Goodell: Fans "deserve better" than distractions

NEW YORK NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell tells fans "you deserve better" than games worked by replacement officials.

In an open letter released by the league Friday, a day after the regular officials returned to the field, Goodell says: "I regret we were not able to secure an agreement sooner in the process and avoid the unfortunate distractions to the game."

Goodell commends the replacements for their dedication.

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On Thursday, the commissioner apologized to the fans.

"Obviously when you go through something like this it is painful for everybody," he said on a conference call Thursday. "Most importantly, it is painful for our fans.

"We are sorry to have to put our fans through that, but it is something that in the short term you sometimes have to do to make sure you get the right kind of deal for the long term and make sure you continue to grow the game."

Two days after a missed call on the final play cost the Green Bay Packers in their loss to the Seattle Seahawks, the NFL and the officials' union announced a tentative eight-year agreement to end a lockout that began in June. Replacements were used for three weeks to increasing criticism from players, coaches and fans.

Goodell insisted the timing of the deal was not a reaction to the outcry over "Monday Night Football." The two sides had been in "intensive negotiations" the last two weeks, he said, though he acknowledged that game "may have pushed the parties further along."

But one owner told CBSSports.com's Mike Freeman that the game did more than "push the parties along."

"That game reshaped everything," the owner told Freeman. "I can't remember the last time our league was a laughingstock nationally. It shook me. I think it shook a lot of people. We were prepared to go longer. We couldn't after that."

The commissioner was watching at home Monday night.

"You never want to see a game end like that," Goodell said.

But he wouldn't concede that the presence of replacement officials increased the chances an egregious mistake would occur. Goodell repeatedly reminded reporters that the regular officials have botched plenty of calls over the years.

The new agreement, he said, will improve officiating week in and week out, reducing similar mistakes in the future and making the strains of the last three weeks worthwhile.

"You're always worried about the short-term impact on your brand and the long-term impact on your brand," he said. "Obviously, this has gotten a lot of attention. It hasn't been positive, and it's something that you have to fight through and get to the long term. ... We always are going to have to work harder to make sure we get people's trust and confidence in us."

In the meantime, he asserted, players' health and safety were never jeopardized by the use of replacement officials.

"The folks on the field during the last three weeks were under unprecedented scrutiny," Goodell said. "Everything they did, every call, was magnified. They kept the game going. They worked hard. They trained hard. They were incredibly focused and dedicated."