Goodell has placed his imprint on league in short time

By D. Orlando Ledbetter

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Roger Goodell has rarely sat still since his tenure officially began on Sept. 1, 2006. Some the changes his administration has introduced:

• A new personal conduct policy was implemented in April 2007. Players, team employees and officials face possible fines and/or suspensions for illicit off-the-field behavior. Recently, Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was suspended for four to six games for his conduct in a Milledgeville bar, despite the fact that no criminal charges were filed.

• Overtime rules in for postseason games weremodified for the 2010 season. Under the new rule, the team that loses the coin flip at the start of overtime gets a possession unless a touchdown is scored -- either offensively or defensively -- on the first possession. Under the old rule, the first team to score won in sudden death..

• The 2010 Pro Bowl was moved from Hawaii to South Florida on the weekend before Super Bowl for first time. The game will shift back to Hawaii next season and be played on Jan. 30, 2011, a week before the Super Bowl. Future dates are undetermined.

• The 2014 Super Bowl will be played in an outdoor stadium in a northern city (East Rutherford, N.J.y) for the first time. Super Bowls have been played in Minneapolis (1992) and Detroit (1982 and 2006) but in indoor facilities.

• In 2007, Miami and the New York Giants played the league's first regular season game in Europe in London's Wembley Stadium. Goodell has talked about playing a Super Bowl in London.

• The NFL has proposed to strengthen the human growth hormone testing program in labor negotiations with the NFLPA.

• The league has proposed playing an enhanced 18-game regular season and two exhibitions. Teams currently play 16 games and four exhibitions. The league has played 16 games since 1978, except for labor-shortened seasons in 1982 and 1987.

• Retired player benefits have been improved and will be a point of negotiation in the new collective bargaining agreement. Goodell has said there will be no agreement without more improvements for retired players.

• Flexible scheduling was established for late-season Sunday night games in order to provide better matchups for television and perhaps allow a surprise team to play its way into a prime-time game.

• NFL Network's Thursday night games were started in 2006.

• An alliance of NFL, NFLPA, NFL Retired Players Association and NFL Alumni Association convened for the first time to address retired player issues. This led to formation of the NFL Player Care Foundation and new programs for retired players.

• The league conducted the first-ever medical conferences on concussions in 2007 and 2010. New guidelines were formulated for concussion management and when players may return to play after suffering a concussion.

• The first NFL Fan Code of Conduct was established in 2008 to promote fan safety and comfort.

• Distribution of NFL Network has expanded to 55 million homes.

• The Rooney Rule, which calls for minority candidates to be interviewed for head coaching openings league-wide, was expanded to include senior football operations positions in 2009.

• The timing of NFL Draft was altered this year, with shortened first- and second-round times and a move to prime time on Thursday and Friday nights.