Bounty-gate punishment should be bountiful for Gregg Williams and NFL players

Last week the NFL exposed a bonus performance system that Gregg Williams used while he was the defensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints that breaks the league’s rules.  In the system, players received cash for not only performance, but also bounty payments for injuring players. 

The NFL’s investigation which originally began in 2010 discovered that Saints players received $1,500 for a "knockout" hit and $1,000 for a "cart-off" hit, with payouts doubling or tripling during the team's three playoff appearances in 2009, 2010 and 2011.   Knockout hits refer to a player being knocked out cold.  As you can probably guess, a cart-off hit is an injury that leads the player to being taken out of the game.

This was the case for former Detroit Lions running back James Stewart.  Former Buffalo Bills safety, Coy Wire, ended Stewart’s career with a hit and was rewarded for it.   Stewart was just 31 and coming off of season in which he rushed for more than 1,000 yards when he stopped playing because of the injury.

Wire said, "I shattered James Stewart's shoulder, and he never played again. I was showered with praise for that. It's a shame that's how it was. Now I see how wrong that was."  Wire played for Williams from 2001 – 2003 when he was the Bills’ head coach.  He says that the environment was one of malicious intent.

Williams was summoned to the league’s headquarters in New York for a meeting today.  He will discuss the allegations with NFL security officials and general counsel, Jeff Pash.  He has already admitted that the bounty system existed in New Orleans and acknowledged that it was wrong.  The meeting will address whether he used a similar system at other teams he coached including the Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins.  It is anticipated that Williams’ discipline will be severe and unprecedented.

I am disgusted by the bounty system.  I understand the physicality of the game and the competitive war mentality that these players have developed.  It has been engrained in them since they were little boys playing Pop Warner football.  A friend of mine shared that he remembers his little league team giving an award to the player who had the “hit of the week.”  What little boy would not want to receive that praise in front of his peers?  I get motivating players to perform at the best of their ability.  However, to coach or play this game with the cruel intention to injure another player and end his career is unconscionable.

Williams should not be the only person punished.  Players should be punished for their participation in funding these bounty payments.  They have damaged their counterpart’s careers and lives.  Their actions make a mockery of everything that the NFL and NFLPA are doing to increase safety, decrease injuries and protect THEM!

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and DeMaurice Smith the executive director of the NFLPA need to send a strong message that this type of behavior will not be tolerated in professional football.

Ciao!

Heels & Helmets®

Combine is here, but no one knows if the NFL season will happen this fall

The NFL combine is starting this week.  College players lucky enough to receive an invitation will be in Indianapolis for a four-day intense interview starting on Wednesday.  Usually, at this time, all of the talk is about how the players will perform at the Combine.   This year things are a little different because the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between the NFL and NFLPA (NFL Players Association) is expiring next week at the end of the day on March 3.  As a result, the negotiation on a new deal is overshadowing the Combine and leaving a lot of fans wondering if the NFL season will actually happen this fall.

The NFL led by its Commissioner, Roger Goodell and the NFLPA headed by Executive Director, DeMaurice Smith spent the entire weekend in federally mediated negotiations.  Since Friday, representatives from both sides were in a room for at least six hours negotiating in front of George Cohen, Director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service in Washington, DC.  Surprisingly, everyone has adhered to Cohen’s request that no one comment publicly on the negotiations.  So, we do not have any information on the outcome of the negotiations. 

Here are some important points on the negotiation as I see it.

1. Perception that players get a bigger piece of the profit than owners is inaccurate.  60% of revenue is after owners get their money for operating expenses ($1B); so players are not getting more money than the owners now.  Both sides get about 50%.

2. Owners want to increase their expense credit to $2B and give the players less money.
3. NFL and its owners claim a decrease in profits, but won't share evidence to support this.  However, we know sponsorship is up and they were able to secure higher media deals.  With higher prices, Super Bowls ads for this year's game were completely sold out last October.  That’s three months prior to the game!  Plus, there is more ad time.  Ads during the Super Bowl have increased from 40 minutes to over 48 minutes.  The NFL is making money.
4. Players contracts are not guaranteed.  They make money only when they play.  Amount of pay during an injury depends on several factors including how many games were played prior to the injury.

5. Owners want to add two more games to the regular season while the players take a decrease in pay and increase their chances of injury.

The element that confuses me the most is that the NFL will not show financial information to validate their claim that profits are down.  In a special letter to ESPN.com, Greg Aiello, the NFL's Senior Vice President of Public Relations, wrote: “NFL players have an extremely favorable revenue-sharing deal and full access to all information on revenue and a great deal of information on costs, including the largest cost, which is for players.”

A “great deal”?  I think that this is very telling.  Why not share the entire story?

Let me explain it this way.  If I told my mortgage company that I needed to modify my loan because of financial hardship, they would require ALL of my financial information and expenses to make a decision.  A “great deal” would not be enough to even get my request considered.

This leads me to a deeper issue that I don’t think a lot of people observe and discuss.  The NFL and its club owners do not regard the players as equal business partners.  Their actions toward them illustrate a superior attitude.  They feel as if they don’t have to prove anything.  Players should just believe what they say simply because they said it.  In any other business negotiation, the partner would show the evidence of their claims and move forward with the negotiations.  No one makes a good business decision without ALL of the facts. 

Smith is law man, not a football man like his predecessor Gene Upshaw.  He does not know football, but he does know the law and how to negotiate.  With a background in litigation, he wants the best for his members and that is not just money.  With less than two years on the job, he is still new to sports; but he is not going to be bullied.  It’s a good thing for players that he isn’t afraid to stand up to “the shield” and demand facts to make a sound decision.

In short, it appears to me that the NFL is asking the players to work more for less money.  So, I propose this question that I feel is at the crux of this negotiation: 

Would you be willing to work more hours for less money while your partner reports record sales?

Ciao!

Heels & Helmets®

Is Roger Goodell really walking the talk?

Last Friday, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Tom Lewand, President of the Detroit Lions, for 30 days for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.  Lewand was arrested in Roscommon County, Michigan for suspicion of DUI on June 25 with a blood-alcohol level of .21, more than twice the legal limit in that state.  He pleaded guilty to driving while impaired last month.  As part of his discipline, Lewand was also fined $100,000 and must participate in community service.

When the incident happened, many wondered if the commissioner would discipline an executive for DUI.  In reply to media inquiries, Goodell confirmed that the personal conduct policy is not just for players, but also for all employees of the NFL, including himself.  Since then, players have been watching and listening intently to see how Goodell would handle the situation.  Well, the commissioner walked the talk and demonstrated that he is serious about all NFL employees upholding the personal conduct policy.  I’m just not sure that it was with the same pace or swagger as it would have been for players.

While Lewand was hit with a hefty fine and will not be able to affiliate with the team for 30 days, I do not think that this is as damaging as a penalty that a player would have faced.  Sure, Lewand will not be able to go to the Lions’ facilities, attend games, participate in league meetings or represent the Lions publicly unless it is a community service event focused on alcohol abuse and safe driving. However, none of this starts until August 25. 

How is this punishment?

Lewand’s suspension begins after training camp. 

After two preseason games. 

After rookie contracts are negotiated and signed. 

These are important activities for a team president to participate in.  So, he will not be in the meetings when rosters are cut down to 75 players on August 31.  He will not be included in the discussion to cut down the roster to 53 players on September 4.  However, after participating in training camp and witnessing new players in a couple of preseason games, I’m confident that he will be able to share his opinion before his month long departure.

Yes, Lewand will miss the Lions’ first two regular season games at Chicago (September 12) and at home against Philadelphia (September 19) before returning to his responsibilities on September 24.  However, this is not detrimental to Lewand or the team.  A player missing those two games would be. 

Goodell made an attempt to walk the talk, but I will not give him kudos until he removes executives from the decisions or activities that they play a key role in as part of their discipline.  Lewand’s suspension is like suspending a player in April and saying that he cannot attend voluntary OTAs.  (Who cares?) 

Lewand not being permitted to finish the negotiations for, Ndamukong Suh, the Lions’s first round draft pick, would be more comparable to players missing some games.  Imagine the Lions without their Juris Doctor and math-wiz in the boardroom negotiating the deal for the 2^nd overall pick of the 2010 NFL Draft.  The guy who has negotiated player contracts totaling more than $1 billion.  This would be damaging and show that Goodell is really walking the talk.

Ciao!

Heels &  Helmets

NFL conduct policy for everyone, not just players

Roger Goodell, NFL Commissioner, addressed all of the newly drafted players yesterday at the first day of the annual rookie symposium.  Among other things, he highlighted the leagues personal conduct policy.  In general, the policy prohibits NFL players, NFL employees, NFL Club employees and prospective players and employees from “engaging in violent and/or criminal activity” because it is detrimental to the integrity of and public confidence in the NFL.  The goal is to ensure that everyone affiliated with the NFL represents it positively or deal with the consequences.  Goodell calls this program to maintain a positive image, “protecting the shield” referring to the league’s logo.  He is serious about this and has not been reluctant to discipline the NFL’s biggest stars.  Just ask Steeler’s quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger.

Over the weekend, Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback, and Thomas (Tom) Lewand, Detroit Lions President both made their way on Goodell’s list for potential disciplinary action for breaking the personal conduct policy. 

Michael Vick, still on probation as a result of his conviction for dog fighting, is being investigated by the NFL for a shooting that happened at the location of his birthday party last Thursday in Virginia Beach.  It has been reported that Vick was no longer at the club when Quanis Phillips was shot early Friday morning.  The Virginia Beach Police said that Vick is not “a person of interest,” but one of the conditions of his probation prohibits him from associating with Phillips.  I think that the league’s investigation will look to determine if Vick played a role in the shooting, if he broke the conditions of his probation by being in an environment with Phillips and if he used good judgment having a party at a club.  Vick just returned to the league last year.  Even if he did not have anything to do with the shooting, just hosting the party could demonstrate that he has not learned his lesson and still associates with negative people and makes poor decisions off the field.    

Tom Lewand was arrested in Denton Township, Michigan last Friday for “suspicion” of DUI.  I am not sure what “suspicion” means but the police report notes that Lewand failed the sobriety test and his blood-alcohol level was .21 thirty minutes after police pulled him over.  (He refused to take the test when first stopped.)  Since the incident, the NFL has stated that the personal conduct policy does apply to all NFL personnel and they are gathering the facts on Lewand’s arrest.  Regardless of the league’s probe, the fact that Lewand’s blood-alcohol level was two times Michigan’s legal limit of .08, demonstrates that he was operating a vehicle illegally.

After his address to rookies yesterday evening, Goodell reminded reporters that the conduct policy “isn't a player policy, it's a personal conduct policy."  Goodell has received some criticism for handling poor behavior from players tougher than coaches, personnel and owners.  Many argue that owners and team personnel are not in the public like players.  Not true.  They may not have the notoriety of a star player, but they are the face of the organization.  They need to be held accountable for their actions because they set the example for their staff and the players.  If Goodell is truly going to “protect the shield” he will have to act on what he says and discipline everybody in the NFL for not complying with the policy, not just players.  

Ciao!

Heels &  Helmets

Big Ben Is Suspended, But The Drama Is Just Starting

NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell announced last month that Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger would be suspended for 4 – 6 games at the beginning of the 2010 season for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.  While Ben received his punishment, the drama and uncertainty continues for the Steelers organization and its fans.

Who will replace Big Ben as the starting quarterback?

Last weekend, the Steelers conducted their first mini-camp and Coach Tomlin was clear that a decision on who will be the starting quarterback has not been made and it will not be decided until training camp.  Let’s look at the options:

1. Byron Leftwich – A strong quarterback returning to Pittsburgh for the second time.  (He played behind Roethlisberger during the 2008 season.)  Drafted number 7 in the first round of the 2005 draft by Jacksonville, he entered the league with a lot of promise.  He throws well and has been pretty accurate, but multiple ankle injuries have limited his career.

2. Dennis Dixon – Pittsburgh drafted him in the 6^th round of the 2008 draft.    In his first season he was deactivated and last season he was behind Ben and Charlie Batch.  He did start at the end of last season because they were both injured.  Dixon is really fast and some people thought that he would move to the receiver position in the NFL.

3. Charlie Batch - A tried and true veteran.  He had a great start to his career in Detroit, but has suffered several injuries that have limited his action.  He has been the back up quarterback in Pittsburgh since 2002.  Entering his 13^th season, he is familiar with the game, the team and Tomlin.  He is also a favorite in Steeler Nation because he grew up close by in Homestead, Pennsylvania.

See the drama is just starting.  Over the next few months, you will hear all about these guys competing for “Big Ben’s job.”  And once Tomlin announces his starter in July, the drama will not end.  The discussion will then turn to how the new starter compares to Ben and what the Steelers will do when he returns.

At this point there are just too many unknowns to make a prediction.  Did the Steelers bring back Leftwich to back up Ben?  In anticipation of the suspension, was that move to have another experienced QB on the roster?  I’ll have to follow this drama and analyze every word (and non-word) from Tomlin to guess what he is going to do this summer.

What do you think?

Ciao!

Heels &  Helmets

NFL Does Some Spring-Cleaning

Spring is officially here!  Time to get out the Windex and Swifter for some spring-cleaning.  Even the NFL is getting some things in order.  The NFL’s Annual Owners Meeting started yesterday in Orlando, Florida.  During the next couple of days all of the owners (or designated team representative) of the 32 clubs will meet, discuss and vote to clean up some business issues.  All decisions must receive 24 votes for approval.  Here are a couple of topics that I expect the owners to clean up and discuss this week.

1. CBA – The current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is going to expire after this year and this season is uncapped.  I’m sure a huge portion of this year’s meeting will be about labor negotiations.  In short, 60% of revenue goes towards player’s salaries and the owners want this changed.  Naturally, the players feel like this is fair because they go out on the field and damage their bodies playing the game each week.  Without them there is not a game.  However, owners take all of the financial risk and have expressed that their profit margins are shrinking.  They are responsible for managing an entire business, not just a single position.  Without their investment, there is not a club, a stadium or game.  This issue will not be finalized, but the Commissioner, Roger Goodell, will provide an update on how the negotiations are going with the NFL Players Association. 

2. Overtime Rules – The NFL plays sudden death in overtime.  So, the first team that scores in overtime wins the game.  The team that gets the ball first is decided by a coin toss.  Statistics illustrate that almost 60% of the teams that win the coin toss, win the game with a field goal. This has always been a point of contention, but since the New Orleans Saints won the NFC Championship Game in overtime, there has been a substantial amount of discussion concerning a coin toss deciding a playoff game.   The Competition Committee completed their research and will propose a rule change to allow the other team to get the ball if the first team scores a field goal.  However, if the team that gets the ball first in overtime scores a touchdown, the game is over and the other team does not get the ball.  I don’t like Minnesota and Favre fans whining that a coin toss cost them the conference championship.  (I like Favre, but remember that four quarters of football were played before overtime and Favre did throw a crucial interception.)  But, if you are going to give one team another chance on offense, the other team deserves a shot. 

3. Super Bowl XLVIII (2014) – The three finalists to host the Super Bowl in 2014 are Tampa Bay, Miami and New York City (Giants and Jets).   If New York City wins, the Super Bowl will be played in an open stadium in a cold weather location for the first time.  I love New York and I’m looking forward to visiting the new Meadowlands Stadium, but an open stadium in the winter will not be fun.  I remember walking around Detroit for Super Bowl XL and the snow was miserable.  I can’t imagine sitting outside for the game.  I think that Kick Off Week should go to a team in the North and Super Bowl should go to a team in the South. 

Speaking of spring, the University of Michigan’s new Athletic Director, David Brandon is planting new seeds.  Last week he announced that Michigan is going to have a home game during primetime!  The new Michigan Stadium will hold fans for the very first time at night when my Wolverines host Notre Dame on September 10, 2011 at 8 p.m.   This is the first time Michigan will play at night in the Big House, but it will not be its first night game.  They played in the first ever night game against Marquette in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1944.  They have a record of 22 – 11 in primetime games.   

Ciao!

Heels  & Helmets