Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones, did not succeed in his bid to derail the contract extension for NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell last year. However, according to reports, another group of unnamed owners is trying to get Goodell replaced.
Though he did not say that he actually had been approached by an NFL contingent, Silver claims that he hasn’t “given any thought” to running the NFL.
Silver told ESPN:
I’ll just say I have not given it any thought. I feel very fortunate to be in this position. As a longtime fan, as a longtime league employee, the opportunity to become the commissioner of this league was beyond anything I even ever dreamed of as a kid.
I’ve loved every day I’ve been in this job, and I think there’s nothing but enormous opportunity ahead for this league. And ultimately, I realize I’m just passing through like every player who’s gone through this league and ultimately like every owner, and I feel an enormous obligation to the fans and to this greater NBA family to do my best and try my hardest every day. But that’s where 100 percent of my focus is.
Goodell signed a 5-year deal with the NFL in 2017, that could be worth as much as $200 million. Silver’s deal with the NBA expires after the 2023-24 season.
Silver has enjoyed tremendous success while running the NBA.
According to ESPN:
Silver is celebrating his five-year anniversary as NBA commissioner this weekend at the All-Star Game in Charlotte, North Carolina. He officially succeeded David Stern as the league’s fifth commissioner on Feb. 1, 2014, and held his first State of the NBA news conference on Feb. 15 of that year at the All-Star Game in New Orleans.
League revenues have increased from $4.8 billion to a projected $9.1 billion in Silver’s five years. Team valuations have increased by 267 percent, from an average of $509 million in 2013 to $1.9 billion in the latest Forbes Magazine valuations.
The NBA has been a vanguard in embracing esports, legalized sports betting, allowing patch advertisements on jerseys, reform of the draft lottery and rules changes to improve game flow and referee accountability.
Conversely, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has been plagued by issues surrounding referee accountability. Most notably, in the NFC Championship Game where referees missed a blatant pass interference and targeting penalty that likely cost the Saints a chance to play in the Super Bowl.
Speaking of Super Bowls, the NFL has been experiencing a steady decline in audience size for the big game. Culminating in this year’s Super Bowl, which saw the lowest ratings in a decade. In addition, the NFL saw a 17% ratings decline over the 2016 and 2017 seasons. While ratings did rebound 5% in 2018, that’s less than a third of what the league lost over the previous two seasons.
With controversy swirling on and off the field, and ratings a far cry from the salad days of only a few years ago, it’s no wonder NFL owners have their sights set on finding someone new to lead the league.
Follow Dylan Gwinn on Twitter @themightygwinn
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