Final Thesis

Running head: BUSINESS VERSUS MORALS 1
The NFL’s Decision of Business over Morals
Charles Mace
Professor Woo
Endicott College

Acknowledgements
I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the people who assisted me in the
completion of this project. I would like to thank all the participants who completed this survey
for analysis. I would like to thank Dr. Boyun Woo for her dedication and important direction
throughout the whole process while I have been away from Endicott College. I would also like to
thank my parents and my grandparents for making this whole process happen and for supporting
me throughout my college career.

Table of Contents
Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………………4
Chapter 1: Introduction……………………………………………………………………………5
Statement of the problem………………………………………………………………….6
Definition of terms………………………………………………………………………...7
Delimitations……………………………………………………………………………....8
Limitations………………………………………………………………………………...8
Hypotheses………………………………………………………………………………...9
Significance of the problem……………………………………………………………….9
Chapter 2: Review of Literature…………………………………………………………………10
Prescribed NFL medication & Substance………………………………………………..12
Concussions In the sport of football threaten the longevity of the NFL…………………14
Negative Publicity presents ethical and moral decisions in the NFL……………………18
Summary…………………………………………………………………………………21
Chapter 3: Procedure…………………………………………………………………………….24
Source of data……………………………………………………………………………24
Instrumentation………………………………………………………………………….25
Procedures……………………………………………………………………………….26
Treatments of data……………………………………………………………………….27
Chapter 4: Results and Discussions……………………………………………………………...28
Results……………………………………………………………………………………28
Discussion………………………………………………………………………………..33
Chapter 5: Summary and Conclusions…………………………………………………………..36
Summary…………………………………………………………………………………36
Conclusions………………………………………………………………………………37
References………………………………………………………………………………………..40
Appendices……………………………………………………………………………………….43
Appendix A: Informed Consent………………………………………………………….43
Appendix B: Questionnaire………………………………………………………………44

Abstract
The National Football League (NFL) is one of the most well-known and popular sport
leagues inside the U.S and its popularity even expands internationally. Due to the popularity of
the sport of football and the NFL, the spotlight of the public is always watching and is constantly
surrounded by media attention. The recent increase of issues and scandals inside the NFL such as
health problems associated with concussions, ethical issues regarding pain mediation inside the
NFL and the increase of domestic violence by NFL players place a heavy emphasis on negative
publicity on the league and the sport. From this date and on there has been few research
conducted on how negative publicity surrounding the NFL affects the business of the NFL and
its longevity as a business based off of the public’s reaction to these issues and scandals.
A 31 question survey was conducted to 100 fans of the NFL who regularly watch and buy
NFL products. Fifty percent of the participants were males and fifty percent were females. All
participants varied in age from 18 to 60 years old. The results demonstrated that fans of the NFL
have different attitudes and feelings towards the business due to the recent increase of negative
publicity inside the league. However, although fans attitudes and demeanors changed, their
passion and enjoyment of the sport of football and the brand of the NFL causes them to continue
to watch and buy NFL products.

Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION
The topic of this research paper revolves around the National Football League and the
challenges that they face as a business in the future. As of late, the NFL has gained various forms
of negative attention with former players coming out against the league under the court of law
due to their injuries after their careers. Other issues surrounding the NFL include the many legal
issues that have surfaced such as domestic violence cases and homicides with the public
questioning the league’s handling of the situations. These decisions by the NFL and their players
pose severe threats to the longevity of the business leading into the future.
One of the biggest issues surrounding the NFL which is extremely common now, is the
frequency of concussions that are happening and how the league deals with them. Concussions
are very common in a violent sport such as football; with 261 of them occurring in the NFL in
2012 as they pose long term health effects from the head injuries (Bernstein, 2012). Many former
NFL players have come out to the media and expressed their emotional and physical pain that
they deal with from concussions years after they retire. Of these issues include memory loss,
loss of motor skills, depression, anxiety and even suicidal tendencies. The NFL has since made
this issue worse by denying the effects of concussions for a long period time, creating
committees and a spokesperson to sway the public from believing concussions are the causes for
these retired players. This issue is a major concern for the NFL as the statistics show the effect of
these injuries are taking place in college football and even pop warner football, which are the
eventual players for the NFL (Barron et al., 2007). Many former players, current players and the
general public are upset with the ethical decision making by the NFL, especially regarding their

handling of these concussions. Many of them go un-diagnosed or they are prescribed powerful
opiate pain killers which presents addition to these players after retirement (Cottler et al., 2011).
Legal cases such as domestic violence and homicides also threaten the future longevity of
the NFL and their business. Recently, these issues have made national headlines for example the
past case of Ray Rice and his involvement in an altercation with his fiancée. The NFL followed
this situation by also appearing to cover it up by not telling the public the full details of the
violent video, and only suspending the player for 2 games. This presents a major issue to the
NFL leading into the future because it threatens their target market that consists of women. This
also threatens their business because once again it is a situation of ethical decision making and it
shows that the NFL has messed up more than once and it keeps hurting their image with
sponsors dropping out (Gay, 2014).
Other cases in recent history include many violent and criminal actions by NFL players
creating more of a negative image for the league, as they are represented by these players. For
example, the recent Aaron Hernandez multiple homicide case which is still in trial and the recent
Adrian Peterson case of child abuse makes the public question how the NFL handles their off-
field incidents (Janusz, 2012).
Statement of the Problem
When reviewing previous studies, many of them focused on concussions inside the NFL
and the effects that they have for the future of the sport on a whole. Many others spoke about off
field incidents and how many athletes are exempt from certain punishment unlike the general
public. The gap between these previous studies is the connection that these topics have with each

other. They relate to the topic of the NFL’s future decline because they are of the many issues
presented which show the potential corruption of the NFL as a business.
The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of negative exposure by the NFL and
their players on their markets and future business.
Definition of Terms
 Concussion – an injury to the brain or spinal cord from an impact or blow (Allen &
Gfeller, 2011, p. 179)
 Opiate – a strong medication made from opium, used for pain toleration (Cottler et al.,
2011, p. 2)
 Domestic violence – violence between spouses or family members (Parlow & Young,
2009, p. 573)
 CTE – Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, a disease causing excess proteins that
develop within the brain after suffering multiple concussions. (Golberg, 2013, p. 157)
 Epidemic – affecting many people at the same time (Miller & Mosner, 2014, p. 38)
 “return to play” guidelines – medical protocols that players must abide to before re-
entering a game (Johnson, 2012, p. 180)
 “time-loss” injury – an injury that requires the player to miss time during the game
(Barron et al., 2007, p. 395)
 “non-time loss” injury – an injury where a player is hurt, but does not come out of the
game (Barron et al., 2007, p. 395)
 Scandal – an offensive action, or corruption (Navia, 2012, p. 265)

 CSR – Corporate Social Responsibility, businesses and corporation are held responsible
for issues deemed ethical. (walker & Kent, 2009, p. 727)
Delimitations
1. This study participants will be from the United States, Canada, Australia and New
Zealand.
2. Limitations exist regarding occupation, subjects are professional athletes.
3. Limitations within the subject matter include statistics outside of the U.S.
Limitations
The current study is limited in the following areas:
1. Due to the use of convenience sampling it is possible the sample doesn’t
represent the population.
2. Due to the low response rate, the study result cannot be generalized to the
population.
3. Due to the low racial diversity expressed in this study, the study result cannot
be generalized to the population.
4. Due to the low racial diversity expressed in this study, this study is unable to
compare results based on racial background.

Hypothesis
The study will address 2 different hypotheses.
Hypothesis 1: Negative publicity drastically affects the overall business of the NFL, and will
continue into the future
Hypothesis 2: The NFL is more interested in preserving their business rather than making the
right moral decisions regarding their player’s safety.
Significance of the study
Recent and current negative exposure or scandals inside the NFL regarding certain topics
such as concussions and criminal behavior in the sport jeopardize the future growth of the
league. Studying this topic is important because many ethical decisions by major sport
businesses can result in devastating impacts. These findings will help sport managers down the
road. Sport managers should identify problematic areas, and help them improve their current or
missing policies. It will also help sport managers see the connection between corporate social
responsibility and overall business techniques.
Practical significance of the hypothesis includes data from studies that correlate the
effects of these issues inside the league. It also includes findings into how these ethical decisions
by the NFL relate to overall business practices. The theoretical significance of the hypothesis
includes the effects it could have in the future of certain target groups such as women. There is
no direct study to this but the significance it has on their target market for women would be
obvious.

Chapter 2
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Over recent years the National Football league has been the center of attention for
controversies for various reasons. Amongst these controversies include domestic violence
scandals, health crises, and even homicide cases which have brought national and global
attention to players’ performances off the field. The recent reports that are coming out along
with on-going lawsuits present many challenges for the NFL that they must hurdle in order to
maintain stability and the growth of their big business leading into the future. The effects of
these issues are already being seen with major sponsors of the NFL backing out of their million
dollar deals. Other effects include the general population’s image of these players or employees
of the NFL as other actions reflect upon the image of the league. When these NFL players or
employees make the wrong decisions off the field it hurts the league’s image on the inside and
outside of their overall mission to maintain their business wealth and improve it in the future.
However, it is not just the players that are threatening the image of the NFL due to
negative public criticism. The league itself has been found within the wrong, by making bad
decisions that has the public questioning whether they care more about their business or sticking
to moral. Several factors in the game today threaten the NFL’s business including major health
issues within the sport that threaten overall short and long term health during players’ careers
and long after. For example, re-occurring concussions in the NFL have been a main focus point
of the NFL with many former and current players coming after the big business of the NFL
claiming that they are attempting to cover up the fact that concussions are injuries that severely
threaten the long-term health of football players. The NFL has hired spokespersons for many
years to defend the argument and claim that there is no scientific evidence that concussions cause

long term health issues such as fatigue, memory loss, loss of motor skills, depressions and even
suicidal thoughts (Allen & Gfeller, 2011).
While the NFL has continued to deny the long term effects of concussions and sweep the
problem under the rug to avoid spoiling their positive reputation they have taken many steps
backwards. As they try to hide it, former players and the media has brought the attention of just
how bad concussions can be for long term health to the public. They have also made the public
aware of what the NFL is doing and how they are covering up these facts because they know
how serious these problems are and the long term effects it could have on their big business
plans. Many cases have come out within recent years of players committing suicide and even
killing their own families after autopsies found CTE, a brain disease that puts extra strands of
protein into brain matter that disrupts normal cognitive behavior and causes severe memory loss
and depression. Many former players and even the public are very upset with the NFL and the
fact that they have been trying to cover up these health issues for their own benefits disregarding
how serious these health issues really are (Frommer & Fendrich,2009).
Due to the public becoming more aware with the health issues associated with football,
and the decisions that the NFL has made regarding them; it threatens their overall business
operations. In youth football according to Navia (2012), the increasing risk of concussions is
threatening the population of the younger generation of athletes who will be playing football
especially in the pop warner levels which ultimately will be the next generations of NFL players.
The inherent risks associated with playing football at such a young age are making parents
nervous and reluctant to sign their kids up for a sport that can present short and long term health
issues. Another area where the NFL is hurting themselves by making poor business decisions
versus moral decisions, is away from the game and deals with overall negative publicity. For

example, domestic violence cases are very common within the NFL and threaten the overall
image of football as Card and Dahl (2011), investigate the effect of unexpected emotional cues
on violent behavior in athletes. These are just several of the issues that exist between the NFL
and the general football population that threaten the future success of the league.
Prescribed NFL medication & Substance
The NFL has had many players come out and take action against them after prescribing
injured players opiate pain killers during their careers. This medication used to treat injured NFL
players during their careers has now turned and developed into addictions for some players once
they exit the league. The medication that is prescribed by NFL doctors is so extremely strong
because they are opiate painkillers which are designed to help deal with the most painful injuries
and allow the players to even play though the pain. Upon retiring from the NFL it is extremely
difficult for athletes to get off of these strong drugs both for mental and physical reasons.
Because these players are in so much pain these drugs only delay the pain into the future. The
question that is now presented is weather the NFL’s handling of these injuries are morally wrong
and will this scandal affect their business moving forward (King, 2014).
Proving the effects of these painkillers Cottler et al. (2011), conduct research on the topic
of prescribed opioid abuse after players retire from the NFL. The purpose of their study is to
discover the use and misuse of opiate pain killers used to treat various injuries in the NFL. The
subjects of the examination were 644 retired NFL players from the 2009 retired Players
Association Directory from March to August 2010. Three variables of current misuse versus the
use just as prescribed amongst these retired NFL players were tested. These three variables
include significant pain, undiagnosed concussions and heavy drinking. A telephone survey was
conducted with the 644 retired NFL players to discover various drug uses in the NFL such as

opiate pain killers and heavy drinking. Information such as undiagnosed concussions was also
taken into consideration regarding the possible long term effects of them. The participants in this
study are all past NFL players who share many of the same characteristics. They are all taking
part of a very physically demanding job which includes the vulnerability of receiving opiate pain
killers as an option of mediation from the NFL (Johnson, 2012).
The design of the survey was set up containing questions regarding the levels of pain
experienced while in the NFL to compare the correlation between the level of pain and opiate
misuse. Because football is such a rough and physical sport, even minor blows to the head on an
everyday basis add up over time. Therefore, the survey also asked questions about having
undiagnosed concussions while playing and drinking heavily during their careers. The results
from this survey were astonishing. Prevalence of opiate misuse currently was 7%, which is 3
times the rate of the general population. The study came to a conclusion that NFL players who
misused during their NFL careers were most likely to misuse currently compared to others.
Current misuse was associated with more pain, undiagnosed concussions and heavy drinking
(Cottler et al., 2011).
Analyzing the situation regarding mild traumatic brain injuries in the NFL in an ethical,
legal and historical way by Golberg (2013), presents interesting aspects of how the league
handles this issue:
“While the concussions at issue in the NFL litigation are limited to the private
employment relationship that exists between the players, the league, and its teams, the
social costs of such concussions are assuredly not so private. One of the underlying issues
in the NFL concussion litigation is the notion that the NFL has insufficiently provided for
the long-term health needs of its retired players. While team owners and NFL officials

hotly dispute the charges of negligence and concealment, at least some have publicly
acknowledged an element of truth to the moral charges of neglect, conceding that much
more needs to be done to ensure provision for the lifelong health needs of its players”
(Golberg, 2013, p. 162).
This article highlights many of the ethical issues surrounding the NFL and their handling
of injuries that happen to their NFL players who are their employees. The main ethical problem
explained in the article is that NFL players are making large revenues for their employers by
keeping the show going on, but are not receiving the safest methods of medication and the NFL’s
current handling is leading to major problems for these athletes in the future. This ultimately
questions the NFL’s brand, and weather the organization cares more about their business or
practicing good morals by giving their players the safest medical treatment (Golberg, 2013).
Concussions In the sport of football threaten the longevity of the NFL
In recent years most notably many former and current NFL players have spoken out to
the media about the seriousness of concussions that take place during the sport. This issue has
been escalating for many years now and is getting worse with many reports and research looking
into the epidemic. Former players have committed suicide, and report feeling depressed and
suffering from several cognitive issues such as memory loss and loss of motor skills. These
players have taken legal action by going after the NFL under the legal system. Lawsuits have
been surfacing from many different former players who have former committees in order to raise
awareness about the dangers of concussions in football (Allen & Gfeller, 2011).
Concussions present a major concern for the NFL and their future business because of the
health and safety hazards they create from the NFL all the way down to Pop Warner football.

While this has been a huge issue in society, the NFL has denied everything related to
concussions for a long time. Bernstein (2012), writes that “in response to the growing concern
about concussions in the NFL and the long-term consequences associated with them, the NFL
attempted to standardize concussion management by issuing guidelines in 2007 after conveying
what was referred to as the Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Committee (“MTBI”)” (Bernstein,
2012, p. 36-38). The committee was established by former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue in
1994 which proceeded to publish a thirteen-part study on concussions and their effects, providing
the basis for the 2007 concussion guidelines implemented throughout the league. Their study
claimed that mere rest was sufficient for players to return to play, “Quickly” and that those who
had a history of concussions were not at a higher risk for future concussions. The study also
reported that players with histories of concussions would not recover more slowly than others
without such histories, despite findings to the contrary (Bernstein, 2012).
Bernstein (2012) discusses how the NFL handles their injury management specifically
speaking about concussions. The article provides excellent detail into how the NFL has come
together and formed committees which have denied the impact of concussions being directly
related to problems that the former players are claiming. Bernstein then goes into more detail
saying the NFL is forming these committees in order to sway public belief into believing that
concussions are not the result of these various medical problems which former players have
today. The idea behind denying the medical issues and their correlation with concussions is to
protect themselves from these lawsuits and any other issues that circulate surrounding the
dangers of plying football. The review talks about how by the league denying and trying to cover
up these issues, it shows that the NFL realizes the stakes that they are going up against and what
arguments are being brought against them regarding concussions and their affect in the future.

The NFL also understands that their future can take a big hit from this controversy because the
effect is being show in other areas of football besides the NFL (Beaver, 2013).
The theme of concussions threatening the future business of the NFL and football as a
whole can be seen in all levels of football. For example, the miss management of concussions in
inter collegiate athletics is a major problem similar the NFL’s. The NCAA has the same protocol
of the NFL as far as concussions are concerned, which require not much medical attention at all
to return to games after suffering these head injuries. The biggest problem with this in college
athletes is that these players are not promised any money at the time, and they have a tough time
of finding work after college is over without any professional sports career. Miller and Mosner
(2014) talk about the miss management of head injuries and concussions within the NCAA and
how it threatens the integrity of NCAA football.
Miller and Mosner write about Adrian Arrington, a strong safety at Eastern Illinois
University between 2006 and 2009. “During his intercollegiate career Arrington sustained
several concussions. In each instance, the EIU team doctor informed him that he could return to
play the very next day. After a third concussion, Arrington started experiencing memory loss, as
well as seizures” (Miller & Mosner, 2014, p. 38) Only after Arrington started experiencing these
symptoms was when the University took action and sent Arrington to a neurologist for testing.
Arrington eventually left the team to focus on his degree, which he even had trouble doing
because he was suffering from depression and extreme memory loss from his days of playing
college football and experiencing several concussions.
“In 2011 Arrington filed a class-action lawsuit against the National Collegiate Athletic
Association (NCAA) on behalf of himself and others who were in a similar situation” (Miller &
Mosner, 2014, p. 38). In the lawsuit, Arrington alleged that the NCAA took a negligent approach

and miss-managed their handling of concussed student-athletes. For example, the NCAA was
specifically negligent in their actions toward implementing certified “return-to-play” guidelines
for concussed players to make sure they were cleared by medical professionals in order to return
back to the game. The article goes over how the NCAA is handling concussions in the same
manner as the NFL and is basically covering up the issue in attempts to keep it out of headlines
and avoid the negative attention. This presents the same issues to the future of the NFL as it
brings lower levels of football into the same criteria and involvement in the poor ethical and
moral decision of hiding the facts and common sense of concussions (Miller & Mosner, 2014).
Another example of concussions taking a big impact on football is the trickle-down effect
that it is has even further than college sports into youth football. The youth football programs are
the eventual field that college and NFL football teams select from to play for their teams. The
potential decline in youth players due to the concern over their children suffering head injuries is
something to pay attention too. Barron (2007) writes about the issue of injuries amongst youth
football players and the effect it can have in the future for the sport of football. The article
provides important statistics such as the number of youth football players equaling 5.5 million
total. Of this total 28% youth players are injured each year, resulting in 187,000 emergency room
visits. A study was conducted to analyze the time loss and non-time loss injury patterns across
age groups in youth football players. The patterns recorded were interesting and can be useful
moving forward to try and solve the issue of these continuing injuries. These scholars report that
“Of the 779 players, 284 (36.5%) sustained an injury. The Fourth-grade players had the least risk
of injury (29.4%), whereas the eighth-grade players had the highest risk (46.7%). The risks of
injury for the sixth and seventh graders were 37.4% and 41.5% respectively” (Barron et al.,
2007). An amazing total of 149 players (19.1%) of youth players sustained at least one time loss

injury while 135 youth players (17.3%) had at least one non time injury loss. These results from
this study indicate just how prevalent injuries are in youth football and just how serious they are
with many players missing time due to the severity of their injuries. Even if some may not have
to miss time, they are still injuring their bodies with non-time loss injuries that are played
through. The main purpose is to recognize the dangers that parents and the general public see
with youth football and how they react in the future. The future of football depends of this lower
level of skill which eventually makes up the talent pool for the NFL (Barron et al., 2007).
Regarding another subject dealing with concussions, Shurley and Todd (2012) highlight
the effects that concussions had in other popular sports such as boxing. The article examines the
history of boxing and how popular the sport was at one period in time. They talk about how the
sport of boxing can teach the NFL and football in general the dangers of playing the game, and
the effects that come with it in the future. At some pint boxing was one of, or if not America’s
most popular sport with legends that have played the sport such as Muhammad Ali. Over many
years the sport’s popularity has faded for many reasons with one including the devastating
effects that have been seen to these athletes later in their lives. For example, Muhammad Ali now
suffers from Parkinson’s disease, while many other boxers struggle with similar issue as NFL
players, loss of memory or depression. By looking back into the history of Boxing and based on
the sports decline in popularity, the NFL can learn from them and implement new strategies and
ways to avoid what boxing went through (Shurley & Todd, 2012).
Negative Publicity presents ethical and moral decisions in the NFL
The increases of criminal behavior in the NFL such as domestic violence and even
murder cases present major threats to the future of the NFL due to the negative criticism

surrounding player’s actions. The negative behavior by the athletes reflects upon the image of
the NFL as they are expected to abide by a code of conduct which consists of many rules and
regulations. The negative exposure and the severity of the cases threaten the popularity of the
NFL as more and more scandals are followed by the public. While this image being put off by
the athletes is very negative and can potentially harm the NFL’s business practice, the NFL hurts
themselves in their handling of these scandals. In several situations the NFL appears to distort
the reality of the sports brutality (Gay, 2014).
Perhaps the idea behind the NFL distorting some of these cases against their players is to
prevent negative exposure to their business. Paterson (2009) compares the personal conduct
policies of the NFL and the AFL (Australian Football League), which both act to govern the off-
field behavior of players and officials. The article provides analysis of penalties imposed on
participants, and a critique of how the league’s commercial interest may influence the outcomes,
as well as the judicial limits imposed on those disciplinary determinations. When dealing with
domestic violence inside the NFL the problem is that women make up a large part of their
overall target market and the female population is essential for the NFL to continue with their
success (Paterson, 2009).
Domestic violence charges and the handling of them by the NFL threaten their popularity
amongst women who give the business a large part of their profits. For a long time the NFL did
not necessarily take action against their players who committed domestic violence crimes. Janusz
(2012) writes for the Seton Hall journal of Sports and Entertainment Law that, “Traditionally,
professional sports leagues were unwilling to address violence against women. The leagues
justified this stance with the notion that deference should be accorded to the criminal justice
system and the perception that such violence did not directly impact the game” (Janusz, 2012, p

57). Eventually leading into the 1990’s the NFL expressed its thoughts that domestic violence
was a societal issue rather than their own problem. In the NFL’s point of view domestic violence
should be dealt with and governed by the court of law and that it did not reduce the public’s
opinion regarding the athletic contest in comparison to drug use and gambling in sports (Janusz,
2012).
The article also goes on to explain how previous lack of enforcement of the league’s
personal conduct policy led to players believing that they could escape accountability for their
actions. They even cover the fact that many domestic violence issues go un-reported. “Abused
women may ultimately wish to stay with their partners and continue the relationship or may fear
retaliation from their abusers if they report the incident to the police”. (Janusz, 2012, p. 57) The
lack of reporting by domestic violence victims is likely in the cases involving professional
football players because of a player’s dominance over their partner, which translates from their
career. The player may overpower the abused partner, in terms of physical strength and in terms
of celebrity status and publicity, such that the abused partner may fear reporting the incident
because of the damage it can cause the relationship of the player’s reputation (Janusz, 2012).
In the recent decade the NFL has stepped up their policies regarding athlete’s
misbehavior and criminal activity such as domestic violence. Parlow and Young (2009) talk
about these new policies and how the NFL is trying to protect their image through them. “In
2007, the NFL implemented its new Personal Conduct Policy (NLF PCP). The NFL PCP
requires that, “all persons associated with the NFL,” including the players, “avoid ‘conduct
detrimental to the integrity of and public confidence in the National Football League…” (Parlow
& Young, 2009, p. 573). For such detrimental conduct, even if his actions do not result in a
criminal conviction the athlete can be punished by the league. This approach is specifically in

stark contrast to the previous conduct policy of the NFL, which required the NFL commissioner
to hold off the punishment of an athlete unless there was a conviction or some form of plea by
the athlete, and they were officially guilty of the charge” (Parlow & Young,2009).
These and several other articles relating to the NFL’s conduct policy provide good insight
on the misbehavior of professional football players that happens commonly throughout the sport.
These articles provide in depth detail describing the results and effects of off field issues and
especially their effect on women when speaking about domestic violence cases. This is a very
big issue in today’s sport society as women continue to play larger roles within the business of
sport in the world. The actions of certain players and the fact that off field issues are so common
and prevalent threaten the women’s target markets of the NFL. By miss-managing these issues in
the past and even now in the present, it does not present a good image for the NFL in regards of
how they handle social issues and place them lower than overall morals. Moving into the future,
the NFL’s business and their expansion will be dependent on how they handle future off field
situations and if their methods will produce better outcomes for years to come to increase the
positivity with their name and product they offer (Schwartz, 2000).
Summary
The themes presented by research studies and articles relating the future of the NFL as a
big business are important as we evaluate their future success and growth. Controversies such as
the misuse of opiate pain killers by retired athletes can be directly related to how the NFL miss
handled the pain that these athletes were suffering. By just prescribing these players incredibly
strong medication, the NFL was dis-regarding any concerns of safety for their athletes and was

only focused on giving the fans more of their product. These medications allowed players to
make better recoveries during their career as the pain was so intense. After retirement these
players have an incredibly hard time adjusting to life without these drugs and the current misuse
of NFL players stands at 7% which is higher than the general population’s misuse of these
opiates. This presents big problems moving forward for the business of the NFL because their
current players and fans are aware of their previous actions and handlings of player’s medical
needs (Allen & Gfellar, 2009).
Another major issue threating the longevity of the NFL is the medical crises and repeat
occurrences of concussions found in athletes from pop warner to professional. These head
injuries are traumatic and can end careers with just one blow to the head. Brain diseases such as
CTE threaten player’s health right after they finish their careers including causing players to
suffer from depressions, memory loss and suicidal thoughts amongst other things. The general
conclusion is that players and fans are more aware of the dangers and impacts of concussions
that now threaten the longevity of the NFL and football as a whole. The results can be seen from
the top to the bottom as colleges are being blamed for miss handling concussions as well as pop
warner coaches. This issue of concussions is happening all over the sport and players and
supporters of the NFL are not happy with their management of these injuries. Rather than
explaining the harmful side effects of concussions and how to avoid them the NFL has tried over
and over again to deny these medical crises because it is in the best integrity of their game. By
trying to cover up these concussions in order to help sustain their business into the future it
seems as if it actually will work opposite and harm them leading into the future (Bernstein,
2012).

Likewise with concussions the prevalence of scandals in the NFL such as domestic
violence is running the integrity of the game and also threatens its longevity. The images being
put off by these athletes are causing for alarm as the increase of violent cases amongst NFL
players off the field threatens the business. The issue comes into play with morals, as it
questions the NFL’s past handlings and management of these off field issues. Their lack of
punishment can be seen as taking the blame for these occurrences. These issues drastically hurt
the NFL due to the effect that it has on the female population of NFL fans. Women are an
important part of the NFL’s marketing plan as they do events throughout the year in support for
women such as breast cancer month in October. The future success and expansion of the NFL
into new fan bases will be more challenging with the general public questioning the NFL’s
corporate social responsibility and their lack of involvement within legal issues. The general
question moving forward is do fans really care? This is the part of the study that needs additional
work, in order to see if the actions of the NFL are really harming fans opinions and if it is
enough for them to stop watching football (Walker & Kent, 2009).

Chapter 3
PROCEDURES
Within the past decade the National Football League has been placed under the
microscope by society due to the negative publicity surrounding the league’s legal issues.
Amongst these issues include cases of former players suing the league for their role in presenting
the players with lifetime hardships after their playing careers like post concussions symptoms
and substance abuse. Other legal issues involve criminal behavior carried out by many highly
praised NFL stars. Corporate social responsibility is a major business factor associated within the
sports world; and any negative actions carried out by a major league as seen in the past can have
a direct effect on the popularity of their business. This study expands on previous literature to
determine the impact that recent negative publicity within the NFL has on the popularity and
current reputation of the brand according to its several target business markets including male
and female. The subjects of the data sample were asked to take a questionnaire about their views,
opinions or ideas expressed towards the business and ethical decision making of the NFL. These
subjects in the sample were regular followers of the NFL who either have a favorite team who
they support or own a fantasy football team. These subjects also have a significant interest in the
sport of football and follow the league on a weekly basis.
Source of Data
The participants consisted of 100 subjects both males and females aged 18 through 60
mostly representing the New England region, but also beyond. 50% or 50 subjects out of the

population were females while males represented 50% or 50 subjects out of the sample. The
sampling method for this questionnaire chosen was non-random sampling, more specifically
purposive sampling. There is a very large population of followers and fans of the NFL within
this region and beyond. Therefore, to get a sample of the very large population the target number
of responses is 100, 50 males and 50 females.
For this questionnaire there was a total of 100 respondents, with 50% (50) being male and
50% (50) being female. Racially, 88% (88) were Caucasian, 5% (5) were African-American, 5%
(5) were Hispanic, and 2% (2) were Asian. Of all respondents, 69% (69) were between the ages
of 18 and 30, 8% (8) were between the ages of 31 and 40, 19% (19) were between the ages of 41
and 50 and 4% (4) were between the ages of 51 and 60. The average amount of NFL games
watched was 13-17 plus the postseason. The average rating of the NFL’s overall product was a
four on a five point likert scale with one being poor and five being excellent.
Instrumentation
The 31 item questionnaire to be distributed to the sample includes 5 items regarding
demographics of the participants, focusing on gender, age, race, and organizational and
occupational tenure. To best address the topic of the research a questionnaire was conducted by
the researcher in order to find the attitudes, feelings and ideas expressed towards the NFL. Out of
the questions 10 of them relate to the overall feelings and views of the NFL and its action. Three
questions relate to the topic of domestic violence and other crimes involved with NFL players.
Four questions relate to the topic of substance abuse inside the NFL. Five questions relate to the
topic of concussions within the sport of football and how the NFL handles their health issues.

Four questions relate to the overall violence inside the sport of the NFL. These questions are all
measured on a 7 point Likert scale unless otherwise noted. Both questionnaires were developed
by the researcher, Charles Mace.
Procedure
Once the questionnaire design is complete, it is ready to be sent to an audience. The
questionnaire was created using an online format through kwiksurvey.com. The length of the
questionnaire is why this service was selected as it allowed for a greater amount of questions to
be asked to the sample population.
After creating the questions participants were contacted by e-mail, Facebook and an in-
person survey while not receiving compensation for their time completing the survey. The
information to contact the target audience was obtained by asking colleagues of sport
management, colleagues of Endicott College and overall fans of the NFL with knowledge and
experience of the subject in person and over text. By seeking responses from these groups of
subjects it will allow for a wide variety of ages, genders and ethnicities to complete the
questionnaire to limit bias.
In the e-mail, Facebook link and in person printed survey, a basic background of the
study was provided. Before completing the survey, prospective participants were given informed
consent, explaining what will be covered in the survey, along with a request to have the surveys
completed within a week. Due to the fact that the subjects represent various geographic
locations, e-mail and Facebook links were sent to subjects that could not be reached in person.
Printed out surveys were handed out to a portion of the subjects who were able to be reached in
person. Questionnaires handed out in person were collected upon completion to those who

qualified and were willing. E-mail and Facebook links were sent out with a reminder e-mail
follow up after the first two weeks. Due to limited time involved with the study another week
after the second e-mail reminder will allow subjects to complete the questionnaire. Final results
were then collected electronically and in person. These steps taken allowed for the widest range
of potential candidates who represent several ethnicities, ages, gender and geographic locations.
Treatments of Data
The descriptive statistics of percentages, mean and mode were used to analyze the data
from the Likert scale to determine relationships between demographic information and given
variables. This information was gathered from Kwiksurvey.com and was exported to Excel to
allow for adapt interpretation of relationships.

Chapter 4
RESULTS & DISCUSSIONS
With the extensive research and focus on the topic of negative publicity in the NFL, it
was not surprising that most NFL fans would still keep buying and watching their product. This
study was completed through a survey that was submitted to a diverse group of sports fans,
mostly in the New England states. After the survey was completed by the group of participants,
the data was analyzed using percentages, mean and mode to determine whether a relationship
exists between demographic information and the given variables.
Results
50 participants of the interview responded to the questionnaire electronically online at
kwiksurveys.com, and 50 more participants responded to a survey that was given to them to
complete in person for a total of 100 responses. Fifty percent of the participants were male and
fifty percent were female. Of 100 people who responded to the survey, 44% (44) rated the
product of the NFL as a four on a 5-point likert scale with 1 being very poor and 5 being
excellent. The mean for this question for both men and women came out to be an average of 3.88
out of the likert scale of 5. This was followed by another question asking the participants how
much they valued corporate social responsibility when buying a product from a business. 40%
(40) expressed that they “somewhat” care about corporate social responsibility when deciding to
buy from a business or not while 32% (32) of participants felt that when buying from a company
they value corporate social responsibility of that company, “very little”. When seeking opinions
on how people perceive the NFL and how they handle their business 40% (40) of participants
responded that the NFL handles their business averagely just like any other business. Followed

by this, was a question asking the participants how important the level of violence is when they
watch the NFL. 32% (32) of participants said that the level of violence is somewhat important to
them with 24% (24) not far behind claiming that the level of violence in the NFL is very
important to them.
The next statement continued to cover the topic of violence in the NFL stating, “The NFL
should change their rules and regulations to make the game safer and less violent”. Of all
participants who answered the majority of participants said the rules and regulations should stay
the same with 26% (26) of the participants feeling this way. 23% (23) of the participants
somewhat agreed with the statement that the rules and regulations should change to make the
game safer and less violent. 20% (20) of participants strongly disagreed to the statement making
all three answers very close. The average for both combined genders for this statement was 2.88.
This question led into the next asking, “If the NFL made changes to its equipment rules or the
3.88
3.08
2.97
2.91
2.88
3.57
3.92
2.87
3.13
3.62
2.55
3.96
3.2
3.24
2.77
2.67
3.49
3.31
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5
How would you rate the product of the NFL? With 1 being
poor and 5 being excellent.
How much do you value Corporate Social Responsibility
when choosing to buy from a company?
How do you think the NFL handles their business
operations?
Is the level of violence in the NFL important to you?
the NFL should change the rules and regulations to make
the game safer and less violent?
If the NFL made drastic changes to its equipment rules or
the level of violent hits in the game I would still watch or
buy its products.
Axis Title
AxisTitle
Combined Average Male Average Female AverageFigure 1: CSR and NFLviolence

level of violent hits in the game I would still watch or buy its products”. 30% (30) reported they
somewhat agree while 27% (27) reported that they very strongly agree with the statement.
Considering the answers thus far, it was interesting to analyze the results of the next
statement. It read knowing that the NFL hired a spokesperson in the past to cover up the issues of
concussions changed my feelings towards the brand. 36% (36) of participants responded that
their feelings somewhat changed towards the brand of the NFL. This statement led into the next
stating that the fact that the NFL hired a spokesperson to cover up the long term health effects of
concussions was un-ethical. 44% (44) of participants felt that the NFL was un-ethical for doing
this. 44% (44) of participants then reported that the NFL is handling the issue of concussions
somewhat poorly to the question, “How do you think the NFL is handling the issues of
concussions within the sport”. When comparing genders, regarding the topic of the level of
violence in the NFL the biggest difference came from the, “the increase of concussions changed
my mind about the sport” with a difference of 0.74 as seen in figure 2. It came to no surprise that
74% (74) of the population reported that they are very aware about the long term effects of
3.24
3.9
2.8
2.65
3.46
3.53
3.11
3.87
3.18
3.06
3.55
3.29
3.33
4.15
2.76
2.32
3.4
3.78
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5
Knowing that the NFL hired a spokesperson in the past
to cover up the issue of concussions changed my
feelings towards the brand of the NFL?
It was an un-ethical decision by the NFL to hire a
spokesperson who denied the impact of concussions in
the sport.
How do you think the NFL is handling the issue of
concussions within the game?
The increase of concussions in football changed my
mind about the sport?
Are you aware of the long term complications that are
linked with concussions?
Would you stop watching / buying NFL products
because of the issue with concussions inside the
league?
Combined Average Male Average Female AverageFigure 2: Concussionsinsidethe NFL

concussions when asked. 60% (60) of the population answered, “Possibly in the future” when
asked, “Would you stop watching / buying NFL products because of the issue of concussions in
the league”.
Of all the options regarding the theme of domestic violence, the statement that
participants mostly agreed with was “The increase of domestic violence by NFL players affect
my image of the league” with a total of 48% (48) of respondents strongly agreeing. When
comparing the responses for statements regarding domestic violence by gender there is the
greatest difference of 0.64 to the statement, “The increase of domestic violence by NFL players
affect my image of the league”. 36% (36) of participants then answered that their opinion did not
change to the statement “The new changes to domestic violence rules make me feel better about
the image of the NFL”. This led into the next question asking, “How do you think the NFL
handled the Ray Rice situation” with 43% (43) reporting that they thought the NFL handled it
very poorly. The statement that participants disagreed with the most read, “I trust the honesty
and integrity of the NFL” with 40% (40) of the population disagreeing. The next statement had
40% (40) of participants agreeing that the NFL values their business over morals and player
safety. The most intriguing responses came from the question, “Does negative publicity inside
the NFL steer you away from the products the NFL offers?” The results were mixed with 42% of
respondents said that negative publicity has a very little impact on steering them away from the
NFL’s products. 35% of participants were not too far behind saying that it sometimes steers them
away from products of the NFL. For both men and women, these responses were very similar
with only a slight difference of 0.23 as seen in figure 3.
When touching on the theme of substance abuse inside the NFL the first statement read,
“I am aware of the lawsuit between former players and the NFL over substance abuse issues

from painkillers being given to players during their careers”. 32% (32) answered that they were,
“Somewhat aware”. When asked, “are you aware that retired NFL players have a higher
percentage of substance abuse than the average population” 28% (28) reported that they were
“somewhat aware” while again 28% (28) answered that they were, “not aware”. The following
statement covers ethical and moral decisions of the NFL by saying, “The NFL made ethical
decisions when prescribing and giving players access to prescription drugs during their playing
career”. 31% (31) said that they strongly disagreed with this statement.
When seeking how often the population followed these issues within the NFL 44% (44)
reported that they were, “aware” of the issues when asked, “How much do you follow the issues
going on within the business of the NFL” while 25% (25) said they follow very little and 20%
(20) said they constantly follow them. When answering to the statement, “If major sponsors
3.62
3.12
2.12
3.19
2.57
3.67
3.45
2.59
2.45
3.96
3.12
3.29
2.35
3.29
2.64
3.55
3.2
2.67
2.26
3.81
3.76
2.83
1.98
3.1
2.33
3.72
3.56
2.44
2.49
4.02
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5
The increase of domestic violence by NFL players affect my image of
the league?
The new changes to the domestic violence rules make me feel better
about the image of the NFL.
How do you think the NFL handled the Ray Rice domestic violence
case?
I am aware of the lawsuit between former players and the NFL over
substance abuse issues from painkillers being given to players…
The NFL made ethically strong decisions when prescribing and giving
players access to prescription drugs during their playing career.
The NFL values its business over morals and player saftey
If major Sponsors backed out of the NFL I would have a different
feeling towards the NFL.
I trust the honesty and integrity of the NFL?
Does negative publicity inside the NFL steer you away from the
products the NFL offers?
I feel the NFL needs to improve on theirethical decision making?
Combined Average Male Average Female AverageFigure 3. Domesticviolence,substance abuse andethical decisions

backed out of the NFL I would have a different feeling towards the NFL” 69% (69) reported that
it would not change how they feel. 49% (49) of participants answered that they, “very strongly
agree” that, “The NFL needs to improve on their ethical decision-making”. For the last questions
asking, “Would you let your child play football?” 37% (37) said that they would let them while
30% (30) answered that it would be their decision.
Discussion
From these results, it is possible to compare fans of the NFL’s feelings and attitudes
towards the business of the NFL leading into the future. Regarding the first hypothesis that
negative publicity drastically affects the overall business of the NFL and will continue into the
future; the results did not fully support the hypothesis. People’s feelings and attitudes towards
the business of the NFL changed due to the recent increase of negative publicity inside the NFL.
However, the majority of the population will continue to watch and support the business of the
NFL into the future although their feelings and attitudes towards the business have changed. This
further demonstrates that fans of the NFL do not place a heavy emphasis on corporate social
responsibility when choosing to support the business of the NFL. The majority of participants of
the survey enjoyed the overall product of the NFL and negative publicity would not steer them
completely away from the business.
When comparing the results based on gender the statement that had the biggest
difference between women and men was, “The increase of concussions changed my mind about
the sport” with a difference of 0.74. Looking at the overall trends to the topic of violence in the
sport of football it appears that more women are affected by the increase of violence in the sport
and would like to see this change within the sport compared to men. Another great difference
came when covering the topic of domestic violence within the NFL. There was a difference of

0.64 between men and women to the statement, “the increase of domestic violence by NFL
players affect my image of the league”.
This is a very interesting statistic because looking back into the previous questions most
people felt that they did not trust the NFL’s honesty and integrity, they felt the NFL cared more
about their business rather than morals and safety, The NFL poorly handled the Ray Rice
domestic violence case, the new issues of domestic violence made them feel different about the
NFL and hiring a spokesperson to cover up concussions was unethical on the NFL’s part.
However, when looking at the main point, does negative publicity steer people away from the
NFL? It appears that most people place more value into the game of football and their product
considering the majority of respondents cared about the level of violence in football while 44%
of respondents rated the product of the NFL as a four while 28% rated the product of the NFL as
a five on a likert scale from one to five with one being very poor and five being excellent.
The second hypothesis that the fans of the NFL felt the NFL is more interested in
preserving their business rather than making the right moral decisions regarding their player’s
safety is supported by the results from the survey. The majority of participants when responding
to the statement, “I trust the honesty and integrity of the NFL” stated that they disagree. 40% of
the participants disagreed with this statement and 43% of participants felt that, “The NFL values
its business over morals and player safety”. The hypothesis is supported that peoples’ opinions
and attitudes believe that the NFL is more interested in preserving their business over making the
right moral decisions regarding player’s safety. However, although people’s opinions support the
hypothesis, the majority of participants, 44% responded that negative publicity steers them away
from products and games of the NFL very little while 22% said that it does not steer them away
at all. This study on a small scale can show how popular the sport of football is in America with

participants of the survey answering that they will continue to support the business of the NFL
into the future. As far as the business of the NFL is concerned, they might suffer minor setbacks
to their business due to the incredible increase of negative publicity surrounding the sport, but as
time goes on the NFL can try and fix these issues so that they do not happen again so fans start to
feel better about the reputation of the NFL. However, if the NFL keeps increasing the rate of
negative publicity more and more people’s attitudes could change with less players below the
NFL playing the sport which I the future could drastically affect the business of the NFL.

Chapter 5
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
This study was conducted to investigate if the recent increase of issues inside the NFL
resulting in negative publicity drastically affected the overall feelings and attitudes of fans
towards the brand. The study seeks to find if these feelings and attitudes towards the brand of the
NFL are affecting their overall business. A survey was distributed electronically to fans of the
NFL from various backgrounds, age groups, regional locations and ethnicities which focused on
the increases of concussions, domestic violence and substance abuse in the NFL and how they
handled these issues.
Summary
In the professional sports world over recent years the increase of issues inside and outside
of the leagues present challenges to these major business powerhouses. Specifically focusing on
the NFL, this business has seen a huge increase in off the field issues with the biggest coming
out over the past year regarding concussions, domestic violence and substance abuse.
Considering how new some of these issues are there is little information or previous studies on
how these off the field issues affect the overall business of the league due to fans having
different feelings or attitudes towards the brand. Previous studies have focused on corporate
social responsibility therefore this study can fill the gap between the two while focusing on how
much corporate social responsibility affects the fans of the NFL.
The study presented two hypotheses, with one being supported and one not being
supported. The first hypothesis was that negative publicity drastically affects the overall business
of the NFL. This was not supported due to the majority of participants responding that they place

little to no emphasis on corporate social responsibility when buying from a company including
the NFL. Also, it is not supported because the majority of respondents said that negative
publicity would not steer them away from the NFL and they would continue to watch NFL
games and buy NFL products. This was very interesting, as the majority in the beginning of the
survey felt that the NFL made several un-ethical decisions, they handled the Ray Rice case
poorly, the increase of concussions, substance abuse and domestic violence made them feel
differently about the NFL and the majority reported that they did not trust the honesty and
integrity of the NFL and they agreed that they cared more about their business operations over
making moral and ethical decisions for the concern and safety of their players.
The second hypothesis was that fans of the NFL felt the NFL is more interested in
preserving their business rather than making the right moral decisions regarding their player’s
safety. This hypothesis is supported with results demonstrating that the majority of fans do not
trust the honesty and integrity of the NFL and the majority felt that the NFL cares more about
sustaining the longevity of their business rather than focus on making moral decisions regarding
player safety.
Conclusion
This study is significant because there have been very few studies previously done
regarding negative publicity surrounding the NFL and the affect it has on their business. From
the results of this study it was evident that fans of the NFL choose to support the business based
off of their love for the product the NFL gives them. It was apparent that fans knew a great deal
of information regarding these issues surrounding the NFL such as concussions, substance abuse
and domestic violence. However, conclusions can be drawn that fans of the NFL place more of

an emphases and care on watching and buying NFL products with the majority of participants
rating the NFL’s overall product on a scale of one to five as a four.
When breaking down the survey and comparing results from men to women there were
several differences. These differences came with statements and questions regarding concussions
and domestic violence. It is apparent that the majority of women view the image of the NFL
differently due to the rapid increase of domestic violence in the sport. It is also apparent that
most women agreed that the NFL should make safety changes to prevent more concussions.
However, there were no significant differences between both genders in their rating of the
overall product of the NFL and their feelings that negative publicity has a very little impact on
steering them away from the NFL.
With the knowledge on how fans of the NFL feel regarding the issues surrounding the
league it can help their business in the future by working on changing these fans attitudes and
preventing more people from feeling differently. This information can help them sustain their
business by identifying what they need to fix certain items. With this survey showing fans
attitudes and feelings it can help the NFL restore the image of their brand by working on areas
where fans feel the NFL is slacking. For example the NFL can work on trying to make better
moral decisions and can work on improving fans opinions of their honesty and integrity.
Considering all the issue that have come out recently off the field in the NFL, this survey
can show to their business that they still have a high rating for their product and fans will still
support them. However, the NFL can benefit by changing their weak areas before more people
start to feel differently and before more fans start to weight more importance on how they handle
their business off the field. This survey can serve as a basis for other professional sports as well,
as they can evaluate the same feelings and attitudes of their fans while it shows them if they need

to work on certain areas in their business before it is too late and fans start to move on or loose
interest. An area for future study can be determined based on the new rules the NFL implements
regarding their discipline of athletes who give the organization a bad reputation. If the issues
continue to pile up then future studies can see if people still value the product of the NFL over
how they handle their moral and ethical decisions.

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Appendices
Appendix A: Informed Consent
To whom it may concern:
I am conducting a study on the effect that negative publicity has on the business of the National Football
League and I am inviting you to participate in this research. Your input is critical to the success of this
study.
You may withdraw from the study at any point without penalty and may refuse to answer any questions
that make you feel uncomfortable. By completing this survey, you consent to participate. It is anticipated
the questionnaire will take approximately ten minutes to complete.
Please be assured that your responses will be anonymous. The results of the study will not be linked to
any individual, and any discussion will be based only on group data. If you have any questions
concerning your research rights at any time, contact Charles Mace at the number or email listed below.
Charles Mace
Endicott College
Cmace390@mail.endicott.edu
774-278-8746

Appendix B: Questionnaire
Please Circle the number for your answer:
How old are you?
1. 18-30
2. 31-40
3. 41-50
4. 51-60
5. 61 or older
What is your ethnicity?
1. White or Caucasian
2. Black / African American
3. Hispanic
4. Asian
5. Native American
6. Other
What is your highestlevel of Education?
1. High School Degree
2. Associate's Degree
3. Bachelor's Degree
4. Master’s Degree
5. Doctorate Degree
6. Other
What is your gender?
1. Male
2. Female
3. Other
Where is your residential location?
1. Massachusetts
2. Rhode Island
3. Maine
4. Vermont
5. New Hampshire
6. Connecticut
7. Other
How many NFL games do you watch a year?
1. 0
2. 1-4
3. 5-8
4. 9-12
5. 13-17 plus postseason
How would you rate the productof the NFL? With 1 being poor and 5 being excellent.
1. 1

2. 2
3. 3
4. 4
5. 5
How much do you value Corporate Social Responsibility(self-regulatorymechanism wherebya business monitors
and ensures its active compliance with the law, ethical standards and international norms.) when choosing to buy
from a company?
1. Not at all
2. Very Little
3. Somewhat
4. Heavily
5. I value it sometimes
How do you think the NFL handles their business operations?
1. Very poorly
2. poorly
3. Average
4. Handles itwell
5. Above Average
Is the level of violence in the NFL importantto you?
1. not at all
2. somewhat
3. slightlyimportant
4. very important
5. it depends on the situation
Please check the level of agreementwith the following statement:the NFL should change the rules and regulations to
make the game safer and less violent? (1 = very strongly disagree,2 = somewhatdisagree,3 = they should staythe
same,4 = agree 5 = very stronglyagree)
1. 1
2. 2
3. 3
4. 4
5. 5
Please check the level of agreementin the following statement:If the NFL made drastic changes to its equipment
rules or the level of violent hits in the game I would still watch or buy its products.(1 = Strongly disagree,2 =
somewhatdisagree,3 = would not matter, 4 = somewhatagree,5 = very stronglyagree).
1. 1
2. 2
3. 3
4. 4
5. 5
Please check the level of agreementto the following statement:Knowing thatthe NFL hired a spokesperson in the
pastto cover up the issue ofconcussions changed myfeelings towards the brand ofthe NFL? (1 = strongly disagree,
2 = somewhatdisagree,3 =does not change how I feel, 4 = somewhatagree,5 = very stronglyagree).
1. 1
2. 2
3. 3

4. 4
5. 5
Please check the level of agreementto the following statement: It was an un-ethical decision bythe NFL to hire a
spokesperson who denied the impactofconcussions in the sport. (1 = stronglydisagree,2 = somewhatdisagree,3
=does notchange how I feel, 4 = somewhatagree,5 = very strongly agree).
1. 1
2. 2
3. 3
4. 4
5. 5
How do you think the NFL is handling the issue ofconcussions within the game?
1. Very poorly
2. somewhatpoorly
3. No feelings regarding how they handle concussions
4. They are handling itwell
5. They are doing the bestjob they could
Please check the level of agreementto the following statement:The increase ofconcussions in football changed my
mind aboutthe sport? (1 = stronglydisagree,2 = somewhatdisagree,3 =does notchange how I feel, 4 = somewhat
agree,5 = very stronglyagree).
1. 1
2. 2
3. 3
4. 4
5. 5
Are you aware of the long term complications thatare linked with concussions?
1. unaware
2. somewhataware
3. never heard about them
4. very aware
5. Do not care about them
Would you stop watching / buying NFL products because ofthe issue with concussions inside the league?
1. I would notbuy NFL products
2. I would notwatch NFL games
3. Possiblyin the future
4. I would buy products butnot watch the games
5. I would watch the games,butnot buy their products
Please check the level of agreementto the following statement: The increase ofdomestic violence by NFL players
affect my image ofthe league? (1 = stronglydisagree,2 = somewhatdisagree,3 =does not change how I feel, 4 =
somewhatagree,5 = very stronglyagree).
1. 1
2. 2
3. 3
4. 4
5. 5

How do you think the NFL handled the Ray Rice domestic violence case?
1. very poorly
2. somewhatpoorly
3. They Acted Too quickly
4. They did the bestjob they could have
5. No feelings towards how theyhandled it
Please check the level of agreementto the following statement: The new changes to the domestic violence rules
make me feel better about the image ofthe NFL. (1 = strongly disagree,2 = somewhatdisagree,3 =does not
change how I feel, 4 = somewhatagree,5 = very stronglyagree).
1. 1
2. 2
3. 3
4. 4
5. 5
Please check the level of agreementin the following statement.I am aware of the lawsuitbetween former players and
the NFL over substance abuse issues from painkillers being given to players during their careers.(1 = strongly
disagree,2 = somewhatdisagree,3 =does notchange how I feel, 4 = somewhatagree,5 = very strongly agree).
1. 1
2. 2
3. 3
4. 4
5. 5
Are you aware that retired NFL players have a higher percentage ofsubstance abusers than the average population?
1. Very aware
2. Somewhataware
3. Not aware
4. Somewhatunaware
5. Very unaware
Please check the level of agreement to the following statement: The NFL made ethicallystrong decisions when
prescribing and giving players access to prescription drugs during their playing career. (1 = stronglydisagree,2 =
somewhatdisagree,3 =does notchange how I feel, 4 = somewhatagree,5 = very strongly agree).
1. 1
2. 2
3. 3
4. 4
5. 5
Please check the level of agreementto the following statement: The NFL values its business over morals and player
safety (1 = stronglydisagree,2 = somewhatdisagree,3 =does notchange how I feel, 4 = somewhatagree,5 = very
stronglyagree).
1. 1
2. 2
3. 3
4. 4
5. 5

Please check the level of agreementto the following statement: If major Sponsors backed outof the NFL I would
have a different feeling towards the NFL. (1 = stronglydisagree,2 = somewhatdisagree,3 =does not change how I
feel, 4 = somewhatagree,5 = very strongly agree).
1. 1
2. 2
3. 3
4. 4
5. 5
Please check the level of agreementto the following statement: Itrust the honestyand integrity of the NFL? (1 =
stronglydisagree,2 = somewhatdisagree,3 =does notchange how I feel, 4 = somewhatagree,5 = very strongly
agree).
1. 1
2. 2
3. 3
4. 4
5. 5
How much do you follow the issues going on within the business ofthe NFL?
1. not at all
2. very little
3. aware of them
4. constantlyfollow
5. do not care about the inside business ofthe NFL
Does negative publicity inside the NFL steer you away from the products the NFL offers?
1. not at all
2. very little
3. sometimes
4. all the time
5. I do not buy NFL products
Please check the level of agreementto the following statement: Ifeel the NFL needs to improve on their ethical
decision making? (1 = strongly disagree,2 = somewhatdisagree,3 =does notchange how I feel, 4 = somewhat
agree,5 = very stronglyagree).
1. 1
2. 2
3. 3
4. 4
5. 5
Would you let your child play football?
1. Yes
2. No
3. If they change some rules and regulations
4. I'm not sure
5. It would be their decision

Final Thesis

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