Numbers are increasingly how we digest and analyze football play: fantasy stats, advanced analytics, workout metrics, pass charts, etc. Even writers describe game narratives differently than they used to, abandoning word salads like “The Catch”, ‘The Drive,” “The Butt Fumble” for numerical idioms: 28-3, 18-1, TB12. But there’s one big, vast, terrifyingly yuge number that defines what it means to be an NFL owner.
$25,000,000,000.00
That number tells the story of why owners stand by the leadership of Commissioner Roger Goodell, despite his objectively horrible performance. It tells the story of the league’s response to President Trump’s anger at the protesting players. It tells the story of ignored CTE research. It tells the story of non-guaranteed contracts. Abandoned fanbases. Tax-payer funded stadiums. It tells the story of everything that NFL ownership is about in 2017. A singular narrative of Greed.
The owners are greedy. They don’t hide it. They want their product to be worth $25,000,000,000.00 and no amount of player protest, early-onset dementia or Thursday Night Football will get in the way. It is their explicit, transparent, shouted from the rooftop aspiration. In this pursuit, they have one problem: The NFL isn’t getting any more popular in the United States. In fact, it appears that the sport is losing eyeballs based on television ratings and attendance. The US market is saturated. Full to the brim. That’s why this Sunday is very important for them.
Expanding to $25,000,000,000 hinges on one potential development, global expansion. An NFL Team will be an international market in the next five years. Goodell has expressed this desire publically, despite the many complications it presents. Sunday is his attempt to whet the appetite of someone like Carlos Slim, the Mexican billionaire.
Ironically, to drum up interest, Roger Goodell needs to champion the team he seems to antagonize the most, Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. The Patriots are the best sales tools the NFL can offer. The fact that the Patriots have never given up a home game for an international game confirms their negotiating leverage. The league needs them more than they need to sell a few million more jerseys in.
Brady is an international star. Gronk the lovable meathead. Gisele will likely be there. But for once, the commissioner cares also about the product on the field, in so far as it serves his interests. The Patriots appeal for the league is easy to see: a high scoring, innovative offense coupled with “bend and sometimes break” defense, they commit few penalties to avoid the 54,000 word rule book translation into Spanish. It is everything that is glorious about football. Tightly packaged for international consumption.
Of course like any marketing campaign it’s a bait and switch. The Patriots aren’t moving to Mexico City, Toronto or London, no, it will be the Jaguars, Buccaneers or some expansion franchise. It’s like signing up for an airline’s credit card because it offers a half-priced “companion ticket”. When you call to book your holiday flights, you discover the ticket can only be redeemed on a leap day, if it falls on Tuesday. They will be promised Tom Brady and receive Blake Bortles.
Regardless of his corrupt intent, I am glad to know that Roger Goodell will promote, rather than demonize, the best team in football.
Half-thoughts:
…The Patriots built the plane with the ‘Black Box’. The most important play in football is 3rd down. Teams put their most optimal personnel on the field to leverage the defense. So why don’t teams use that personnel all the time? With Gillislee being benched last week, the Patriots appear to be doing just that. It will be game plan specific, but on Sunday the Patriots employed the Black Box Offense on Sunday, employing heavy doses of Dion Lewis, Rex Burkhead and James White, all traditional 3rd down backs who can run, block, and catch at high levels.
…In anticipation of playing at 7,000 feet, the Patriots have been in Colorado Springs practicing at the Air Force Academy. The Patriots have been practicing and playing at high altitude for a week, I wouldn’t be shocked if that benefits their conditioning for the push towards the playoffs.
…The pissing match between Roger Goodell and Jerry Jones hasn’t not been disappointing. The latest development is the league accusing Jones of “conduct detrimental” to the league. Two spoiled brats throwing temper tantrums my 2 year old would blanche at. Popcorn, please.
…Was surprised to see quite a few Patriots reporters taken in by a report from Express, a UK tabloid, about the potentially dire conditions in Mexico City. Express also broke the E.T. in California story wide open, so… check them sources, Zo!
…Raiders are coming out of the bye after narrowly beating the Dolphins and getting thumped by the Bills. I’d expect the front seven to have their hands full with Marshawn Lynch. Don’t forget Pete Carroll put a chip on his shoulder in 2014.
…Martellus Bennett’s limited usage adds an interesting dimension to the offense. He probably won’t play many downs due to his health, but I could see him being used in high leverage situations.