Jim Steeg, the former head of events at the NFL, gave a speech recently to a local rotary club outside Raleigh, N.C., about the issues bedeviling the NFL.
“I spoke for an hour and barely scratched the surface,” he said, chuckling.
Top issues the NFL faces in 2017
■ Declining TV ratings
■ Player protests during playing of national anthem alienated portion of fan base
■ Key players injured and out for season
■ Jerry Jones’ battle over commissioner contract
■ President Donald Trump’s attacks on the league
■ Instant replay review became target of derision
■ L.A. attendance in Chargers’ first year and Rams’ second
■ Reports of sexual harassment settlement payout by Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson leads him to agree to sell team
■ Players speak out on quality and safety issues surrounding playing games on Thursday night
■ Reports of sexual harassment settlement payout by Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson leads him to agree to sell team
■ No-shows at games
Indeed, the NFL will happily turn the page on the season after Sunday’s Super Bowl. It was a what-could-go-wrong-went-wrong type of year, from the kneeling players to declining TV ratings to a shaky rollout in Los Angeles. Then there is the matter of the White House occupant, who appears to find the NFL a useful foil to motivate his base. No one would be surprised by a tweet of pique from President Donald Trump aimed at the sport this week as it celebrates in Minneapolis.
All that said, there are reasons for optimism. One factor that does not get mentioned behind ratings declines was the unusual poor play of so many big market teams, from the two New York franchises, Houston, Denver, Chicago and Washington, D.C. Throw in the high level of star player injuries and that is a recipe for diminished interest.
“To a large degree all big market clubs had bad years,” said Marc Ganis, a sports consultant. That is not true of Los Angeles, but there the two teams have found rough going on reintroducing themselves to the market.
And while ratings may be down, NFL football is still far and away the top-rated entertainment on TV, and the most popular sport. The NFL received three bids for its “Thursday Night Football” package, with a chance Fox might pay a higher fee. CBS and NBC previously spent an combined annual $450 million for “TNF.” The NFL also signed a new deal with Verizon for $2 billion over five years, increasing the rights fee while ending Verizon’s exclusive mobile deal.
Whatever the case on 2018 TV ratings (continue decline or rebound), the next season looks to be one of a transition for ownership and how the league is governed. Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney’s passing last year underscored the development, as older-line owners are replaced by a newer breed that paid a lot more for their teams. And Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson’s pending departure is yet another example.
While Jerry Jones’ campaign against Commissioner Roger Goodell and his contract did not bear fruit, he did speak for many of his peers who believe the league has not responded well to crisis and is overstaffed.
The first domino already appeared to have fallen with the news that Joe Lockhart is leaving his post as executive vice president of communications. Lockhart orchestrated the tolerant communications strategy on player kneeling, putting the commissioner on the side of players who protested while the national anthem is played. That left many owners unhappy, not just over the message but that they, and not the league office, should get to dictate what the policy is.
There is a strong expectation in NFL circles that other top executives may follow Lockhart to the exit.
