Goodell addressed several topics, including diversity, an game season, international expansion , Tom Brady's dual role as a broadcaster and co-owner and more during his annual news conference that kicked off Super Bowl week on Monday. The Chiefs are going for a three-peat Sunday in a rematch against the Philadelphia Eagles, who lost to Kansas City two years ago. The two-time defending champions have benefited from calls that have gone their way in the playoffs. There were two roughing-the-passer penalties during a victory over Houston in the divisional round that viewers, including Fox broadcasters Troy Aikman and Joe Buck, considered egregious.
I think the men and women officiating the NFL are outstanding. We have the highest possible standards. NFL executive Kimberly Fields told The Associated Press last week the league plans to engage its Competition Committee on technology to take virtual line-to-gain measurements next season, but officials will continue to spot the football. Once the ball is spotted, then the line-to-gain technology actually does the measurement itself.
Goodell said the league will continue to work with partners to develop the technology needed to potentially help with spotting the ball in the future. The NFL has rules in place that require teams to interview diverse candidates for key coaching and front office positions as part of the Rooney Rule that has been in place for more than two decades.
There are no quotas in our system. This is about opening that funnel and bringing the best talent into the NFL. The NFL has made a big effort to expand its footprint worldwide with games played in England, Germany, Mexico and Brazil in recent years with a game scheduled for in Spain.
The NFL added a 17th game and cut the preseason from four games to three before the season and Goodell has indicated an interest in eventually adding another regular-season game. But we have to be incredibly sensitive and smart with the balance and how we deal with that. Goodell said changes the league has made in terms of equipment, and training in the offseason and preseason have helped reduce the number of concussions and other injuries, making adding an additional game more palatable.
