NFL Senior VP/Club Business Development BRIAN LAFEMINA is joining the Redskins in a new role as President of Business Operations & COO. In this newly created role, Lafemina will oversee all club business operations and report directly to Owner DAN SNYDER. He was in his post at the NFL for eight years. Before joining the league, Lafemina spent 22 years at MSG, starting as an intern and working his way to Senior VP. His last day with the NFL is today, and he starts June 4 with the Redskins (Daniel Kaplan, Staff Writer). In DC, Copeland & Maske cite several people within the NFL as saying that they "expect Lafemina to become a central figure in the Redskins’ planning for their next stadium, a task that has been the primary responsibility" of President BRUCE ALLEN. One source said, "He’s very well thought of in the league office and by the teams. He’s really data-driven. He sees things from the fans’ perspective." A Redskins spokesperson said that the team still employs President of Business Operations DENNIS GREENE, who has held that title since '07 and "will now report to Lafemina." Copeland & Maske noted Lafemina will "oversee all business operations, while Greene will focus on hospitality and suites" (WASHINGTON POST, 5/17). PRO FOOTBALL TALK's Mike Florio wrote the fact that Lafemina will "report directly to Snyder suggests that Allen at a minimum has been undermined by the move, and at most could be on the way out." Indeed, if Allen were "getting done everything he needs to get done, as the president of the team, there would be no need to hire a President of Business Operations/COO who reports directly to Snyder." Thus, the move will "serve only to fuel speculation that Allen will indeed be leaving, possibly for the Raiders" (PROFOOTBALLTALK.com, 5/16).
