In the end, the NFL owners stayed in their comfort zone and went for “continuity” in voting for Roger Goodell as the league’s new commissioner last week.
That theme clearly emerged from the comments of ownership after the meetings ended Tuesday in Chicago. New York Giants co-owner John Mara said, “Continuity was very important to me.” Colts owner Jim Irsay echoed that: “I believe in continuity.” Steelers owner Dan Rooney, whose influence during this process can’t be overlooked, said Goodell had “done everything with the league.” Patriots owner Robert Kraft, one of the league’s most influential voices, said, “Everything he has touched has been a tremendous success.”
The outcome was not a surprise, and when one looks at the vote, the owners obviously voted for Goodell, a 47-year-old veteran of the league’s front office, but they also voted for an extension of the style and policies of outgoing Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, who we commented on in our pages a few weeks ago.
Owners recognized that now was not the time to change direction, to let an outsider steer their successful ship into new waters. That’s clear by the fact that the only candidate for commissioner not to be dropped after the first ballot was league outside counsel Gregg Levy. All the other candidates — new names and faces to ownership — were quickly dismissed. That shouldn’t indicate that these candidates were insufficient or flawed — they are all extremely accomplished individuals who would have taken the league in a different direction. But that’s the key: Ownership doesn’t see any need to go in a different direction. That returns us to the continuity factor that Goodell offered, and that ownership desired.
But where does continuity mix with Goodell’s stated goal of innovation? Now that he has the role that he long has coveted, Goodell has a challenging “to-do” list. We will be watching how he completes the intricacies of the collective-bargaining agreement. The final details of that agreement, reached at the last minute in March, remain unsigned, and there is an undercurrent that low-revenue clubs are growing increasingly concerned over the economic formula to the revenue sharing. In addition, there is already talk of another labor stalemate, as either the players or the league can void the new deal in 2008 or ’09.
What else to watch? Addressing the gap between high- and low-revenue teams is paramount, but it’s not the only challenge facing Goodell. Other issues include returning to the Los Angeles market, the new media opportunity and international growth and global relevance.
After being voted in, Goodell said his theme to owners was not one of the status quo but one of innovation. That’s an ambitious and noteworthy goal, but it may fly in the face of the actual vote, which we read as support for the status quo and a call to stay the course.
