My son, a football expert, tells me that Roger Goodell is a good man who has been 2nd banana for a long time and deserves his shot. For me, if it doesn't have Chargers or Steelers in the headlines, I don't pay much attention.
Roger Goodell named new head of the NFL
By Pat Kirwan
NFL.com Senior Analyst(Aug. 8, 2006) -- If it ain't broke, don't fix it! The NFL isn't perfect by any means, but when you stack it up against other professional sports or other businesses, it can hold its own and then some. Commissioner Paul Tagliabue has been the visionary and leader of this unprecedented run of success and by his side the whole time was his top assistant, Roger Goodell.
I've known Goodell since his days as an intern with the New York Jets. He has been involved in the inner workings of the league for such a long time that he finally deserves his shot to steer the ship. As one owner said to me, "He has the intellect to do this job."
With the labor settlement in place until at east 2008 and the network television deals in place until 2011, it's a good time to turn the focus toward other issues, like a team or two in the Los Angeles area. Goodell has been the point man on that project for the last few years and in my mind, it wouldn't be wise to switch gears in mid-stream.
Roger Goodell was the overwhelming favorite to be Paul Tagliabue's successor. Many people think that the commissioner controls the league, but the reality is that he works for the 32 owners. There is no doubt in my mind that none of the other candidates would have had the time to catch up to where Goodell is with regard to his relationships with the 32 team owners. Can he get them to put their egos aside and think as one for the benefit of the league? It won't be easy, but his style and battle-tested relationships with many of them will serve him well.
Can he see the future of the game? Does he realize the unlimited potential of how this game can best be delivered via the media to the fans? Does he have the same passion for the grass-roots programs like youth football that Tagliabue had during his tenure? My experience with Goodell tells me that the answer is yes. One of the keys to this is that he will surround himself with people who get it. I have seen Goodell and Steve Bornstein, the man in charge of the NFL Media, leaving the NFL offices many times on their way to securing more opportunities for the NFL Network. Goodell is young enough to take on the rigors of the job and see it through. As another general manager said to me, "The new commissioner is at least a 10-year commitment and Goodell has the energy
I happened to be on a flight to Los Angeles a few years ago with him and we talked football from airport to airport. He wants more football people around him and personally I think that's a good thing.
Will there be criticism of this appointment? Of course there will be. That's the nature of this business. But if the NFL owners hadn't voted Goodell into the top spot, their decision may well be questioned as the league moved on into 2007 and beyond. With Goodell, there will be some changes in the league office, which is only natural, and is probably a good thing. One other benefit is that he will always have the ability to call his mentor, Tagliabue, for advice, and no one can put a value on that relationship.
If the league was in bad shape. If the TV contracts weren't being maximized. If the players were set to strike and if the owners were at each other's throats, then it would have been time to go in a different direction. But in 2006, that is definitely not the case and that is why Roger Goodell was elected the NFL's fourth commissioner.
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