Earlier this year, NFL owners shook things up by slashing the notice time for flexing Thursday night games on Amazon\u2019s Prime Video to just 21 days.<\/p>\n
So, how does that sit with the league\u2019s promise to its loyal fans?<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s just say Roger Goodell\u2019s response didn\u2019t exactly calm any nerves.<\/p>\n
Pressed by CNBC\u2019s Jim Cramer on Squawk on the Street Wednesday, the commissioner was put on the spot by a longtime Eagles season ticket holder who wanted to know: how can fans plan when the league can shift a game on three weeks\u2019 notice? Cramer called the policy<\/a> \u201copen air\u201d and questioned whether the NFL truly values its most loyal customers.<\/p>\n It\u2019s one of the few times Goodell has taken live heat over this issue, and while his response didn\u2019t exactly land with force, he\u2019s now on the record.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s one of the things we really focus on,\u201d Goodell replied. \u201cWe average two games a year that we flex. It\u2019s very infrequent that we do it. That is the No. 1 concern: What is the impact on our fans? Last year was the first time we flexed a Thursday game. It worked very well. We had very little fan reaction. We monitor that very closely. But it also helps us work to make sure the best game is on for a broader fan base around the country, and around the world now. But that is a singular focus for us. We don\u2019t take it lightly when we move a game. But it doesn\u2019t happen very frequently.\u201d<\/p>\n Flex scheduling clearly gives the league the power to put its best foot forward nationally, and the results speak for themselves. When the NFL flexed the Broncos-Chargers into the Week 16 Thursday night spot<\/a>, it paid off handsomely. The Chargers erased an 11-point deficit, scoring 15 fourth-quarter points to beat Denver 34-27 in a heated divisional matchup.<\/p>\n