NFL Commish Super Bowl press conference may kick off the week of events

The anticipated event has been held mid- and late-week

I am hearing of a big change to the Super Bowl week carnival of events: a move of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell’s press conference from Wednesday to Monday February 5. Several years ago the highly anticipated presser was moved from its traditional Friday slot during Super Bowl week to Wednesday, a move widely seen as a way to minimize coverage because some in the media does not begin arriving until mid-week. A move to Monday would surely be greeted, rightly or wrongly, with similar suspicion.

I have not heard back from the NFL to confirm the veracity of what I have heard; neither of the two sources I talked to know why the league was making the change, if that is the case.  Besides the exposure, the NFL may just be trying to keep the focus on the teams in the game by getting the newsmaking press conference out of the way early.

For those of you not familiar with the cadence of Super Bowl week for the media, some do not begin arriving until mid week.  There are the reporters who follow the teams who of course are there on Monday with the clubs. Many are also in town for Monday’s Media Night, so it’s not as if media is scarce there on that Monday.

But the commissioner’s address and question and answer session is attended not just by media, but by league partners, VIPs, owners already in town and league staff. Many of those types of people will not arrive by Monday of Super Bowl week. One team exec whose owner almost always attends said his owner this year will not be attending.

Goodell famously said in response to a question at one of his annual pressers that he is always available to the media, a line that to this day draws guffaws from those of us in the media. Say what you will about Goodell–and I think he has been underestimated among the public for his hand in growing the sport and making the NFL the runaway number one entertainment asset–but he does not relish his time with the media.

His answers at the Super Bowl press conference are poured over and dissected like it was a political event. When asked one year about the safety of kids playing football, he noted it is also dangerous to watch TV all day.  Now, he had a point.  Childhood obesity is a major problem, as is lack of exercise for kids.  This leads to a whole host of physical and mental issues, and can lead to early death. And football promotes physical activity and teamwork. But the takeaway was to mock him for suggesting getting hit in the head on the football field was the equivalent to sitting on a couch. And surely he did not offer the proper caveats and context, but the media was quick to run with the simplistic gotcha story.

The address itself is carefully orchestrated, with the competing teams’ helmets and the Lombardi Trophy presented next to the podium. One wonders with a Monday time slot if some of the trappings of the address are downsized: smaller room, fewer cameras. It could more resemble the press conference he holds at the annual meeting in terms of the number of reporters in attendance.

The commissioner’s presser is a big deal, always one of the top news stories of the week. Media will want to ask him about Vegas, gambling, the teams involved, talks for the NFL to invest in ESPN, the kickoff play, international games, and so forth. If it becomes the opening act of Super Bowl week so be it.

Reminder I will be writing a daily business of football newsletter from the Super Bowl for Front Office Sports.

Update: Confirmed the presser is moving to Monday.