Corporate documents, like football game plans, are not easily drafted in a stadium, with thousands of very interested fans participating, each with their own red pencil, trying to reach a consensus on every word.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
Really, I learned a long time ago that in the National Football League, paper doesn't mean anything. Football teams are created on the football field.
Teams are often pretty clear about what they can do or are willing to do.
The real trouble with the writing game is that no general rule can be worked out for uniform guidance, and this applies to sales as well as to writing.
Some writers sit down without a thought of what they are going to say, and they go through draft after draft.
When we started NFL Films, there were no focus groups, there were no demographic studies, there were no surveys. Every decision that we made, we made with our hearts, not with our heads. And, in the very beginning, we really didn't even have a business plan.
It's all about putting the best team together - not just in the front office but the players on the field.
The NFL is a unique work place. There are no secrets anymore. Technology has taken over, and secrets are exposed. People are going to know what you're all about. You have to make sure you have real honesty in the work place, or you're going to be exposed.
I think when you're knee-deep in coming up with editorial plans, the desire to sit down and pencil something is pretty strong.
It's not just the NFL. Every other league has a draft. It has been fundamental to the success of professional sports.
And yes, there's a simplicity to writing books because you're not a member of a team, so you make all the decisions yourself instead of deferring to a committee.