Next NFL Commissioner - Meeting in Chicago - August 7-9/06.

[woodbuck27]

Commish wish list likely to be whittled down this week

Written by Wire Services

Monday, 24 July 2006

Nearly four months into the formal search process, but less than one month now before commissioner Paul Tagliabue's targeted retirement date of Aug. 18, NFL owners will meet near Detroit on Monday, ostensibly to whittle the list of potential successors to a more workable number.

The session, which will be followed later in the week by a meeting of the search committee, is believed to represent the first time that all 32 owners will review the ponderous roster of commissioner candidates. The search committee has met, and there have been conference calls among other owners, including one within the past 10 days. But to this point, owners are holding their cards pretty close to their vests.

"[The committee] has done a good job of keeping things under wraps," said one AFC owner who is not on the committee. "Maybe too good. We might be a little too much in the dark."

Even Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney, co-chairman of the search committee, acknowledged that there has not been much discussions among his brethren about who they will support. And New England owner Bob Kraft, a search committee member, allowed to The Boston Globe that the characterization of NFL chief operating officer Roger Goodell as the front-runner could well be "a kiss of death."

One thing about which there is no question is the thoroughness of the search for Tagliabue's successor, who is expected to be elected during a meeting in Chicago scheduled for Aug. 7-9.

In addition to the eight-man search committee, the league retained the firm Korn/Ferry International to aid in identifying candidates. Representatives from the corporate search firm met with all 32 league owners in an effort to discern what they felt were the traits that viable candidates had to possess.

The original list of candidates, which numbered close to 200, has been pared to about 90 now. The goal of this week's sessions in Detroit is to cut the list to about four finalists. Those finalists would then meet with all the owners, probably in groups determined along division lines, in Chicago.

As Tagliabue's top lieutenant for the last several years, and a man who has played a prominent role in most big decisions during that period, Goodell's status as early-line favorite is probably well deserved. But it is believed that other high-profile staffers from the league office, such as executive vice president of finance Eric Grubman and in-house counsel Jeffrey Pash, will have strong advocates. Two team presidents, Rich McKay of Atlanta and Baltimore's Dick Cass, have also been mentioned as potential candidates.

There is considerable speculation that at least one "outsider" -- perhaps a corporate CEO with experience in digital technologies, the catch-all category the NFL loves to toss out at the likely source for emerging new revenue streams -- will be included in the lists of finalists.

It requires a vote of two-thirds of the membership, or 22 of 32 owners, to elect a new commissioner.

Source: Len Pasquarelli - ESPN.com.

[Partial]

Woody you are gonna pass MJ soon for the post lead. Jeez man, I'm struggling to keep up!! :razz: :lol:

[woodbuck27]

NFL: List of candidates for commissioner down to 11
Written by Associated Press
Tuesday, 25 July 2006

ROMULUS, Mich. - The list of candidates for Paul Tagliabue's job as NFL commissioner is down to 11, although with two weeks to go until the final selection meeting, a majority of the owners still don't know who is on it.

The owners met for about three hours at the Detroit airport Monday to help narrow down the potential successors. Then the search committee continued discussing procedures for getting down to a workable number of finalists for the meetings in Chicago on Aug. 7-9 to choose Tagliabue's successor.

"We are pleased with the way it went," said Pittsburgh's Dan Rooney, co-chairman of the selection committee after a three-hour meeting that followed the main session. "Things went well and the other owners came up with some ideas."

Asked if he thought a commissioner could be selected at the Chicago meeting, Rooney echoed what Tagliabue earlier said: "We're very confident."

Despite the secrecy, the front-runner remains Roger Goodell, Tagliabue's second in command. He appears to be one of three league office people in contention -- the others are Jeff Pash, the league's chief lawyer, and Eric Grubman, its top financial officer.

The reason the owners have not been told any names is that Tagliabue and the search committee want to prevent leaks of the kind that plagued the last commissioner search in 1989.

"Sure I've heard the usual names. We all have," said John Mara, co-owner of the New York Giants. "But we haven't heard anything officially and that's the way it should be. I think the committee is going about it just the right way."

The 11 candidates will meet with the search committee this week at an unspecified site, then the field will be narrowed. Tagliabue didn't specify how many finalists there would be, but said the owners might be divided into small groups to interview the candidates.

The process is in stark contrast to the one 17 years ago, when it took seven months after Pete Rozelle announced his retirement for the owners to choose Tagliabue. He was elected after the late Jim Finks, then the New Orleans general manager, led for most of the process.

One of the problems then was that the search committee was made up entirely of owners close to Rozelle, all with long histories in the league. They were set to elect Finks when a group of newer owners, including Dallas' Jerry Jones, rebelled and ended up supporting Tagliabue.

This search committee includes such non-traditionalists as Oakland's Al Davis and Jones, who despite his early support for Tagliabue ended up differing with the commissioner on many issues. The committee also includes both high-revenue and low-revenue owners, men on both sides of the debate that still remains the NFL's most divisive: how to split income.

[woodbuck27]

Woody you are gonna pass MJ soon for the post lead. Jeez man, I'm struggling to keep up!! :razz: :lol:

Yea! I find . . . I'm a little hampered by the fact it's the Off Season.

I'll have caught up to Ziggy . . . in another two lifetimes. :mrgreen:

MJZiggy carries the torch ! !

[Partial]

Woody you are gonna pass MJ soon for the post lead. Jeez man, I'm struggling to keep up!! :razz: :lol:

Yea! I find . . . I'm a little hampered by the fact it's the Off Season.

I'll have caught up to Ziggy . . . in another two lifetimes. :mrgreen:

MJZiggy carries the torch ! !

heh, didn't realize next person you'd pass would be me! well let me tell you, for every post you make i'm going to make three!! You'll never defeat me!! :evil:

[MJZiggy]

This could get ugly...

[woodbuck27]

Woody you are gonna pass MJ soon for the post lead. Jeez man, I'm struggling to keep up!! :razz: :lol:

Yea! I find . . . I'm a little hampered by the fact it's the Off Season.

I'll have caught up to Ziggy . . . in another two lifetimes. :mrgreen:

MJZiggy carries the torch ! !

heh, didn't realize next person you'd pass would be me! well let me tell you, for every post you make i'm going to make three!! You'll never defeat me!! :evil:


dah - dah - dah - dah !!

I'm in your rearview mirror, or is it like an interesting stock car race?

Partial = 1360 woodbuck27 = 1263 on July 25, 2007 at 1:40 Central.

Your TOAST - Dally Wag. :mrgreen:

[woodbuck27]

Five finalists for commissioner post announced


(July 30, 2006) -- The special eight-man Search Committee appointed by NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue to recommend candidates for his successor announced the names of five individuals to be placed before NFL club owners at a meeting Aug. 7-9 at the Renaissance Hotel in Chicago.

The five nominees, according to Committee co-chairmen Dan Rooney of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Jerry Richardson of the Carolina Panthers, are:

ROGER S. GOODELL, 47, New York, N.Y. Executive Vice President and COO, NFL.

GREGG H. LEVY, 53, Washington, D.C. Partner, Covington & Burling law firm.

FREDERICK R. NANCE, 52, Cleveland, Ohio. Partner, Squire Sanders & Dempsey law firm.

ROBERT L. REYNOLDS, 54, Concord, Mass. Vice Chairman and COO, Fidelity Investments.

MAYO A. SHATTUCK III, 51, Baltimore, Md. Chairman of the Board, President and CEO of Constellation Energy.
In addition to Rooney and Richardson, the Search Committee includes Al Davis, Oakland Raiders; Clark Hunt, Kansas City Chiefs; Woody Johnson, New York Jets; Jerry Jones, Dallas Cowboys; Robert Kraft, New England Patriots; and Mike McCaskey, Chicago Bears.

The finalists were nominated by the committee from a group of 185 candidates, which was narrowed to 11. These 11 candidates were interviewed by the Search Committee in Detroit earlier this week. All candidates underwent an extensive interview process assisted by the executive search firm of Korn Ferry.

The balloting procedures set forth by Commissioner Tagliabue, who will chair the meeting, will be as follows:

Each candidate will make a presentation to the 32 clubs Aug. 7 in Chicago.
Each club will be represented by an owner or owner designee.
After these presentations, the clubs will divide into subgroups. Each candidate then will be interviewed by owners or club representatives in each subgroup for a specific period of time.
When these interviews and subsequent discussions among the league's members are completed, the voting will begin.
Procedures will be set for determining whether particular ballots will be secret or open.

The affirmative vote of two-thirds of the league's member clubs, i.e. 22 votes of 32, is needed to elect a new commissioner. Attendance by every club in the league is mandatory.

Deloitte & Touche USA will count the votes.

Candidate Background

ROGER GOODELL, 47, New York, N.Y. Executive Vice President, COO of the NFL. Oversees league business and football operations. Began career as trainee at Jones & Laughlin Steel in 1981. Joined NFL as intern in 1982, worked for New York Jets as PR/administrative intern in 1983-84 before rejoining NFL office in 1984. Assumed increasing responsibility at league and held number of positions, including EVP of business, properties and club services. Promoted to present position in 2001. Washington & Jefferson College, BA, 1981. Married; two children.

GREGG H. LEVY, 53, Washington, D.C. Partner, Covington & Burling LLP, the law firm where Tagliabue worked in 1989 when appointed Commissioner. Joined Covington & Burling in 1977. Is co-chair of firm's litigation group; the principal outside counsel for the NFL; and has played the lead role in all recent appellate victories for the league, including Maurice Clarett eligibility case in 2004. Harvard College, BA, 1974; Harvard Law School, JD, 1977. Married; four children.

FREDERICK R. NANCE, 52, Cleveland, Ohio. Managing Partner of the Cleveland office of Squire Sanders & Dempsey LLP law firm. Nance, on behalf of the city of Cleveland, handled the negotiation with the NFL guaranteeing the return of the Browns to that city in 1999. Also served as project counsel on all aspects of the Browns Stadium development. Joined firm in 1978, named partner in 1987, and assumed present position in 2002. Harvard University, BA, 1975. University of Michigan, JD, 1978. Married; two children.

ROBERT L. REYNOLDS, 54, Concord, Mass. Vice Chairman and COO of Fidelity Investments. Began at Fidelity in 1984 as vice president of firm's Management Trust Company and held several executive positions before being named to current position in 2000. Started career in 1974 at Wheeling (W.Va.) Dollar Bank, and joined NCNB (now Bank of America) in 1977. West Virginia University, BS, 1974. Married; four children.

MAYO A. SHATTUCK III, 51, Baltimore, Md. Chairman of the Board, President and CEO of Constellation Energy. The firm ranks 125th on the Fortune 500 and owns energy-related businesses that had revenue of $17.1 billion in 2006 with 9,700 employees. Began career in 1985 with Alex Brown and Sons, a corporte and investment bank. Joined the Bankers Trust Company in 1997 as its vice chairman and moved to Deutsche Bank in Baltimore in 1999, rising to chairman of the board in 2001. Williams College, Williamstown, Mass., BA; Stanford University, masters in business. Married, five children.

[the_idle_threat]

So they ruled out Condi Rice?

[Harlan Huckleby]

Condi Rice might be one of the more competent senior people in the Bush administration. But man, is she ever uncharming! Very robotic. Kind of an odd person to be Secretary of State. She's harsh.

[the_idle_threat]

I don't think she's any worse than Madeleine Albright.

[Harlan Huckleby]

nah, Albright would answer questions.

[woodbuck27]

Condi Rice might be one of the more competent senior people in the Bush administration. But man, is she ever uncharming! Very robotic. Kind of an odd person to be Secretary of State. She's harsh.

She's ( Ms.Rice) is looking really bad right now over the newest conflict in the Middle East. Wondering what NFL team she supports if any? Who she likes as OUT new NFL Commissioner.

We had a massive demonstration by the Canadian Lebenese Society (I mean a ball buster of a rally/demonstration) and the crisis between Lebanon and israel will be all over the talk shows this AM, I expect.

Our Prime Minister "Stephen Harper" and his Government "the Conservative's" will have the heat placed squarely on them,I sense, to not support Israel's ways in this BS war.

The UN has to step in pronto - or this mess will not be a good thing - long term for World Peace.

[GBRulz]

Speaking of post counts.... there is a damn Queens "Troll" on this forum who has more posts than me!!! :cry:

[woodbuck27]

Speaking of post counts.... there is a damn Queens "Troll" on this forum who has more posts than me!!! :cry:

Rastak @ 1022 at this moment.

GBRulz. You have (overall) more to contribute here than just post's.

Right ?!!

[MJZiggy]

That's what you get for taking the summer off. You will catch up with all of the camp reports and the multitude of pics you will be posting, right?

[Harlan Huckleby]

GBRulz is just Tank's second account. You have to add their post totals.

Way to fool'um!

[woodbuck27]

Posted on Sun, Aug. 06, 2006

NFL owners gather to select Tagliabue's successor
By Don Pierson

Chicago Tribune

(MCT)

CHICAGO - Chicago was the beginning of the reign of NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, and Chicago is expected to be the beginning for heir-apparent Roger Goodell when owners convene here Monday to elect Tagliabue's successor.

Tagliabue's election wasn't as easy as it should be for Goodell. In 1989, former Bears general manager Jim Finks was on the verge of being named Pete Rozelle's successor when a group of new owners led by the Dallas Cowboys' Jerry Jones gathered enough support to slow the old-guard owners committed to Finks. A computer problem at O'Hare delayed incoming flights and the start of the meeting, allowing the insurgency to gain momentum.

The new owners were more concerned about being left out of the process than they were concerned about Finks. The Chicago meeting reconvened in Dallas and later in Cleveland over a four-month period before Tagliabue was chosen on the 12th ballot.

This time electing anybody other than Goodell would be a much bigger upset than Tagliabue edging Finks. The five finalists will have a chance to present their cases in front of owners, and Goodell is the only one who won't have to introduce himself. Voting isn't scheduled to begin until Tuesday.

Goodell, 47, started working in the league office under Rozelle and has served as Tagliabue's right-hand man and chief operating officer. Much better known in league circles and more prepared than either Rozelle or Tagliabue, Goodell is most familiar to owners as the point man in building and financing stadiums.

In Tagliabue's 17-year reign, 23 stadiums for 24 teams have been built or totally renovated or are in the planning stages_many with Goodell as a guiding force. Goodell needs 22 votes to become commissioner.

Though it is not always easy to be the front-runner, Goodell would appear to have a sizable lead on a field with only peripheral NFL experience.

Mayo Shattuck, 51, has become most well known in the last week because the Baltimore Ravens selected his 39-year-old wife as the oldest cheerleader in the NFL. Shattuck is chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer of Constellation Energy.

Gregg Levy, 53, is a partner in the Washington law firm of Covington & Burling, which is what Tagliabue's job was when he was elected. Levy was lead counsel in the Maurice Clarett case, in which a decision to let the former Ohio State running back enter the draft a year before league rules stipulated was overturned on appeal.

Frederick Nance, 52, is managing partner in the Cleveland office of Squire, Sanders & Dempsey. The only African-American finalist, he handled negotiations for the city of Cleveland when the Browns returned to the NFL in 1999 and was the lawyer for the group that developed construction of the Browns' new stadium.

Robert Reynolds, 54, has been vice president of Fidelity's management trust company and held several executive jobs with the firm before that. He was recommended by New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, a member of the eight-man selection committee that includes Jones, the Bears' Michael McCaskey, the Pittsburgh Steelers' Dan Rooney, the Carolina Panthers' Jerry Richardson, the New York Jets' Woody Johnson, the Oakland Raiders' Al Davis and the Kansas City Chiefs' Lamar Hunt.

Rich McKay, the Atlanta Falcons' general manager and co-chairman of the Competition Committee, was one of the better-known candidates already eliminated. So was Jeff Pash, league executive vice president, chief administrative officer and in-house counsel, and Eric Grubman, league executive vice president of finance.

Speculation is the committee didn't want to divide loyalties within the efficient league structure, which would be threatened with upheaval if anyone other than Goodell is elected.

As NFL executive vice president and chief operating officer since 2001, Goodell's responsibilities include serving as president of NFL Ventures Inc., which oversees the league's business units. Goodell supervises all league business operations, including media properties, marketing and sales, consumer products, international, stadium development, special events and strategic planning. He also is responsible for football operations and officiating.

Goodell began his NFL career in 1982 as an intern in the New York office. In 1983 he worked in public relations and administration with the New York Jets, then returned to the league office in 1984 as a public relations assistant. In 1987 Rozelle appointed him assistant to the president of the American Football Conference, Lamar Hunt.

Most recently Goodell played a key role in the launch of the NFL Network, restructuring of the NFL's business units and negotiations for the NFL's television agreements and collective-bargaining agreement with the NFL Players Association.

Goodell graduated from Washington & Jefferson College in 1981 with a degree in economics. Politically connected, he is the son of Charles Goodell, former U.S. senator from New York appointed by former Gov. Nelson Rockefeller in 1968 after the assassination of Robert Kennedy. Wife Jane is the daughter of former U.S. Transportation Secretary Sam Skinner.

If it takes more than one ballot to elect Goodell, it's because owners want to remind the candidates who the real bosses are. It's not necessary, but NFL owners have been known to belabor the obvious.

[woodbuck27]

It certainly appears that Roger Goodell will be the next NFL Commish:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/08/sports/football/08nfl.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

[woodbuck27]

New NFL Commissioner Gets Thumbs Up From Harlan

by Mike Spofford, Packers.com

posted 08/08/2006

Green Bay Packers Chairman and CEO Bob Harlan believes the NFL will maintain its continuity and labor peace with the selection Tuesday of Roger Goodell to succeed Paul Tagliabue as league commissioner.

Harlan was in Chicago representing the Packers at the owners' meetings the past two days, which included presentations by each of the five finalists for commissioner and round-robin interviews with each finalist by groups of eight owners.

Goodell has been Tagliabue's top assistant and in 2000 became the NFL's chief operating officer.

While praising the quality of the group of finalists (which also included lawyers Gregg Levy and Frederick Nance; Fidelity Investments vice chairman Robert Reynolds; and Constellation Energy chairman Mayo Shattuck III), Harlan believes Goodell's intimate knowledge of the league and its components makes him the right individual to succeed Tagliabue, who served as commissioner the past 17 years.

"With someone who was coming from the outside, I was concerned about how long it would take that individual to get to know the 32 different owners, the different concerns of the 32 clubs and what we faced as a league," Harlan said. "That's something Roger has been through and he's ready to start tomorrow.

"He's ready to step in and run with it, and I thought that was very important."

Harlan added Goodell is probably best suited to continue the ongoing labor peace the league has enjoyed under Tagliabue, and he also feels Goodell is acutely aware of the challenges facing a franchise like the Green Bay Packers to stay economically competitive in the league's smallest market.

"I think he understands it from top to bottom," Harlan said. "He came in to see us when we were getting ready to start the stadium referendum, and he sat with me at one game and kept saying to me, 'I can totally understand why you want to save this stadium.'

"He understands our needs and where we're coming from, that revenue sharing and the salary cap are the lifeblood of this franchise in the future."

[woodbuck27]

A Look At The New NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/08/AR2006080801618.html