Syracuse hosts its first-ever NFL Symposium

The S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications hosted the National Football League Symposium: First and the Next Ten in the Hergenhan Auditorium Tuesday afternoon. 

Despite a slight delay, the NFL Symposium kicked off with a few jokes.

“I feel like we should play the ‘Are you ready for some football’ song, but I guess we can’t listen to that anymore,” said Dean Lorraine Branham.

During the first hour of the symposium, Branham introduced Syracuse alumnus and ESPN play-by-play announcer Mike Tirico, who served as emcee for the event.

Tirico graduated from Newhouse in 1988 and became Sports Director at CBS affiliate WTVH-TV in Syracuse. He joined ABC and ESPN in 1991. Since then, he has covered basketball, golf, tennis and soccer, and is currently the play-by-play announcer for ESPN’s Monday Night Football. 

Tirico was humble after his introduction from Branham.

“I’m sorry we wasted three minutes of your life that you’re never going to get back with that introduction,” said Tirico.

The first issue of business Tirico wanted to discuss was why the NFL has become so popular and whether the league can continue to grow. 

He introduced several experts including writers, former players, team owners and corporate sponsors who all work with the NFL. The seven of them made up two panels that would discuss the future of the league.

Before Tirico’s introductions, the audience saw a video clip of a taped response from another well-known former SU student, Bob Costas. Costas said he believes that the NFL’s economic system and schedule explains their rise to power in the last few decades.

“Every game played is a network game, so there isn’t any fighting about market sharing,” he said in the video. “No fan believes their team is at a disadvantage because of their market and every game played is special because its once a week.”

The first panel began their discussion at the end of the first hour of the event.

(Photo courtesy of Stock XCHNG)