Goodell's Lack of Greed is All Good

by Dave Cariello on Feb 26, 2009 6:00 AM CST

Goodell still has a few million reasons to smile. (Photo Source)

Though this news apparently broke a short while back, only yesterday did I learn that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell voluntarily took a twenty percent pay cut in his $11 million salary and froze that salary for 2009 even though he's due an automatic raise. This comes amid the leagues announcement that they are cutting 169 jobs at the NFL's headquarters, NFL Films and the NFL Network.

Here's the part where I get all Bryant Gumbel on you. At a time when some Wall Street CEO's and top businessmen are still collecting hugely "shameful" bonuses amid tons of red ink, gaping deficits and exorbitant losses, Roger Goodell's decision to voluntarily take a pay cut must be lauded. While the likes of T.O., Pacman Jones and the entire Oakland Raiders franchise get continuous media scrutiny for their outrageous antics, the selfless acts of men like Roger Goodell too often get quickly brushed aside.

Sure, Goodell is still making a nice chunk of change but you didn't expect him to give up his entire salary did you? The truth is, in the greedy world of sports and big business a twenty percent pay cut is practically equivalent to applying for welfare. And how magnanimous does Goodell appear compared to the controversy surrounding MLB Commissioner Bud Selig's ballooning salary? As a business owner myself, I hate to see company leaders continue to prosper while their oraganizations are simealtaneously laying off employees and/or losing money. In my business, I don't get paid until everyone else gets paid first and to see that philosophy at work on a grander scale, while a rarity, makes me smile.

These recent decisions by Goodell prove to me that the NFL is in good hands even in these tough times and with him in charge I feel confident that the success and popularity of the sport we all love will only continue to grow. If we are all to believe that actions truly do speak louder than words than Goodell's decision should speak volumes. Stand proud Roger Goodell for you are a dying breed in a nation of ever-increasing greed.

Poll

Is Roger Goodell currently the best Commissioner of all the major sports leagues?

Without a doubt

56 votes

No

6 votes

Depends

15 votes

77 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

I voted "Depends"

It depends on whether or not I give a flip about any other sport enough to even know who the commisioners are. I don’t. See, I told it depends.

Oh when the Saints...Start kicking ass...You don't want to be in that number...

by MtnExile on Feb 26, 2009 8:11 AM CST reply actions

We need more people like him in the world!!!

I can truely say I am proud to have him leading the NFL.

by Realsaint on Feb 26, 2009 8:52 AM CST reply actions

not quite ready to crown his ass just yet

Roger likes to show you what a tough guy he is at times (starcaps). And this voluntary pay cut is very timely for season ticket holders deciding on whether to renew or not (Roger feels your pain). He did a nice job redesigning the NFL logo, I guess. http://www.google.com/search?q=new+nfl+logo&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

The real test of his mettle will be how he leads the league to a new collective bargaining agreement. As of today, the 2011 season is in danger.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d80868b78&template=without-video&confirm=true

I gave up on baseball a long time ago but I know that Bud Selig has no business being commissioner. What can you say positive about David Stern?

It ain't no good
if there's too much wood.

by stujo4 on Feb 26, 2009 9:11 AM CST reply actions

I totally agree with Stu

His voluntary pay reduction seems admirable on the surface, but my naturally cynical nature would require a little more information on it before deciding. My problem with Goodell mostly stems from the StarCaps suspensions. The situation for those players involved just isn’t as black and white as Goodell tries to portray it. There’s a lot a gray area there that seems to point to the league having screwed up to some extent on the evaluations of the tainted product and their alleged warning to players about it. Now, they refuse to own up to those mistakes. I realize Goodell is probably in a tough spot over this as he can’t afford to set a precedent for other players who get caught actually using steroids. But, Goodell’s tough stand on this is tarnishing the reputations of the players involved, a list that includes a man I truly respect and admire in Deuce McAllister.

Go Saints!!!! Deuce may be gone, but he will never be forgotten.

by David "Satch" Kelly on Feb 26, 2009 10:54 AM CST reply actions

I think he's an alright guy personally

If he wouldn’t have done this, would anyone of us care? He didn’t have to do this, but he did. Giving up 20% of your salary, no matter how much you make, is still giving up quite a bit. You hear about QB’s giving up some of their salary to sign other players, and they get nothing but praise and glory. He does it, and you hear people say, “big deal, he makes so much anyways.” I think he is a class act personally.
As far as the StarCaps issue is concerned, none of our players have been suspended yet, so reserve your judgment on him until then. And Satchmo, you are right. This is a gray area type of decision, but those are the hardest decisions to make. If it were that black and white, they would have been suspended already.
I think he is a sincere person.

WHO DAT

by pukenbowl on Feb 26, 2009 11:09 AM CST reply actions

All valid points, but...

in regards to StarCaps, he and the league are standing firm on their position that the players flatly violated the steroids rule and should be suspended with absolutely no fault attributed to the apparent flaws in their own position and policy. If suspensions don’t happen, it won’t be because Goodell had a change of heart or suddenly saw the gray areas of the issue. It will be because a federal judge ruled on the case that way. And even if they are cleared by the courts, the reputations of the players involved will still have this cloud of “suspected steroid user” hanging over them.

Go Saints!!!! Deuce may be gone, but he will never be forgotten.

by David "Satch" Kelly on Feb 26, 2009 2:52 PM CST up reply actions