NFL undecided on future of Pro Bowl

By Dave Brown | dave@nflen.com | Tweet #NFLEN

National Football League commissioner Roger Goodell at the podium at the NFL Draft.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

One thing is certain a day after the annual Pro Bowl, fans were more impressed with the effort of the players.

The league has previously stated that it is thinking about ending the annual game, but that could change after yesterday. A source involved in the decision making process stated that the quality of play was much improved, but that does not indicate that the future of the game is certain.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell had stated that he thought the quality of the game and effort of the players needed to improve, and in a chat with fans he stated that he noticed an improved quality and improved effort on the part of the players.

He also stated that over the next few weeks, he will be getting player input about the future of the game and the conditions under which the game will be played over the next few weeks.

One of the topics sure to be brought up at the annual owners meetings in March will also be the location of the game. The stands appeared mostly empty yesterday, and the league is thinking about moving the game to the host city for the Super Bowl.

It also appears that the players want the game to take place after the Super Bowl, a move I'm not sure will go over at all with the league, so I don't expect that to happen. One of the reasons the league moved the game to a week before the Super Bowl was to fill in what had otherwise been an empty week of football, hoping to generate more fan interest.

From the outside looking in, that tactic appears to have worked somewhat, but probably not to the level the league had hoped it would.

If the location of the Pro Bowl is moved to the host city for the Super Bowl, it probably wouldn't happen until the 2015 Super Bowl in Arizona, and that would also help boost fan interest in the game and generate more revenue for the host city.

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Expanding NFL playoffs would be the right move

By Dave Brown | dave@nflen.com | Tweet #NFLEN


Yesterday, NFL comissioner Roger Goodell floated the idea that the NFL competition committee would look at expanding the NFL playoff format to include 14 to 16 teams, instead of the current 12.

When I decided to write this article, I also decided to break down how the current playoff system works, and look at how expanding the playoffs would affect the teams that were left out.

The NFL is composed of two conferences, the NFC and NFC. Those are each composed of four divisions, the North, South, East, and West. There are four teams in each division.

Under the current system with twelve teams, each conference sends 6 teams to the playoffs. The four division winners from each conference automatically get a playoff berth, and the two teams with the best record from the remaining non-division winners get a wild card berth.

Sean Payton will be coach for hire after suspension?

By NFL-EN | dave@nflen.com

Sean Payton of the New Orleans Saints
(Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)

The New Orleans Saints gave head coach Sean Payton a contract extension in 2011 which was due to run through the 2015 season, and the league voided that extension because of the language in the contract. With his contract set to expire after this season, what could happen?

Players to soon take concussion tests on sideline

by Ryan Ebert

When NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell entered the league, he placed an emphasis on discipline and player safety. Six years later and an extension those topics have grown even bigger.

Goodell told Peter King of SI.com that with the testing and treatment evolving all the time that soon players can take concussion tests on the sideline via electronic tablets.

"The first thing to do is prevent it. That goes to rules, equipment," Goodell said in the most recent installment of King's "Monday Morning Quarterback" column. "The second is our sideline assessment tools. We have made changes to that. There are some new technologies that make this very soon in the future where on a tablet, you can actually take a test on the sideline to determine (the concussion)."

That sort of technology may even be in by this year, and emphasized that players must self-report their concussions. The league will have spotters to look for players that may have concussions.

Jammer opposes new NFL policy

by Ryan Ebert

San Diego Chargers' CB Quentin Jammer does not like the new policy the NFL has brought up that all players are required to wear leg padding.

"There'll probably be a lot of fines in 2013," Jammer said about the year that the rule is expected to go into effect. "A lot of guys won't wear them."

He clearly stated "No," when a newspaper asked him if he is going to wear the leg padding.

On Tuesday league owners voted to have all players be required to wear hip, thigh, knee pads during games this next year. Though the NFLPA is against it.

"It's dumb," Jammer, an 11-year veteran, said. "Ridiculous to me. I don't think anybody should be required to wear (them). I don't get hit, so I don't need to worry about pads. Offensive players should wear them because we hit them, but I don't think it should be mandatory."

Jarrett Johnson, a LB for the Chargers, said that the change was insincere and that it won't improve player safety.

"The repetitive amount of hits we take, day in and day out -- this, to me, is a PR stunt. ... If you get hit in the legs, you're doing something wrong," Johnson said. "You're either getting cut or standing there. Usually, when guys are aggressive and they're hitting back, the legs aren't usually getting hit."

Quite a few players are against wearing pads because they believe that they play faster without them on. Roger Goodell said that NBA players now wear more padding below the hip than do NFL players. Mike Parker ,Nike's CEO, is the one who gave Goodell this piece if information.

"You play this game because you want to play this game, and the risks you take are the risks you take," Jammer told the newspaper. "If you don't want to wear hip pads, knee pads or thigh pads, you shouldn't have to. It should be a choice."

Making it required for players to wear leg padding is, showing that every level of football require the pads but the NFL.

NFL to add pads to player uniforms

According to a story by the AP earlier, the NFL has made thigh and knee pads mandatory for the 2013 season. Not so surprisingly, the NFLPA is against the idea, saying that action needs to be worked out between the NFL and the Players Association before becoming a rule.

Will the statement made by Goodell to the players and coaches stick?

The NFLPA(NFL Players Association) has filed a grievance that claims that Roger Goodell does not have the authority to discipline the New Orleans Saints players in the bounty case.

NFL upholds penalties on Saints, sort of...

By Dave Brown

New Orleans Saints Coach Sean Payton (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Earlier today the league announced that the penalties against the New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton, general manager Mickey Loomis, and assistant head coach Joe Vitt, will stay the same after their appeals process.

Payton got clarification on the suspension from the commissioner, Roger Goodell, on his suspension. Payton is to have no contact with his players or team that involves coaching. Goodell will review each suspension before making any reinstatement.

If the Saints personnel involved participate in the required programs and follow the terms of their suspensions, the Saints might get back a draft pick in 2013, though probably not the second round pick they lost when penalized. The Saints $500,000 fine might also get lowered, and Payton, Loomis, and Vitt might get some pay back from the time they were suspended.

Gregg Williams, did not appeal his suspension, and is out of football at the NFL level indefinitely.


Payton now has until April 16th to get some things done for the Saints, and somewhere near the top of that list has to be Drew Brees, who has yet to sign his one year franchise tag.

The NFL clearly wants to send a message here, and the teams and players need to listen carefully. For all the complaining we hear in the media about the NFL not caring about the health of their own players, then to have players participating in these types of programs, the NFL isn't going to tolerate it.

The hypocrisy has to stop.

Related articles

• Saints' Loomis, Vitt Arrive at NFL Office (abcnews.go.com)
• NFL upholds penalties against New Orleans Saints and coach Sean Payton (thestar.com)
• PFT: Goodell upholds Saints' suspensions (profootballtalk.nbcsports.com)

New Nike NFL Football uniforms unveiled

The fans have been waiting to see what their favorite NFL teams are going to be wearing this season, and today was the day we all found out.

32 NFL players, Nike President & CEO Mark Parker, Nike Brand President Charlie Denson,  and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell were all present earlier today when Nike released the new Elite 51 uniforms.

Nike takes over the contract with the NFL previously held by Reebok, and says fans can expect the new uniforms to be available for purchase by the end of this month.

Related articles

• NFL prepares to introduce Nike-designed uniforms this morning (oregonlive.com)