Goodell explains new replay system and changes coming to game broadcasts

[Prime Time]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...ains-to-fans-how-new-replay-system-will-work/

Roger Goodell explains to fans how new replay system will work
Posted by Mike Florio on March 22, 2017

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In a move that feels a lot like a President making his case for legislative change to the people before the House or the Senate cast a vote, Commissioner Roger Goodell has sent a letter to fans outlining various changes that will be considered by the owners next week in Arizona.

The letter from Goodell with the salutation “Dear Fans” presents the proposals in a way that suggests the changes are a done deal, even though the changes won’t be finalized until at least 24 owners vote in favor of them.

This means either that Goodell has polled enough owners to conclude that at least 24 votes are coming — or that he has concluded that enough owners are on the fence to justify an effort to work the public in advance of the vote.

Why else, frankly, would he feel compelled to tell the fans about the changes only one week before the changes become actual changes?

As it relates to the centralization of replay review, a topic that has been a sore point for multiple coaches and team executives who worry that this will allow the league office to make decisions aimed at reaching outcomes desired by 345 Park Avenue, Goodell outlined the new procedure that would be adopted:

“Instead of a fixed sideline monitor, we will bring a tablet to the Referee who can review the play in consultation with our officiating headquarters in New York, which has the final decision. This should improve consistency and accuracy of decisions and help speed up the process.”

It also should allow Microsoft to get even more bang for its product-placement buck, with the peep-show approach replaced by an official using the official tablet of the National Football League, complete with that distinctive electric blue case.

Apart from the obvious change to the appearance of the replay review process, the new approach would result in the referee losing final say over the outcome, with the league office having the power to overrule the ruling on the field.

So why involve the referee at all? Doing so eliminates the sense that the decision is being made remotely (and possibly arbitrarily). In fairness to the league, it also allows for an extra set of eyes, which is never a bad thing.

And, as mentioned above, it provides for greater integration of the Microsoft tablet into the presentation of the game. Which makes that partnership even more valuable to the league.

Especially when the time comes to put the official tablet sponsorship out for bidding.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...ts-at-substantive-changes-to-game-broadcasts/

Goodell hints at substantive changes to game broadcasts
Posted by Mike Florio on March 22, 2017

Apart from an effort to speed up the pace of the game, the NFL apparently plans to explore strategies for altering the manner in which the game is presented to its fans.

“We . . . know that you feel there are too many elements in the broadcast that aren’t relevant to the play on the field,” Commissioner Roger Goodell said in his Wednesday letter to fans.

“With our partners, we will be looking to instead focus on content that is most complementary and compelling to you — whether that is analysis, highlights or stories about our players. All of these changes are meant to give you more of what you want: a competitive game with fewer interruptions and distractions from the action.”

That’s a broad statement, and it suggests that the league will be mandating changes to the manner in which games are televised. It’s unclear where or how an enhanced focus on “analysis, highlights or stories about our players” will fit into the presentation of a football game, since there currently aren’t many spots for doing anything other than reacting one play at a time to the things happening on the field.

It’s also unclear what Goodell means when he says there are “too many elements in the broadcast that aren’t relevant to the play on the field.”

A cynic could view that statement as part of a broader effort to ensure that the broadcasts will focus only on positive storylines, with negative aspects that may nevertheless be newsworthy or compelling receiving less emphasis in the name of taking even greater advantage of the three-hour infomercial for which the league gets paid billions every year.

This particular cynic will withhold judgment on that point until more details emerge regarding the changes that will be made.

 

[Florida_Ram]

NFL announces changes to speed up the pace of games

Cameron DaSilva @camdasilva
Mar 22, 2017 at 3:09p ET

At his news conference before the Super Bowl, commissioner Roger Goodell said the NFL would look at possible changes to pace of play, namely the frequency of commercials during a game’s broadcast.

On Wednesday, Goodell announced those changes, hoping to speed up games and cut down on the number commercials. The biggest change of all is the removal of commercials after a touchdown, and after the ensuing kickoff.

“Together with our broadcast partners, we will be working to meaningfully reduce down time and the frequency of commercial breaks in our game. We will also be giving our broadcast partners increased flexibility to avoid untimely breaks in the action.

For example, we know how annoying it is when we come back from a commercial break, kick off, and then cut to a commercial again. I hate that too. Our goal is to eliminate it.”

That is indeed one of the worst aspects of an NFL broadcast. It kills the flow of the game, going from an exciting play to multiple commercial breaks before the next play from scrimmage happens.

Additionally, the NFL will use a play clock following the extra point, and will consider doing the same after a touchdown.

“Regarding game timing, we’re going to institute a play clock following the extra point when television does not take a break, and we’re considering instituting a play clock after a touchdown.

We’re also going to standardize the starting of the clock after a runner goes out-of-bounds, and standardize halftime lengths in all games, so we return to the action as quickly as possible.

Those are just a few of the elements we are working on to improve the pace of our game.”

Another potential change that could be made for the upcoming season is the streamlining of replay reviews. The referee will now have a tablet brought to him, rather than having to go to the sideline to review the play under a stationary hood. This will be voted on by teams at next week’s meeting.

“For example, next week clubs will vote on a change to centralize replay reviews. Instead of a fixed sideline monitor, we will bring a tablet to the Referee who can review the play in consultation with our officiating headquarters in New York, which has the final decision.

This should improve consistency and accuracy of decisions and help speed up the process.”

Further changes could also be coming, including shorter overtime period (10 minutes) and full-time officials, which Goodell confirmed the NFL will begin hiring to USA Today’s Tom Pelissero.

Hopefully these adjustments improve the overall quality of games on television, as that’s the ultimate goal for the NFL.

http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/...-up-roger-goodell-announce-commercials-032217


:yess:

 

[Psycho_X]

Maybe I'm just being cynical too but all I read was more circumventing the actual problem and coming up with other ways to make it seem like we're changing stuff while generating more money through product placement and sponsorships.

 

[den-the-coach]

Commercials after the kickoff was just ludicrous and the NFL is learning a valuable lesson....Hopefully the officiating will improve as well and maybe just maybe the game will be a better experience.

 

[wolfdogg]

Maybe I'm just being cynical too but all I read was more circumventing the actual problem and coming up with other ways to make it seem like we're changing stuff while generating more money through product placement and sponsorships.

I'm going to agree with your thinking you're being cynical because I see them going after the biggest problem, which is not enough eyes on each play. Now they have a whole control room. How many times have we've seen Mike in the NY office disagree with a call?

And by eliminating the commercial break immediately following each kickoff, they eliminate commercials.

I still remember when they first started that bullshit. I was kike, are you fucking kidding me? Worst broadcast tweak I can think of in the history of football television. Thank god the nightmare is finally over.

 

[Mojo Ram]

Thing is...if they take away three commercials after the kickoffs...we're still going to see those three commercials at another point in the game. There's NO WAY on Earth that the NFL will remove dollars(pennies) from their fat pockets. Even if it meant a better fan experience...NEVER going to happen. That's the Capitalist country we live in.

 

[ljramsfan]

I think i read this more than three times and still could not comprehend:

Additionally, the NFL will use a play clock following the extra point, and will consider doing the same after a touchdown.

“Regarding game timing, we’re going to institute a play clock following the extra point when television does not take a break, and we’re considering instituting a play clock after a touchdown.

What does mean exactly?? A play clock between the touchdown and extra point? This sounds like no celebrating between this time frame.

 

[OldSchool]

I don't have a problem with any of these changes. They actually all seem like common sense. One thing I can see is a split screen with some kind of ad while the teams run out for the extra point and kickoffs. So they don't break from the game but you have an ad on part of the screen and the game still going.

 

[CGI_Ram]

http://epidm.edgesuite.net/CMS/NFL/...dsNL_March_P2_1/html/Commissioners_Email.html

Letter from the Commissioner

Dear Fans,

Here at the NFL, we have a relentless drive to improve—particularly when it comes to the way fans experience our game.

In order to understand how we might deliver a better and more exciting entertainment experience for you, we embarked on a specific project before the start of the 2016 season to gather feedback about the in-stadium and live NFL game viewing experience.

Consistently, we heard from fans that we can improve in two key areas: the flow and pace of the game, and commercialization and the number of unnecessary disruptions to the game on the field.

Today, I want to tell you about some of the ways we are working to address that.

On the football side, there are a number of changes we are making to the mechanics and rules of the game to maintain excitement and also improve the consistency of our officiating.

For example, next week clubs will vote on a change to centralize replay reviews. Instead of a fixed sideline monitor, we will bring a tablet to the Referee who can review the play in consultation with our officiating headquarters in New York, which has the final decision. This should improve consistency and accuracy of decisions and help speed up the process.

Regarding game timing, we're going to institute a play clock following the extra point when television does not take a break, and we're considering instituting a play clock after a touchdown. We're also going to standardize the starting of the clock after a runner goes out-of-bounds, and standardize halftime lengths in all games, so we return to the action as quickly as possible. Those are just a few of the elements we are working on to improve the pace of our game.

Together with our broadcast partners, we will be working to meaningfully reduce down time and the frequency of commercial breaks in our game. We will also be giving our broadcast partners increased flexibility to avoid untimely breaks in the action. For example, we know how annoying it is when we come back from a commercial break, kick off, and then cut to a commercial again. I hate that too. Our goal is to eliminate it.

We also know that you feel there are too many elements in the broadcast that aren't relevant to the play on the field. With our partners, we will be looking to instead focus on content that is most complementary and compelling to you–whether that is analysis, highlights or stories about our players.

All of these changes are meant to give you more of what you want: a competitive game with fewer interruptions and distractions from the action.

There is much more work to do in the coming seasons as we continue to listen and learn. But these positive changes are intended to create a better experience for you, our fans.

We hope that you will continue to give us feedback on how we can improve.

Thank you for all that you do for our players, our teams and our game.

 

[Prime Time]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...rcialization-and-promos-from-game-broadcasts/

Goodell wants to strip commercialization and promos from game broadcasts
Posted by Mike Florio on March 23, 2017

Commissioner Roger Goodell’s well-publicized, and curiously-timed, letter to fans focused on a variety of intriguing topics. On some, he was clear. On one he was vague.

“We . . . know that you feel there are too many elements in the broadcast that aren’t relevant to the play on the field,” Goodell wrote. “With our partners, we will be looking to instead focus on content that is most complementary and compelling to you — whether that is analysis, highlights or stories about our players. All of these changes are meant to give you more of what you want: a competitive game with fewer interruptions and distractions from the action.”

Appearing on Thursday’s Mike & Mike, Goodell elaborated on his point.

“It could be commercial related, it could be an advertisement for selling a jersey, it could be a promo for something that the network’s running that week,” Goodell said. “And frankly, to be blunt about it, it’s like an intrusion on the game. And I sense that. I’ve felt the increased commercialization.”

While I personally can’t recall any in-game “advertisement for selling a jersey” (other than the Nike ad necessarily contained on every jersey) promotions “for something that the network’s running that week” have been part of the game broadcasts for decades.

It’s one of the reasons why the networks pay billions-with-a-b for the rights to broadcast the games. Indeed, it’s one of the reasons networks have justified taking a net loss on their NFL deals; they make it back by pumping up the rest of the network’s offerings.

When the game is happening, there are few diversions from the explanation of the play and the reaction to it. Promos happen during the lulls in the action, or when the game returns from a commercial break.

In recent years, the most notable intrusion on the game has been the ongoing effort to wedge the Microsoft tablet into the broadcast. And with the looming changes to the replay system, there will be more — not fewer — shots of the tablet, which the league gets hundreds of millions to promote.

So if “increased commercialization” is a problem, it needs to be scrutinized in all forms. And it presumably rules out for good conclusively potential innovations/intrusions like the inevitable (in the minds of some) expansion of uniform advertisement from the logo of the company that made the jersey.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/03/23/nfl-plans-to-speed-up-thursday-night-games/

NFL plans to speed up Thursday night games
Posted by Michael David Smith on March 23, 2017

As NFL ratings declined last year and fans complained that the quality of the game had slipped, Thursday night games drew particular wrath. The league is hoping to fix that.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says the NFL is working on improving the quality of Thursday games by reducing the number of commercial breaks.

“I felt the increased commercialization, particularly on Thursday night, where we’re going to have more aggressive changes — we’re going to reduce that,” Goodell said.

Goodell said he didn’t realize how many commercial breaks there were during Thursday games last season and admits there were too many. Goodell seemed to be referring both to commercials from sponsors and to the networks taking time during games to promote their other shows.

“To my surprise last year, we put some more commercialization in there — there were some more spots in that I was not aware of and we saw that and we’re going to get that back out of the game,” Goodell said.

“So many mentions that are not related to the game on the field, we’re going to reduce that, we’re going to take that out.”

Fans will appreciate that. Especially fans who have to get up early for work on Friday morning, and aren’t keen on staying up late on Thursday nights to watch a lot of commercials.

 

[Prime Time]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/03/24/all-halftimes-will-be-13-minutes-30-seconds/

All halftimes will be 13 minutes, 30 seconds
Posted by Mike Florio on March 24, 2017

As the NFL looks to tighten the belt regarding the amount of time it takes to play a game, the league will be adopting a one-size-fits-all approach to halftime.

The duration of intermission will expand from 12 minutes to 13 minutes and 30 seconds. While on the surface that could make some games longer, the 12-minute intermission currently has some play in the joints. Moving forward, all halftimes will last precisely 13 minutes and 30 seconds.

“Halftime currently is 12 minutes, but there is built-in delay time that involves teams getting to the locker room and the infrastructure of our stadiums and how they’re configured,” Competition Committee chairman Rich McKay said during a Thursday conference call. “So we’re going to eliminate all of those discretionary periods of time and just have a clock, 13 minutes and 30 seconds, and at the end of that period, the ball will be made ready for play for the second half kickoff.”

The change doesn’t appear on a lengthy list of proposed rule changes for 2017. Apparently, this is the type of administrative matter that the league office can handle without a vote of the owners.