Goodell's annual State of the League address was one of the rare times he spoke publicly this seasonGETTY IMAGES
The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Andrew Beaton notes Commissioner Roger Goodell largely has been "missing from the NFL's great comeback season of 2018." His "diminished visibility has been stark," as he has "rarely spoken publicly" outside of his annual State of the League address earlier this week. That has led to the conclusion that "more football and less Goodell is good for the NFL." AMB GroupCEO Steve Cannon referred to fans when saying, "They want to see football. They want to see drama. They want to see on-field heroics. And that's what people want. And last year they got too much of things they didn't want. We said, 'We just need to get back to football.'" 49ers President Al Guido: "Whether (Goodell) is visible or not, I think the league's is a really good place right now" (WSJ.com, 2/1). Meanwhile, in DC, Matthew Paras writes under the header, "Super Bowl To Put Finishing Touch On Rebound Year For NFL." After a '17 season "dominated by headlines about player protests, declining ratings and other off-the-field controversies, the league bounced back" in '18 (WASHINGTON TIMES, 2/1).
HARD TO LOVE AT TIMES: An L.A. TIMES editorial states despite the Rams' successful return to L.A. and their appearance in Super Bowl LIII, there is an uneasy feeling about "giving the NFL a full embrace." The league has "struggled for years to get more diversity in top management and ownership, and has had a spotty record in addressing issues of domestic violence among its players." It also "has not fully addressed the dark reality of brain damage among players." The editorial: "Its failure to successfully address such troubling problems dims the allure of what should be a bright moment in this newly revived NFL town" (L.A. TIMES, 2/1).
BRINGING ISSUES TO LIGHT: USA TODAY's Nancy Armour noted the Players Coalition on Wednesday announced $2M worth of grants to six organizations "dedicated to addressing inequities in education and economic opportunity, juvenile justice reform and biased policing." The grants "expand on players' efforts to end the cash bail system and eliminate inequities in voting rights." Some of the funding for the grants "comes from the NFL, and that does not sit well with everyone." Regardless of what the NFL's motivation was, the league "brings the country's biggest spotlight to the work the players are doing" (USA TODAY, 1/31).
FRIENDS IN HIGH PLACES: BLEACHER REPORT's Mike Freeman cited a source as saying that during the final days of the recent government shutdown, several NFL owners "spoke to President Trump about the effects the shutdown could have on the Super Bowl." The owners told Trump that if the shutdown continued into Super Bowl week, it "could damage the game by affecting security at the event and air travel to and from the game." It "remains a mystery" exactly who talked to Trump (BLEACHERREPORT.com, 1/30).
