When Roger Goodell first took over for Paul Tagliabue as the commissioner of the NFL in 2006, I was excited for the change. He came off as a hard-nosed ruler, who wasn’t going to cut the players any slack. You break the rules — or more importantly, the law — then you get suspended and fined.
I loved it.
Then Goodell expressed his interest in tightening up the game to protect the players. The NFL has done everything in its power to protect the quarterbacks and wide receivers. I like the hard hits as much as anyone, but there’s a right and wrong way to deliver them. Some players adjusted quickly, while others — ahem, James Harrison and Ryan Clark — took longer to change. Against the New York Jets, Troy Polamalu showed that it’s still possible to deliver a crushing blow legally. Just ask Stephen Hill how he felt after that blow.
For a long time, I liked Goodell. I really did. But lately, he’s looked like quite the hypocrite.
This past weekend was one of the worst weekends I’ve seen in a long time for NFL injuries:
– Jermichael Finley – bruised spinal cord, put in ICU
– Jay Cutler – groin injury, out at least a month
– Brian Cushing – broken leg, torn LCL, out for the year
– Sam Bradford – torn ACL, out for the year
– Reggie Wayne – torn ACL, out for the year
– Arian Foster – pulled hamstring, day-to-day
– Nick Foles – concussion, uncertain
– Leon Hall – torn ACL, out for the year
– Doug Martin – torn labrum, indefinitely out
Those are only the bigger injuries that happened JUST on Sunday. My word.
Listen, the players know the risks involved with playing the game. This isn’t about that. It’s about Goodell saying he has the players safety in mind, but yet, wants to extend the season to 18 games. Yes, they’ll cut out two preseason games that the teams use to evaluate talent, but that’s star players playing in 18 regular season games.
Or so the league hopes.
At this pace, who will be left after Week 18? Instead of being shocked when a player misses time, we’re shocked when a player can make it through the entire season without missing any games.
So you care about safety, Roger? Or do you care about the money more? Hint, we all know the answer to the question.
But let’s not stop there. No, let’s go further, shall we? You know what would be great for the highest profitable sport in the country? A team in London. Yup, that makes perfect sense.
It is, after all, on its way to happening. The San Francisco 49ers and the Jacksonville Jaguars will play in a can’t-miss game on Sunday (*yawn*) at Wembley Stadium, marking the second contest there so far this season. Goodell has been vocal on his desire to expand the NFL globally. That’s fine, as long as its bringing back NFL Europe. Taking a NFL franchise to London is not the answer.
First off, who is going to want to sign there? Unless you’re traded or drafted to the London franchise, will the player really want to pick up his entire family and move to London? What about the travel required to play there? It’s bad enough when a West Coast team has a short week, and has to travel to the East Coast for a game. Now you want a team in London traveling for eight, or I guess at that point, nine games each year to the United States?
Goodell, I like some of your ideas. Player safety is important for the league. But unless you actually practice what you preach, then stay out of the pulpit.
