culminating in the Sept. 4 season finale.

“We are delighted that HARD KNOCKS will be returning this summer and placing the spotlight on the Miami Dolphins, a venerable franchise that had an exciting off-season activity,” says Ken Hershman, president, HBO Sports. “This marks the first time that the series has featured a first-year head coach (Joe Philbin) and we are extremely grateful to both Coach Philbin and the entire organization for agreeing to participate. As always, there will be plenty on the line for veterans, free agents and rookies.” 

“On the 40^th anniversary of the greatest season in NFL history–Don Shula’s perfect ’72 Dolphins– it is perfectly fitting that Hard Knocks is heading to Miami to capture the start of a new era for one of the league’s proudest teams,” says NFL Films president Steve Sabol. “After Hard Knocks’ hiatus last summer, I know our team at NFL Films can’t wait to get back on the field.”

The cinema verité series will focus on the daily lives and routines of players and coaches as the intriguing Miami Dolphins, who compete in the ultra-competitive AFC East, prepare for the 2012 NFL season.  HARD KNOCKS:  TRAINING CAMP WITH THE MIAMI DOLPHINS will chronicle first year head coach Joe Philbin and an intriguing mix of high-profile veterans, free agents and rookie hopefuls throughout training camp and the preseason.  Each week, players will experience drills, meetings and fun, while struggling to prove they have what it takes to make the team and make their mark in the NFL.

“We are excited that the premier company in sports filmmaking history, NFL FILMS, and HBO Sports have chosen the Miami Dolphins to appear on their award-winning series Hard Knocks,” said Joe Philbin, head coach of the Miami Dolphins.   “We are looking forward to connecting with our many fans across the country as the program chronicles our 2012 training camp.  The series will highlight the outstanding men who comprise our team and represent our organization admirably, both on and off the field, as they compete for a coveted position on our roster.

“The Miami Dolphins have long been synonymous with success on the filed as evidenced by our five Super Bowl appearances and the only perfect season in NFL history,” added Philbin.  “That heritage serves as a constant reminder to our players and staff of the great legacy that has been left for us to uphold.  Our team embraces that rich past and looks confidently to the future as we begin this journey back to the top of the NFL.

“All the decisions that have been made this off-season have had one guiding principle — will it help our players and organization reach its full potential?  This one is no different.  We are convinced that our affiliation with NFL FILMS and HBO will allow football fans everywhere an opportunity to comprehend the significant sacrifices and demands that our players endure each day along their journey in training camp as a Miami Dolphin.  We eagerly await the opening of training camp on July 26 and the 2012 NFL regular season that lies ahead of us.”

A 24-person NFL Films crew will live at the Dolphins’ training camp in South Florida, shooting more than 1,000 hours of video over the course of the series.  Camera and sound crews will be given unencumbered access to the players’ and coaches’ meeting rooms, training rooms, dormitories and practice fields.

This summer’s edition of Hard Knocks marks the first time the series will premiere on Tuesday nights in prime time; previously the series debuted on Wednesdays.

HARD KNOCKS launched with the Baltimore Ravens in 2001, followed by the Dallas Cowboys in 2002.  The series resumed in 2007 with the Kansas City Chiefs, winning a Sports Emmy^®.  In 2008, the series returned to the Dallas Cowboys, receiving a second Sports Emmy^® for production excellence.  In 2009 HARD KNOCKS spotlighted the Cincinnati Bengals franchise and the show captured two more Sports Emmy^® Awards for “Outstanding Edited Series/Anthology” and “Outstanding post-produced Sound/Audio.”  The most recent season of HARD KNOCKS in 2010 featured the New York Jets and the series captured three Sports Emmys^®, including the trophy for “Outstanding Edited Series/Anthology.”

Rolling Stone noted that Hard Knocks is, “A smash hit series” while Time Magazine called the program, “riveting.” 

The New York Post wrote, “Hard Knocks is a hell of a show and it becomes must-see TV for football fans.” 

Sports Illustrated.com said Hard Knocks is the “most entertaining reality show on TV.”

The New York Times concluded, “It is a rare glimpse into the psyche of a team,” while The Wall St. Journal notes the show is “captivating television.”

Sunday Night Football averaged 21.5 million viewers for the full SNF season and 20.9 million viewers for its games during the official TV season which ran from Sept. 19, 2011 through May 23, 2012. American Idol ranked second.  Sunday Night Football was also the top-ranked primetime program for the television season in household rating, and all key adult and male demographics. 

Additional TV highlights from the 2011 NFL season:

• Super Bowl XLVI on NBC was the most-watched program in U.S. television history.
• The AFC and NFC Championship Games accounted for the most-watched Championship Sunday in 30 years.
• Divisional Playoff weekend was the most watched ever, with Giants-Packers on FOX ranking as the most-watched Divisional Playoff game in history.
• The Steelers-Broncos playoff game on CBS was the most-watched Wild Card game ever. 
• FOX posted its most-watched NFL season ever.
• CBS posted its second-most watched NFL season since acquiring the AFC package.
• ESPN’s Monday Night Football was the most-watched series on cable for the sixth consecutive year.
• NFL Network’s Thursday Night Football posted its most-watched season ever.

# # #

ATLANTA, GA 

May 22, 2012 

We had a very productive day.  We talked a lot about and took a lot of action towards our continuing commitment to the game. We spent most of the morning on player health and safety and player engagement. We had a report from our medical committee and medical advisors, and Dr. Satcher was here. Troy Vincent took the lead on player engagement. He talked a lot about the programs we have in place to help our active players and also our retired players with the transition out of the game of football.  We spent a fair amount of time this morning on the Competition Committee and some rules we had to follow up on from March and some issues that still needed to be addressed that were tabled at the March meetings. The rest of the morning and the afternoon focused primarily on fan initiatives — what we can do to continue to grow the game and make the game better for our fans. A lot of that was stadium related. We updated our membership on stadium developments including two new waivers with respect to projects in Green Bay and Pittsburgh  and also had updates on San Francisco and Minnesota. Then we spent some time on Wi-Fi. We believe that it’s important for us to bring technology into the stadiums. We have made the point repeatedly that the experience at home is outstanding and we have to compete with that in some fashion by making sure we create the same kind of environment in our stadiums and use the same kind of technology. We also talked about the expansion of the game internationally.  There was a discussion about the Buffalo-Toronto series and how that will continue for the future and will be bigger and better than it was in the past, and also our International Series, particularly in London. 

On Pro Bowl and New Orleans:

We did have a lengthy discussion about the Pro Bowl, not specifically about a site. The discussion was about the quality of the Pro Bowl, including the commitments we have with our network partners; where we could play the game and about all of our discussions with the Players Association, how to make the game better.  We’ve had numerous discussions over several months about what we can do to make the game more competitive. I’ve said it repeatedly, particularly since the last game that we have to improve the quality of that game. If we can’t improve it and can’t make it more competitive, then we shouldn’t play. 

Is the Pro Bowl going to exist for next year? 

We had a full discussion about that. I would like to have another discussion with De[Maurice Smith] and the players to give them the feedback we got today on what aspects of the game we should address.  But I hope to be making a decision pretty quickly after that conversation with De. 

On changes to Atlanta stadium plan: 

We didn’t get an update on that today because no action was required. I’ve had some informal conversations with both Arthur [Blank] and Rich [McKay]. I think it’s like any of our stadium projects.  There’s a process of working through that, finding a solution that works in the community that will also work for the club, of course. I think those discussions seem to be going along in a way where there’s good give and take. 

If Atlanta builds a retractable roof, will it get a Super Bowl?

This is an issue that is always raised and this came up in Minnesota, where they’re building a closed roof stadium it appears, and they have the same interests. The reality of what is happening is it’s becoming more and more competitive to host the Super Bowl.  But these stadiums are our stage and they are one of the key components in hosting a Super Bowl along with having the infrastructure. Certainly if it gets done, we will encourage them to apply. 

On the league participating in the Atlanta stadium through the G4 fund:

We’re a little early in that, but, of course, from what we’ve seen so far we would expect so. That’s why we created the G-4 program, so we can participate. 

On response to union saying passing of thigh pads and knee pads should have been collectively bargained: 

We have raised mandatory pads for at least three years now. We have discussed it with the union as recently as this Spring.  And it’s a decision that we are not implementing for this season in part because we want to work with the players, we want to work with the Players Association. We believe the technology has improved, and, in fact, the pads are far better than they were even a decade ago. They’re more protective. They allow better performance. We also think it’s important. Every other level of football requires these pads and the NFL doesn’t. We think that’s part of sending the right signal to other levels of football. 

If there is a Pro Bowl after this coming season, would New Orleans be the likely site? 

I wouldn’t say that. I would say New Orleans and Honolulu are the two sites. 

On if Jonathan Vilma suit was discussed: 

I don’t think it was discussed. I think they reported that it existed. I don’t think there was any discussion. 

Any comment on the Vilma suit?

No. 

On negotiating with the union: 

The reality is that is part of operating in a pretty complex world. You have to be open about the initiatives you want to undertake. You don’t expect all parties to agree at any point in time, but you have to drive toward solutions. At some point, you have to make some decisions about what is best for the game. Pads are a great example of it. Three years of discussion. The technology has advanced. In fact, the CEO of Nike recently told me when they introduced the new uniforms that NBA players were wearing more pads from the hips down than NFL players. There is something wrong with that. We need to put that protection in. You can discuss all you want; but at some point, you have to reach a conclusion.

On when the CEO of Nike told him about NBA players wearing more leg pads: 

Recently.

On the complex nature of negotiating with the union extending to other issues, not just additional padding: 

Yes. You don’t expect to agree on everything. That is part of the dialogue and part of finding solutions. We have had to do that over the last year as well. The reality is you have to put issues on the table and you have to drive toward solutions that are good for the game, good for the players, good for our fans, good for the growth and are going to maintain the integrity of the game. 

On how he would describe the working relationship right now with the NFLPA:

I don’t characterize things very often. We continue to address the issues. We don’t always agree; but we seek resolutions on those. Sometimes we will reach a consensus, and sometimes we won’t. If that is the outcome, that is the outcome. 

On WiFi fan initiative: 

The initiative is to get WiFi in all of our stadiums both for mobile devices including telephony. We want to make sure fans when they come into our stadiums don’t have to shut down – they can bring their devices. We want them to have access to the same amount of information, have access to our RedZone channel, have access to highlights, and be able to engage in social media including Fantasy Football. When you come to our stadiums, we want to make it a great experience. That is what it is about. 

On how much that would cost and how expansive that would be: 

That is the trick. We want to put it in all 31 stadiums. We want to make sure the same service is provided and the same technology is there for the fans. The costs vary from the different proposals we have. It is part of the reason we are looking for new technology partners that can help us address what I consider pretty complex problems. 

On if it is realistic to expect it to be in for 2012: 

No. It is possible we could get a stadium or two stadiums in, but it is a pretty big undertaking. 

On if he would want them all to launch at the same time: 

Not necessarily. We have talked about a pilot. We have talked about New Orleans – we are in New Orleans this year having the Super Bowl there. That might be a good start. But there are several teams that are very aggressive in this area that have some very good technology available in their stadiums. We are learning from that, and our fans are engaging with it, which is the best news for us. 

On if he has looked at the allegedly constituted USFL and if the NFL has discussed a developmental league: 

We have talked a great deal about the idea of a developmental league. We actually think that there could be a role for that. Particularly with the changes in the Collective Bargaining Agreement, the limited amount of time the younger players have to either be evaluated or develop their own skills – should we have some sort of developmental league? It is something we will continue to pursue. If we do it, my personal view is it should be defined what the actual objective is. If it is a developmental league, let’s call it a developmental league; let’s design it as a developmental league. If it is going to be a commercial league that is trying to generate fan interest or generate revenue, we should also be clear of that objective. I think our general view right now is to make it a developmental league. 

On if there is any talk about releasing the proof of payment in Saints bounty scandal: 

We released the facts back in early March. We have met with the union a couple of times. The union specifically told the players not to cooperate in the investigation. We are in the midst of challenges on a variety of fronts with respect to the process of these appeals. So as that plays out and as that is concluded how that process will go forward, we will certainly engage and make sure we are fulfilling every aspect of that; including the appeals process itself. 

On if he would expect at some point the proof becomes public: 

Yes, I do. 

On how he would characterize player transition to post-football life in light of Junior Seau’s death:

This is an area that is not new. We have been focused on this area for several years. Troy [Vincent] has brought a tremendous focus and enthusiasm to this area. It is a challenge. Any transitions for individuals are difficult, much less transitioning out of the NFL into another career. It is something we want to help — provide the players with the tools, with the resources to be able to make the successful adjustment. For their families, because they are a big part of the adjustment, make sure they have the proper tools. We have several programs. We now want to work to try and improve those, provide greater services, and make sure players are using them. 

On players being individually responsible for their mental and physical wellness after retiring:

Ultimately, the responsibility is the individual’s, but that doesn’t mean the NFL shouldn’t be there as a part of it and to help and provide resources.  It is a difficult transition.  We want to be there to help our players.  We believe in them.  We believe in the fact that they have a long and healthy life ahead of them and we want to make sure that transition is as smooth as possible and they will be as productive as possible in life. 

On if Saints LB Jonathan Vilma or any other player has the legal ability to sue the NFL commissioner: 

You’ll have to talk to our attorneys.  That is not something I spend a lot of time on. 

On the response from some that the Saints are being targeted: 

We have been very clear about our priorities for player health and safety and that we are going to do everything we can to provide the safest and healthiest environment for our players.  That is something we are going to continue to do.  I don’t expect that everyone is going to agree all the time, particularly when it involves discipline.  That is not an objective that I set out for.  What I want to do is be fair and make sure we are doing everything we can to provide that kind of safe atmosphere.  

On ruling on the Saints players’ appeals: 

We have to finish the process, the initiated arbitration, grievances and a variety of other action.  As soon as it is concluded, we will proceed.  I don’t know when that happens. 

On if Vilma’s defamation suit delays the appellate process: 

I meant the union grievances and arbitration.

On the International Series in London and the Bills Toronto Series:

 In Buffalo, it is part of a series in trying to broaden their reach to make sure that they are a regional franchise.  They have been at it for two decades into the southern region, into the Rochester region and now north into southern Ontario. It is a great thing for the franchise.  It is a great thing for the fans.  More and more fans are coming down to Buffalo, and more and more fans are going up to Toronto.  It is a good thing for the franchise in stabilizing it and making sure that the franchise can be successful there. 

The London series has continued to be very, very well received.  Ticket sales are going extremely well from the reports I have, even in the light of the fact the Olympics are there.  In the meantime, we expect that we will be evaluating some time later this year expanding that series next year to more than one game.  We believe that market is going to continue to grow for us. 

On increasing competition and contact in the Pro Bowl: 

That is the issue.  We recognize it is an All-Star game, but we also believe the fans expect more from an NFL game.  That wasn’t a competitive game.  The players acknowledged that in all of our discussions going back this past year that it is not competitive, and they point to a variety of reasons.  The money is pretty significant.  The risk of injuries is something that is on their mind.  All of those things are legitimate, but they believe that they can improve the quality of the game.  That is something that we are exploring with them.  If we believe we can achieve it, we want to give them every opportunity to do it.  It is going to require a competitive game to be successful long-term. 

On his personal reaction when players or others criticize his decisions: 

I have been around this league for 30 years.  You are going to make decisions that are not going to be unanimous.  It just doesn’t happen, particularly in a game where there is a lot of emotion, a lot of passion and there are different sides.  Saints fans are on one side and there are 31 other teams.  What I have to do is what is in the best interest of the game long-term and recognize not everyone is necessarily going to agree with your decisions, but be thoughtful, be fair and try to reach a conclusion that I think is going to be in the best interest of the game long-term. 

On preparation for accepting criticism as commissioner:

It is called 24 years.  You watch Pete Rozelle and Paul Tagliabue.  You are part of their decision-making process.  You see how they go about it.  You watch other leagues.  You try to take in every perspective.  You are not always right so you have to listen to other perspectives.  The coaches have a perspective.  The fans have a perspective.  The players have a perspective.  Front office executives may.  You may not agree with all of it, but you listen to it, you hear it through and you make sure that you are thoughtful, you take your time, and you try to reach a conclusion that you think is best for the game.  You don’t worry about a popularity contest.  You can’t because you can’t make everybody happy on this. 

On the NFL’s evidence against Saints players and re-evaluating decisions following the players’ statements: 

Sure, you second guess yourself because that is what an appeals process is for.  You want to hear what the players have to say.  Some of them indicated they wanted to come in and talk before the decision was made.  I invited them in.  They decided not to do that, at the NFLPA’s recommendation, I think.  I understand that.  When we get to the appeals, we will be able to talk about it and we will be able to hear from one another. 

 On the league and owners being worried about the potential liability of the lawsuits and if the league would look to settle: 

The answer to the first part of the question is we obviously believe that any charges that we have not been responsible in this area are not factually correct, and we’re going to defend this.  We’re going to do our best to make sure people understand that health and safety is not new to the NFL.  We have taken the right steps.  We have been leaders in this area.  We have not waited for science.  We have made changes to our game.  We think we’ve done the right things over the last several decades and over our history, and that’s something we’re going to continue to do. 

# # #

The first thing we talked about was the report released by the National Institute on Occupational Safety and Health earlier this month on former players and their mortality rates and causes of death.  We went through the key findings in the report concerning not just overall mortality rates but heart disease, cancer and suicide and identified the one or two areas where they had higher rates, where they are going to be doing some additional studies and the interesting, provocative finding concerning a few players who had cardiomyopathy.  That is something that our cardiovascular health committee is talking about, as well.  We talked about some other information that had developed over the year on that subject, including when we rolled out a couple years ago the long-term care insurance program for retired players, where the owners provided this as a benefit to our retired population.  We had to do some analysis for the insurance companies in order to qualify for the coverage.  They had done some review not on as large a sample or not over as long a period of time but had found rather similar information.

The second thing we talked about was a review of some of the key medical items that our different committees are working on.  I touched on some of the work of our Head, Neck & Spine Committee, including the testing that they are doing on various helmets to try to identify ways of improving the functionality of helmets and getting better research there; material we have made available to the manufacturers at their request to assist in their efforts; and a nice little development which I thought the owners would be interested in: the chief medical officer of the U.S. Olympic Committee, Dr. (Cindy) Chang gave to all of the team physicians for the various US Olympic teams to take the CDC online course on concussions, which was a course we funded and helped develop and the CDC put their expertise to work on it.  That was rolled out about a year ago.  It has been taken by a great many coaches, trainers and doctors who are involved in youth programs, but the Olympic Committee thought it was of such quality that the first assignment – literally, that is how the e-mail reads – is to take the CDC course.  I thought the owners would be interested in that, as well.

We reviewed the work of our foot and ankle subcommittee and what the researchers at the University of Virginia are doing to address issues of turf toe, ankle sprain, certain kinds of fractures that players have had in the lower extremities; how we can better work with shoe manufacturers and turf manufactures to integrate that knowledge; and try to develop standards for turn and maintenance of turf and shoe manufacturers that will provide better protection for players.  

Finally, in a discussion that Troy Vincent was intimately involved in, we talked about ways of developing what I guess I would call an ‘intervention program’ to make sure we have more and more effective outreach for our retired player population.  We are getting advice from the best experts.  We met last week with people from the National Institute on Mental Health, the Veterans Administration, some private agencies that have been working with the government and with Dr. Satcher, who as surgeon general developed the first national strategy on mental health and the first national suicide prevention program.  We have brought together some of the best people in the area.  Even though the NIOSH study shows that rates of death for players from suicide are markedly below what you would expect, that is not good enough.  We want to develop programs with the leadership and expertise from Dr. Satcher and some of the other people we met with to help deal more effectively with transitions in life, the transition from being an active player, the stress that comes with that, the financial pressures that can come with that and see if we can’t come up with a program that will allow earlier, more active, more effective intervention.  Troy will talk more about that.

The other thing that we discussed was in the context of player benefits.  As I think everybody knows, part of the collective bargaining agreement was the creation of what we call the Legacy Fund, a fund that is about $620 million and is used to boost the pension benefits of the players who left the game before 1993.  Because of the way the documents were drafted, the benefit did not extend to widows who lost their husbands prior to the effective date of the collective bargaining agreement, which was last August.  Sylvia Mackey and some other widows called that issue to our attention.  We have had discussions with the union about it.  While those discussions have been inconclusive, the ownership decided it would go ahead on its own and provide the benefit to the widows and pay the same share for doing so that we are paying for the Legacy Fund.  The Legacy Fund is basically being split on a 51-49 basis.  We are going to do the same thing for survivors and will provide, retroactive to last August, survivor benefits for the widows and other survivors on that 51 percent basis.  We hope the union will come along and fund the balance of it, but at least they won’t be sitting around getting nothing and looking for this seemingly inconclusive dickering to go on and on.  The ownership were quite supportive of taking that step. 

The other thing we talked about was funding medical research.  As you know, there are provisions in the collective bargaining agreement for doing that.  Again, those provisions require agreement between the parties, which we haven’t been able to reach.  We are going to go ahead on our own with the National Institute of Health and take research projects from them and to them and fund them independently through NFL Charities outside of the collective bargaining agreement and not allow the absence of agreement between us and the Players Association to retard valuable research and keep it from getting started.  We are going to go ahead and get started with that.  We will be giving you more information as we develop the full relationship with the National Institute of Health.  We have had a number of meetings with them.  They are very enthusiastic about working with us.  They think that the work they have been talking with us about can upgrade benefits not just for football players and not just for athletes but for the general population as a whole because a lot of the issues that we are going to be talking with them about and that we have talked with them about are, as Dr. Satcher emphasized to the membership today, health issues that affect our society as a whole.  Mental illness, depression, orthopedic injuries, high blood pressure, diabetes and whatever it might be, those are issues that are not limited to NFL players.  They affect our society as a whole, and we can lead, we can support research in those areas.  We are excited to be working with people who we think are as probably as good as it gets in the people at the National Institute of Health. 

Vincent: I gave an update on where we were from a current player-former player programming standpoint.  Last year, we touched about 25 percent of our population with some of the services in our programs that we offer.  Each one of our programs actually consists of both having former and active players.  We updated ownership on how many players we were actually touching inside the active body as well as the former player population with our CTP programs, which are our career transitioning programs that we hold four times a year, once a quarter.  Those programs have typically been at Georgia Tech.  We had one at Rice, and our next one is scheduled for October at Stanford.  We are looking to expand those programs.  Those transitional programs, the audience is for players who are one-to-seven years transitioning out of the game.  There is a strong emphasis on psychological and mental wellness and the self identity.  We updated management on that.

We talked a little bit about benefits and security now that we have had some realignment internally with our benefits and security department in collaboration efforts to better serve the player and his surrounding influencers – his agent, parents and his significant other.  We have tried to really make sure all information is transparent and is going out to all audiences that actually touch the athlete in the event the athlete is not actually getting the information or doesn’t know where to go to get the information.

We spoke a little bit about transitional services and where we need to be in light of the conversation.  Since the passing of Junior Seau, it has been the topic of discussion: what are we doing in that particular area or what have we done?  I found it to be a tremendous loss of our football family but a wonderful opportunity to talk organically about what we are doing.  Some of these services that exist were around when I first came in(to the NFL) in 1992.  When we talk about player assistance, player assistance services, the ability to have one-on-one counseling or the ability to touch someone in a crisis situation, it has been there and been available.  We can do a better job of diving a little bit deeper and getting a little bit granular in how we are touching. 

Quite frankly, we are fighting the stigma of help and of assistance.  An area that will be of strong emphasis for us moving forward is how we touch the player and how do we dispel some of the myths that currently exist in the public about the macho image, whether it is concussions or head injuries.  We have been in lengthy discussions with those from the suicide prevention organizations in talking about language and how we can meet the player where he is. 

McKay: Competition Committee wise, you remember from the March meeting that we had a couple of proposals that we carried over.  One involved Bylaw Proposal No. 2, which was moving the trade deadline from Week 6 to Week 8 and Bylaw Proposal   6A, which involved injured reserve and the ability to designate one player on an injured reserve with the ability to practice after six weeks and come back after eight weeks.  Today, what we did is delegated the authority to the CEC (Management Council Executive Committee) to finalize or negotiate with the union for an implementation of those rules.  Those require union discussion and input.  The CEC will have control over both of those proposals on a go-forward basis. 

The one we did vote on was Playing Rule Proposal No. 8A.  It involves the intention in 2013 to have mandatory thigh and knee pads.  This has been a topic that we have discussed for a number of years with the union and internally.  There are probably some of us who are remiss that we ever took it from the rulebook when we took it out of the rulebook and made it more recommended as opposed to mandatory.  Obviously, high school makes it mandatory; college makes it mandatory.  In our mind, that is what should occur here.  It will in the 2013 season.  We have some input to get from the union before that, and we have some design work from some of the manufacturers on pads and improvements from the last time they were mandatory both in the thigh and knee areas.  That is really the extent of what we did today.  We didn’t vote on anything else. 

Pash: We just learned that Professor (Stephen) Burbank, the system arbitrator under the collective bargaining agreement, has rejected the challenge to the Salary Cap adjustments that was filed by the Washington Redskins and the Dallas Cowboys and granted our motion to dismiss that claim. That decision came out in the last 15-20 minutes – I have not had a chance to read it yet, but I am told it is a complete dismissal of the claims.

On if that is the final step in that process:

Pash: I have learned through bitter experience that it is generally a mistake to say it is over when it comes to legal challenges, but I would certainly assume that Professor Burbank has written his usual careful opinion and that it does resolve rather completely all of the issues. As I mentioned, I have not read the opinion yet, but the way he does things, he tends to close things off pretty well.

On if hip pads are indeed absent from the rule proposal:

McKay: Yes, hip pads are not in Rule Proposal 8A. We talked a lot about it, and found even though they are mandatory at the college level, a lot of players do not wear them. We felt like it was not necessary for us to put in this rule. So we did not.

On what happened with concussions and roster exemptions:

McKay: We wanted to stay focused on the IR rule first because that provides some roster flexibility. It can include a concussed player. We felt like we wanted to do one at a time. This year, our focus ended up being on this rule – this IR exception if you will. We will study that one further and bring it back. But for now, the focus was on the IR exception. We did not discuss today the concussion proposal. We had tabled that in March; so it remains tabled.

On why new equipment rule does not go into effect until 2013:

McKay: We want to give players an opportunity, and want to give the manufacturers and opportunity to make sure we have the best technology we can have and the most comfortable way to wear it – whether it is a girdle or inside the pant that you have. That will require some input from the players, also. So we think this gives us the best opportunity to implement it by giving us that bigger window.

On when that was taken out of the rule book originally:

McKay: I am guessing to say it was sometime in 1996 or 1997, somewhere in there. The reason was because we had gotten out of the business of enforcing it. It was a rule that was sitting on the books but yet was not being enforced. So it came out. We are going to put it back in.

On if the padding rule requires NFLPA approval:

McKay: It is a playing rule. The way we have always involved the union, and I believe the CBA speaks to this, means we sit down and we discuss it with them – which we have discussed this rule with them numerous times, but we would again next year before implementation – get their input, they are happy to give us a vote too, but we still have vote of the membership as far as playing rules can go, and can implement this in.

On expected impact of requiring pads:

McKay: Common sense tells you it has to be safer for purposes of the thigh injuries and potentially knee bruises. We see no downside whatsoever for doing it. We also looked back and said if they players have worn it in Pop Warner, high school and college; and we got comfortable with certain players out of the 1980s not wearing them and letting them go away – we felt like from a safety standpoint, it is time to put them back in. If we can help players remain safer and not have any effect on the game and just makes player safety better – we thought it was a rule we should implement.

Pash: I would add one other point to that, which goes to what Rich was saying about Pop Warner, high school and college. We want our game and our players to be setting the standard for safety. To have something which is a safety rule and intended to enhance safety in the game at every level but the NFL; that is an anomaly that does not make sense. Our players should be wearing the pads, setting the example, showing younger players and athletes at other levels of the game that this is the right thing to do. This is the way to play the game and to keep yourself protected. We want to encourage that by players, by coaches, and by other people involved in the game.

On if there is empirical evidence that the additional padding makes the game safer or if it is anecdotal:

McKay: I would have to say both. Common sense dictates to you that it is clearly safer. We think if you allow with this the many factors to have a better look, how the girdles could fit and how you could have more coverage, there are things they can do that can make it even safer. There had been studies – that have always been somewhat disputed by the union as to what the numbers really show on thigh contusions and knee contusions and whether the pads would necessarily affect that. We just look at it from a common sense-standpoint. There is no downside. They add some protection. To Jeff’s point, we have it our football system where everyone wears them prior to the NFL.

On if it is possible to quantify the percentage of injuries they would expect to decrease as a result:

McKay: No, I would not say I could quantify that. First, I would like to see where we get in the design of the pad and if you end up with different pads for different players, meaning position and size, and then hopefully you are going to move the needle. But in our mind, if you are moving the needle 10 percent, you have moved the needle. It is the right way to move the needle and there is no downside to it. So that is really how as a Committee we came to this position.

On how the rule will be enforced:

McKay: It is the same as the rule that is in the book now for equipment. If you ran out there without a helmet, we would tell you that you have to come off the field. It is a safety rule. You would do the same thing you do now. You have a pregame inspection. We have a uniform inspection, and that uniform inspection involves the equipment, meaning you make sure the player has shoulder pads, cleats, and a helmet. In this case, you are going to make sure that the thigh pads are in and the knee pads are in. If not, you will tell him at that point in time. If an official sees him [without the pads on the field] he will remove him.

On why players would not want to wear the pads:

Vincent: It’s psychological. You think that fewer pads mean you are faster and fewer pads mean you are skinnier. It is just the psychological way I was introduced to the game. Rich makes a good point; through Pop Warner, high school and college we always had pads. I wore a neck roll in high school because I thought it was safer. As I got through college, I took the neck roll off, but it was always pads. I was taught with Coach Alvarez at Wisconsin we could not practice without all of our equipment on. When you got to the NFL, it was just a different culture. So I think there will be a culture shift. There will be a changing of the mindset. But they will adapt.

On what pads he wore when playing in the NFL:

Vincent: I wore shoulder pads – quarterback shoulder pads. No knee pads; no thigh boards; no butt pads, no hip pads. It was cleats, a set of quarterback shoulder pads, and a helmet.

On if he suffered any injuries that could have been prevented with pads:

Vincent: The thigh bruises, yes, with the facemasks brushing across my thigh from time to time. I actually had three knee surgeries. Not sure if the pads would have helped that. But no pads, just pants and shoulder pads.

On his thoughts on the rule making the pads mandatory:
Vincent: It is good for the game. To Jeff’s point, we should be setting the example. My children today play youth and high school football. It is the way it should be done. You are properly equipped and dress the kids. That is the only way they know, and then when it has gotten to our level, it has changed. But it is something they were comfortable with and had adapted to early on in their lives. I think it will be a natural progression, especially with the changing of the culture coming in.

On if the IR proposal was brought on by any particular player:
McKay: The IR proposal has been talked about for four or five years, and it has always been talked about because of the pressures of the roster and the fact that if early in the season you have a star player injured and that pressure of needing that roster spot means putting him on IR. So it has always been talked about. What we have always been worried about is we don’t want to just create a 54th roster spot. So we have talked about it. We have never gotten to the point where we could agree on how it would operate. This was the first year, in the Competition Committee, we spent a day going through language and trying to come up with a way where we felt like we created a narrow enough exception where you were not just adding a roster spot, but you were actually dealing with that type of player. So I would say no, there is no player in the last two or three years that you could point to and say that is the reason. Art Rooney has been a guy that has pushed me on this issue for a number of years to talk about it. But there is no particular player that drove it.

On the proposed trade deadline:

 
McKay: The proposed trade deadline is something that we have talked about for a number of years. We just felt like this was the perfect year to do it because of the change in the CBA. With the CBA changing and acceleration not occurring on trades but being driven by the June 1 Rule, there is a technicality there. It used to be that if you traded a player, acceleration occurred under the salary cap. That limited trades dramatically during the season. You would always see articles discussing potential trades and then we would say ‘well what happened here.’ The salary cap was one of the reasons. That impediment has now been eliminated, because now the acceleration is driven by the June 1 Rule. So in our mind, there was an opportunity for more trades. There has always been a pushback by some of us that we do not want to move the trade deadline too late because we don’t want the deadline to affect competition on the field late in the year as can occur in other sports. We were definitely motivated by that. That is where we felt like Week 8 was a good week. Everybody is still in it. There is virtually nobody in Week 8 that in our league is eliminated. We felt like it was a fair proposal to the teams and potentially allowed more trades.

On how long it will take the CEC to approve:

McKay: I don’t know that. I leave that to them. We have plenty of time. There is no hurry here, because neither that proposal nor the IR proposal really has to be in place – I guess maybe you would say at the start of training camp; but you could actually say at the start of the season. Neither of which would be affected by preseason activates. I could not give you a time deadline.

On roster requirement:

McKay: We put a roster requirement only because we wanted to make sure that you carried that player forward so you did not have 54 but you had 53. That was the purpose.

On difficulty for players to find help after retirement:

Vincent: The assistance and the resources have always been there.  It’s getting the player to actually utilize them and that’s been the greater discussion of how do we begin to engage them a little sooner.  Last week in our meeting, the young lady from the Veterans’ Association mentioned in military terms that they’re using the term ‘the new normal’.  I think it is something where we’re at from our transitioning our former players, ‘what is the new normal and accepting the new normal?’  What happens is you’re three, four, five years removed from the game and the acceptance of you no longer playing has still not taken place.  We’ll continue and that’s why we have a strong emphasis on the agents; working with the union; working with parents; working with all of the influencers around the athlete to get them the information on if you’re seeing signs of ‘X’, ‘Y’ and ‘Z’.  These resources are available to you, your parents so that someone can contact us or the club to get the player the proper assistance. 

On Junior Seau’s death influencing these ideas or if they were already in the works:

Vincent: I think it allowed us to talk about it broader and become a partner in a broader subject that not only plagues our nation, but the NFL player is not exempt from those things in a normal society.  I think his death – though it gives us a wonderful opportunity, a great platform to talk about what we do and the services that are provided – but it also allowed us as a league to become a partner in broader messaging on things that actually plague our society – suicide prevention, health wellness.  We miss him dearly, but it allowed us to have this conversation today, bring an expert from those fields to tell us where we need to be as far as education and different lines of communication that we have to have.  Also, it’s given us the opportunity to work with the National Crisis Association.  We learned that having one number, a suicide number, it works good.  It’s a method that is not affiliated with a club.  It’s not affiliated with the NFL.  It’s not affiliated with the union.  It is something that all citizens of the United States can actually access.     

On plans to reach out to players at the college level:

Vincent: We felt like to develop a better professional that we had to see the athletes sooner.  We call it our prep platform.  It allows us through our college and high school outreach we have a program called our ambassador’s program that our former players that come in are trained in areas of continuing education; transition; the campus life; compliance.  We use these former players to go back to the college campuses and talk about their experiences, talk about setting industry standards.  We believe that if we want to have a better professional, we just have to touch the athletes sooner.  In the past, the first time that we’ve had any engagement with them was at the all-star game, which in many cases at that time, that athlete is in financial crisis or in family relationship crisis.  Now, we get a chance to speak to him and his family as freshman, sophomore and toward his senior year and him transitioning out of college.    

On when the ambassador’s program began:  

Vincent: It is now going into its third year.  2010 was its first year.

On how hard it is to reach out to kids in their early 20s:

Vincent: It’s a challenge.  That’s the reality and the world that we live in – getting someone that’s 21, 23, 24 to even think about what life looks like at the age of 30.  We have to fight that.  I was once that young man arriving in South Florida as a 21-year old, I’m now a part of the dream that I’ve always lived.  In the same discussion when Coach Shula was telling me about practice schedule, John Offerdahl  was in my ear telling me what life is going to look like after it’s over in the same exact day.  We want to be sensitive to and making sure we embrace who he is, but also the realities of your body having an expiration date. 

On working with the NFLPA in reaching out to athletes:

Vincent: We’ve tried.  I actually spoke with two of their officials yesterday and really hoping that we can collaborate.  These are areas in the development of the athlete that we should have collaboration.  Proposed to them early in January, they came into our office and both staffs met and we laid out every program and service offering.  We shared with them the resources that we’ve put behind it and asked that they be an active participant, not just in the development of the content but also financially.  I gave that same proposal yesterday because this is an area in the athletic development space where we’re not talking about some of the other things, the rules of the game.  We’re talking about developing people and having healthy families.  That discussion and dialogue is ongoing and we hope that they become an active participant in what we do.

On dispelling the culture of the athletes being able to play through injuries:

Vincent: That’s part of the education as we’re talking to the experts of that’s the ‘macho.’  That’s what I would say in some cases has made the athlete special.  The days of tough it out, get up, suck it up – those days are over.  Was that the right thing to do? No, but at that time, that was the way young men were taught.  There’s a process now.  It kind of goes back to the greater conversation, the athlete must engage.  He must be willing to take ownership and personal responsibility into his health, his safety and his general well-fare – current and as he transitions out of the game.

On how difficult it is for the players to not have a macho mentality:

Vincent: There’s balance in that.  You have to have balance in that.  I think we need to begin to have that discussion with those people that are around and those influencers that are around the athlete.  They feed us what we want to hear instead of the reality and the truths of who we really are and what we are supposed to be moving forward.  As the athlete, we have to take some more personal responsibility in that space and right now, we try to put blinders onto that and what happens is five, six, seven years down the line, it comes back and impedes us for the rest of our lives. 

On how involved the NFL has been since Junior’s death and there being any increase in player’s asking for help:

Vincent: We haven’t seen any from the actual players.  Where we’ve seen an increase with grief counseling, which has always existed.  Every club has a clinician on staff that a player or his family has access to.  What we’ve seen is an increase with actually the spouses now contacting the office in regards to their husband because with what we’ve seen in the public, the writing and the stories.  One of the things we’ve talked about is defining the risk.  T here’s no single reason why one commits suicide, but there are things like lack of sleep and so on that may be signs of depression.  Now that the language is out and some of the education materials that we’re putting out, we see that the spouses are now actually reaching out in areas of counseling as well. 

On what the spouses want to know:

Vincent: What are some of the things we should be looking for?  The spouses are asking the questions, what other the things we should be looking for?  My husband is having a hard time obtaining employment.  He’s not sleeping.  He’s picking up weight.  What does this mean moving forward?  He’s disengaged with the family.  He’s not talking to his children as much.  They’re asking questions.  What do we do?  What’s the best way for me to have this conversation with my husband where it doesn’t become a hostile environment?  That former athlete still has a mentality of, ‘I’m ok. It’s all good.’  Those are some of the questions from the spouses and we sit down and those conversations become one-on-one counseling with the spouse. 

On him realistically seeing a point where they will have players sit out games, etc.:

Vincent: I see that’s the progression.  I think that’s the right thing to do.  I think now players are more aware of what can happen.  The reality of, ‘Hey, we play 16 games.’ You’ve got six days in most cases until you get half way through when you’re playing on Thursday where you may have four or five days to get ready for the next one, but the realities are you’ve got to take care of your body.  We have to take that kind of out of our own hands.  In cases in what we are doing, we’re implementing some of the things on the sidelines where you’re taking that choice out of the coach’s and out of the player’s hand and into a medical professional’s hand.  It’s the right thing to do for the game and for the individual, more importantly.               

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The NFL and NCAA will offer the second annual NFL-NCAA Coaches Academy on May 22-24 in Dallas, it was announced today.  The program, developed last year by NFL Player Engagement and the NCAA, will provide 30 former NFL players (list below) with tools and networking opportunities for potential careers as football coaches. 

Many of the participants currently have high school or college coaching positions. The NCAA also will invite football coaches who have less than eight years of college coaching experience to take part. 

“This is an excellent opportunity for players who are looking to continue their careers on the football sidelines to learn leadership, management and administrative skills from football coaches at all levels,” said TROY VINCENT, NFL vice president of player engagement.

Sessions will include instruction from NFL, college and high school coaches, business leaders and athletic administrators.  Topics include how to build a personal and professional brand; managing budgets; successful networking; media messaging; coaching contracts; building relationships in college; effective leadership; understanding the academic landscape; and the interview process.   Participants also will experience mock interview sessions.  Keynote speakers include Baylor University head coach ART BRILES, former Notre Dame and Stanford head coach TYRONE WILLINGHAM and NFL Network analyst and former Redskins and Texans general manager CHARLEY CASSERLY.

“Our partnership with the NFL provides a broader base of networking and access to essential information and key influencers for football coaches who want to become head coaches,” said ROBERT VOWELS, NCAA vice president of student-athlete affairs. “We look at this Academy as an opportunity that could positively influence the diversity numbers in the collegiate coaching ranks and as a way to get exposure for some of the most talented coaching minds in the football industry. We believe the partnership and the Academy overall will have a positive effect for the NCAA and the NFL immediately and in the future.”

The NFL also partners with the NCAA on a Life Skills and Professional Development Summit each February. 

Click here for the complete release and a list of participants in the NFL-NCAA Coaches.

As part of a joint commitment to player safety, a group of sports entities and equipment manufacturers has entered into an unprecedented partnership to create a youth football safety and helmet replacement program for youth in underserved communities.  The initiative will remove helmets that are 10 years old or older and replace them with new helmets at no cost to the beneficiary leagues and will provide coaches with the latest educational information to help keep their young athletes safer and healthier.   

In its first year, the program is being piloted in four markets: the California Bay Area, Gulf Coast region, Northern Ohio, and the tri-state region around New York City.  The NFL, NFLPA, NCAA and NOCSAE have committed a combined total of approximately $1 million to the program in its first year. The pilot program is designed to provide valuable information on the state of youth football helmets, including the number of helmets 10 years old or older in use.  As of 2012, NAERA members will no longer recondition or recertify any helmet that is 10 years of age or older.  NOCSAE will collect the helmets when removed and use them for ongoing research programs.

USA Football, the sport’s national governing body and the Official Youth Football Development Partner of the NFL and NFLPA, will lead the execution of the program. Other partners in the initiative are the NFL, NFL Players Association, CDC, NAERA, NCAA, NOCSAE and the SGMA.  Equipment manufacturers Rawlings, Riddell, Schutt, and Xenith are providing discounted helmets.  To learn more or apply for helmets, visit www.usafootball.com/playersafety

The effort, initiated by CPSC Chairman INEZ TENENBAUM, is expected to educate thousands of youth football coaches on vital health and safety issues and provide nearly 13,000 new helmets to youth football players in low-income communities in 2012.  Helmets will be distributed beginning in July.

“We are pleased to be part of this initiative, which will give children in underserved communities access to new helmets, and to reach coaches and parents with educational information to help protect young athletes from head injuries,” said NFL Commissioner ROGER GOODELL. “This program is part of our focus on player safety at all levels of the game. We are proud to join with these well-respected organizations to make the Helmet Replacement Program a reality.”

“The time has come to accelerate the culture change needed to improve the health and safety of youth football players,” said CPSC Chairman Tenenbaum.  “Even with our push for improved safety equipment, it is vital that parents, coaches and players understand that there is no such thing as a concussion-proof helmet.  The best answer is safer and smarter play, which is why this game-changing program is aimed at reducing hits to the head and trauma to the brain.  I want to thank everyone involved in this initiative for joining together in a common commitment to youth player safety.”

Helmets do not prevent concussions. Therefore, the program includes a strong educational campaign that features important safety information from the CDC, the CPSC and USA Football, including materials on concussion awareness, proper helmet fitting, and fundamentally sound football instruction with USA Football’s Tackle Progression Model and Levels of Contact module.  In addition, leagues that receive helmets through this program will be required to have their coaches complete USA Football’s Level 1 coaching course.  Elements of the education component are as follows:

• “Start with Safety”: Concussion awareness and response information, featuring links to CDC content and resources
• “Perfect Fitting”:  Helmet fitting information, including links to manufacturer-specific fitting resources
• “Tackle Safety”: USA Football’s Tackle Progression Model and Levels of Contact information and videos
• “Helmet Condition”: Reconditioning and replacement information

Contact:

Clare Graff, NFL/212-450-2435

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*Reference to any commercial entity or product or service on this page should not be construed as an endorsement by the Government of the company or its products or services.

Former NFL scout Daniel Jeremiah, who spent a combined eight seasons with three NFL clubs, has joined the NFL Media team, it was announced today.

Jeremiah will be a regular contributor on NFL.com (NFL.com/DanielJeremiah) and NFL Mobile, offering an Xs-and-Os look at players, teams and trends, and will play a key role in the site’s NFL Draft coverage. In addition, he will offer analysis on NFL Network. Jeremiah enjoys a wide Twitter following (@MoveTheSticks) among NFL media members.

In his first NFL.com column (http://tinyurl.com/78qr7kn), Jeremiah ranks starting quarterbacks by division – noting a shift over the past five years. “Things have definitely changed since 2007,” he writes. “The balance of power at the QB position has clearly switched to the NFC.”

Jeremiah joins NFL Media after serving for two years as the Philadelphia Eagles’ college area scout for the West.  Previously, he was a national scout for the Cleveland Browns and a west coast area scout for the Baltimore Ravens.

Prior to working in the NFL, Jeremiah was a production assistant for ESPN’s Sunday Night Football telecasts.

Jeremiah graduated in 2000 from Appalachian State, where he started at quarterback for three seasons.  He resides in Murrieta, Calif., with his wife and four children.

NFL Media properties include NFL Network, NFL Films, NFL RedZone, NFL.com, and NFL Mobile Only From Verizon.

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Clubs are permitted to hold a rookie minicamp on one of the first two weekends after the NFL Draft and conduct one mandatory minicamp for veteran players.  Clubs with new head coaches, however, are permitted to conduct one additional voluntary minicamp for veteran players.  There is no restriction on the number of minicamps a club may hold for rookie players.

For the complete release, click here

For the complete release, click here

More than 40,000 high school football players will focus on character development, life skills and on-field techniques from May-August as part of the NFL High School Player Development (HSPD) program which is presented by the National Guard through the NFL Youth Football Fund.

Since its inception in 2001, the HSPD program has provided participants with a curriculum that focuses on inspiring excellence in the classroom, community, and on the playing field.  The program, which is funded by the National Guard through the NFL Youth Football Fund, is free for students and will be implemented at more than 200 sites in all 50 states and Puerto Rico this spring and summer.

The character development and life skills portion of the week often features guest speakers and discussions on life after high school.  Students also will take part in a Center for Disease Control (CDC) session about player safety, including concussion treatment and management.

For the complete release, click here