In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who, in two decades as Commissioner, has built the NFL into a sports, media and cultural leader—growing the NFL to be not only America’s, but the world’s top sports league, with 13 of the world’s 20 most valuable teams being NFL teams. Ninety-three (93) of the top 100 rated programs on American television were NFL games. Starting as an intern for Commissioner Pete Rozelle in the early ’80s, Roger became the league’s first Chief Operating Officer, and he succeeded Commissioner Paul Tagliabue as Commissioner in 2006. Roger has focused on strengthening the game for players and fans alike. He prioritized improving player health and safety through new rules and better equipment, driving down concussions and other major injuries. Under his leadership, the NFL has secured consecutive, ten-year transformative collective bargaining agreements with the NFL Players Association, allowing the league to grow and thrive, enhancing pay and benefits for current and retired players and ensuring decades of labor peace. In 2021, he negotiated long-term media agreements with CBS, ESPN/ABC, FOX, NBC and Amazon, which brought Thursday Night Football to a streaming platform for the first time. He has since spearheaded groundbreaking deals with YouTube for NFL Sunday Ticket and Netflix for the NFL’s Christmas games, reaching a generation of younger fans. Under Roger’s leadership, an increasing number of regular-season games are played outside of the US, and he’s supported the rise of flag football globally. He also moved the NFL Draft from New York to cities and fans across the country.
SHOW NOTES:
ROGER GOODELL:
- BIO:
- BOOKS:
- Every Day is Sunday, by Ken Belson
- The Biography of Roger Goodell, by Christopher Mateo