Now all Rozell and Tagliabue ever had to do was tell the networks ‘we’re the NFL and you’re going to pay us’. These guys got double digit increases every year, even when a network was only bidding against itself. Rozell famously sold the NFL championship rights to NBC, and then processed the NFL-AFL merger, so NBC actually got the NFC championship, Rozell was then able to sell the Super Bowl rights. Smart, tough negotiators who put the league first and grew it into the most successful sports league in America.

Now we have Rogered in charge, Rogered hears the networks saying they can’t afford to pay more, instead of telling them ‘you can’t afford not to pay us’ a tactic that has worked since television was invented, Rogered instead wants to expand the schedule, he doesn’t care if this will weaken the league, so what if teams aren’t ready for the season to start, so what if this shortsighted move will produce labor strife, Rogered wants to say he got more money from the networks.

Then again – he has been listed as “probable” due to his shoulder the last 92 regular season games….

You never can be too sure….