NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell "gave one of his most earnest endorsements of the safety of the game" during his State of the Game address Friday, though most of his comments "echoed previous statements," according to Ken Belson of the N.Y. TIMES. When asked whether it was safe for young people to play football, Goodell said that he was "glad he was able to play tackle football for nine years before college." Goodell: "If I had a son, I’d love to have him play the game of football. There’s risk in life. There’s risk in sitting on the couch." Belson noted Goodell’s comments "came amid a renewed focus on whether football was too dangerous." He "bristled at the suggestion that more NFL players were retiring because they were worried that extending their careers could increase their risks of brain damage." Meanwhile, Goodell suggested that the league’s "hard-nosed approach to player discipline" led to a 40% decline in the number of players arrested in '15. He is looking at "tightening discipline on the field as well." Goodell said that he "would like to see players ejected from a game if they commit two personal fouls, something akin to soccer, in which players who receive two yellow cards must leave the field" (N.Y. TIMES, 2/6). He noted that the league "has not opened an independent investigation" into Broncos QB Peyton Manning's alleged link to HGH, saying that it will "keep that probe in-house and behind closed doors." Goodell: "When we find out the facts, we will share them. We want to make sure we're transparent." He "did not elaborate on what facts, if any, it had discovered in its private review of Manning" (DENVER POST, 2/6).
WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS? In Las Vegas, Gilbert Manzano noted Goodell "didn’t give a straight answer when asked if he considered daily fantasy sports gambling." Goodell said, "I don’t make that determination, each state makes that determination. We are obviously going to follow the law, we’re going to abide by that in every which way" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 2/6). Also in Las Vegas, Ed Graney noted at no point during the session was Goodell "presented a question about the potential for Las Vegas to house an NFL franchise." It "wasn't for a lack of trying or sore arms held aloft, but none of the Las Vegas media members present, and none from the Bay Area who cover the Raiders, were called upon" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 2/6).
NOT AS CONTENTIOUS AS LAST YEAR: NFL Network's Judy Battista said this year's address had a "different tone" than last year, as last year was "a lot more contentious.” NFL Network’s Jeffri Chadiha said Goodell last year “was on the defensive” and certainly “bracing for a lot of tough questions.” Chadiha: “It felt like this year was more of …he felt much more comfortable with the topics" (NFL Network, 2/5).
SOFA SLEEPER: In S.F., Ron Kroichick noted Goodell's "'couch' comment prompted widespread mocking" on social media and "sparked an angry response" from Concussion Legacy Foundation Exec Dir Chris Nowinski. He said, "Roger Goodell thinks we’re all stupid. He’s trying to conflate the benefits of exercise with our goal of not hitting children in the head. He’s pretending if kids don’t play football, they’ll just sit on the couch, which is absurd." Kroichick wrote by "equating the risks of playing football to those of sitting on the couch, Goodell re-ignited the lingering debate about player safety." His timing "was awkward," as it came two days after it was reported Pro Football HOF-elect Ken Stabler was "found to have" CTE (S.F. CHRONICLE, 2/6). The N.Y. Daily News' Mike Lupica said Goodell "did himself no good ... talking about how there’s risk in everything and you’re at risk sitting on a couch." Lupica: "It dumbed down this conversation.” ESPN’s Adam Schefter: “With that one moment, they undid a lot of the good they did by recognizing the dangers of the game. ... When you say that you have danger sitting on the couch like a couch potato, it’s an insult to everything else that you’ve done. It’s dismissive of the idea of the dangers that exist in the sport which we know exist” (“The Sports Reporters,” ESPN2, 2/7). In Chicago, David Haugh wrote Goodell "stuck his foot in his mouth" with the "couch" reference, and he "needs straight talk before the league veers any more off course on concussions." He later made a "compelling argument" about the positives of football, but "nobody heard those words" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 2/6). ESPN's Ashley Fox said Goodell "came across as tone deaf and completely missing the point" with his comment ("OTL," ESPN2, 2/7).
MISSING THE BIGGER PICTURE? SPORTS ON EARTH's Terence Moore wrote under the header, "Roger Goodell's Cluelessness Was On Display Friday." Asked why some NFL players are quitting prematurely, Goodell said, "Each individual player makes his own individual decision about how long they play the game, who they play for, under what conditions they play." Moore wrote, "No, commissioner. This concussion thing is what it is. People are leaving the game at all levels, and it's due to football's occupational hazards." That, along with the "ongoing news that the brains of deceased NFL players are showing high rates" of CTE (SPORTSONEARTH.com, 2/6). But ESPN’s Jemele Hill said observers can see the NFL is “succeeding” in their efforts to reduce head trauma by looking at the "number of players that have retired early.” Players now are "making more conscious decisions” about their future health. Hill: "The issue with the players in the past was always they were not given all the information. Now players today have all the information, and I think they’re deciding based on what they feel their quality of life will be after football. To me, that’s a victory” ("The Sports Reporters," ESPN2, 2/7).
