Roger Goodell is the worst Commish in sports

[Superman]

Exactly right. Those who think this is the way games will be called in the regular season are naive beyond words. We ain't building rockets here - it is plainly evident that they are flag happy in the preseason with the idea of pulling back once the regular season starts. I think once we get to the regular season, you will see something in the between what was called last year and what is being called in this preseason.

 

I certainly hope so. I don't remember preseason in 2004 being this ugly, but it might have been.

[ruksak]

I'd actually like to have that debate, but this isn't the right place for it.

[ruksak]

Exactly right. Those who think this is the way games will be called in the regular season are naive beyond words. We ain't building rockets here - it is plainly evident that they are flag happy in the preseason with the idea of pulling back once the regular season starts. I think once we get to the regular season, you will see something in the between what was called last year and what is being called in this preseason.

So you admit that this "experiment" may lead to even more inconsistency toward these calls in the reg season? 

 

So to dispel any notion of my naivety, I'll point out that they're doing this principally to attempt to define some exacting parameters for PI/DH calls. The only way to accomplish this is to exclaim that defenders cannot touch the receiver at all. So when this happens, nobody can complain that the call was incorrect. 

 

The problem with that is being fleshed out in this preseason. There's still inconsistency, as there's hand fighting on almost every play, and the receiver seems to be getting a pass far more than the defender. I'm sensing the same level of inconsistency, just under different parameters. 

 

I'm not tryin to led a movement against the NFL, a boycott etc. If NFL fans don't like what they see in the preseason, whether they intend on carrying these philosophies over to the regular season or not, it is incumbent upon us, the fans, to voice our opinions, be they positive or negative, we should still be quite vocal about the product we're receiving. 

[Superman]

So you admit that this "experiment" may lead to even more inconsistency toward these calls in the reg season? 

 

So to dispel any notion of my naivety, I'll point out that they're doing this principally to attempt to define some exacting parameters for PI/DH calls. The only way to accomplish this is to exclaim that defenders cannot touch the receiver at all. So when this happens, nobody can complain that the call was incorrect. 

 

The problem with that is being fleshed out in this preseason. There's still inconsistency, as there's hand fighting on almost every play, and the receiver seems to be getting a pass far more than the defender. I'm sensing the same level of inconsistency, just under different parameters. 

 

I'm not tryin to led a movement against the NFL, a boycott etc. If NFL fans don't like what they see in the preseason, whether they intend on carrying these philosophies over to the regular season or not, it is incumbent upon us, the fans, to voice our opinions, be they positive or negative, we should still be quite vocal about the product we're receiving. 

 

It's my hope that the league and the refs get together in a couple weeks and go over these calls, establishing a line of demarcation. They can point out which of these calls was bad, which was good, and really set the standard. Then they can respond to the teams -- I'm sure every team has sent in complaints about specific calls this preseason -- and the teams will have a better idea of what is going to be called this season. 

 

What irritated me last night is that hardly any of the penalties were shown on replay. I really hate that about preseason football. The broadcasts are very second rate. So I don't have any idea whether those calls were correct or not. It could be a case of second and third stringers making mistakes, instead of being about the refs being flag-happy. Don't know.

[ruksak]

 

What irritated me last night is that hardly any of the penalties were shown on replay. I really hate that about preseason football. The broadcasts are very second rate. So I don't have any idea whether those calls were correct or not. It could be a case of second and third stringers making mistakes, instead of being about the refs being flag-happy. Don't know.

You and me both, brother. Such things irritate me to no end. These amateur broadcasts are a scourge. 

 

It was priceless stupidity last night. They had a "Drive of the Game" (brought to you by ...whatever)..........at the end of the first quarter. Like, seriously? 

[1yrdandacloudofdust]

Roger Goodell has presided over a league that is the most popular league in the country, and probably the world. Revenues are through the roof, more people are watching than ever, player salaries are higher than ever. He is the best commissioner in sports. And when I hear players criticizing him I ask why. Players are making more money than ever before by a large margin and the game is safer than it ever has been. As Colin Cowherd like to say "Goodell is not anti-player, he is anti-*". Don't be a * and Roger Goodell will be the best boss you ever worked for.

It was thw top sport when he took over. Coco tge monkey could've been commish and saw the growth that has happened. Paul Tags was way better than this guy

[jvan1973]

My question is why do they keep changing rules after Peyton loses?

What rule has been changed?

[jvan1973]

It was thw top sport when he took over. Coco tge monkey could've been commish and saw the growth that has happened. Paul Tags was way better than this guy

Please cite examples of how tags was a better commish.

[1yrdandacloudofdust]

Please cite examples of how tags was a better commish.

He wasnr Roger Goodell. His ego was nowhere near as big as Goodell's. He didnt fine players for playing football

[Superman]

It was thw top sport when he took over. Coco tge monkey could've been commish and saw the growth that has happened. Paul Tags was way better than this guy

 

 

He wasnr Roger Goodell. His ego was nowhere near as big as Goodell's. He didnt fine players for playing football

 

So, to translate, you hate Roger Goodell and are bent on blaming him for everything you dislike about the NFL, while at the same time denying him any credit for the good things related to the league.

 

Glad you made it so easy to ignore your opinion on this.

[jvan1973]

He wasnr Roger Goodell. His ego was nowhere near as big as Goodell's. He didnt fine players for playing football

So no examples then?

[Warhorse]

Hey.....If I am an NFL coach, and I want to have my team use defensive holding a great deal, and that is my coached style of football, you know what I am going to do? I am going to tell my players to just keep pushing the rule......keep pushing it. Because my hope would be that whiny fans fill message boards with it, fill calls on NFL talk shows with it, and keep singing that "They're ruining the league" comment until the league caves to pressure.

 

Again....this has NOTHING to do with any rule change. It has NOTHING to do with refs getting flag happy. It is 100% teams violating the rule, despite the fact that they were warned this was coming, in an effort to thwart a rule that they don't like. I'll shut up about this as soon as fans start complaining about the rule and stop blaming the refs and the commissioner. They are NOT the problem.

 

The competition committee and coaches either encouraging their players to push this, or are not doing enough to curb their style of play...........is where your blame should be aimed.

 

To quote Jskinzzzz......dear god.

[Nobody]

My question is why do they keep changing rules after Peyton loses?

[OffensivelyPC]

lol at this thread.  Anyone who thinks that 32 NFL owners would pay a man $20 million a year to do anything other than what he's told is completely out of touch with reality.

[open window]

Why does this guy abbreviate the word "game" (gm) so consistently?

[1yrdandacloudofdust]

So, to translate, you hate Roger Goodell and are bent on blaming him for everything you dislike about the NFL, while at the same time denying him any credit for the good things related to the league.

Glad you made it so easy to ignore your opinion on this.

What are the good things that happened under Goodell?

The sport was going to grow no matter what. Thats like giving Ballmer credit for Microsoft

[Warhorse]

Why does this guy abbreviate the word "game" (gm) so consistently?

I jst dnt knw

[Malakai432]

Whats the nhl?

Lol!!!!!! Really??????

[Malakai432]

I'm embarassed for you, for having just compared Sterling to Irsay, and suggesting that what Jim did should equate to him being "history."

Roger that!!!!!

[rittdk01]

Sports with worse commissioners than the NFL

 

FIFA full of corruption to the core.  Actual criminals running soccer.

 

Baseball  Selig oversaw a strike and cancelled World Series, turned a blind eye to steroids to bring people back to MLB after the strike and let salaries get out of control. The smaller teams have 0 chance of winning anything.  Now the farm system for baseball is the Padres, Rays and other unfortunate teams that dont have the $ to contend.

 

NHL how many work stoppages can they have?  I don't watch hockey at all but would def skip it now.  Greed, greed and more greed from all sides.

 

Nascar  Also don't watch racing but I do know they tweak the rules every few years to try giving Dale Earnhardt Jr and other popular drivers the best chance of winning.  Would be like the NFL changing every rule to favor running backs because the Cowboys have the best running game.  

 

The old basketball commish also presided over a few work stoppages.  

 

To be honest Goodell is one of the best people just have to complain all the time.

[GoColts8818]

The NFL is like any other business in the entire world.  They are trying to expand their brand and increase revenue.  If us sheep continue to give them money, they will keep coming back asking for more until fans stop giving it to them.  No business cares about their customers, they care about getting money from their customers.

pretty much what I was saying.

[GoColts8818]

Sports with worse commissioners than the NFL

 

FIFA full of corruption to the core.  Actual criminals running soccer.

 

Baseball  Selig oversaw a strike and cancelled World Series, turned a blind eye to steroids to bring people back to MLB after the strike and let salaries get out of control. The smaller teams have 0 chance of winning anything.  Now the farm system for baseball is the Padres, Rays and other unfortunate teams that dont have the $ to contend.

 

NHL how many work stoppages can they have?  I don't watch hockey at all but would def skip it now.  Greed, greed and more greed from all sides.

 

Nascar  Also don't watch racing but I do know they tweak the rules every few years to try giving Dale Earnhardt Jr and other popular drivers the best chance of winning.  Would be like the NFL changing every rule to favor running backs because the Cowboys have the best running game.  

 

The old basketball commish also presided over a few work stoppages.  

 

To be honest Goodell is one of the best people just have to complain all the time.

and that's not even touching the Olympics or Olympic sports like figure skating.

[Superman]

What are the good things that happened under Goodell?

The sport was going to grow no matter what. Thats like giving Ballmer credit for Microsoft

 

Umm, yeah, it is like giving Ballmer credit for Microsoft. At a time when they were losing market share, they embraced new trends in mobile computing and have regained their footing in the industry. Because of adjustments they made under Ballmer's oversight. So he deserves credit.

 

Same thing with Goodell. The NFL could have been buried any number of times the last decade. Goodell hasn't done everything right, and has gotten some things absolutely wrong. But the NFL is still the strongest league in pro sports, and is still growing. I'm not necessarily a Goodell fan, but it's amazing to me the amount of criticism he takes for things the league does, as if he's some kind of dictator who makes these decisions unilaterally. 

[imacoltsfan]

It makes no sense to me to have a "point of emphasis" on the rules. Just teach the refs to be consistant in their calls across the board. Most of these rules have been in place forever. They have refs attending every teams training camps. This is where they should be teaching the players the rules, not during the games!

[1yrdandacloudofdust]

Umm, yeah, it is like giving Ballmer credit for Microsoft. At a time when they were losing market share, they embraced new trends in mobile computing and have regained their footing in the industry. Because of adjustments they made under Ballmer's oversight. So he deserves credit.

Same thing with Goodell. The NFL could have been buried any number of times the last decade. Goodell hasn't done everything right, and has gotten some things absolutely wrong. But the NFL is still the strongest league in pro sports, and is still growing. I'm not necessarily a Goodell fan, but it's amazing to me the amount of criticism he takes for things the league does, as if he's some kind of dictator who makes these decisions unilaterally.

Oh please, Ballmer is viewed more as a failure than he is a success. He took over a monster and kept it going. Any savvy person with a business and tech background would have done just as good of a job or better.

The NFL was never in danger of going anywhere. Please.

We now have people defending Roger Goodell. My goodness. Some of u would argue the time of day.

[Superman]

Oh please, Ballmer is viewed more as a failure than he is a success. He took over a monster and kept it going. Any savvy person with a business and tech background would have done just as good of a job or better.

The NFL was never in danger of going anywhere. Please.

We now have people defending Roger Goodell. My goodness. Some of u would argue the time of day.

 

Yeah, so Goodell is awful because you say he is, and that's all there is to it. 

 

Like I said, I have license to ignore your opinion on this. That's what I'll do from now on. I'll just add it to the list.

[NewColtsFan]

Oh please, Ballmer is viewed more as a failure than he is a success. He took over a monster and kept it going. Any savvy person with a business and tech background would have done just as good of a job or better.

The NFL was never in danger of going anywhere. Please.

We now have people defending Roger Goodell. My goodness. Some of u would argue the time of day.

 

You're among the most argumentative people here.    To disagree with you means getting your blowback.

 

For you to note what others do is the pot calling the kettle black.

 

Things are rarely as obvious as they appear.    That's a lesson you apparently haven't learned yet.

[open window]

Oh please, Ballmer is viewed more as a failure than he is a success. He took over a monster and kept it going. Any savvy person with a business and tech background would have done just as good of a job or better.

The NFL was never in danger of going anywhere. Please.

We now have people defending Roger Goodell. My goodness. Some of u would argue the time of day.

I didn't see players hugging Paul Tagliabeau at the draft.

[1yrdandacloudofdust]

You're among the most argumentative people here. To disagree with you means getting your blowback.

For you to note what others do is the pot calling the kettle black.

Things are rarely as obvious as they appear. That's a lesson you apparently haven't learned yet.

You're and the other guy are in the minority when it comes to this topic. Most people acknowledge he's a ego maniac that is destroying the league.

Im not arguing with you, you're arguing with me.

Goodell sux!

[chrisfarley]

an overactive thread

[SteelCityColt]

You're and the other guy are in the minority when it comes to this topic. Most people acknowledge he's a ego maniac that is destroying the league.

Im not arguing with you, you're arguing with me.

Goodell sux!

 

Umm do you know the definition of the word minority as it seems the majority in this thread aren't in agreement with you on this one. Invariably Goodell isn't going to be popular with fans, he's the messenger of bad news more times than not but does it mean he's done a bad job? 

 

Let's put it another way, what do you think his job actually is?

[ColtsBlueFL]

It's my hope that the league and the refs get together in a couple weeks and go over these calls, establishing a line of demarcation. They can point out which of these calls was bad, which was good, and really set the standard. Then they can respond to the teams -- I'm sure every team has sent in complaints about specific calls this preseason -- and the teams will have a better idea of what is going to be called this season. 

 

What irritated me last night is that hardly any of the penalties were shown on replay. I really hate that about preseason football. The broadcasts are very second rate. So I don't have any idea whether those calls were correct or not. It could be a case of second and third stringers making mistakes, instead of being about the refs being flag-happy. Don't know.

 They will and there will be a slight, but notable pullback in the calls beginning game 1.  But, the NFL has already won in that when the sent officials to all 32 teams and warned them about how tightly they would be calling these exhibition games with the emphasis on-

 

Illegal contact / holding

Hands to the face

Taunting / Cursing (yes fans they slipped it in)

Elaborate celebrations

Offensive receiver pushoff / PI

 

Make no mistake, they want coaches and they want players to adjust. And the officials are so tunnel vision on not missing anything, they are calling penalties that really aren't. We've all seen it already, and I've even watched one overturned on the field.  Those will get weeded out, and I hope they place more emphasis on offensive receiver pushing off, creating contact with the defender.

 

Most coaches are trying to adjust to the new reality- like Chip Kelly :  "If you can't play within the rules, you can't play in this league," Eagles coach Chip Kelly said after a 21-penalty game against the Patriots, per the Philadelphia Daily News. "That's the bottom line. You're just handing people first downs. We better figure it out.  "You don't have to agree with the speed limit, but if the cop is out there with the speed gun, you better take your foot off the gas, or he's going to pull you over."

 

Sean Payton was highly perturbed with his own team, vowing to correct the penalties in practice. : "Obviously, that was painful to watch," Payton said. "I can't recall ever a game with that many penalties. And here is the thing: most of the ones I saw were good calls. So this isn't about a crew calling a lot of penalties, this is about something I have to do a better job with. ...  It's the first sign of a team that has no discipline. And that's the first sign of poor coaching. ... I'm very upset."

 

Of course not all are on board, such as Pete Carroll (I wonder why?)  He particularly addressed this new emphasis that is making what is already the toughest task in the NFL — legally defending a wide receiver in this pass-happy, heavily-legislated league — seemingly next-to-impossible to do.   “It doesn’t seem quite right. It seems like there are too many calls being made and too many incidental calls that seem to be affecting the game. So, we’ll see. … It’s obviously different. So, the question is: Is it better? I don’t know."

 

And Rx Ryan : "Let guys play,” said Jets coach Rex Ryan, who was the Ravens' defensive coordinator before coming to New York. “If it's a penalty, then call it. If it's not, then let them [play]. Guys should be able to compete for the football and things like that down the field. The game is great as it is, but if it's in the rules then you've got to play within the confinements of the rules and I have no problem with that.”

 

So signs point to a new reality on defense, but it will likely be less brutal than what we have had to endure this preseason so far.  One can only hope.

[1yrdandacloudofdust]

Umm do you know the definition of the word minority as it seems the majority in this thread aren't in agreement with you on this one. Invariably Goodell isn't going to be popular with fans, he's the messenger of bad news more times than not but does it mean he's done a bad job?

Let's put it another way, what do you think his job actually is?

This site is the exception is my point. So many of you just want to be difficult. There's a reason the guy is boo'd when he's introduced in front of football fans.

Nobody can say what he did good, but the game has been softened under his watch and it will continue. He took over a juggernaut and has basically ruined the product. If as any penalties are called in the reg season, the gms will be unwatchable.

[SteelCityColt]

This site is the exception is my point. So many of you just want to be difficult. There's a reason the guy is boo'd when he's introduced in front of football fans.

Nobody can say what he did good, but the game has been softened under his watch and it will continue. He took over a juggernaut and has basically ruined the product. If as any penalties are called in the reg season, the gms will be unwatchable.

 

You didn't answer my question, what is his job? Think of it from this way, who are his bosses? In his tenure has the NFL not experienced a surge in media coverage, revenues, international exposure etc etc. Anyone with 2 bits of sense recognises his job is to maximise the commercial viability of the product and he has done that very well. 

 

Correct me if I'm wrong but the rules side is the competition committee not Mr Goodell, so your softening of the product hatred is a little aimed at the wrong guy. The league didn't really have much choice either with the lawsuits hanging over them and the parents of future players questioning whether it's safe for their kids to play the game. Again the culture of the world has changed as a whole and the NFL has moved with to continue it's success. I actually agree with you that the game is getting to soft and IMO now that the risks are known it's a players choice to play the game or not and to get compensated accordingly. 

 

As for the GMs being unmatchable... I've always found Mr Irsay a very engaging person.

 

I apologise for being "difficult" and trying to engage you in a reasoned debate, I know that we're the exception on the forum for not agreeing 100% with your world view. 

[lollygagger8]

He has ruined a great gm. That is all

 

What gm did he ruin? 

 

Jerry Jones? 

[Narcosys]

Whats the nhl?

 

[Superman]

 They will and there will be a slight, but notable pullback in the calls beginning game 1.  But, the NFL has already won in that when the sent officials to all 32 teams and warned them about how tightly they would be calling these exhibition games with the emphasis on-

 

Illegal contact / holding

Hands to the face

Taunting / Cursing (yes fans they slipped it in)

Elaborate celebrations

Offensive receiver pushoff / PI

 

Make no mistake, they want coaches and they want players to adjust. And the officials are so tunnel vision on not missing anything, they are calling penalties that really aren't. We've all seen it already, and I've even watched one overturned on the field.  Those will get weeded out, and I hope they place more emphasis on offensive receiver pushing off, creating contact with the defender.

 

Most coaches are trying to adjust to the new reality- like Chip Kelly :  "If you can't play within the rules, you can't play in this league," Eagles coach Chip Kelly said after a 21-penalty game against the Patriots, per the Philadelphia Daily News. "That's the bottom line. You're just handing people first downs. We better figure it out.  "You don't have to agree with the speed limit, but if the cop is out there with the speed gun, you better take your foot off the gas, or he's going to pull you over."

 

Sean Payton was highly perturbed with his own team, vowing to correct the penalties in practice. : "Obviously, that was painful to watch," Payton said. "I can't recall ever a game with that many penalties. And here is the thing: most of the ones I saw were good calls. So this isn't about a crew calling a lot of penalties, this is about something I have to do a better job with. ...  It's the first sign of a team that has no discipline. And that's the first sign of poor coaching. ... I'm very upset."

 

Of course not all are on board, such as Pete Carroll (I wonder why?)  He particularly addressed this new emphasis that is making what is already the toughest task in the NFL — legally defending a wide receiver in this pass-happy, heavily-legislated league — seemingly next-to-impossible to do.   “It doesn’t seem quite right. It seems like there are too many calls being made and too many incidental calls that seem to be affecting the game. So, we’ll see. … It’s obviously different. So, the question is: Is it better? I don’t know."

 

And Rx Ryan : "Let guys play,” said Jets coach Rex Ryan, who was the Ravens' defensive coordinator before coming to New York. “If it's a penalty, then call it. If it's not, then let them [play]. Guys should be able to compete for the football and things like that down the field. The game is great as it is, but if it's in the rules then you've got to play within the confinements of the rules and I have no problem with that.”

 

So signs point to a new reality on defense, but it will likely be less brutal than what we have had to endure this preseason so far.  One can only hope.

 

All that's fine, and it's hard for me to make a judgment on whether these calls are good or not because I didn't see any replays. But when you call that many penalties, it's hard to accept that the calls are being made properly. Again, I don't know, because I didn't see all the replays (I saw some of them, and there were some good calls and some bad calls).

[jskinnz]

This site is the exception is my point. So many of you just want to be difficult. There's a reason the guy is boo'd when he's introduced in front of football fans.

Nobody can say what he did good, but the game has been softened under his watch and it will continue. He took over a juggernaut and has basically ruined the product. If as any penalties are called in the reg season, the gms will be unwatchable.

 

I don't think you understand what Goodell is trying to do which is basically save the game.  The softening that you mentioned has to happen between the lawsuits and youth participation falling, he is making steps to ensure that the game is around in 20 years. 

 

And let me ask you - if TV ratings are up and the interest remains high, how can anyone reasonably argue that he has "ruined" the game?

[CR91]

Ive never been a fan of goodell, but the penalties arent his fault its the competition committee  

[DougDew]

Goodell is trying to keep the game from deteriorating into a boring contest of simple physicality.  The game is interesting when route running skill can lead to a touchdown, among other skills. 

 

When strategy can overcome physical superiority is when any sport becomes interesting.  Without that dynamic, a sport becomes boring, like a slam dunk contest.  This is why the NFL's commissioners have been the best.  They have understood that you can't just sell physicality and intimidation.  That stuff is less effective than most believe anyway. 

 

The players are simply deploying a strategy that suggests that if you commit enough fouls, if everybody does it all the time, there is no way the officials will call it.  If enough players do it, the officials will be too afraid to stop it.  Its trying to get their way through intimidation.  The only response that will work is more authority.

 

The NFL's owners were rich BEFORE they became owners.  The players and the media need the NFL game much more than the owners do.  Flag 'em all,  all of the time, or.. 

 

Change the rules:  Once a DB or WR (more calls against WRs too this preseason) gets called for 2 PI's or Illegal contact in the same game, eject them on the next flag and fine them 25% of their game check.

 

In other words, punish the offenders harder without hurting the entire game in the process.