The NFL’s top P.R. executive claims to have no knowledge regarding a topic that would be a potential P.R. minefield for the NFL.
Via Mark Maske of the Washington Post, Jeff Miller said during a Tuesday media conference call (I took a quick nap beforehand, and it ended up being not so quick) that “he’s unaware of any conversations about neutral-site conference championship games as a permanent fixture in the future.”
Regardless of whether conversations are happening, one or more people in positions of power have views that point toward this possibility. And the press release from 11 days ago touting the sale of 50,000 tickets to a potential neutral-site conference championship in Atlanta, issued before the NFL knew whether it would even happen, seemed to imply that the league wants to do it.
Miler, per Maske, also pointed out that “owners could consider that if they’re inclined to do so.”
Indeed they are. But the real question is whether the league office will put it on the agenda and push it.
The easiest way to push it is to appeal to their love of money. Which is fine. People love money. I love money. It can buy stuff you need, stuff you want. Get enough of it, and you can just sit around and watch old episodes of The Office all day. (Then again, I’m currently doing that.)
Money talks; home-field walks. If/when the league office makes a sufficiently compelling presentation as to all the cash the NFL would make if/when it starts selling conference championship games to cities that would pay good money for the privilege of hosting the game, that’s when owners will start voting with their wallets.
Then again, they already vote with their wallets.