The Tagliabue Era: Other League Heads Discuss Commissioner

League Commissioners Weigh In On Tagliabue

As part of our look back at the tenure of outgoing NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, we present industry opinions of him through quotes from executives representing various sectors of sports business. Today: Fellow league commissioners.

“I think it begins with his being an astute lawyer who navigated some extraordinarily difficult antitrust and labor relations issues, but it morphed into his understanding the dynamics of leadership and getting all of his owners in a very constructive mode, developing a great relationship with the union and maximizing the income for the NFL to a level that perhaps would have been hard to contemplate a decade ago. And he’s a very nice person, to boot.” — NBA Commissioner David Stern

“Paul took a sport that had had a lot of labor problems and forged a very constructive relationship with the players association. He understood football’s great television relationship and certainly maximized its value. He did what a commissioner really should do, and I think he did it brilliantly. He took a sport that was very popular, but as all things in life had some problems, and took the sport to heights that nobody could ever have dreamed possible when he started.”
— MLB Commissioner Bud Selig

“I have always admired Paul from a distance. Where he has taken the NFL is remarkable. We wish him continued success.” — NASCAR Chair & CEO Brian France

“I think Paul will be written in the history books as one of the greatest commissioners of all time. He took over for a living legend in Pete Rozelle, and took the position from being what was one of establishing the league and bringing it into the communications era into developing the league into one of the most dominant brands in the history of American business. Paul has had an incredibly influential role in the development of the league. He has a quiet confidence. He doesn’t speak loudly, but carries a big stick, and when Paul talks, people listen.” — MLS Commissioner Don Garber, who spent 16 years at the NFL before joining MLS in ’99

“I think he’s one of the smartest guys I’ve ever seen. He followed in the footsteps of a great PR commissioner, but Paul took it to another level. He had a vision of how it could be used beyond the field.” — AFL Commissioner David Baker