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SPORTS Thursday 1 February 2018
Goodell wants league to look deeply into catch rule

By BARRY WILNER use replay to ensure cor- sions, Goodell said the NFL
AP Pro Football Writer recting obvious mistakes won’t “get involved in that
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Rog- but making sure it doesn’t in any way.”
er Goodell wants to see the interrupt the flow of the —referred to the recently
mystery of the NFL’s catch game.” created owners/players
rule solved, and he’s en- Goodell noted that in his 36 committee on social jus-
sured that the process has years working in the NFL, of- tice when asked any ques-
begun. ficiating always has been in tions about protests during
The commissioner said at the spotlight. Recently, be- the national anthem, ex-
his annual Super Bowl news cause of advances in tech- pressing optimism the NFL
conference Wednesday nology, the attention has and its players are on the
that he personally sees that ratcheted up significantly. proper path.
rule as the most obvious to Goodell revealed that the —said he was aware of the
address. league has hired an inde- plans to relaunch the rival
Asked about the scrutiny pendent investigator to XFL in 2020, but had been
that NFL officiating came look into claims of sexual too busy to look at details.
under this season, Goodell and racial misconduct in Goodell emphasized that
said “on the catch/no the workplace against Car- the NFL constantly looks
catch rule, we need to find olina Panthers owner Jerry at spring football options if NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell smiles as he speaks during
a rule we think will address Richardson. they will improve opportu- a news conference in advance of the Super Bowl 52 football
that. We certainly need to Former U.S. attorney Mary nities to reach the NFL.q game, Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018, in Minneapolis.
get this rule right so every- Jo White will lead the inves- Associated Press
one can appreciate.” tigation. White has led simi-
Goodell recently spent lar investigations in other
three hours with former fields, including a recent
players, including Pro Foot- one at the University of
ball Hall of Famers, going Rochester.
over 150 plays. He said Richardson stepped away
there were many good from day-to-day opera-
ideas offered, but as for the tions after allegations sur-
specifics of what should be faced and is seeking to sell
a catch, there was little the team. The NFL has said
consensus. it didn’t pressure Richard-
“There were a lot of people son to sell based on the al-
with different perspectives legations.
and lot of disagreement in Goodell said he wants the
the room,” he said. team to remain in Carolina
So the competition com- and believes most of the
mittee will dive into not other owners do, as well.
only this rule, but perhaps “I am sure that is a ques-
refining the rulebook. tion many of our owners will
“I would like to start back, ask,” Goodell said of the
instead of adding to the Panthers staying in Char-
rule, subtracting the rule. lotte under new ownership.
Start over again and look He also:
at the rule fundamentally —announced that the
from the start. Because Rams will play a home
I think when you add or game in Mexico City
subtract things you can still against the Chiefs. Until the
lead to confusion. These new stadium in Los Angeles
rules are very complex; you is ready in 2020, the Rams
have to look at what the are likely to spend one
unintended consequences home game a year else-
are of making a change, where.
which is what the competi- —reiterated his stance that
tion committee, in my view, it’s not the NFL’s place to
does so well and with so get involved in whether
much thought. Colin Kaepernick gets a
“Clearly, the catch/no chance with another team.
catch has had a lot of “Clubs have to make their
discussion. I won’t tell you own decisions as far as
there won’t be controversy who’s on their roster,” he
(in the future), but we need said.
to get to a better place.” The comments from
He added that there were Goodell came a day after
more video replay interrup- Philadelphia Eagles receiv-
tions in 2017 “and I think we er Torrey Smith said Kaepe-
can look at that. How do rnick not getting a chance
we make the game more with another team “kind of
attractive with less stop- falls in the category of an
pages is one of the things injustice in itself.”
we focus on. How do we As it relates to roster deci-