A few weeks ago, I wrote that the NFL’s attempt to change to an 18-game schedule was essentially a ploy to distract and complicate things for the NFLPA.  It’s one of those old Machiavellian things, you know, distract the enemy.  Low and behold, it’s working.  The 18-game schedule has players and media talking pros and cons of an 18-game regular season non-stop.

The move by the NFL owners is not only well calculated, but also a win-win.  Let’s say the owners win the 18-game battle straight out, they get two extra games of revenue.  Some fans have said they won’t be able to afford it, but assuming the NFL doesn’t take a hit because of a work stoppage, if fan A doesn’t want the seats, fan B will take them.

But, players have been adamant that the 18-game schedule will not happen.  They will be compensated by game, but not be given extra for their increased risk of injury.  And, don’t forget some players, possibly the majority, see the preseason as an opportunity to win a job.

Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Kyle Williams told the Buffalo News, “Both sides would have to come to some concessions,” if the 18-game schedule were to happen.  Right on, Kyle.  That’s exactly what the NFL owners are going for.  If the owners back off, say agree to a 17-game schedule as ProFootball Talk predicts, then later in CBA negotiations, say when looking for a rookie scale, the NFL owners will say “look, we backed off the 18-game schedule, now you give us a rookie scale.”

The 18-game schedule could be an all-out bluff by the league’s owners.  If the season is expanded, it’s difficult to think the NFL could get away with its current healthcare system (which may be the worst of all the pro leagues).

But, more likely is that the owners and NFL are using the used-car-salesman’s trick:  start high, end up in the middle.  Start at 18 games, get 17 or 16 plus leverage.

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For 21 years, The Orange Bowl had the name FedEx in front of it, in 2011 the name Discover will take its place.  The Miami Herald reported Wednesday that Discover will have naming rights to The Orange Bowl for four years and five games including the January 2013 national championship at Sun Life Stadium.

``Our card members are very passionate about college football,'' Harit Talwar, president of U.S. Cards for Discover, said in a statement. ``As title sponsor of the Orange Bowl, Discover will be rewarding their card members all year long with exclusive benefits, including ticket offers.''

The Bowl Championship Series will be on ESPN for the first time.  The network will sell naming rights for the entire series which includes the Orange, Sugar, Fiesta and national championship game.

Matthew Coller is a staff member of the Business of Sports Network, and is a freelance writer. He can be followed on Twitter

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Make money by not spending money.  It’s a theory capitalism says shouldn’t work. Better products rise to the top and are profitable.  Well, some NFL teams’ lack of spending to improve their product while seeing profits grow would bring Adam Smith to tears.

The Buffalo News reported Sunday that the Buffalo Bills rank 26^th in the NFL in the overall value of contracts thus far in 2010 and ranked 32^nd in cap spending in 2009, yet the team reported near $40 million in operating income.  To give you an idea where they stand, the Green Bay Packers had less than $10 million in operating income.

Many have criticized Major League Baseball’s gap between the big and small spenders, but the Bills total contracts pre-season are $458 million, compare that to Minnesota’s $728 million or Carolina’s $353 million.  The average, says The News, is $535 million.

The actual salary payouts will be near $108 million for the Bills, which is $20 million below the 2009 salary cap (there is no salary cap in 2010).  What could $20 million buy?  The pass rusher the Bills severely need?  How about a quarterback?

The Bills aren’t the only team using these spending methods, in fact, they aren’t even in the bottom five of spending.  Carolina, Kansas City, Tampa Bay, St. Louis and Cleveland are the bottom of the barrel.   What do all those teams have in common:  lack of on-field success.

The News notes that many teams manipulate salary cap numbers through signing bonuses, even so the bottom teams in cap spending are Tampa Bay, Kansas City and Jacksonville, falling more than $27 million short of last year’s salary cap, a cap which would have increased in 2010.  It has been predicted that several teams will spend less than $90 million on players this season.

The Bills and Bucs, despite abysmal seasons in 2009, filled more than 95 percent of their stadium’s capacity.  However, the spend-less-save-more-and-still-draw didn’t work for everyone, the Jaguars, Rams and Chiefs filled less than 90 percent of their stadiums.

If you are in the Buffalo area, you know the Bills have been rumored to be a team on the move, it seems they have manipulated their fans into thinking if they do not support the team, they will become the Los Angeles Bills.  The numbers indicated a different story.

*The Bills ranked 33^rd among most valuable franchises in all of sports, the Bucs were 12th, Chiefs 19th, Rams 32nd etc.

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After all the rhymes and all the reasons, the result is the same:  2009 Rookie of the Year Brian Cushing will be suspended for the first four games of the 2010 season.  Cushing’s variety of excuses for his positive test for the performance-enhancing drug HCG all fell short as Commissioner Roger Goodell upheld the original suspension and length.

"At the request of Texans owner Bob McNair, commissioner Goodell reviewed additional medical information presented on behalf of Brian Cushing," the NFL said in a statement.

"The club and Cushing were notified today that after carefully considering all the information, including a review by outside medical experts, the commissioner finds no basis for changing the decision that Mr. Cushing's suspension for the first four games of the regular season remains in place."

Keep in mind this is the same Texans owner being accused of collusion with the commissioner.    It would have looked pretty funny if Goodell had overturned the decision after McNair’s pleas.

ProFootball Talk Noted that there have been 29 PED suspensions since 2008.

Matthew Coller is a staff member of the Business of Sports Network, and is a freelance writer. He can be followed on Twitter

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Last summer, I spoke to several prominent advocates for retired NFL players’ rights.  One issue that stood out like turf-toe was injuries sustained because of the thin layer of sandpaper carpeting known in those days as Astro Turf.  Retired players’ advocates feel they were guinea pigs, abused to create a faster-paced, higher-scoring NFL at the cost of their knees, joints and brains.

Another complaint from retired players’ advocates was that players today fail to understand their circumstance, then and now.  The New York Giants may not entirely connect to pathetic pensions or heedless health care, but after a knee injury last week to receiver Domenik Hixon, they can relate to turf-related battle wounds.

The Giants and Jets share a brand-new, $1.6 billion stadium:  The New Meadowlands.  The stadium will debut NFL football Monday night when the two home teams face off.  Going into the game, the lingering thought on many of the Giants’ players minds is Hixon’s injury, which took place during a workout at New Medowlands and according to players, was sustained without contact.

Giants defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka told the Associated Press he doesn’t feel entirely comfortable taking the field, “I think the Turf did play a big role in that so we’re concerned about it,” Kiwanuka said. “We know our front office is looking into it and doing everything they can. You just have to go out there and play football. You can’t worry about that on the field, but it is a concern.”

Giants’ general manager Jerry Reese said the field had nothing to do with Hixon’s injury, but said the team made a change, electing to keep one NFL logo in the middle of the field instead of changing logs each home game.

The team’s head coach Tom Coughlin wouldn’t affirm or deny, but told the AP they changed the “distribution of granules.”

Whether the distribution of granules was correct likely doesn’t matter.  An NFL panel found in March that serious knee injuries and ankle injuries happen more often in games played on FieldTurf, the same brand of turf used in New Medowlands.

FieldTurf argues that their own paid-for studies found fewer injuries in high school and college football  games on their surface.

The reality is players’ concerns and the findings of the panel won’t have much effect on the way NFL teams make playing surface decisions.  The bottom line is that FieldTurf is much cheaper than maintaining grass and that there are no guaranteed contracts in the NFL and never will be.

Matthew Coller is a staff member of the Business of Sports Network, and is a freelance writer. He can be followed on Twitter

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EA Mobile, a division of Electronic Arts Inc., (NASDAQ:ERTS)  today announced that the fan-favorite Madden NFL videogame franchise is available on the latest digital devices and platforms reaching new consumers. For the first time, consumers can now play Madden NFL 11 on Apple's iPad. Madden NFL 11 for iPad, iPod touch and feature phone versions are launching alongside the franchise console offerings today. A version for Android phones will be available later in the year.

“The release of Madden NFL 11 upholds EA’s legacy of innovation in the mobile industry,” said Travis Boatman, Vice President of Worldwide Studios for EA Mobile. “Total Defensive Control, a brand new feature for iPad and iPod touch, redesigns how you play defense giving you more control and ultimately, making it more fun. If you have a mobile device and you’re a football fan, then this is the game for you.”

Madden NFL 11 for iPad and iPod touch

Madden NFL 11 is the most fun and complete NFL experience ever made for mobile devices and is available today from the App Store.

• Win With Defense – Total Defensive Control delivers the fun on defense. Play both sides of the ball with equal intensity with the all-new “Total Defensive Control.” TDC allows players to pause the action, position their defense and deliver game-changing hits like never before.
• Quick Play Decisions – With the new GameFlow playbook based on the console game’s new feature, players spend less time in the playbook and more time on the field. Keeping the game’s momentum going and shortening overall time per play is perfect for gaming on the go.
• Control the Action – With the innovative feature called “Hot Routes Everywhere,” players pick almost any football player pre-snap and literally draw their movement on the field while creating the play on the go. This year, draw routes on passing and running plays, along with defense.
• Graphics and Controls Befitting the Game – With HD-quality graphics for iPad, optimized graphics taking full advantage of the new Retina display and 3GS maximized visuals, football players rumble into action in authentic stadiums as gamers get drawn deeper in the experience. Controls are maximized for each device including a unique passing wheel designed exclusively for iPad.
• Unmatched Authenticity on Mobile Devices – With 32 NFL teams in authentic stadiums, choose from updated rosters featuring nearly 2,000 real players even seeing players’ names on the their jerseys in the iPad version.
• Play Your Way – Whether playing rivals via Bluetooth on the iPod touch or jumping right into a solo game, Madden NFL 11 delivers like never before. Play through an entire 16-game schedule in Season Mode making trades and tracking stats for a team and the entire league. In Playoffs Mode, replay last season’s historic playoffs all the way to the Super Bowl.
• Additional Features Coming Soon – Upcoming free iPad updates scheduled in time for the kick-off to the NFL regular season include retro-style “Vintage Voltage Football” and multiplayer gameplay.

Madden NFL 11 is available today from the App Store for iPad and iPod touch, or at www.itunes.com/appstore/. A version for feature phones is also available with an Android version coming later in the year.

Source: EA Mobile

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(THE BIZ OF BASEBALL)

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• Mariners Fire Manager Don Wakamatsu
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Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey, and is a contributor to Forbes SportsMoney blog.. He is available as a freelance writer. Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network (select his name in the dropdown provided).

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President Barak Obama honored the 2009 Super Bowl winners, the New Orleans Saints.  Here is a full transcript of his speech to honor the team via an official White House release:

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, welcome, everybody.  Please have a seat, have a seat.  It is wonderful to see all of you.  Welcome, and congratulations to the 2009 Super Bowl Champions -– the New Orleans Saints.  (Applause.)

I want to start by recognizing some folks in my administration who are big fans of this team -- Lisa Jackson -- (applause) -- from the EPA; Secretary Donovan from HUD; -- (applause) -- Craig Fugate from FEMA.  (Applause.)  We’ve got a few very proud members of Congress with us –- Senator Mary Landrieu -- (applause) -- and Representative Steve Scalise are in the house.  (Applause.)

Congratulations to the owner, Tom Benson, who has led this team through times that would test anybody; and General Manager Mickey Loomis, for building this extraordinary championship squad.

Congratulations to your outstanding head coach, Sean Payton, who’s done just great work.  (Applause.)  I must point out Sean is a Chicago guy.  (Laughter.)  I'm just saying.  (Laughter.)  By way of Naperville.  You’ve got to be tough to be a Chicago guy.  I make some tough decisions every day, but I never decided on an onside kick in the second half of the Super Bowl.  (Applause.)  That took some guts.  Were you okay with that?  Did he check off with you?  (Laughter.)  I'm glad that thing went all right.  (Laughter.)

Coach Payton led this team to a remarkable season:  13-0 start, a franchise record for wins; a heck of an overtime win in the NFC Championship.  And then after falling behind in the Super Bowl, with the onside kick, huge second half; Tracy Porter’s interception guaranteeing that the Lombardi Trophy would go to the city of New Orleans for the very first time.  It was an unbelievable moment.  (Applause.)

I want to congratulate the Super Bowl MVP, your quarterback, your captain -- Drew Brees.  (Applause.)  I have to say all of us were very excited after the game -- all my wife wanted to talk about was Baylen, that little boy sitting with Drew, and everybody going, “Awww,” (laughter) -- which, I'm just saying, you made a lot of fans then.  (Laughter.)  Drew and his wife, Brittany, are expecting their second child in October.  So, congratulations to you both.  (Applause.)

Drew threw six touchdowns in the opening weekend, making it pretty clear that the Saints were coming to play.  And over the course of the season, he set a new NFL record for accuracy, completing more than 70 percent of his passes.  I have a few staffers who were thrilled to have Drew on their fantasy team.  (Laughter.)  So they are grateful for that.

And by the way, this is not Drew’s first time to the White House.  Last year, we filmed a PSA some of you may have seen, encouraging America’s youth to get 60 minutes of physical activity every day.  He tossed me a nice tight spiral that I then lateraled to a kid on DeMarcus Ware’s shoulders.  I also want to point out I beat Troy Polamalu over the middle on that throw.  (Laughter.)  You remember.  (Laughter.)  I'm not sure he was going top speed, but -- (laughter.)

Finally, Drew has agreed to serve as co-chair of the new President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition.  And I want to thank all the players who put on a clinic earlier this morning with children from the Boys and Girls Club as part of the Let’s Move and the NFL’s Play60 program.  So, thank you very much, guys, for participating in that.  (Applause.)

So this was an unbelievable season.  After decades of frustration, the Saints finally won the big one.  The “ain’ts” and the “sad sacks” gave way to the “Who Dats.”  Local musicians even gave a jazz funeral to retire the “ain’ts” nickname.  But I think we all know that this season meant far more than that to the City of New Orleans -– and to all Americans, really.

Look, I’m a Bears fan.  I’m not going to lie.  (Laughter.)  But this was a big win for the country -- not just for New Orleans -- because five years ago, this team played its entire season on the road.  It didn’t have a home field.  The Superdome had been ruined by Hurricane Katrina.  The heartbreaking tragedies that unfolded there when it was used as a shelter from that terrible storm lingered all too fresh in a lot of people’s minds.

And back then, people didn’t even know if the team was coming back.  People didn’t know if the city was coming back.  Not only did the team come back -– it took its city’s hands and helped its city back on its feet.  This team took the hopes and the dreams of a shattered city and placed them squarely on its shoulders.

And so these guys became more than leaders in the locker room -– they became leaders of an entire region.  And the victory parade that we saw earlier this year made one thing perfectly clear, that New Orleans and the New Orleans Saints are here to stay.

So plenty of cities carry their sports teams through  a tough season.  It’s a rare thing when a sports team carries a city through tough times.  And that’s why there’s such a deep bond between this organization and the city.  I’m not sure there’s any other city that feels that same way right now.  And that's not just for what the Saints have done on the field, but what they’ve done off it to see that the city keeps rising.

In fact, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell recently said that every team in professional sports should use the Saints as a model for how to interact with their community.

This entire team has worked with Habitat for Humanity to rebuild neighborhoods in New Orleans.  Many of these guys and the coaches and the players run foundations to help children in need.  All of them are off to Walter Reed later this morning to spend some time with wounded warriors who served our country.

And obviously the Gulf region has spent the last few months besieged by yet another crisis.  But last week we received the news that we had hoped for.  Yesterday, we learned that a procedure to prevent any more oil from spilling with a cement plug appears to have succeeded.  And the final steps will be taken later in August when the relief well is completed.  But what is clear is that the battle to stop the oil from flowing into the Gulf is just about over.

Our work goes on, though.  I made a commitment to the people of the Gulf Coast that I would stand by them not just until the well was closed but until they recovered from the damage that’s been done.  And that’s a commitment my administration is going to keep.

So with the ongoing reopening of Gulf fisheries, we’re excited that fishermen can go back to work and Americans can confidently and safely enjoy Gulf seafood once again.  We’re certainly going to enjoy it here at the White House.  In fact, we had some yesterday.

While they’re here today, several Saints players are going to spend some time teaching our staff their favorite Gulf seafood recipes.  So who’s cooking?  (Laughter.)  Which one -- it’s you back there?  All right.  (Laughter and applause.)  And Sam Kass, the White House -- he’s very excited, he’s very excited.  And after weeks of hearing about food from our response teams down in the Gulf, I can tell you that our staff is excited about the 30-foot po’ boy we’re serving at lunch today.  (Laughter.)

But let me just say in closing, we are very proud of this team, and we are very proud of the owner of this team, because it required a great commitment on your part to help pull this team and this city along.  And so there is a heartfelt congratulations not just from those of us here in the White House, but I think all across America.  These are big guys with big hearts, and shoulders big enough to carry the hopes and dreams of an entire city with them.

So with that, congratulations to all of you -- the New Orleans Saints, 2009 Super Bowl Champions.  Congratulations

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Is parking free, or is it $15?  Where do I get autographs?  Will my kids like it?

These are the questions fans ask themselves before attending an NFL team’s training camp.  For some, attending an actual NFL game is impossible, whether it’s for financial reasons or lack of a baby sitter, training camp may be the only opportunity to get a look at one’s favorite team.

Some teams understand the importance of the training camp fan, others do not.  The differences can be as simple as bathroom accessibility or as complicated as creating life-time fans.  Who does it right and who does it wrong, that we’ll leave to you, but here’s how you can tell:

Bathrooms:

Laugh, but see how much fun it is when you either can’t find one or can’t find one that looks cleaner than the downtown underpass.  Fan friendly bathrooms also tell you something about your team, they tell you the team is always thinking of you.  Bathrooms that are available to those with small children is an added bonus of the team’s understanding of a family friendly atmosphere.

Shade and rain coverage:

Ever been caught in the rain 500 yards from your car with no where to go?  It stinks.  Ever try to run for it with three kids?  I haven’t, but I’m sure it stinks.  So where do fans go if it starts to pour?  If they’ve been sitting on a blanked on a grassy knoll, the rain will certainly displace them.  What then?  Maybe it’s something a team won’t care to consider, but what does that say about the event?  If a plan is in place, it shows your team is thinking.

Same goes for the shade, who wants to be out in the sun for three hours with their three kids under 10?  Not I.  Not saying there should be shade available at all times, that’s tough to ask for, but some relief from the heat can rejuvenate a fan’s experience.  Some camps have a children’s area, if you’ve seen it, you know it’s a plus.

The trend is focus on a family friendly atmosphere.  The little things make a positive or negative experience that brings a family back.

Seating and view:

A team that will remain nameless has an enormous college stadium which holds several thousand, yet chooses to practice on two fielders adjacent to the stadium.  No biggie, except for the fact that fans may only walk or sit around half of both fields, but not in between the fields.  So, if you stand by the near field, you can’t see anything on the far side of that field or on the second field.  Plus, there are limited places to actually sit, most fans stand.

I will use Pittsburgh Steelers camp at St. Vincent as an example of great seating and view.  There are two practice fields that fans can experience from nearly every angle of a 360 degree radius.  Fans on one side can sit on a hill which has a stadium seating affect, and there’s plenty of room for all.  You can watch the tight ends slam the bag or Mike Tomlin scream at the running backs and have an up-close-and-personal view of the whole event.

Camp as a nickel and dime / corporate event:

Some camps allow coolers, but if they don’t, if not look at the availability of concessions and the prices.  NFL games are expensive, training camp shouldn’t be, so if you are paying more than $2 per water bottle, your team has it wrong.  A great deal of food should be available at an affordable price.  If a family of four can go to training camp for less than $20, they’ll come back.

If you have to walk through a corporate tent, your team has it wrong.  Who wants it shoved down their throats?  Who want 43 bored looking interns begging you to try the latest version of Mountain Dew?  Some teams have their sponsors set up tents around the perimeter and let you visit at your leisure.  They’ve got it right.

Autographs:

Getting players’ signatures is a huge deal at training camp.  These autographs are most important to those under the age of 12.  The NFL is cognizant of the need to create life-time fans and autographs play a major role in doing so.  I still remember getting Bucky Brooks’ autograph as a kid.  If you have to fight off several hundred grown men to get your kid a signature, your team is doing it wrong.  There should be a designated area, not one where you have to reach over a fence, rather where you can have easy access to each player signing and where it isn’t anarchy.

Lines make sense, tables make sense, standing behind fences feels impersonal and does not create a special, memorable experience.

Matthew Coller is a staff member of the Business of Sports Network, and is a freelance writer. He can be followed on Twitter

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According to Sports Illustrated's football guru Peter King, and confirmed by ProFootball Talk NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has fined Detroit Lions president Tom Lewand $100,000 over a DUI.  The fine, as Biz of Football discussed earlier this month, sets a precedent and sends a message to other NFL executives that they will be held to the personal conduct policy just as players are, but will face higher fines.  We kind of guessed it, suggesting it would be equal to a Super Bowl logo violation of $100,000. 

"You occupy a special position of responsibility and trust, and -- as you have publicly acknowledged -- your conduct must be consistent with someone in that position," Commissioner Roger Goodell told Lewand in a letter.  "As we have discussed, those who occupy leadership positions are held to a higher standard of conduct that exceeds what is ordinarily expected of players or members of the general public."

Lewand will also be suspended for 30 days.

Matthew Coller is a staff member of the Business of Sports Network, and is a freelance writer. He can be followed on Twitter

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Take a good look. This logo will be changing shortly

The PAC-10 will be officially renamed the PAC-12 at a press conference today, according to a report by Peter Schwartz for Forbes SportsMoney. Commissioner Larry Scott has told Forbes and will make it official at the news conference. The "Big" question is, when?

When will the name change take effect? Ironically, you'll have to ask the Big XII. That's because the Pac-10 isn't sure when the University of Colorado, one of the two schools that agreed to join the conference in recent months, will officially come aboard. Colorado planned to make the transition in 2012, but the Big XII, its current conference, wants the school to leave sooner. The University of Utah, the other incoming Pac-10 member, is still on track to join the conference next year. Scott says that the name change will be made official only after the two schools make the switch.

Look for more news as it becomes available

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Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey, and is a contributor to Forbes SportsMoney blog.. He is available as a freelance writer. Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network (select his name in the dropdown provided).

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