NFL commissioner Roger Goodell kicked off Super Bowl week online conducting a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) on Monday, answering die-hard football fans’ questions spanning anywhere from the NFL replacement refs to his thoughts on Sunday’s Pro Bowl effort and the NFL’s viability overseas. Although the commissioner is one of the more polarizing figures in sports, users were mostly respectful and Goodell was surprisingly quick and thorough in his answers. He also proved that he is trying to connect with fans in all sorts of ways. The AMA is designed to pepper the host with wide-ranging topics and the Redditors did just that. Below are some highlights from the one-hour Q&A, which topped over 12,000 users. Question from HeLiX_C Hi Roger, you're awesome for doing this AMA!! Just one tough question for you. How do you feel about Tom Brady being fined 10K for that intentional kick while he slid to the ground after Frank Gore had just been fined 10.5K for wearing his socks too low? I understand dress code is not something that can be taken lightly, but there has got to be a better format for the fines right? EDIT: I get that it was Frank Gore's 2nd offense of the season. But lets not forget that it was still a fine over his socks being too low. Answer from NFL_Commish I notice there are a lot of questions on socks. This is a matter initially judged by a former player at the game called the Uniform Inspector. It is part of our effort to look and act professional at all times. There is a standard fine for violations that our Football Operations department issues on a routine basis. This is a system that was put in place in the 60s and has served us well.Question from ThaddeusJP Hello Mr. Goodell – welcome to Reddit. To start things off, there is a HUGE NFL following on reddit (/r/nfl <--- click here to see the main section) and pages for every team with their own dedicated followers. We are extremely passionate about the game and are constantly talking about all things NFL. You’re going to get insightful and hard-hitting questions about EVERY aspect of the game itself, the league, and how things have been/will be done. We look forward to your answers! My question: In regards to expansion: There is clearly a huge market in Europe, South America, and many other parts of the world. People are talking about overseas expansion. Is there a long term plan to bring new NFL teams to the rest of the world? Thank you for your time! - Thad, A Browns fan Answer from NFL_Commish Thad, glad to hear that Reddit is so passionate about NFL football. Hope you all have enjoyed the season as much as I have. We expanded our regular season series in London to two games this year. So far, we've seen the same passionate support for the NFL in London, based on ticket sales to date. If our game continues to grow in London, it would not surprise me if we had an NFL team in London someday. Question from douche_bigalo Did you practice this handshake for many hours? How has your street cred improved since said handshake? http://i.imgur.com/aUgE0.gifAnswer from NFL _Commish When I met with the players the day before the draft, Melvin asked if I would give him a special handshake. He showed it to me and then we practiced one time. It was fun, glad I didn't screw it up for Melvin. Question from Siffilis Would you consider allowing more extensive touchdown celebrations again? Answer from NFL_Commish This rule gets reconsidered by our Competition Committee every year. We think we have a good balance between sportsmanship and natural enthusiasm. We want the players to be able to celebrate without taunting the opponents and casuing a retaliation. I'd be interested to see how other fans feel: do we want more? Comments from dharasick YES. Celebrations make the game more enjoyable to watch, and you know what positive outcomes that means for revenue. Question from vinnyv18 Any chance the Saints get back their 2nd round pick for this years draft? Answer from NFL_Commish No, the penalty will continue to include the 2nd round draft choice in 2013. Question from chronolis Hello Mr. Goodell. As an NFL fan for a long time, I appreciate the amount of dedication you have towards the game. My question to you is, at what point this year, did you decide that enough was enough and we needed to get the situation with the replacement referees settled? Was it a specific event like the Packers vs Seahawks game or was it the amount of pressure you were receiving as commissioner? Answer from NFL_Commish We never wanted to have a work stoppage with the officials, but faced with the circumstances of not playing or not being able to improve officiating for the long run, we needed to get an agreement. I regret that it took longer to get an agreement. Eventually, we reached an agreement that allowed us to add full-time officials and a developmental roster of officials that we hope will improve officiating for the long term, which we all want. Question from Legand_dary How open is the NFL to making changes to the pro bowl? Answer from NFL_Commish I watched the game and noticed the improved quality of the game. I appreciate the players commitment in this regard. We need to continually work to make our game better for the fans. I look forward to getting detailed player comment and input over the next few weeks. Question from K_Lobstah Sup Rog. Two questions for ya:
Thanks in advance. Answer from NFL_Commish To your first question, since the NFL's inception, we have always made rule changes to balance safety with making the game more exciting. We have proven over the years that we can make the game more popular and better while increasing safety for our players. We will continue to move down that path. The game has prospered since removing the head slap, the crackback block, flying wedge and horsecollar tackles. This past season, 20 of 32 teams started the same quarterback in every game--the highest ever. That's good for fans as well as the safety of our players.
