Falcons WR Roddy White’s tweets on Monday about NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s salary have “caused a firestorm nationally,” according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the ATLANTA CONSTITUTION. White tweeted, “Roger Goodell is getting over never seen anything like it 20 million for looking over the league with tremendous help I guess the NFL is banking. The NFL is not a company it’s a nonprofit organization that makes a lot of profit.” Ledbetter wrote White “didn’t buy the argument that the decision-makers are worthy of such high salaries after one of his followers made that point.” White: “Thats the stupidest thing i have ever heard the players make this league dont ever forget that.” White “didn’t want his tweets to [get] published for fear of being fined.” NFL Senior VP/PR Greg Aiello in an e-mail wrote that White “could not be fined” (AJC.com, 2/14). ESPN’s Trey Wingo said the NFL, “from a business perspective, is maybe better now than it’s ever been, and this just in: CEOs of major companies make lots of cash.” Wingo: “From a business perspective, companies around this country and around the world are trying to line up and throw money at the NFL because they want to be partnered with the product that the NFL puts on the field.” ESPN's Antonio Pierce said, "The CEOs at any business you talk about, they’re the top paid.” Pierce: “You look at the money that he’s generated to the players. ... That money is coming from guys negotiating these TV deals we saw happen over this off-season” (“NFL Live,” ESPN, 2/14). ESPN’s Mark Schlereth said if you “look at any Fortune 500 company, if you have great leadership, those guys and those ladies that run those organizations, they get paid.” Schlereth: “The TV revenue is high, the popularity of this sport is the highest it’s ever been and there’s a reason for that: Because they have great leadership. Roger Goodell has been that great leadership and he’s getting rewarded.” ESPN’s Chris McKendry said Goddell “navigated through a lockout, TV deals are sky high, he’s made a lot of money for other people, he’s a successful CEO at this point and it looks like the owners are saying, ‘Thank you’” (“SportsCenter,” ESPN, 2/14).
GOODELL HAS EARNED THE MONEY: L.A. Times columnist Bill Plaschke said Goodell “does more for the NFL in one day than Roddy White does in an entire season." Plashcke: "This is the most influential job in sports.” Dallas Morning News columnist Tim Cowlishaw wondered, “Has he looked at the NFL’s TV contracts? They’re doing rather well.” ESPN’s Michael Smith said, “Goodell is running this league extremely well and the players don’t even pay Roger Goodell! The owners pay him” (“Around The Horn,” ESPN, 2/14). CBSSPORTS.com’s Will Brinson wrote Goodell “might not pay White's salary, but he is in charge of making the NFL increase its revenue stream, which does put money in White's pocket, albeit in an indirect way” (CBSSPORTS.com, 2/14). ESPN’s Tony Kornheiser said, “Players come and go. People root for the uniforms, that’s the way it works. Commissioners mostly go through an entire generation of players and they’re still the commissioner." Kornheiser: "That job is worth that amount of money, worth more than the players” (“PTI,” ESPN, 2/14).
