NFL Commissioner Presses for His Proposals

PALM BEACH, Fla., March 31 -- NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Monday he will enact the measures in his crackdown on cheating whether or not they're supported by owners of the league's teams.

Several owners expressed support for Goodell's proposals as the annual league meeting began at a Palm Beach resort. But Goodell is empowered to implement several of the measures without the owners' approval, and he said at a news conference that he will put those proposals into effect.

"We've actually had a very positive reaction from the competition committee," Goodell said. "I met with them briefly [Sunday]. So I anticipate that there will be full support for that. But the answer to your ultimate question is yes, I will."

Goodell first outlined his proposals 3 1/2 weeks ago in a memo to the competition committee. They include unannounced inspections of locker rooms, stadium press boxes and in-game communication equipment, and a lowering of the standard of proof necessary for discipline to be imposed for violations. Neither of those measures requires the owners' consent.

But Goodell nevertheless has been seeking input. The measures were endorsed by the competition committee, and even New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft expressed his support Monday. The Patriots and their coach, Bill Belichick, were penalized by Goodell for the videotaping scandal that led to Goodell's proposals.

Kraft answered questions about the Spygate scandal as he stood in a hallway at the Breakers resort, surrounded by reporters. "I think we've covered the subject," Kraft said. "We broke a rule in the first week of the season. We were penalized very heavily. . . . I think everything stands on its own after that."

Belichick and the Patriots were fined a total of $750,000 and the team was stripped of a first-round draft pick after being caught videotaping the play signals of New York Jets coaches in the opening game last season. Goodell later told Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) that Belichick had taped opponents' play signals throughout his tenure as the Patriots' coach and said during his news conference Monday that Belichick had maintained the practice "throughout his career."

Kraft denied an allegation, first raised in a report by the Boston Herald during Super Bowl week, that the Patriots taped the St. Louis Rams' walk-through the day before the teams played in the Super Bowl in 2002.

"I believe it's something that never happened," Kraft said. "And if so, two months later, why has nothing come out?"

Kraft said he hopes that lawyers for the NFL and former Patriots video assistant Matt Walsh complete the indemnification agreement they've been negotiating. There have been reports that Walsh has information about the videotaping program, but he has refused to be interviewed by league officials without an agreement giving him legal protection against lawsuits.

Goodell said he was "a little frustrated" by the pace of the legal maneuvering but indicated that progress had been made. He said he was "very anxious" to hear what Walsh has to say.

Both Kraft and Goodell said that Walsh never signed a confidentiality agreement with the Patriots that would prohibit him from speaking immediately. Kraft said the Patriots had "moved forward" from the scandal and he doesn't believe their record-setting season -- they went 18-0 before losing to the New York Giants in the Super Bowl -- was tainted.

Goodell said his proposals are intended to reassure the public about the sport's integrity.

"I think these steps are necessary because we recognize there has been a great deal of discussion about this and questioning of our integrity," he said.

The competition committee also endorsed Goodell's proposal that each team certify annually that it has complied with all rules and reported all violations.

Both Goodell and the competition committee support a proposal to connect one defensive player per team to a coach on the sideline via a wireless communication device during games, eliminating the need for hand signals for defensive play calls. That proposal must be ratified by at least 24 of the 32 teams.