NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on Friday during a meeting of the AP Sports Editors group said that the two L.A.-area stadium projects "look promising enough" to lead to the league's return to the market, according to Barry Wilner of the AP. He said the projects in Inglewood and Carson are "viable," and have a "great deal of potential to be successful." Goodell: "We had presentations earlier this week that are very exciting. Not just for a return but to continue being successful going forward." Wilner noted the league "is not investing in fantasy football when it allows teams to partner with outlets such as FanDuel," which 15 teams have done. Goodell said team owners have discussed fantasy football "internally." He added, "We're making sure we understand that fans are doing this, but we don't want to move across the line to something we think is gambling. Other leagues potentially are investing in these. We are not" (AP, 4/24). Meanwhile, in K.C., Terez Paylor noted the Chiefs "don't appear to be on the radar" for hosting a Super Bowl "just yet." Goodell said, "That is not being seriously contemplated" (K.C. STAR, 4/25).
LET'S SETTLE THIS: In Columbus, Michael Arace wrote the NFL's proposed concussion settlement "is a good thing for the thousands of players who need help, posthaste," as it "covers all retired players, regardless of whether they were party to the suit." However, it in effect "merely shields the league from any further legal action." The $1B set aside for rewards "is a lot of money." But as many who have followed the case have pointed out, "not all class-action litigants pursue awards." The $1B might turn out to be $500M "over the long haul." Also, there are qualifications to the awards, as the price "is determined by which disease a former player might have, and when he receives a 'qualifying diagnosis.'" The older he is, the less he gets, and he "can’t cash in until he reaches some threshold of qualification" (COLUMBUS DISPATCH, 4/26).
REMEMBER THAT ONE TIME...? Goodell on Friday said that there is "no timeline for the release of Ted Wells’s report investigating the Patriots’ use of underinflated footballs against the Colts in the AFC title game" (BOSTON GLOBE, 4/25). Colts Owner Jim Irsay said, "It could be a few days, it could be a month or more. I really don't know." He added Wells is "not concerned about when he gets the results, how long it takes." Irsay: "He wants to be thorough. ... I know he operates that way. So it's not a shock" (CBSSPORTS.com, 4/26). In Boston, Ben Volin wrote it seems like the NFL is "doing the Patriots a big favor by drawing out the process as long as it can (we’ll reach Day 100 this week)," as most of America has either "forgotten about the incident or stopped caring long ago." And by waiting until after the NFL Draft, the league "can avoid having to dock a pick from the Patriots this year, if it comes to that" (BOSTON GLOBE, 4/25). Meanwhile, ESPN BOSTON's Mike Reiss wrote President Obama’s joke about Deflategate last week when he honored the Patriots' Super Bowl win highlighted how the NFL’s "handling of underinflated footballs -- specifically creating it into something bigger than it is and then dragging it out over what is now its [94th] day -- has formed a perception that is going to be hard for the Patriots to shake, regardless of if they are cleared of wrongdoing." When the president "is joking about it, it’s hard to dispute that" (ESPNBOSTON.com, 4/26).
