A few years into Roger Goodell’s tenure as NFL commissioner, a graduate school professor polled students on who was the most effective leader in the major US sports. Goodell romped.
That was before the league locked out the players in 2011, before the Saints’ bounties scandal and before the behavior of Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson — and so many others — led to a stricter player conduct policy.
It was before game officials were locked out, before Tom Brady’s suspension in “Deflategate” and before issues over head trauma and concussions put a spotlight on player safety.
Photo: AP
A more recent informal survey by the same professor saw Goodell finish a weak third behind the NBA’s Adam Silver and the USPGA’s Tim Finchem.
Yet, for all of the public angst regarding Goodell, who today enters his second decade in charge, he could not be held in higher esteem by most of the 32 team owners.
“I know how passionate he is about the game, how committed he is,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. “He’s spent his professional life on behalf of the National Football League. I’ve seen him under fire. He has made good decisions. We know what a tough job it is. That’s been borne out and accentuated by the very criticism that he receives.”
“He’s in a job that has a lot of thankless aspects to it,” Jones said. “I think he’s exceeded any expectations that I might have had for him.”
Here is a look at what has happened in the NFL under Goodell in the past decade:
FINANCES
The league to which Goodell, 57, has dedicated his entire adult life has never been more profitable. According to Forbes, the average worth of an NFL franchise is just under US$2 billion. Jones’ Cowboys are the world’s most valuable sports team at US$4 billion. The league’s lowest-valued team at US$1.4 billion, the Buffalo Bills, just signed a huge naming rights deal for their stadium.
Overall league revenue is approaching US$13 billion; when Goodell replaced Paul Tagliabue in 2006, they were half that. Goodell wants to reach US$25 billion in the next decade or so.
TELEVISION
The NFL’s availability has expanded significantly on TV and digitally under Goodell. Flexible scheduling on Sunday nights led to better matchups later in the schedule. A night game was added on Thanksgiving Day.
Network TV deals are bringing in about US$28 billion overall, and DirecTV’s Sunday Ticket contract is worth another US$1.5 billion a year to the NFL.
Last season, 46 of the top-50 rated American TV shows were NFL games
“Roger’s tenure has been one of tremendous growth for the NFL, and he has increased the impact the league has on American culture,” ESPN president John Skipper said. “He has faced intense scrutiny in how he responds to every situation, including from ESPN, and to his credit, he has remained true to his principles and the results of that vision are, by any objective measure, decidedly positive.”
UNION OPPOSITION
Outside the NFL, his image has taken some heavy hits. While Goodell cites protecting the integrity of the game, the players’ union, fans and advocacy groups protest his decisions.
Despite labor peace since 2011, it has been an uneasy truce. The union challenges matters large and small and often makes noise about reopening the collective bargaining agreement.
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