Tod Leiweke, who yesterday stepped down as NFL COO, is "expected to join the Oak View Group in a top executive position to help run" Seattle's anticipated NHL expansion franchise, according to Geoff Baker of the SEATTLE TIMES. The NHL has "yet to award Seattle an expansion team expected to play at a remodeled KeyArena" starting in October '20, but that move is "expected to come" at a league BOG meeting in June. OVG along with potential team owners David Bonderman and Jerry Bruckheimer recently "launched a highly successful season-ticket initiative that attracted 33,000 deposits of $500 and $1,000 within two days" (SEATTLE TIMES, 3/14). In Seattle, Stephen Cohen noted Leiweke is a name that "should sound familiar to Seattle sports fans" as he served as the Seahawks CEO from '03-10. Under Leiweke, the Seahawks "doubled their season-ticket base and advanced to their first ever Super Bowl following" the '05 season (SEATTLEPI.com, 3/13). Also in Seattle, Danny O'Neil wrote the market's NHL future "just got a whole lot brighter." Leiweke "stands alone" in the city’s sports history. He is "quite simply the most successful" sports exec Seattle has "ever known." Seattle's hockey fans "should be doing cartwheels because there’s no one in Seattle sports history whose touch has been as golden as Leiweke when it comes to building successful franchises" (MYNORTHWEST.com, 3/13).
ON PARK AVENUE: NFL President of Digital Media Maryann Turcke is replacing Leiweke as COO, and in N.Y., Ken Belson writes the league will "no doubt be congratulated for promoting a woman to such a lofty position." One of the "tougher issues she will face may be pushing out longtime employees and hiring replacements -- or not." Sources said that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is "reshaping his staff for what will likely be his stretch run." He also "wants to groom a potential successor," and Leiweke's departure leaves Chief Media & Business Officer Brian Rolapp as the "leading internal candidate to take over." But more immediately, Goodell "needs to placate owners who want a more streamlined -- and downsized -- league headquarters that focuses more heavily on on-field issues and creating revenue" (N.Y. TIMES, 3/14). PRO FOOTBALL TALK's Mike Florio wrote if "more changes are coming" to the league office, it will "be interesting to see if the news breaks while most of the reporters covering the league are otherwise tracking free agency, which essentially gives the league an extended Friday afternoon bad-news dump" (PROFOOTBALLTALK.com, 3/13).
