NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said yesterday that the league is cutting more than 10 percent of its staff in response to the downturn in the nation's economy that could put a dent in ticket sales for next season.

Goodell announced the cuts in a memo to league employees. The NFL is eliminating about 150 of its staff of 1,100 in New York, NFL Films in New Jersey and television and Internet production facilities in Los Angeles.

The league has revenues of approximately $6.5 billion of which an estimated $4.5 billion goes to players, but now it joins the NBA, NASCAR teams and the company that runs Major League Baseball's Internet division in announcing layoffs. The NHL hasn't laid off workers, though it is in a hiring freeze.

So far, NFL fans haven't noticed the cutbacks, which also include reduction in travel by some league staff, and secondary costs such as printing and minor events. The NFL announced last month that it was reducing the cost of playoff tickets by about 10 percent from last season.

Aiello said the NFL still plans to throw parties at the Super Bowl, elaborate events for which the game has long been known. Local organizers say the companies that regularly play host to their own parties are watching expenses, scaling back plans and inviting fewer guests.

The NFL Players Association filed a grievance challenging the suspension and fine handed Plaxico Burress by the New York Giants after the receiver accidentally shot himself in a nightclub more than a week ago. The union said that the Giants violated the collective bargaining agreement last week when it placed Burress on the reserve-non football injury list, suspended him for the final four games of the regular season and fined him an additional week's salary. Placing Burress on the non-football injury list also will keep him out of the playoffs.

Jacksonville will play the rest of the season without its leading receiver after the league upheld Matt Jones' three-game suspension for violating the substance-abuse policy. The league handed down the suspension in October, but Jones appealed. His hearing was last week in New York.

The Carolina Panthers-New York Giants game Dec. 21, which could impact home-field advantage in the NFC playoffs, was shifted to a night game and will be televised by NBC. The game was moved from 1 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. under the NFL's flex-scheduling policy. The Giants (11-2) have clinched the NFC East and lead the NFC South-leading Panthers (10-3) by a game. San Diego at Tampa Bay, scheduled to be the Sunday night game, will be played at 1 p.m. and televised by CBS. Philadelphia at Washington and Atlanta at Minnesota will move from 1 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. and be televised on Fox affiliates. ... The league and its union will pay a combined $100 a month toward the Medicare costs of retired players under a new plan. The program begins Jan. 1 for ex-players over 65 who are vested in the league's pension plan. The money will go to the monthly premium of the player's coverage.