Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones this week commented that an 18-game regular season could be a positive for the league, but NFLPA President Eric Winston today said it is "not the first time we've heard" the idea, and "I don't think our position's changed." Appearing on "The Dan Patrick Show," Winston said players "don't see the positive tradeoff, the guys don't see it as something that is good for their careers, good for their bodies." As for the idea that more money would be spread around for players, there "wouldn't be that much." That money would "go into the cap and as we know, that cap is going to get tilted heavily to the star players." Winston: "The people that I've talked to on how that money could be spread, wouldn't go to your role players, your middle-of-the-road guys." Winston also said of Jones' comment that there are more concussions in preseason play, "Of course you can say there’s a greater injury occurrence in the preseason than there is in the regular season, but we all know that’s not really how you would read the data. Let’s look at it from a common sense standpoint. Does anybody think playing two more games is safer for players? No" ("The Dan Patrick Show," NBCSN, 8/29). NFL Network's Peter Schrager said, "It’s tough to preach all this player safety stuff and then say we’re going to give you more games." But NFL Network’s Kyle Brandt said, “It sounds fun to me. If they’re going to have those types of injuries and go through that, it might as well happen in real games that count” (“Good Morning Football,” NFL Network, 8/29).
MONEY FOR NOTHING: ESPN’s Pablo Torre said he wants to know how Jones "arrives at the idea that more serious football means fewer injuries.” ESPN’s Bomani Jones the Cowboys owner's statement that it would provide more than $1B to the players "doesn’t make any sense." Bomani Jones: “He says that like it’s a grant, like you’re just giving the money away. … No, it’s a billion dollars that you get for playing more games but the damage to the body is probably exponential by adding more games" (“High Noon,” ESPN2, 8/28). CBSSN's Adam Schein: "You can't talk about player safety and say, ‘Give me 18 games.’ That's not how it works Jerry Jones. ... I would get rid of a couple of preseason games and certainly make sure the fans don't have to pay regular season price" (“Time to Schein,” CBSSN, 8/28). In N.Y., Mark Cannizzaro writes there has been a "disturbing shift" in the preseason, as many coaches are now "not playing any starters in any of the games." It has made the four-game preseason "more of a sham than it's ever been." It is an "utter and transparent rip-off of their fans who are being forced to pay full ticket prices to watch this slop." Something -- such as "reducing the preseason schedule to two games -- has to be done about this sham" before the NFL "embarrasses itself any further" (N.Y. POST, 8/29). ESPN's Scott Van Pelt said the fact that fans have to buy "not one, but two preseason games at regular season prices is outrageous." It is a "cash grab for owners and it’s really robbery, which is in no way justifiable" ("SportsCenter, ESPN, 8/29).
WE CAN WORK IT OUT: PRO FOOTBALL TALK's Mike Florio noted the NFL and NFLPA have "spent at least two separate days trying to work out" a revised anthem policy. At this point, it is "probably too late to get something done before the start of the regular season." But with the union "wisely slow playing the situation, maybe both sides should put their wish lists together and try to get a new CBA done now, with a provision that includes voluntary standing for the anthem" (PROFOOTBALLTALK.com, 8/28). SI.com's Conor Orr wrote it is "hard not to view the NFL's reworked anthem policy" as a "house in a tornado" whenever it is released. The league "rightfully backed off the previous policy after blowback." Whatever the league "comes up with now" will be the result of discussions with the NFLPA, and will "reveal the health of a relationship that will end up being more important than ever" (SI.com, 8/27). The Undefeated's Jason Reid said of anthem negotiations, “The way it’s been characterized to me is that the owners have made good movement in terms of showing the players that they care about the issues that are important to the players. The players need to continue to have an open mind" ("OTL," ESPN2, 8/28).
WHY CAN'T WE BE FRIENDS? In Ft. Worth, Peter Dawson writes "Round 2" of the feud between Jerry Jones and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell could be "just around the corner." With Jones and Patriots Owner Robert Kraft holding stakes in DraftKings, if the company's "earnings from sports betting surpasses the NFL's current limit, it could force Kraft and Jones to sell off their ownership stakes" in the company. It is "possible" Jones and Goodell could be "headed for another public confrontation" (Ft. Worth STAR-TELEGRAM, 8/29).
