Goodell tells Browns season-ticket holders not to worry, that season will be played in its entirety

Commissioner Roger Goodell is confident the NFL season will be played in its entirety, he said Thursday in a teleconference with Browns season ticket holders.

The teleconference set up exclusively for season ticket holders began with Browns general manager Tom Heckert and Coach Pat Shurmur speaking to fans and answering their questions about the team and particularly the draft later this month. Team president Mike Holmgren was supposed to be on the call, but he was feeling ill so Shurmur replaced him.

Goodell took over about 30 minutes into the conference call. He said the mediator presiding over the on-again talks with the players' union (technically a trade association) instructed all parties to keep talks confidential.

"I can tell you it's a positive step when the parties are talking," Goodell said.

The players are currently locked out, which means there are no offseason programs or minicamps going on. Without a new collective bargaining agreement there will be no 2011 season.

Goodell said he understands fans' are frustrated about paying full price for preseason games involving players who won't make final rosters. Goodell is pushing for a change from four preseason and 16 regular season games to two preseason and 18 regular season games, but if the players union doesn't go for that he has other ideas, he said.

"I've heard loud and clear about the quality of preseason, from our fans, particularly our season ticket holders," Goodell responded to a man whose family has had Browns season tickets for 44 years. "It's one reason we've looked at the 18 and 2 concept. I know fans expect higher quality and higher standards from the NFL when we're playing football.

"We're looking at other alternatives also. I know pricing is a big issue. Costs cannot continue to increase, whether costs of operating, players' costs, cost of tickets, cost of merchandise — all of those things are challenges for us. We're trying to address these in a responsible way and make sure we're making smart decisions for the game of football."

Goodell said the NFL has contingency plans to move the Super Bowl back in Indianapolis next year one week if necessary. That plan was already put in place projecting the schedule being expanded to 18 games with an extra bye. He said he expects the 2011 schedule to be announced within 10 days.

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