Tagliabue to retire
It is now being reported that Paul Tagliabue will retire in July.
He took over the job in 1989 and, in my opinion, has been the main reason for the NFL’s outstanding success. We can only hope whoever is next will be as good
Tags: commissioner, news, nfl, nfl-commissioner, Paul-TagliabueNEW YORK (AP) - Paul Tagliabue is retiring as NFL commissioner in July after more than 16 years on the job.
The 65-year-old commissioner has led the league since 1989, when he succeeded Pete Rozelle, and agreed last March to stay to complete the television and labor deals.
He finally got that done 12 days ago, finishing the most arduous labor negotiations since the league and union agreed on a free agency-salary cap deal in 1992.
“I believe that now is a positive time to make the transition to a new commissioner,” Tagliabue said in a statement.
Roger Goodell, the NFL’s chief operating officer, and Atlanta general manager Rich McKay are the two leading candidates to succeed Tagliabue. Baltimore Ravens president Dick Cass is considered a dark horse.
Tagliabue has said he wants to avoid the kind of seven-month deadlock that occurred between him and the late Jim Fink after Rozelle stepped down in March 1989. Owners will begin the search for a new commissioner at their meetings next week in Orlando, Fla.
Tagliabue called Pittsburgh’s Dan Rooney, the NFL’s senior owner, early Monday to tell him of the decision.
The announcement was made officially in an e-mail to the other owners at noon EST.
“We have a collective bargaining extension in place, long-term television contracts, and have undertaken many other strong elements in league and club operations,” Tagliabue said. “I am honored to have been commissioner since late 1989 and to have been heavily involved with the league, its owners, clubs, coaches, players, fans and media since 1969.”
Tagliabue will stay on with the NFL as a senior executive and a consultant through 2008, part of the contract extension he signed last July…..
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