Breaking with tradition, NFL Commissioner Goodell’s annual Super Bowl press conference underwent significant changes this year. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the event moved from its usual Wednesday slot to Monday. It adopted an invite-only format, allowing the league to curate the participating media.
Unhappy with the NFL’s decision, Florio made his feelings known to Joe Rose, host of The Joe Rose Show on AM 560 Sports WQAM in Florida on Friday.
“It’s amazing after 23 years of doing this and 23 years of them trying to figure out how to deal with me that they’ve still yet to even begin to understand that the fundamental truth is this,” Florio said. “And when I practiced law, this was the same thing, and a friend of mine would counsel lawyers that would fight with me that the worst thing you can do is piss me off because it makes me more determined to do whatever needs to be done.”
Nothing makes Florio go over the top, but he provided an example. Florio delved into the ongoing legal battle surrounding the league’s concussion settlement. He highlighted the $1.3 billion cost and the NFL’s attempt to transfer the financial burden to insurers. While acknowledging the tediousness of reviewing legal documents, Florio revealed his commitment to analyzing the 408-page deposition transcript and producing multiple pieces of content based on it.
Pulling back the curtain on the NFL, Florio defended his critical approach, claiming the league’s actions fueled his focus on ignored issues like gambling hypocrisy, exemplified by owners profiting from sportsbooks while others face restrictions.
“Again, it’s not because I’m being malicious, but they made me focused, and they made me determined to put my finger on the issues that they don’t want to talk about,” he said. “And there are a lot of issues out there they don’t want to talk about. The big one is the hypocrisy on gambling. And the soft underbelly, I think of gambling — which no one is really focusing on — that owners are allowed to own up to five percent of any company that runs a sportsbook operation. Five percent doesn’t sound like much, but if you look at DraftKings, which is worth $20 billion right now, five percent is a billion dollars. So, the owners are allowed, but no one else connected to the league is even allowed to whisper the word, ‘gambling.'”
With his trademark tenacity, Florio vows to continue holding the NFL accountable, undeterred by attempts to limit access or downplay sensitive topics.
[The Joe Rose Show, Barrett Sports Media]
