The NFL confirmed yesterday that it "has canceled this year's rookie symposium, making it the first league event lost because of the lockout," according to Jason La Canfora of NFL.com. NFL Senior VP/PR Greg Aiello in a statement said the decision to cancel the event, scheduled to start June 26 in Canton, Ohio, came because of "uncertainty of the labor issues we are facing and the logistical challenges of conducting the symposium." La Canfora noted the symposium "brings together rookies for mandatory sessions in life skills and money management and allows them to meet current and former players." While no plans are set, the "contingency to replace the education that players receive at the symposium would be to make rookie orientation more intensive at the team level, whenever the 2011 league year begins." All teams "already have their own orientation programs," so the idea would be to "add to those materials" (NFL.com, 5/24). Player agent Peter Schaffer said, "It's not just the rookie symposium -- which is a tremendous benefit to the young players in terms of education about the league, but there are other issues too. If the NFL says it cares about its players, it can't be convenient concern -- it has to be all the time." He added, "They're not dealing with the team, it's the league. And it's not about football, it's about life." Fellow agent Andy Ross called the lack of symposium "a shame." Ross: "It's a very beneficial event for all rookies. It's a way to talk to them about things they're going to face as their life changes in the NFL, and it's an opportunity missed" (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 5/25). NFL Network's Jamie Dukes believes there eventually will be a Rookie Symposium.” Dukes: “They might be mini-camp oriented as in from team to team because there is too much important information that happens at the Rookie Symposium" ("NFL Total Access," NFL Network, 5/24).
LEAGUE WANTS IT BOTH WAYS? ESPN's Michael Smith said the NFL is full of "hypocrites." League officials “guilt-tripped those rookies into showing up for the Draft during a work stoppage so they could show up and help the TV ratings and help the league's event go on. And yet you won't put on a symposium to help them stay in the league and not mess up the money they eventually get or make the wrong life decisions. You can't have one without the other." Dallas Morning News columnist Tim Cowlishaw said the cancelation seems “like a cheap scare tactic by the league, like, 'Oh, we may never play football again. There's no point in talking to these rookies about anything.'” Cowlishaw: “Of course they should go ahead and have the symposium, help these guys along" (“Around The Horn,” ESPN, 5/24). ESPN’s Trey Wingo said, “You wonder on some level if the NFL is missing an opportunity to pitch their side to these players that would have been coming in so they can say, 'Hey, let me explain, this is why we are doing this lockout,' and all this kind of stuff” ("NFL Live," ESPN, 5/24). But ESPN’s Michael Wilbon said, “A national freak out over these missed quasi-football events is annoying" ("PTI," ESPN, 5/24).
