NFL head honcho Roger Goodell is more accessible than most league commissioners.
Goodell does many interviews throughout the season and is known to personally respond to emails from fans that are sent to the NFL league office. On Monday night he did one of those interviews, a "Town Hall" segment on SiriusXM NFL Radio with host Michael Strahan, and discussed a wide range of issues currently affecting the league, most notably, the Pro Bowl.
The game has been criticized for years for poor effort, but last year the game reached a new level of mediocrity. In past games defenders have played carefully so not to get injured, but still played with a high motor and could be seen giving effort in the game.
Last year's Pro Bowl was a big embarrassment for the league, with players barely trying on defense and the offense running up the score, with the two sides combining for 100 points in the game.
"If we cannot accomplish that kind of standard (of high play), I am inclined to not play it," Goodell said, according to the Associated Press. "It is really tough to force competition, and after a long season, to ask those guys to go out and play at the same level they played is really tough."
According to ESPN, "The league still would select a Pro Bowl team through voting by players, coaches and fans, because it is an honor, but 'just not play the game,' he said."
The level of play was evident to fans on TV and they took their opinions to Twitter, making the league rethink the idea of playing the game.
After the game, Goodell said to the San Francisco Chronicle that the game wasn't "the kind of football we want to be demonstrating to our fans, and you heard it from the fans, the fans were actively booing in the stands. ... We are going to either have to improve the quality of what we are doing in the Pro Bowl or consider other changes, or even consider eliminating the game if that is the kind of quality of game we are going to provide."
At the time, former NFL defensive back Rodney Harrison commented on the game, saying to the Charlotte Observer: "I've played in a couple of Pro Bowls. If you don't want to play and you don't want to give a hundred percent, you should sit on the sidelines and allow someone else to get that opportunity," Harrison said. "I was actually embarrassed by some of the players. When I played in the Pro Bowl, we played hard. We played for pride. It's just ridiculous."
Former Colts coach Tony Dungy also added a comment during the same interview: "I remember the first one I coached in 1984, and we had (Kenny) Easley and Howie Long, and there were no free passes in that game. The defense came to play, offensive guys knew it. It was like a regular game," Dungy said. "You just had that competitiveness. I didn't see that the other night, and I do hope that changes, because it can be a great game."
Following the outcry of the game, some players said they would up their level of play during the next Pro Bowl, but it remains to be seen if that is true. The game will be held in January the week between the Championship playoff round and the Super Bowl.
"I'll be honest with you, I was a little disappointed," Rodgers said following the game during a radio interview with ESPN Milwaukee. "I felt like some of the guys on the NFC side embarrassed themselves. There should be some pride involved in a game like that, and I was just surprised by some of the efforts by some of the guys."
Pro Bowl quarterback Phillip Rivers spoke with ESPN about the game.
"In general, maybe the whole week should be up for discussion," said Rivers, who would like to see the skill challenges be part of the weekly festivities again. "But I know there are guys in the game whose contracts may be up and they don't want to get hurt and things like that. Still, we have to think of the fans and try to stay true to the game and not make a joke or a mockery out of the game."
Goodell spoke about many other topics, including an 18-game regular season schedule.
"Our fans don't like watching the preseason games, attending the preseason games, so we have to evaluate the season format," he said, "and that is one way of looking at it: 18-2. Or go to 16-2 or some other alternative; take two of those (preseason) games and make them more developmental."
The 18-game schedule was a huge topic during the NFL lockout, with the player's side being vehemently against the idea. While the NFL would like to change the format of the preseason, players do not believe an 18-game schedule will be optimal for their long-term careers.
The NFL has worked in recent years at expanding the game internationally, especially in London. The league has played games overseas since 2007 and has future games scheduled for next year, including the San Francisco 49ers and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
That game will be in addition to the matchup between San Francisco 49ers and the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jaguars have agreed to play four games in London over the next four years and could continue that further down the line.
Said Goodell: "I wouldn't at all be surprised some day to see us have a team in London."
Other highlights of the interview include the NFL's work at helping fans with security in stadiums. Many times fans have issues dealing with other patrons who have been drinking or acting unruly and have a hard time finding security personnel.
Goodell is working with stadiums to help combat this: "Allowing you to text to security personnel rather than having to get an usher, that is a plus to fans," said Goodell, who recently sat with his family in the stands at a Titans-Vikings game in Minneapolis. "The arrests are down and ejections are up. Our teams are ejecting fans who are unruly. And arrests (being) down is an indication that fans are getting the message."
Goodell also spoke about scheduling issues with West coast teams playing on the East coast.
"Several of our teams on the West Coast have raised that and we have been studying it," he said. "We have tried to put as many of those games on the East Coast at 4 p.m. You can imagine the thousands of different issues you have to put into the schedule. But the 10 o'clock starts are pretty tough."
