Roger Goodell
Goodell at Super Bowl XLIII
Commissioner of the National Football League
Incumbent
Assumed office September 1, 2006
Preceded by	Paul Tagliabue
Personal details
Born	(1959-02-19) February 19, 1959 (age 53) Jamestown, New York
Alma mater	Washington & Jefferson College

Roger S. Goodell (born February 19, 1959) is the Commissioner of the National Football League (NFL), having been chosen to succeed the retiring Paul Tagliabue on August 8, 2006. He was chosen over four finalists for the position, winning a close vote on the fifth ballot before being unanimously approved by acclamation of the owners. He officially began his tenure on September 1, 2006, just prior to the beginning of the 2006 NFL season. Commentators have described him as "the most powerful man in sports".^[1][2][3]

Background[link]

Goodell was born in Jamestown, New York,^[4] the son of the late United States Senator Charles E. Goodell, a Republican from New York, and the late Jean Rice Goodell of Buffalo, New York. He graduated from Bronxville High School where, as a three-sport star in football, basketball, and baseball, he captained all three teams as a senior and was named the school's athlete of the year.^[5] Injuries kept him from playing college football.^[6] Goodell is a 1981 graduate of Washington & Jefferson College in Washington, Pennsylvania with a degree in economics.^[7][4][8][9]

NFL career[link]

From intern to COO[link]

Goodell's career in the NFL began in 1982 as an administrative intern in the league office in New York under then-Commissioner Pete Rozelle – a position secured through an extensive letter-writing campaign to the league office and each of its then 28 teams.^[6] In 1983, he joined the New York Jets as an intern, but returned to the league office in 1984 as an assistant in the public relations department.^[10][11][12]

In 1987, Goodell was appointed assistant to the president of the American Football Conference (Lamar Hunt), and under the tutelage of Commissioner Paul Tagliabue filled a variety of football and business operations roles, culminating with his appointment as the NFL's Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer in December 2001. As the NFL's COO, Goodell took responsibility for the league's football operations and officiating, as well as supervised league business functions. He headed NFL Ventures, which oversees the league's business units, including media properties, marketing and sales, stadium development and strategic planning.^[13]

Goodell was heavily involved in the negotiation of the collective bargaining agreement with the NFLPA and NFL owners during the summer of 2011.^[14] He also played an extensive role in league expansion, realignment, and stadium development, including the launch of the NFL Network and securing new television agreements.^[13]

NFL commissioner selection[link]

Goodell's selection as Commissioner following the retirement of Paul Tagliabue came as no surprise, but it was not a fait accompli. Tagliabue initiated a substantive, wide ranging search for his successor, appointing a committee headed by owner Dan Rooney of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Goodell was one of five finalists, joining Gregg Levy, Frederick Nance, Robert Reynolds, and Mayo Shattuck III. With 22 votes from the owners being needed to make a choice, Goodell, who oddsmakers had installed as a prohibitive 2:5 favorite to be selected, only garnered 15 votes to Levy's 13, with three votes scattered among the other candidates and the Oakland Raiders abstaining.

On the second and third ballots, Goodell and Levy were the only candidates to receive votes (Goodell 17, Levy 14). Goodell increased his lead to 21–10 after the fourth ballot, falling one vote shy of election, but on the fifth round of voting two owners swung their votes to him to achieve the necessary two-thirds majority (Goodell 23, Levy 8).^[12] The Oakland Raiders abstained from the voting in each round.

Goodell was chosen on August 8, 2006, to succeed Paul Tagliabue and assumed office on September 1—the date Tagliabue set to leave office.^[15]

Actions as commissioner[link]

Goodell sees his main duty as commissioner as "protecting the shield"--as he puts it, protecting the integrity of the game and making it safer.^[16]

In April 2007, following a year of significant scandal surrounding some NFL players' actions off-the-field, Goodell announced a new NFL Personal Conduct Policy. Tennessee Titans cornerback Pacman Jones and Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry were the first two players to be suspended under the new policy,^[17] and Chicago Bears defensive lineman Tank Johnson was suspended months later due to his conduct involving weapon ownership and drunk driving. On August 31, 2007, Goodell suspended Dallas Cowboys quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson for five games and fined him US$100,000, and suspended New England Patriots safety Rodney Harrison four games without pay, after they admitted the use of banned substances for medical purposes and to accelerate healing, respectively. The league indicated to Wilson that his more severe penalty was because they held "people in authority in higher regard than people on the field."^[18] Goodell has also imposed suspensions on the following players for conduct:

In addition to suspensions, Goodell has also fined players for on-field misconduct. For example, on October 19, 2010, the NFL handed out fines to Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison, Falcons cornerback Dunta Robinson, and New England Patriots safety Brandon Meriweather after they were involved in controversial hits the previous Sunday. Goodell released a memo to every team in the league stating that "It is clear to me that further action is required to emphasize the importance of teaching safe and controlled techniques, and of playing within the rules."^[23] The NFL's reaction to the hits was itself controversial and Goodell came under criticism from players like Troy Polamalu, who felt he had assumed too much control and power over punishment towards players and was making wrong decisions.^[24]

Likewise, Goodell has also had to discipline coaches. On September 13, 2007, Goodell disciplined the New England Patriots and head coach Bill Belichick after New England attempted to videotape the defensive signals of the New York Jets on September 9. Belichick was fined the league maximum of $500,000 and the team itself was fined US$250,000 and the loss of their first round 2008 draft pick. Goodell came down hard on the Patriots because he felt Belichick's authority over football operations (Belichick is effectively the Patriots' general manager as well as head coach) was such that his decisions were "properly attributed" to the Patriots as well.^[25] Goodell said he considered suspending Belichick, but decided against it because he felt fining them and stripping them of a draft pick were "more effective" than a suspension.^[26]

Outside of player conduct, Goodell is also known for his work in the 2011 NFL lockout. Prior to the start of the 2011 NFL season, Goodell worked with NFL owners and the NFLPA on settling the NFL lockout which ran from March 11 to August 5.^[27] During the lockout, at the request of some NFL teams, he held conference calls with season ticket holders where he discussed the collective bargaining agreement and conducted question-and-answer sessions on various NFL topics.^[28]

In March of 2012, Goodell revealed evidence that players and coaches on the New Orleans Saints had instituted a bounty program in which Saints defensive players were paid bonuses for deliberately knocking opposing players out of games. Then-defensive coordinator Gregg Williams administered the program, and as many as 27 Saints defensive players were involved. Later that month, Goodell handed down some of the harshest penalties in NFL history. He suspended Williams, who had left to become defensive coordinator of the St. Louis Rams, indefinitely; Williams will not be able to apply for reinstatement until at least the end of the 2012 season. Goodell also suspended head coach Sean Payton for the entire 2012 season, general manager Mickey Loomis for eight games and assistant head coach Joe Vitt for six games. Additionally, the Saints themselves were fined a league maximum $500,000 and stripped of their second round draft picks in 2012 and 2013.^[29] Goodell was particularly angered that those involved in the program lied about it during two separate league investigations of the program. Sanctions for players were not handed down at the time, and Goodell stated he would refrain for penalizing players until the NFLPA completed its investigation of the affair.^[30]

Personal life[link]

Goodell is married to former Fox News Channel anchor Jane Skinner^[31] and they have twin daughters. He has four brothers; among them are Tim, who works for the Hess Corporation; and Michael, long-time partner of Jack Kenny, creator of the short-lived NBC series The Book of Daniel. The Webster family on the show was loosely based on the Goodell family.^[32]

References[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Roger Goodell

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (January 2007)

Sean Payton

Sean Payton after New Orleans Saints's Super Bowl win, 7 Feb 2010
Personal information
Date of birth	(1963-12-29) December 29, 1963 (age 48)
Place of birth	San Mateo, California, United States
Career information
Position(s)	Head Coach Quarterback
College	Eastern Illinois
High school	Naperville Central
Career highlights
Honors	Eastern Illinois Hall of Fame (2000) NFL Coach of the Year (2006) (1X) Super Bowl Champion
Head coaching record
Regular season	62–34
Postseason	5–3
Career record	67–37–0
Super Bowl wins	2009 Super Bowl XLIV
Championships won	2009 NFC Championship
Stats
Playing stats	DatabaseFootball
Coaching stats	Pro Football Reference
Team(s) as a player
1987 1987 1987 1988	Chicago Bruisers (AFL) Ottawa Rough Riders (CFL) Chicago Bears Leicester Panthers (BAFANL)
Team(s) as a coach/administrator
1988–1989 1990–1991 1992–1993 1994–1995 1996 1997–1998 1999 2000–2002 2003–2005 2006–2011	San Diego State Aztecs (offensive assistant) Indiana State Sycamores (quarterbacks, receivers) San Diego State Aztecs (running backs) Miami RedHawks (offensive coordinator) Illinois Fighting Illini (quarterbacks) Philadelphia Eagles (quarterbacks) New York Giants (quarterbacks) New York Giants (offensive coordinator) Dallas Cowboys (assistant head, quarterbacks) New Orleans Saints

Patrick Sean Payton (born December 29, 1963) is the currently suspended head coach of the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. Payton was a quarterback at Naperville Central High School and Eastern Illinois University and played professionally in 1987 and 1988. He began his coaching career as offensive assistant for San Diego State University and had several assistant coaching positions in collegiate and NFL teams before being named as the 10th full-time coach in Saints history in 2006.

Under Payton, the New Orleans Saints made the 2006 NFL playoffs after a 3–13 season in 2005, and Payton won the AP NFL Coach of the Year Award because of this effort. Following the 2009 season, the New Orleans Saints won the Super Bowl championship.

On March 21, 2012, Payton was suspended for the entire 2012 NFL season, originally set to take effect April 1, 2012, as a result of his involvement in the New Orleans Saints bounty scandal, under which "bounties" were paid for interceptions, forced fumbles and contact that would "knock out" targeted players on opposing teams.^[1] Payton filed an appeal of his suspension with the league the Friday before it was set to take effect. On April 9, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell denied his appeal; his suspension began on April 16.^[2]

Early life[link]

Payton was born in San Mateo, California and raised in Naperville, Illinois by parents Thomas and Jeanne Payton.^[3] Payton's parents were originally from Scranton, Pennsylvania; Thomas worked in the insurance industry.^[4] Sean Payton lived in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania during his grade school and middle school years (1970 to 1978).^[3] Sean attended Naperville Central High School in Naperville, IL, starting as quarterback his senior year before graduating in 1982. Winning a football scholarship, Payton had a successful career playing quarterback at Eastern Illinois University, leading the Panthers to an 11–2 record and the quarter-finals of the Division I-AA Playoffs in 1986; while at EIU, he became a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity.^[5][6] Under coach Al Molde, Payton's Eastern Illinois teams were known as "Eastern Airlines" due to their prolific passing attack that frequently topped 300 yards per game (and had 509 passing yards in one game, still a school record).^[7]

Playing career[link]

Although he was not drafted in the 1987 NFL Draft, Payton tried out for the Kansas City Chiefs for one day. In 1987, he played quarterback for the Chicago Bruisers and Pittsburgh Gladiators during the inaugural season of the Arena Football League, before his rights were sold for $1,000.00 to the Ottawa Rough Riders of the CFL. He was also a member of the Chicago Bears squad of strikebreaking replacement players, known as the "Spare Bears", during the 1987 NFL players strike.^[8] In 3 games he completed 8 of 23 passes (34.8%), for 79 yards, 0 TDs, and 1 INT, a passer rating of 7.3. He was also sacked 7 times for 47 yards and had one rush attempt for 28 yards. Coincidentally, his one interception came against the New Orleans Saints, the team he would later go on to coach to a Super Bowl.

In 1988, he played for the Leicester Panthers of the semi-professional UK Budweiser National League. Payton landed the starting quarterback role for the Panthers. Payton led the Panthers to a touchdown on their first possession. That same season saw the Panthers go to the Quarterfinals of the British League, eventually losing to the London Olympians after Payton had returned early to the US to take up a coaching position.^[9]

Coaching career[link]

Early coaching career[link]

Payton began his coaching career in 1988 as an offensive assistant at San Diego State University. He made a series of assistant coaching positions at Indiana State University, Miami University (quarterbacks coach), Illinois, and again at San Diego State (running backs coach), before landing a job as the quarterbacks coach with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1997.^[10]

Philadelphia Eagles (Quarterbacks Coach)[link]

From 1997 to 1998, Sean Payton was quarterbacks coach for the Philadelphia Eagles and worked with offensive coordinator Jon Gruden and offensive line coach Bill Callahan. In 1998, Gruden and Callahan left for the Oakland Raiders, and Eagles head coach Ray Rhodes and Payton were fired.^[11] The Eagles' quarterbacks passed for 4,009 yards in 1997.^[12]

New York Giants (Assistant Coach)[link]

In 1999 Sean Payton was hired as the quarterback coach for the New York Giants and was promoted to the role of offensive coordinator in 2000. Under his guidance the Giants would go on to represent the NFC in Super Bowl XXXV.^[13] During this time he was known to lock himself in the stadium and sleep on the couches while studying plays on off-days.

At around 6:45 a.m. on September 11, 2001, the New York Giants' flight from Denver, where the Giants played the Denver Broncos for the first Monday Night Football game of 2001, landed at the gate of Newark Liberty International Airport next to United Airlines Flight 93, the flight that was hijacked and eventually crashed in rural Pennsylvania. Payton recalls this moment in his autobiography Home Team: Coaching the Saints and New Orleans Back to Life.^[14] During the 2002 season, after several poor showings by the Giants' offense, Payton's role in play-calling was taken over by then head coach Jim Fassel. Under Fassel the offense improved and propelled the team to a wild-card playoff berth. While Payton was still ostensibly in charge of the offense, his role in the team was clearly diminished and had he not been hired away by the Dallas Cowboys, he likely would have been fired.

Dallas Cowboys (Assistant Coach)[link]

Payton joined Bill Parcells and the Cowboys as assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach in 2003, where he helped coach Quincy Carter, Vinny Testaverde, and Drew Bledsoe to 3,000-yard seasons.

In 2005, he was promoted by Parcells to assistant head coach/passing game coordinator.

New Orleans Saints (Head Coach)[link]

Payton in the Saints Victory Parade on Canal Street, New Orleans after the Super Bowl XLIV win.

Payton received his first head coaching job in 2006 with the New Orleans Saints. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, in the 2005 season the Saints had finished with a 3–13 record, ranking as the second worst team in the league. However, Payton turned the struggling team around, and, with newly acquired free agent quarterback Drew Brees, led them to their first playoff appearance in six years. The team had one of the league’s most productive offenses, ranking first in passing,^[15] and fifth in points scored.^[16] The Saints won the NFC South with a 10–6 record, had a first round playoff bye and notched only the second playoff win in franchise history, giving them a berth in the NFC Championship Game against the top-seeded Chicago Bears. The Saints out-gained the Bears in total yards of offense, but lost the game by the lopsided score of 39–14. Receiving 44 out of 50 votes from a panel of sports journalists and broadcasters, Payton won the AP NFL Coach of the Year Award in January 2007.^[17]

In the 2007 season, the Saints tried to improve upon their 10–6 record from the previous season. They and the Pittsburgh Steelers opened the NFL preseason, playing the Hall of Fame Game on August 5, 2007. The Saints were 3–2 in the pre-season. The Saints also had the honor of opening the season against the defending champion Indianapolis Colts. The Saints finished the 2007 season 7–9.

In 2009 Payton aggressively coached the Saints to their most successful season, with a 13–3 regular season, and a 31–17 victory over the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV--the first professional world championship for the city of New Orleans.

In June 2010 Payton published a book (written with journalist Ellis Henican) entitled Home Team: Coaching the Saints and New Orleans Back to Life.^[18] The book opened at number 8 on the non-fiction bestseller list of The New York Times.^[19] Payton described the concept of Home Team: "I didn't want to write another winning-on-the-field book or about modern-day leadership...I wanted to write a book about the stories, ones that you sit around and tell your friends."^[20]

On October 16, 2011, while coaching against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Payton broke his tibia and tore his MCL in a collision with tight end Jimmy Graham's helmet after Graham was tackled on the sideline.

Bounty scandal[link]

On March 2, 2012, the NFL revealed that from 2009 to 2011, the Saints implemented a bounty program which rewarded players for deliberately attempting to knock opposing players out of games. The slush fund was administered by defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, who joined the team in 2009. An extensive league investigation found that Payton was complicit in the scheme. Payton even went as far as to orchestrate a cover-up when the league first investigated it in the 2009-10 offseason. When informed that the league was investigating reports of a bounty program, Payton met with Williams and assistant head coach Joe Vitt and told them, "Let's make sure our ducks are in a row."^[21]

According to a league memo, the NFL reopened its investigation late in the 2011 season. Just before the Saints' playoff game against the Detroit Lions, league officials alerted Saints owner Tom Benson that they had found irrefutable evidence of the Saints' bounty program.^[22][23] When general manager Mickey Loomis informed Payton that the league had reopened its investigation, Payton failed to shut the program down.^[21]

On March 22, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Payton for the entire 2012 season, effective April 1, 2012. Payton is the first head coach in modern NFL history to be suspended for any reason. Goodell was particularly angered that Payton and other Saints officials had lied to him about the scheme. For instance, during its 2012 investigation, the league uncovered an email that Michael Ornstein, the agent for former Saints running back Reggie Bush, had sent to Payton just before the start of the 2011 season. The email detailed the broad lines of the bounty scheme, and also offered $5,000 to anyone who knocked Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers out of the 2011 season opener.^[23] When confronted with the email, Payton initially claimed he didn't know it existed, but subsequently admitted that he'd read it.^[22][24] In an interview with ESPN's Adam Schefter, Goodell implied that Payton would have faced significant punishment even if he'd been more forthcoming. In Goodell's view, Payton's contractual obligation to supervise his assistants meant that, at the very least, he should have known about the scheme and shut it down immediately.^[25] In the league's announcement of sanctions against the Saints, Payton was faulted for violating a provision of the league constitution that requires coaches to inform their owners about team operations, as well as to "avoid actions that undermine or damage the club's reputation or operating success."^[21]

On March 30, Payton lodged a formal appeal of his suspension. Goodell held an expedited hearing on the matter and was expected to render a decision in "days, not weeks," according to ESPN's Schefter. Payton will also use the hearing as a chance to get clarification on the terms of his ban.^[26] Goodell turned the appeal down on April 9, meaning that Payton's suspension is set to begin on April 16.^[27] He will remain suspended until the end of Super Bowl XLVII, which will be held in New Orleans. According to ESPN's Chris Mortensen, Payton will forfeit $5.8 million of his $7.1 million salary.^[28] He will be barred from even casual contact with anyone in the NFL; such contact must be reported to NFL executive Ray Anderson.^[29]