Editor’s note: This article was written by Ben Fischer and first appeared in Sports Business Journal, the industry’s leading source of sports business news, events and data.
FILE - Josh Harris, Managing Partner of the Philadelphia 76ers stands on the court prior to Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Brooklyn Nets, Saturday, April 15, 2023, in Philadelphia. NFL owners unanimously approved the sale of the Washington Commanders on Thursday, July 2023, from Dan Snyder to a group led by Josh Harris and including Magic Johnson for a record $6.05 billion. (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton, File)AP
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and other league executives say they want active players to participate in flag football’s Olympic debut at LA28, but views among those players’ employers — the league’s owners — are more guarded.
The inaugural Olympic medals in 5-on-5 flag American football will likely be awarded within days of NFL training camp opening in July 2028. While most NFL executives love the idea of the Olympics acting as a marketing vehicle for the upcoming season and the sport in general, an injury to a star player could recast an owner’s business prospects in a heartbeat.
When asked if he’d be comfortable with his own players taking that risk, New York Giants president and co-owner John Mara thought briefly and said, “Probably not.”
Four others who were asked about it during last week’s owners meeting in New York shortly after the IOC approved the sport for inclusion said they’d have to consider the subject more thoroughly. “There’s so many things to think through — we want to do whatever helps the sport,” said Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan. “Football will get global recognition; will the players like it? This is just two days old. We need to really think through a lot of the issues.”
NFL Executive Vice President Peter O’Reilly said the league sees a “desire and a path” to allowing active players in the Games; a handful of players — notably Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill — have expressed an interest. The NFLPA had not commented by press time.
Also, there are 113 foreign players in the NFL who may want to play for their own countries. The event will likely be an eight-team tournament with pool play and a single-elimination tournament. The qualification process is still to be determined.
“Frankly, it’s going to be a stage that I think a lot of athletes are going to want to participate, including former or current NFL players,” Goodell said. “I think it’s a great opportunity for the athletes. I think it’s a great opportunity for the NFL, and I think it’ll be a great opportunity for people to understand football and what it brings to the world.”
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The three other owners who were non-committal were the Carolina Panthers’ David Tepper (“I haven’t given it thought”), the Cleveland Browns’ Jimmy Haslam (“I need to talk to our [executives] about it. I haven’t thought about it. It’s a good subject”) and the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Art Rooney II (“I’d have to give it some thought, but it might be interesting. I can’t say that I’m adamantly opposed to it at this point.”).
Only new Washington Commanders owner Josh Harris, who also co-owns the Philadelphia 76ers and is thus well acquainted with the subject via the NBA’s long-running participation in the Olympics for basketball, gave an unequivocal endorsement.
“Allowing people to represent their country in the Olympics is great, and I appreciate that,” Harris said. “That’s the right thing to do. I appreciate that there is always that risk of injury, but I think letting people represent their country is a good thing and I think the athletes are very capable of managing their own personal risk.”
Sports Business Journal