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Leagues and Governing Bodies

Roger Goodell Enjoys High Level Of Job Security In Wake Of Deflategate Decision

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell -- the man that "most of football-worshiping America loves to hate" -- is "more secure in his job than he has been in years," according to Greg Bedard of SI.com. Team owners likely did not care for the fact Tom Brady’s suspension "dragged on for 545 days," but they "love the result that will only strengthen the league and Goodell." He "doubled down after Judge Richard Berman thwarted the league at the circuit court level." A loss in the appeals court "could have been fatal for Goodell," but he "won, and he won huge." Even if Patriots Owner Robert Kraft "wanted to seek retribution and lead an ouster of Goodell," it is "not going to happen." Goodell at this point "would win an ownership vote at worst 30–2, if not 31–0 with one abstention." After the decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit in the Deflategate case, he is "more powerful than ever." NFL COO Tod Leiweke was "brought in by Goodell personally to reduce the commissioner’s day-to-day duties," while former White House Press Secretary Joe Lockhart replaced Paul Hicks as Exec VP/Communications "at Goodell’s suggestion after Lockhart helped manage" the fallout from the Ray Rice domestic violence incident. Meanwhile, Exec VP/Football Operations Troy Vincent "now handles all aspects of on-field discipline" and former N.Y. sex crimes prosecutor Lisa Friel was brought in as Special Counsel for Investigation to "handle all off-field issues." If he "stays out of sight, delegates to his new cabinet (a huge if, since that has been one of his major deficiencies), continues to grow revenue through the international and digital avenues and solidifies the game’s future with major safety initiatives, Goodell can rise even higher" (SI.com, 7/28).

PLEASING THE RIGHT PEOPLE: ESPN's Rachel Nichols noted there is a "huge public misapprehension about what Roger Goodell's job is and whether the owners are happy with him or not." Nichols said, "It's not whether we like him. It's not whether the fans like him. It's only whether those 32 owners like him and whether they like him or not, does he take the bullets for them? Guess what: He has taken all these bullets, so therefore I don't think his job is in danger in the first place." ESPN's Tony Kornheiser said, "Although we might think that anybody could make money with the NFL, Roger Goodell does make money with the NFL. They make more money than ever, which is what the owners, who are involved in a business, care about" ("PTI," ESPN, 7/28).

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