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SPORTS Thursday 7 december 2017

Troy Vincent: NFL to look at video reviews for targeting

By BARRY WILNER had clear directives from
AP Pro Football Writer the competition commit-
NEW YORK (AP) — The NFL tee,” Vincent said. “They
will look into adding target- asked us and the players
ing as a specific category to remove some of the hel-
for video review. met-to-helmet hits that we
Troy Vincent, the league’s have seen, as well of some
football operations chief, of the blindside blocks and
says it is on the agenda to other types of disparaging
discuss with the competi- techniques and behaviors
tion committee and the on the field.
players’ union after the “We have clear directive
season. that this is not something
In responding to questions that should be progressive,
about helmet-to-helmet but that we strongly consid-
hits and players launching er removing a player that is
to make tackles, Vincent using these techniques that
said Wednesday that the we want out of our game
NFL has seen targeting re- immediately.”
views “work to a degree” in The league also will con-
the college game. sider adding a category
“I think it is something that Cincinnati Bengals outside linebacker Vontaze Burfict (55) lies on the field after an apparent injury for non-football acts that
we have to consider,” Vin- in the second half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Monday, Dec. 4, 2017, break the rules, such as
cent said. “We’ve seen in Cincinnati. Patriots tight end Rob
that it has worked to a cer- Associated Press Gronkowski’s hit on Bills cor-
tain degree, it’s clean. ... because there are a lot don’t think that’s right. But philosophy is, if it gets out of nerback Tre’Davious White.
We think there have been of other ramifications that they don’t have fines in col- control, we ask the referees Gronkowski drew a one-
some positives and we come along with that. It is lege, so I don’t know how to maintain control of the game suspension under
have talked to some of the on our agenda to be dis- you handle that one.” game, give them that flex- unnecessary roughness
conferences and the offi- cussed beginning in Feb- Vincent also noted that ibility. They have that flex- guidelines. White is in the
cials there, as well as with ruary.” Bengals defensive coaches, general manag- ibility, but we really empha- league’s concussion pro-
some student-athletes. It is end Carlos Dunlap wants ers, owners and players are size let the players play, but tocol. “We’ve seen a few
a deterrent and something no part of the college’s tar- adamant about not want- if things begin to get out of of these on occasion. It’s
that we will consider; it is geting ejection system. ing players ejected from control, you must maintain something that Jon (Ru-
one of our agenda items “I don’t want to do all that. games unless there is no control of the game during nyan, who handles some
to discuss during the off- I think they go overboard in other option. that window.” NFL disciplinary cases) has
season as we speak to the college with the ejections,” “We don’t want to be in the There have been nine sus- raised to myself, and he’s
coaches and the competi- he said. “You know some of business of ejecting play- pensions in 2017 for on-field actually raised to the ap-
tion committee. them are football plays. If a ers,” Vincent said. “There acts. Ejections are much peals officers,” Vincent
“It needs to be discussed kid gets ejected for that, I are only 17 weeks and the rarer, of course. “We have said.q

NFL commissioner Goodell signs 5-year contract extension

By BARRY WILNER Since then, the league’s the NFL are available.
AP Pro Football Writer total revenues have more “Our committee unani-
NEW YORK (AP) — Roger than doubled to $14 billion. mously supports the con-
Goodell has signed a five- A person familiar with the tract and believes that it is
year contract extension to contract told The Associ- fully consistent with ‘mar-
remain commissioner of the ated Press it is worth almost ket’ compensation and the
NFL through 2024. $200 million, with a base of financial and other param-
A memo from the NFL’s $40 million. But the deal is eters outlined to the owners
compensation committee incentive-laden, the person at our May 2017 meeting,
to team owners and ob- added, speaking on condi- as well as in the best inter-
tained Wednesday by The tion of anonymity because ests of ownership,” Blank
Associated Press confirms the contract numbers are wrote in the memo.
that Goodell and commit- not made public. “We also have expressed
tee chairman Arthur Blank, Among those incentives in those conversations our
owner of the Atlanta Fal- are continued increases in strong and unanimous be- In this Oct. 15, 2017, file photo, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell
cons, have signed the ex- revenues, stable or rising lief that we should proceed watches from the sidelines before an NFL football game between
tension. That extension has television ratings, a new to sign the agreement now, the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers in Minneapolis.
been a source of contro- labor agreement with the consistent with the unani- Jones, whose objections The NFL’s next owners
versy because Dallas Cow- players — the NFL-NFL Play- mous May resolution and surfaced publicly after his meeting is in Dallas next
boys owner Jerry Jones ob- ers Association deal expires to avoid further controversy star running back, Ezekiel Wednesday. Jones had
jected to the process. in 2021 — and how much surrounding this issue.? We Elliott, ran out of legal op- hoped to delay the new
All 32 owners approved the NFL gets in rights fees are pleased to report that tions to appeal a six-game deal with Goodell until
in May the compensation when it renews its broad- there is a nearly unanimous suspension handed down then, when he could per-
committee’s power to ne- cast contracts. consensus among the own- by Goodell under the NFL’s sonally raise his concerns to
gotiate and sign a deal with Goodell earned nearly $32 ership in favor of signing the personal conduct penalty. other owners. q
Goodell, who replaced million in 2015, the last year contract extension now.” Jones was not immediately Also on the compensa-
Paul Tagliabue in 2006. in which public records for That would not include available for comment. tion committee are own-