As of this posting, the folks who are gathered in Orlando for the annual meetings are attending a high-falutin lawn party, making smalltalk while trying to eat hors d’oeuvres from small plates while also holding a drink. For some at the soiree, there will be another more important objective.
In an interview with Mike Garafolo of NFL Media, Giants co-owner John Mara made it clear that those in favor of the revolutionary change to the kickoff will be trying to get to 24 “yes” votes at the party.
“I’m in favor of making this change,” Mara told Garafolo. “There’s a lot of fear about what the unintended consequences will be. . . . If we can twist some arms tonight, maybe we’ll take another vote in the morning.”
This implies that a vote was taken on Monday, even if only a straw vote aimed at figuring out whether enough owners are ready to endorse the change. Some want to get it done now, so that teams can factor the restored relevance of the kickoff return into their draft planning.
Mara knows a thing or two about twisting arms. Last year, he was a vocal opponent of extending flex scheduled to Thursday Night Football. Between March and May, The Enforcer went to work — and got what he wanted between March and May.
It feels like a mistake to rush such a major change. It’s the most complicated rule proposal we’ve seen. What’s wrong with taking more time to make sure they’re getting all of the details right before passing it?
However it plays out, the free booze and foie gras will be the foreground for a last-minute push to persuade the holdouts to come around before tomorrow morning.
