NFL Panthers Owner Jerry Richardson "sent a letter to his peers recently urging them to not just rely on the league to oversee player personal-conduct matters" and encouraging them "not to focus only on business and profits," according to Daniel Kaplan of SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL. Several NFL owners "described the letter and said it was not directed at any particular team." Falcons Owner Arthur Blank said it was "a really good reminder, given the last seven, eight months, that it is the responsibility of the owners. It has not been consistent all the time. There is a point in the letter that our business is not just about the economics, but culture" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 3/30 issue).
NEED FINANCES LEAGUE: ESPN’s J.A. Adande said of the NFL now researching adding more replay cameras after last week saying no to the proposal made by Patriots coach Bill Belichick, "I think it indicates that the NFL thinks that Belichick had a good idea, they just don't want to give him credit." ESPN’s Bomani Jones said what the league “caved to" was the media finding out about Belichick' displeasure with the initial decision and the press "turning around and calling the NFL a bunch of skinflint cheapskates" (“Around The Horn,” ESPN, 3/30). THE MMQB's Peter King wrote if the NFL does not implement the additional cameras this season, "then I hope something else happens." King: "I hope all 256 regular-season and 11 postseason games next year have a crucial play that can’t be clearly seen on replay because the owners were shortsighted enough to skimp on the quality of the project. I think it’s ridiculous that the technology is there to make a fairer game, and the league isn’t using it" (MMQB.SI.com, 3/30). Meanwhile, in Jacksonville, Gene Frenette wrote for a league that "remains the king of greed," it is "surprising the NFL agreed to table the proposal of adding two teams to the postseason mix until next year." Frenette: "No doubt, adding another wild-card team in each conference will be endorsed by fans and do well in TV ratings, but why does the NFL have to be like the NBA/NHL and saturate the postseason?" There is "no valid reason to change the postseason," because it is "not like the NFL needs the money" (FLORIDA TIMES-UNION, 3/28).
