Roger Goodell NFL Headquarters 345 Park Avenue New York, New York

Dear Mr Roger Goodell, ! a" wr#t#ng t$#s letter as a l#%et#"e %oot&all %an "ore s'e(#%#(all) a l#%elong *$#(ago +ears Fan Alt$oug$ ! a" a )ounger %an, ! love wat($#ng t$e ga"es %ro" earl#er t#"es as su($ w$en t$e greats o% M#ke ,#ngletar), -#ll#a" Re%r#gerator Perr), and -alter Pa)ton led t$e +ears to ,u'er&owl v#(tor) #n ./05 However, as ! look &a(k t$en and (o"'are #t to t$e now t$e ga"e o% %oot&all #s ver) d#%%erent 1ver) t#"e a new %oot&all )ear (o"es around,as %ans, we $ave to wat($ our %avor#te 'la)ers (o'e w#t$ new rules t$at )ou 'ut #n t$e ga"e t$at #s su''osed to $el' w#t$ 'la)er sa%et) M) gr#evan(es w#t$ t$e new rules started w$en )ou "oved t$e k#(kers u' %#ve )ards on k#(ko%%s w$#($ #n(reased t$e a"ount o% tou($ &a(ks dra"at#(all) -#t$ t$#s rule #n 'la(e, #t el#"#nates t$e ($an(e %or one o% t$e "ost e2(#t#ng 'la)s a %oot&all ga"e (ould $ave w$#($ #s a k#(ko%% return %or a tou($down su($ as Dev#n Hester #n t$e 3445 ,u'er&owl !n add#t#on, ! $ave an #ssue w#t$ a sa%et) or l#ne&a(ker $#tt#ng a w#de re(e#ver go#ng a(ross t$e "#ddle o% t$e %#eld to (at($ a 'ass !% t$e de%ender $#ts t$e re(e#ver $#g$, $e gets a .56 )ard de%enseless re(e#ver 'enalt) as well 734,444 or "ore %#ne %ro" t$e NFL !% t$e de%ender $#ts t$e re(e#ver low, $e avo#ds t$e 'enalt) and %#ne &ut $e $as to 'oss#&l) deal w#t$ g#v#ng anot$er 'la)er a (areer end#ng knee #n8ur) on $#s (ons(#en(e M) last 'ol#() ! w#s$ to "ent#on #s t$e one )ou #"'le"ented t$#s )ear w$ere a runn#ng &a(k (annot lower $#s 'ads w$en #ns#de t$e ta(kle &o2 9$e &#ggest 'ro&le" ! $ave w#t$ t$#s rule #s #ts (ontrad#(t#on You are tr)#ng to save t$e de%ender %ro" gett#ng $#t w#t$ t$e runn#ng &a(k:s $el"et &ut leav#ng t$e runn#ng &a(k o'en %or a k#ll s$ot &) a 'ursu#ng l#ne&a(ker 9$#s rule also 'revents a runn#ng &a(k %ro" runn#ng w#t$ $#s natural #nst#n(t w$#($ also leaves t$e" %or sus(e't#&le to #n8ur) &e(ause t$e) are (onstantl) worr#ed a&out $urt#ng t$e#r tea" w#t$ a .56)ard 'enalt) %or $#tt#ng a de%ens#ve 'la)er w#t$ t$e#r $el"et -#t$ all ") (o"'la#nts, ! understand w$at )our "ot#ve #s #n g#v#ng a 'la)er &etter l#%e a%ter t$e#r (areers However, at w$at (ost to t$e %ans and t$e ga"e o% %oot&all, #s regards to 'la)er sa%et) too "u($ All ! ask, #s t$at )ou alwa)s (ons#der t$e 'r#n(#'les o% w$at t$e ga"e o% %oot&all was &u#lt and $ow #t &e(a"e w$at #t #s toda) w$en )ou are (reat#ng new rules ,#n(erel), ;a(o& Gooden

;a(o& Gooden 1ngl#s$ ..4. Pro%essor Padgett .. ,e'te"&er 34.3 R$etor#(al Anal)s#s -$en wr#t#ng t$#s (o"'la#nt letter, ! tr#ed to get to t$e 'o#nt as qu#(kl) as 'oss#&le kee'#ng #t (lear and (on(#se w$#le sound#ng edu(ated w#t$ t$e $#stor) o% t$e Nat#onal Foot&all League ! %elt (o"'ar#ng t$e 'ast to t$e 'resent was t$e "ost e%%e(t#ve wa) to s$ow Mr Goodell t$e wa)s t$at t$e ga"e $as ($anged %or t$e worse ! d#d t$#s #n $o'#ng t$at $e was on(e a %oot&all %an as well, t$ere%ore $ear#ng t$#s "a) $ave ($anged $#s 'o#nt o% v#ew on t$e rules to a %oot&all %an:s 'ers'e(t#ve *los#ng out ") #ntrodu(t#on ! added 'at$os %ro" t$e r$etor#(al tr#angle stat#ng on t$e anno)an(e w#t$ t$e redundan() o% new rules &e#ng added ever) new %oot&all )ear ! #ntended %or t$#s to $#nt at 'oss#&l) do#ng rule ($anges at ever) t$ree )ears &es#des ever) )ear Fro" t$#s 'o#nt, ! used logos %ro" t$e r$etor#(al tr#angle to log#(all) la) out t$ree gr#evan(es to qu#(kl) state w$) ! a" (o"'la#n#ng ! ($ose to do #t #n t$#s wa) so t$at ") aud#en(e (ould eas#l) #dent#%) e2a(tl) w$at ") #ssues were -#t$ ") %#rst #ssue, ! t$oug$t t$e &est wa) to get t$e 'o#nt a(ross was to "ent#on a s'e(#%#( e2a"'le t$at ! knew $e (ould relate too Dev#n Hester return#ng a k#(k %or a tou($down on t$e %#rst 'la) o% t$e ,u'er&owl was argua&l) one o% t$e "ost e2(#t#ng 'la)s #n NFL $#stor) t$ere%ore, ") aud#en(e (ould eas#l) see w$at ") #ssue #s w$en t$e) #"'le"ent a rule t$at takes t$at k#nd o% 'la) awa) Herea%ter, ! e2'la#ned w$at k#nd a 'os#t#on a de%ens#ve 'la)er #s 'ut #n w$en t$ere #s an o%%ens#ve 'la)er go#ng a(ross t$e "#ddle o% t$e %#eld ! %elt #t was &est to do t$#s &e(ause #t s$ows t$e de%ender al"ost #s le%t w#t$ no ot$er o't#on &es#des to "#ss t$e ta(kle (o"'letel) M) %#nal o&8e(t#ve was to reall) dr#ve $o"e t$e (ontrad#(t#on a&out t$e new rule ! (learl) e2'la#n t$e 'os#t#on t$at t$e runn#ng &a(k #s #n w$en runn#ng t$e &all and #t not onl) (ontrad#(ts a %oot&all 'la)er &ut #t (ontrad#(ts Mr Goodell values w#t$ en$an(#ng 'la)er sa%et) -$#($ #n turn, s$ould "ake Mr Goodell

reall) look at $#"sel% #n t$e "#rror us#ng et$os %ro" t$e r$etor#(al tr#angle !n ") (los#ng 'aragra'$, ! d#dn:t want to sound l#ke ! was (o"'letel) one s#ded and narrow "#nded w$#($ ! s$owed w#t$ stat#ng t$at ! understood w$ere $e was (o"#ng %ro" w#t$ 'la)er sa%et) !n do#ng t$#s, ! d#d not want to g#ve u' too "u($ ground w#t$ ") argu"ent so ! qu#(kl) got &a(k to t$e 'o#nt w#t$ t$e senten(e <However, at w$at (ost to t$e %ans and ga"e o% %oot&all, #s regards to 'la)er sa%et) too "u($ = F#n#s$#ng u' ") letter, ! wanted to state ver) (learl) e2a(tl) w$at ! wanted out o% wr#t#ng t$#s letter ! "ade sure to kee' ") de"ands ver) %eas#&le so t$at #t #n(reased t$e ($an(e o% ") aud#en(e o% tak#ng ") argu"ents #nto (ons#derat#on ! wanted to sta) awa) %ro" an ult#"atu" &e(ause ! a" 8ust one %an and !:" sure #t doesn:t &ot$er t$e NFL or Roger Goodell #% t$e) lose onl) one %an >verall, ! 8ust wanted to get ") (o"'la#nts out as qu#(kl) and as (learl) as 'oss#&le so t$at ") aud#en(e knew w$at ") #ssue was and knew w$at ! wanted out o% wr#t#ng t$e letter w$#le not &or#ng t$e" to deat$ w#t$ an e2tre"el) long letter t$at t$e) would never $ave t#"e to read R$etor#(all), ! %elt ! a((o"'l#s$ed w$at ! wanted and t$e) w#ll at least $ear ") vo#(e w$et$er t$e) take an) a(t#on to #t or not