Lori

Well. This thread certainly took an ... unexpected ... turn a couple of pages back, and not for the better.

KD, I think the "no power" bit is more true for the rookie salaries than the unshared revenue. Everyone knows the draft-pick pay scale is way out of whack; 2008 No. 1 overall pick Jake Long's five-year, $57.5-million deal, with $30 million guaranteed, dwarfs the $40-million contract ($21 million guaranteed) recently signed by seven-time Pro Bowl lineman Alan Faneca. That's insane. Would Big Mike Williams' career possibly have turned out differently if he'd had to work for a big contract, instead of having one handed to him before he ever played a down in the league? I haven't done a ton of research on the other major sports leagues, but I'm fairly sure none of them operate the same way. Trouble is, even though the union has acknowledged that the veterans deserve better treatment than the rookies, they won't be inclined to just hand that money back to the owners. You're correct about his opinion on unshared suite/PSL revenue: the more, the better. He claimed that the Snyders and Krafts understand the importance of keeping the small-market franchises viable in their current locations, but I believed that about as much as I did his Spygate answer. No, he has legitimate concerns about scalping and fraud. However, you'll no doubt be interested (but not surprised) to learn that the NFL intends to move into the "secondary ticketing market." Chuck has a good column in today's OTH, but it isn't online. I'll drop an e-mail to their Web editor to see if I can talk him into putting it up. With Bills-related stuff consistently outdrawing anything else on their site -- due largely to TBD, I suspect -- you'd think it would be an automatic upload ...

To expand on what Blame Canada said, season-ticket holders don't normally receive their ticket packages until late July.

Cheers, William, and I look forward to the Oakland game. HBD to anyone else I missed this week, as well. Still don't have my laptop back, so I was without I-net access while I was in Buffalo ...

You're stretching this so far that you're starting to look like Plastic Man.

Depends on the offense. This, maybe. But I know people who lost their licenses for 30 days due to DUIs -- including one whose job description required him to drive -- and they were not given that option. He almost got fired because of it. If the judge also pulled the registration on the SUV, though, I'm thinking he probably wouldn't have granted Lynch that dispensation.

To understand what makes National Football League commissioner Roger Goodell tick, one should probably look at his father's résumé. Charles Goodell, a Republican senator from New York, was defeated for re-election in 1970 because he dared to speak out against the Vietnam War, introducing a “Sense of the Senate” resolution calling for President Richard Nixon's impeachment. As his middle son proudly recalled, “he stood up for what he believed was right” – even though it cost him his political career. There is a framed copy of that page from the Congressional Record right next to the door in Goodell's Park Avenue office, serving as a constant reminder that “you have to make decisions that you think are right, regardless of the consequences.” Goodell addressed several topics during a 75-minute conversation with WIVB-TV sports director John Murphy in the Chautauqua Institution amphitheater, but kept returning to the theme of responsibility. This fall, the league will implement a Fan Conduct Policy to keep out-of-control spectators from negatively affecting others' gameday experiences. The idea is simple: Go ahead and have a couple beers, yell as loud as you can, but don't ruin it for everybody else. The Personal Conduct Policy, strengthened in 2007 with input from over 100 players, applies to everybody in the league. Yes, including the commissioner, who feels that the NFL owes it to the fans to show proper respect for their support. “It's unacceptable to be involved in activities that reflect poorly on yourself and your team,” Goodell said. “And if you have incidents like that, you will be disciplined. But before we get to that point, we try to provide them resources – give them tools where they can make better decisions.” The league will also begin assessing cumulative fines to teams for their players' or coaches' transgressions. The stiffer penalties have been noticed. College and high school coaches have contacted Goodell to tell him that the rules are having an impact at their level, leading him to muse, “Hopefully we're influencing generations to come.” That's the same logic behind taking all the incoming rookies on a tour through the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The program is based on a suggestion by Class of 2007 member Michael Irvin, who told Goodell he may have made different choices early in his career had he fully understood the league's history and tradition. The idea is to address the “it's all about me” attitude by showing the young players that the game was here a long time before they came along, and will still be here after they retire. Of course, coaches and commissioners also eventually move on, and Goodell doesn't expect to hold his current job forever. What legacy will he leave? He doesn't dwell on it, but wants to “try to make a difference – a positive difference. I don't know all the things that are going to come up over my tenure. I certainly, when I took this job, didn't know that I was going to have to deal with some of the issues that I've already had to deal with. You want to make sure that you handle them properly, that you leave the NFL better than it was, and hopefully make the game greater.” -------------------------------------------------------------- A few other notes, and highlights from the question-and-answer session which followed the program: Toronto? - Ralph Wilson wants to keep the team in Buffalo, and Goodell will do what he can to make sure that happens. He agreed with Murphy's assertion that there is a closer bond between small-market teams and their fans. The way he sees it, the Rogers Centre initiative should actually help strengthen the franchise. He talked about the 80 percent of revenue that is equally shared by the franchises, but nimbly sidestepped the growing disparity in unshared revenue both in an interview with WGR Sports Radio and during his remarks in the Amphitheater. Based on a conversation I had following the event, I'm thinking at least one local columnist will have something to say about his tap-dancing expertise. Stay tuned. Spygate? - Again, follow the rules or suffer the consequences ... and the first-round pick and $500,000 fine were an unprecedented price to pay. He said that since he knew what was on the tapes, so he didn't need to keep the tapes. (That decision continues to be questioned.) Community ownership? - It works in Green Bay, but that's a unique situation. The league can't have 32 Green Bays. They need capital, and they need owners to make decisions. Disputes with retired players? - The NFL and NFLPA deserve credit for already working to improve retiree benefits – most industries don't do that – “but we can do more. The men who built this game deserve to be treated with respect and dignity.” Steroids? - The NFL has been testing for performance-enhancing drugs since 1989. That said, people will always look for an edge, and it's difficult to stay ahead of the curve. Betting on games? - “We need to protect the game from being influenced improperly.” Gambling has become a negative influence on society in general. The Rooney Rule as it applies to management/ownership? - It does apply, but it's not mandatory. That said, diversity is very important to the league. Expansion? - “I don't see that.” With 32 teams, the NFL is the largest of the major professional sports leagues. Adding more teams would also mean fewer revenue-sharing dollars for each franchise. Pay-per-view? - Sure, the Super Bowl could be on PPV ... but that would be unfair to the 150 million people who watched last year's game. The current model works. Rookie salaries? - It is ridiculous that top draft picks make so much guaranteed money before ever playing a down. “Something needs to change. The money should go to the people who perform.” Globalization? - “We're not interested in conquering the world,” but there are plans to continue growing the game outside our borders. 15,000 tickets for the Chargers-Saints game in London recently went on sale. They were gone in 30 minutes. Minor-league football? - The league fought for, and won, the right to keep its three-year eligibility rule. He feels players are better off for the opportunity to both play college football and be exposed to an advanced education. “You can't play football forever.” Fantasy football? - He doesn't play it, but encourages anything that increases fans' connections to the game. Scalping? - Definitely something the league is looking at; they're concerned about fraud, and a bevy of new state laws that allow the practice aren't helping their cause. Changing the overtime rules? - No. The risk of losing the game without ever touching the ball in OT should serve as an incentive to try to win the game in regulation. He's no fan of seven-OT college games.

You're right. That was pretty good.

Do I *think* he was drinking? Yeah, probably. Can I PROVE it? No. And neither can you.

One XL, please.

Or he could just be nervous because he isn't comfortable speaking in public? Especially in a situation like this? Just a thought.

Just got home, so it'll be a while yet before I can crank out a serious story. Till then, a few notes: Recorded GR's interview as I drove down from Buffalo this morning. He did address the Lynch situation with Howard and Whitey ... sort of. The league has been waiting for the legal system to run its course before making any decision, so he didn't have much to say. "It is a league matter, once it's been resolved locally. I think right now, at this stage, we want to see what the facts are. We need to see what the charges are -- if there are any charges -- understand the facts, and then be able to act in relationship to our Personal Conduct Policy." He went on to talk about the policy, but mentioned nothing further on Lynch. Oh, and since he grew up in D.C. while his father was in Congress, he was a Colts/Redskins fan. (Of course, Buffalo is still the "hometown" team.) That's the one negative he admitted about his job -- he can't have a favorite team. To him, "we" means the entire league. When he watches a game, he roots for two things: a comeback by whichever team is behind, and for the refs to get all the calls right. Since the only job he ever wanted was to work for the NFL, he's accepted the tradeoff. More later ...

Fail all around, including a dose for me ...

The Associated Press is late to the party ...

Not to make excuses for the practice, but you know everybody else does it. Heck, there are places where the blackout threshold is 5k below stadium capacity. (Yeah, Jacksonville, I'm looking at you.) Would it be better if they were more specific, saying only that all single-game tickets are sold out? I'm all right with the D&C using "should be able to see" in their story, because it has to be extremely rare for a previously-announced sellout to hit the blackout deadline. I'll be honest -- I can't remember any, although some have come close.

Just a reminder for those in the area -- the lecture is this Friday at 10:45 a.m., with a Q-and-A session to follow. I know at least one of the Bills beat writers will be there and assume the News will also send someone (although the D&C isn't), so watch for their stories in Saturday's newspapers. You can also read a .pdf copy of the Chautauquan Daily on www.ciweb.org. They did a full play-by-play of Frank Deford's lecture; I'm assuming that's standard procedure. Already bought my gate pass, and will be driving down from Buffalo after hanging out with the folks for the next couple of days ...

Pittsburgh last weekend, Amherst at some point later this week, and I'll be back out at Chautauqua Friday morning. Probably back up to Buffalo for the Fourth, and that will just about do it before I go back to work. Figuring on two or more road games this season, too.

Frank Deford, during yesterday's lecture at Chautauqua:

Think that would qualify as "cruel and unusual punishment."

Not a typo, just a mistake. The 1974 total is correct; the year they apparently meant to use was 1993 (53,004). The other possibility is that they wanted to point out the next total this year's count could surpass, and chose a poor way of expressing it. The current top five: 1992 -- 57,132 1991 -- 54,604 1974 -- 54,182 1993 -- 53,004 1973 -- 52,474 By the way, the Bills led the league in attendance in each of those seasons. That won't happen this year, not with 91,000-seat FedEx Field raking in the dough ...

Think there were a few tears shed that day? Heck, it's getting dusty in here right now ... Keep fighting, Joe.

You already know I don't need much of an excuse to visit Canton ... Troup said he was told Clooney would be right out there sweating through the camp with the rest of the players. Yeah, riiight. Didn't happen. Oh, and all the guys he picked from the tryouts had to be 5'11" or under, so Clooney wouldn't look short. That's why the guy from "The Office" really stands out -- think he's 6'3". Minor details like that aside, he said he really enjoyed the job, Clooney was actually a pretty good guy to work for, and he'd do it again in a heartbeat. It's just too bad that more of the football action they shot didn't end up in the finished product.

Me too. Great seeing you and Mrs. KRC, and thanks again for setting the whole thing up ...