Goodell admits mistake in playoff ticket sales

During his State of the NFL address on Friday, commissioner Roger Goodell admitted the league made a mistake in how it handled ticket sales for the playoffs. A handful of teams struggled to sellout postseason games. As a result, teams were given extensions. Ultimately, corporations had to bail out home games by purchasing tickets for their local franchise.

Cincinnati fans may be all too familiar with struggling playoff ticket sales. Faced with a blackout, many local companies helped by purchasing tickets for the Bengals playoff game against the Chargers. Fifth Third Bank, Cincinnati Insurance Company, Cintas, United Dairy Farmers, Liberty Mutual/Safeco, WCPO/Scripps and Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse helped provide tickets to military families through the Armed Forces Ticket Association (AFTA). P&G and Kroger also pitched in and distrubuted the remaining tickets to U.S. Military veterans and active-duty military personnel.

The Bengals weren't alone. The Indianapolis Colts and Green Bay Packers also required the aid of local companies and ultimately sold out their home playoff games. Goodell admitted that none of the teams should have struggled to sell out their postseason games.

It isn't clear what plans are in place to ensure history doesn't repeat itself, but easing up on fans' wallets would be a good start.