To the untrained eye, it appears as if Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys, is throwing a Texas size hissy fit. For once in his life, poor JJ can't seem to get his way, hence the temper tantrum.
In the wake of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell taking his prized running back away for six games, Jones has said, "I'm a gonna get ya". Further, he referred to New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft as a pu$$y.
This comes at a time when the aforementioned Commish is engaged in contract renewal talks with the league owners, though he still has this season and next (2018) left on his current contract.
As we all know, the Commish is high lord and master over everything NFL, though he technically works for the owners. After all, they're the ones that hired him in the place and pay his salary. If push comes to shove and enough of the 32 owners agree, dear Roger could find himself out the door.
Apparently this is exactly what Jones wants. But given how the current system is set up, JJ might be fighting a futile battle.
Though there are indeed 32 team owners in the NFL, an NFL source has already confirmed they've collectively agreed to let a committee of only six of them decide Goodell's fate. They are.....
Arthur Blank -- Atlanta Falcons
Clark Hunt -- KC Chiefs
Bob Kraft -- Patriots
John Mara -- NY Giants
Bob McNair -- Houston Texans
Art Rooney -- Steelers
Though it's unclear whether they have to reach a unanimous verdict or only a simple majority, they will ultimately retain Goodell -- or not. In other words, Jones has no direct say-so in the matter.
Consider the above committee and how each of them may very well feel towards Jerry Jones.
In a recent game between the Falcons and Cowboys, a lopsided win by Atlanta, Blank and Jones didn't even exchange greetings, which is customary for owners before a game. A mutual cold shoulder.
Mara owns a divisional rival of the Cowboys.
McNair's team plays in the same state as Jones's Cowboys.
Throw in the pu$$y comment referring to Kraft.
Even assuming Hunt and Rooney are neutral, that's four out of six that likely don't feel all warm and cuddly towards Jones and whatever he may suggest. That's mighty tough sledding for the Big D man.
True, it's easy to recall some of Goodell's more, ahem, "controversial" moments in recent times. Spygate, Deflategate, Bountygate, and the Ray Rice and Adrian Petersen affairs, among others. Many would say the Commish botched them all in one fashion or another.
But looking at the bigger picture of his body of work suggests a far different scenario.
Though they've taken a minor dip lately, the NFL's revenues have soared since Goodell was put in charge. Everybody's coughing up bigger bucks for the product and the owners are swimming in the profits.
He navigated through a tricky minefield, and highly contentious atmosphere by hammering out a new long term labor agreement with the Players Union, which still has a few years to run.
Once the severity of brain injuries was brought to light on his watch, he and the league lawyers reached a settlement with the players, both current and past. Whether it's enough money in the pot to satisfy all is questionable, but it's a done deal.
He and his minions have dropped the hammer hard on any that would stray into the never-never land of "substance abuse", or other "conduct unbecoming" of the NFL.
These are all good things from the owners' perspective.
But Jones wants him gone anyway. Further, he's even threatened to sue the league if they dare re-up Roger for another term as Commish.
Well gee, that's probably going over really well with the other 31, let alone the gang of 6 that will make the call. Oh yeah, there's no better way to make friends than threatening to sue them if they won't let you have your way.
And put yourself in Goodell's shoes.
He's been the Commish since 2006, is in his 12th year, and still has one more to go. While exact figures are unknown over all those years, most assume Goodell has knocked down somewhere between $30-40 million a year on average. Do the math. That's approaching half a BILLION dollars.
It's likely a safe assumption that, besides his base salary, Goodell has always had an expense account as well. In other words, the tab for everything he and his family needs/wants has been picked up to boot. So somewhere, dear Roger probably has at least $300 million in banks, or otherwise invested. That's a pretty tidy sum. Most could get by on that.
Right now, Goodell is 58 years old. He'll be 60 when his current contract expires. That's prime retirement age if one has serious bucks socked away, which he obviously does.
So what's the worst that can happen to Goodell? Jones somehow gets his way and the Commish is eased out in another year and a half, with another $50-60 million added to his already huge pile of money?
Yeah, I get it. Roger loves his job and would like nothing better than to stay on as the emperor of the most successful sports enterprise in the world. That power thing can go to one's head.
But if I'm Goodell, here's what I say in response to Jones's childish "I'm-a gonna get ya" threat.
"I'd love to stay on, but if y'all are hell-bent on forcing me out -- go ahead. Make my day. I've got plenty of dough. And BTW, Jonesy, don't look now, but it's YOU that's currently being portrayed as the fool in the media".
Prediction. Goodell gets re-upped by the Committee and the other owners overwhelmingly support it. This, for two reasons. First, all in all he's done a good job as Commish.
And second, the more Jones flaps his gums and stomps his feet, the less the billionaire club of owners are likely to listen to him, much less take his side.
Man doesn't know when to shut up.
One final point. In the unlikely event Goodell is "terminated" after the 2918 season, here's a question ---
Who would they bring in the replace him? Let's hope the committee thinks that far ahead as well. This is not exactly an easy job to jump into, especially when the Collective Bargaining Agreement will expire shortly after a new Commish takes over. A new guy having to face those shark infested waters, when the union would smell blood?
Good luck with that.
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