NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on Friday afternoon held his annual State of the Game address from the site of the Super Bowl. He said the Rams returning to L.A. will “exceed all expectations of our fans” and the new Inglewood stadium “will be transformational – not just for the Rams, not just for the Los Angeles community, but for the NFL.” He added the league will “continue to focus on innovation and expand fan interest.” Goodell: “To sum up our approach, I would say this: Get better. That’s our goal, and everything we do and every day we work, we will work to get better in every way.”
Other highlights of Goodell's address:
- On San Diego and Oakland keeping their teams: “It is very much a priority for us. We want to work to keep our teams where they are. ... Relocation is a difficult process … but it’s something from a business standpoint that becomes a reality.”
- On the issue of concussions in the league: “There is no higher priority than player safety.” But “we’re not going to wait for science” to protect players, “we’re going to get out and we’re going to make changes in our game.”
- On promoting diversity: “We want to attract, we want to retain and we want to develop great talent. And that’s in the coaching level, that’s in the front office. Where we can get great talent, we’re going to be better off as a league, so we think diversity strengthens us.”
- Goodell said when allegations of Broncos QB Peyton Manning using HGH “came up, we immediately began our own investigation.” Goodell said the league is “taking this seriously,” and "when we find out the facts we’ll share them as we have in the past. We want to make sure we’re transparent."
- On this year's Pro Bowl: “I was disappointed in what I saw on Sunday. ... It’s very important to have a stage in which you celebrate our great players. ... We may have to think about that differently than we have in the past” (NFL Network, 2/5).
