A Note From NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell

To NFL Fans:

During the 2013 NFL Draft, young men will see their dreams realized as they are selected to become professional football players. And countless younger football players will be watching them. No matter what level they play, all football players should be taught the proper fundamentals and know that their safety is the top priority as they participate in the sport they love.

That is why the NFL is proud to partner with USA Football to announce the national launch of Heads Up Football, a comprehensive youth football initiative whose aim is to take the head out of the game. Your support is a vital component.

Heads Up Football was created with direction from independent football and medical experts. All coaches in a Heads Up Football league must be certified via USA Football's nationally accredited Level 1 coaching certification course. These leagues also appoint a Player Safety Coach, who is trained by USA Football. Every coach, parent and player affiliated with a Heads Up Football league receives training on the following subjects:

• Heads Up Tackling, which teaches tackling in a safer and more effective way. The head is always up in order to lessen the risk of head or neck injuries;
• Concussion recognition and response in which Centers for Disease Control and Prevention protocols are learned; and
• Proper equipment fitting to ensure the correct fitting of a player's helmet and shoulder pads.

Piloted in three markets in 2012, Heads Up Football will expand to more than 900 youth leagues across all 50 states in 2013. Many of these leagues will receive the guidance of Heads Up Football Ambassadors, former NFL players who will collaborate with the league's coaches, administrators, player safety coach, parents and players to help ensure that the game is played the right way.

We want to institute a culture of safety at every level of the game, and we encourage youth coaches, players and parents to join us.

We can play a part in making the game safer. As an NFL fan, here is what you can do to make a difference. If you are the parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, friend or neighbor of a youth football player, tell them about Heads Up Football and encourage their coaches or guardians to visit www.USAFootball.com to sign their league up as a Heads Up Football league. If you are a youth football coach or commissioner, we invite you to join the Heads Up Football movement by clicking here.

We are committed to football that fans love and the safety the players deserve at all levels of the game. Your support is critical.

Thanks for your help, and we hope you enjoy the NFL Draft.

Sincerely,


Roger Goodell
Commissioner, National Football League

NFL Fans: A Letter From Roger Goodell

If your a fan of the national Football League this may be interesting to you, I received this open letter last night from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

The letter was issued shortly after contract negotiations between the NFL owners and players broke off and an impasse declared by the players union which lead to the players union decertifying.

In the open letter, Goodell explains the owners position during negotiations and expresses their desire to continue the collective bargaining and mediation process so that an agreement between the two sides can serve the best interest of NFL players, clubs and fans:

Dear NFL Fan,

When I wrote to you last on behalf of the NFL, we promised you that we would work tirelessly to find a collectively bargained solution to our differences with the players' union. Subsequent to that letter to you, we agreed that the fastest way to a fair agreement was for everyone to work together through a mediation process. For the last three weeks I have personally attended every session of mediation, which is a process our clubs sincerely believe in.

Unfortunately, I have to tell you that earlier today the players' union walked away from mediation and collective bargaining and has initiated litigation against the clubs. In an effort to get a fair agreement now, our clubs offered a deal today that was, among other things, designed to have no adverse financial impact on veteran players in the early years, and would have met the player's financial demands in the latter years of the agreement.

The proposal we made included an offer to narrow the player compensation gap that existed in the negotiations by splitting the difference; guarantee a reallocation of savings from first-round rookies to veterans and retirees without negatively affecting compensation for rounds 2-7; no compensation reduction for veterans; implement new year-round health and safety rules; retain the current 16-4 season format for at least two years with any subsequent changes subject to the approval of the league and union; and establish a new legacy fund for retired players ($82 million contributed by the owners over the next two years).

It was a deal that offered compromise, and would have ensured the well-being of our players and guaranteed the long-term future for the fans of the great game we all love so much. It was a deal where everyone would prosper.

We remain committed to collective bargaining and the federal mediation process until an agreement is reached, and call on the union to return to negotiations immediately. NFL players, clubs, and fans want an agreement. The only place it can be reached is at the bargaining table.

While we are disappointed with the union's actions, we remain steadfastly committed to reaching an agreement that serves the best interest of NFL players, clubs and fans, and thank you for your continued support of our League. First and foremost it is your passion for the game that drives us all, and we will not lose sight of this as we continue to work for a deal that works for everyone.



Yours,
Roger Goodell