By Josh Barnett
Executive Sports Editor, Philadelphia Daily News
Chair, APSE Regions Committee
The second and final day of the Commissioners Meetings featured visits with the NCAA, NHL and NFL.
In all, sports editors from around the country met in New York with executives from seven sports organizations over a two-day period.
NCAA
NCAA president Mark Emmert pointed to a “much more complex” mission for his organization than what most people see, saying a “small slice of football and a small slice of men’s basketball” is “not the tip of the iceberg, but the tip of the tip of the iceberg” of what the NCAA does.
He said the organization tries to strike a balance between the professional sports model and a strictly collegiate model with “athletes inside an academic environment” and said those are “constantly bumping into each other.” He declined to put a percentage on how much of his time is spent on that tip of the tip, but said it was a disproportionate amount. “That is mainly where the issues are, the challenges are and the opportunities are,” Emmert said.
He pointed out that what he does as the NCAA president is different than what the commissioners of the pro leagues do, with the NCAA being an organization of 1,100 member institutions who have come together voluntarily. That structure presents an “enormous set of conflicts, goals, responsibilities and views.”
He talked about a package of academic initiatives – changes in the junior college transfer rules, changes in the initial eligibility rules and the APR. The basic premise, he said, was at that schools have to graduate 50 percent of their student-athletes. “That’s the goal,” he said, noting it was a difficult proposition to argue with. “The young men and women who hit our campuses have to be ready to do college coursework. We are finding some are not.”
Some other topics:
— On the 68-team NCAA Tournament field, Emmert said everyone he has talked to has been “extremely pleased … It’s been very successful by any measure.” He did note the confusion about what to call the games, with some referring to the games after the First Four as the first round and the NCAA calling it the second round. He said they are looking to find “the right term for us.”
— In addressing the series of scandals that have hit college sports in the last year, he referred to sports as the “front porch” for school, saying that assumptions are made about the school based on the football program, or the behavior of athletes. Athletic programs are a “proxy for the university … It’s wrong, it’s silly, but nonetheless, it’s real.” He also noted that there has been a “sea change in responsibility” with the dismissals of the football coaches at Ohio State, Penn State, North Carolina and Arkansas, and the basketball coach at Tennessee. "You're seeing boards of directors, of trustees, and presidents and athletic directors saying 'You know you've done a great job here. We love you. We pay you really well. You get all this adoration. You've got to live by the rules.' And that's a good thing."
— Emmert expressed dismay with the conference realignment and expansion that has led to schools such as Boise State and San Diego State playing in the Big East for football. He said the NCAA does not have oversight over the conferences, although it is talking about whether it should have a role in the process. He said realignment is “driven by the BCS structure.” “Every school wants to be part of the BCS brand that has emerged … They want to be in that club.” Said Emmert, “Conference realignment did not show the best side of college athletics. Decisions were made quickly based on limited information and sometimes based on rumor and innuendo.” He added, however, “I don’t think the NCAA should be in the business of telling schools what conference they should be in, or telling conferences who their members should be.” He urged the BCS to come up with a structure and lock it in for 10 years or an extended period of time. That would lead to “rational behavior by the conferences.”
— He said the transfer rules are too complex and spoke extensively about the NBA one-and-done rule. He called the transfer rules a “crazy quilt” with rules that are different by sport and in some cases different by authority level – school, conference, etc.
— He said he hopes the NCAA can find a way to “cover the full legitimate cost of being a full-time student” with the miscellaneous expense allowance. The Division I Board reaffirmed its support in January for a $2,000 allowance with a working group studying how to implement for the 2013-14 academic year. The Board also has reaffirmed its support for multi-year scholarships. Emmert said currently $60 million is given from the NCAA to the schools to help student-athletes in need. “There is no reason a young man or young woman can’t eat on the weekends or my computer broke, so I can’t do my schoolwork,” he said.
— He talked about the premise that the marketplace should be able to set endorsement deals, or other sources of money for student-athletes. “There is no way anyone can envision a way that would by any different than saying we’re going to pay you to come in,” he said. “If we went to that system, we would play football and men’s basketball, and that’s it. All the other sports wouldn’t exist … If we’re going to convert student-athletes into employees, why even be students? Just hire them. Take out ads. The notion is these are students who play for the universities. That is what this is all about. “
— Emmert said the NCAA is trying to rationalize the rulebook. He said he wants people to look at the rules and say, “that makes perfect sense.” The NCAA also is looking to rewrite enforcement rules and structure with clearer means to handle penalties and speed up the process. He said he expects there will be striking changes in six to nine months.
NHL
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said “the vital signs are good,” calling this “one of the strongest seasons – if not the strongest –across all metrics.” He said the league’s competitive balance is so good right now that it “sometimes felt like we were in the playoffs for the last six weeks.”
Teams played to 95 percent capacity in the regular season and were at 102 percent early in the playoffs, Bettman said.
He talked about rule changes to increase player safety and decrease head injuries as part of changing the culture. He said the system of supplemental discipline in place is “more than warranted or necessary for the public but is good for the players.” He talked about how the NHL has been a leader in player safety since 1997. He also said the NHL has looked at the lawsuits against the NFL and does not seem them as “applicable to us.”
With a television contract that allows for all playoff games to be shown nationally on NBC, the NBC Sports Network, CNBC, Bettman said these are “the most covered, scrutinized and viewed playoffs in the U.S. There is more attention than ever before.”
Bettman cited a number of factors in assessing where the league is:
Quality of play. “The game on the ice has never been better,” he said. “It’s more entertaining, more skillful, more speed and more competitive balance than in our history and maybe in all of sports.”
Marketing and promoting the game in ways never done before.
Big event strategy with events such as the Winter Classic.
The “extraordinary treatment” from NBC. He said the NHL has been the biggest beneficiary of the merger between NBC and Comcast. The league had been on Versus, which was owned by Comcast and since been rebranded as the NBC Sports Network.
What he termed “sponsor activation” among all of the above, with hockey themes to the creative in the advertising and sponsor activities.
Bettman said while the NHL does not have the biggest fan base of all sports, “we target and reach our demographic better than anyone else.” He said the national television exposure “gives us an opportunity for hockey fans to act like hockey fans” and engage in NHL hockey even when their team is not playing.
He said the number of kids playing the game, the amount of college hockey and grassroots programs are all spreading the sport. He also said the league’s digital products our “affording our fans the opportunity to do more with our sport.” In the NHL, 22 percent of players are from the United States. He also cited a statistic that the NHL has more players this year from New York State than it does from Russia.
Some other topics:
— On talks toward a new CBA: Bettman said, “We have been saying for a while that we are ready whenever the union is ready to sit down. We are getting close to that point, but we are not there yet … I’m hoping our negotiations this time are quick and painless.”
— On the future of NHL players in the Olympics, Bettman said that was related to the CBA. He said there are good arguments to be made on both sides, but called the experience “a mixed bag, and it gets more mixed depending on where the Olympics are being played.”
— On the Winter Classic, he said they are excited about playing the game at Michigan Stadium and have a number of events planned for Detroit as well. He said the league is trying to be “self-reflective” in assessing whether to add more than one outdoor game per season. “From a fans standpoint, it’s the more the merrier, but if there are too many, it may take away the unique special nature.”
NFL
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was in Minnesota dealing with the ongoing Vikings stadium issue, so he was not able to address the group. Jeff Pash, the league’s general counsel and executive vice president spoke in his place.
Greg Aiello, the league’s vice president and top spokesman, and his team began the presentation with new media rules for this season. Among them are that every team must make all position coaches available at least three times per year – in the offseason, in training camp and during the bye week. “Every team will do that and we will push them to do more, “ Aiello said.
The league also will make the report of transactions that goes to every team available to the media every day by 5 p.m. He later said the league will take into consideration a suggestion by the Associated Press to release the names of the players who are fouled at the same time as the penalties for those infractions are released.
Aiello talked about the league’s commitment to player safety, especially as it relates to brain injuries. Over the next nine years, $100 million is earmarked in medical research, to “help not only the athletes and football, but everybody.” He said to expect announcements soon.
He also reviewed rules changes that have been made to create a “culture of safety.” Aiello said that there was a 40 percent reduction in concussions last season on kickoffs with the rule changes.
The league has created a website – nflhealthand safety.com – that outlines initiatives, including those in coaching and teaching the game, equipment and advocacy. The NFL is supporting that Lystadt laws be passed in all 50 states. The laws protect young athletes from returning to play too soon after a concussion. Currently, 34 states have passed laws.
Michael Signora, the NFL vice president of football communications, reviewed the protocol for how fines are decided for on-field actions and the appeals process. He said the total in fines has been $3 million over the last four years with that money donated to retired players and medical research through NFL Charities.
Pash addressed a number of topics, including the future of the NFL in Los Angeles, the stadium situation in Minnesota, the hearing regarding violations of the salary cap by the Redskins and Cowboys, the possibility of an 18-game schedule, the future of the Pro Bowl, and most extensively the Saints and bounties.
— On LA, Pash said there are two viable alternatives for a stadium at this point, and that is what the league is focusing on, but said if another site “was equally realistic, that site would get consideration.”
— On Minnesota, Pash said, “We’ve been very clear our commitment and goal is to keep the Vikings in Minnesota … The Vikings have made a very positive contribution for 50 years and we think that can continue.”
— On the May 10 hearing regarding the Redskins and Cowboys having salary cap reductions because of their action in the uncapped year, Pash said, “I have a high degree of confidence in the league’s position.”
— On an 18-game regular season, Pash said the league needed to see the impact of a full cycle of the changes in the offseason programs and reduction in hitting in training camp. He did concede the preseason games are not of the quality the league wants, but said adding games would need to be balanced against the safety concerns for players and “safety concerns would be given prioritiy.”
— On the Pro Bowl, he said, “We all agree the quality is not something that reflects well on the NFL or NFL players … It's not going to ever look like a playoff game, but to improve it so fans are not saying 'I feel bad watching it.' ”
— On the Saints, Pash talked about the “shared responsibility” as player discipline is expected soon. He declined to say how many of the players implicated would face discipline. He said retired players are the only ones exempt from discipline at this point. The league required the owner and head coach of all 32 teams to certify that no such programs will exist. "The players understand what went on in the locker room or on the field," Pash said. "They can do as much or more to stop this type of activity than all the edicts from Park Ave." He mentioned doing a panel discussion with a former player who said all that was needed for this to stop was a veteran player to tell the coach it was not necessary.
The league also provided an update on the concussion litigation. There are 62 active lawsuits, involving 1,291 former players and 2,056 total plaintiffs (including family members and others). Of the cases, 41 have been designated as associated cases and moved to the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The league expects all the cases to be moved there and be heard before Judge Anita Brody. A meeting to begin to determine a schedule will happen soon. The expectation is it will take several years for this process. Each of the plaintiffs will need to have to prove his injury was a results of playing in the NFL, so his medical history from youth, college, pro and other related factors will need to be examined individually.
Asked whether the effort to promote safety has changed the essential characteristics of the game, Pash said, “We are willing to re-examine everything in an effort to promote safety. ‘It’s always been done that way’ is no longer a sufficient answer. We need to continue to find ways to improve safety on all plays. We can’t exclude anything.”
