For once, I agree with Jerry Jones. Under Goodell’s “leadership,” the NFL brand has been badly tarnished, if not permanently damaged—largely because Goodell and some of the owners openly sided with protesting players, many of whom had no idea why they were taking a knee, or how infuriating their display was to the vast majority of Americans.
And in his scramble for “labor peace,” Goodell forgot about the folks who pay the bills—the fans. We’re voting with our feet, our wallets and our remotes. Photos of half-empty stadiums and cratering TV ratings don’t lie. Many fans have written off the league, and more than a few will never return.
Meanwhile, the NFL’s TV deals are coming up for renewal, and with ratings in the tank, the networks and cable channels won’t offer the huge deals of the past. In fact, there’s a very good chance ESPN won’t be able to afford a renewal of Monday Night Football and the Thursday night games are endangered as well.
For the leadership that has put the NFL in this position, Goodell wants $50 million a year and lifetime use of private jets. Apparently, Jerry has told him to pound sand and if the other owners had any sense, they would do the same. In fact, I’m still mystified as to why the NFL owners haven’t followed Major League Baseball’s “Selig” model and appointed one of their own as commissioner. I’m quite sure Jerry would volunteer for the job, and it’s hard to envision him doing a worse job that Goodell.
For the record, I’m a life-long Giants fan, suffering through a truly embarrassing season. I have no affection for the Cowboys and little for Jerry Jones, but in this case he’s absolutely correct. As for the G-men, it would be nice if we could fire the Mara/Tisch ownership team at the end of the season, along with the GM and head coach.
Don't forget he is also demanding lifetime medical care for his entire family.
I’m a Cowboys fan who likes the Giants, too -— long as they aren’t playing the Cowboys :) It’s awful to see what the Giants have become. Why on earth are they sticking with the coach? The Cowboys will get lucky to get to 8-8 this year w/o Zeke. Having the Eagles atop the East is a disaster.