NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on Wednesday held a meeting with NFL owners in N.Y., making it clear that the subject of player protests "wasn't going to be an issue that would go away overnight," according to sources. He also noted that owners "needed to find a solution that worked for everyone" going forward. Goodell began by "recapping the previous night's meeting" with a select group of players and owners. Goodell said of the protests, "We can't just tell them to stop." The Cowboys' Jerry Jones said that the owners "had to find a sincere way to listen" to player concerns. Jones: "How do we address the root issue for the players on this? In the long run, it's not good to kneel. People don't want football to be politicized, but there's a need to do something to listen to our players and help them." The meeting ended "without a clear path forward" (ESPN.com, 10/1).
ESPN’s Adam Schefter said owners expressed concerns "about sponsors, suite-holders, season-ticket holders all pulling out." The 2 hour, 15-minute meeting was a “watershed moment” in league history. Schefter: "Everybody recognized in that room that the NFL is at a real crossroads here with real threats to the game and real threats to the dollars, the dollars involved in the game. And the owners talked about the platforms they could help give the players to voice their message and to get the support that they need" ("SportsCenter," ESPN, 10/1).
