Roger Goodell recently addressed the allegations that during contract negotiations he demanded the use of a private jet for life. Per recent reports, as compensation for extending his position as commissioner for the National Football League with the NFL’s compensation committee Goodell stated he wanted exclusive use of a private jet with the contingency that the NFL foot the bill.
It was reported by ESPN that Goodell had requested, in addition to a 50 million dollar salary, lifetime insurance coverage for his family and access to the private plane for the same time span.
A 50 million dollar salary, if affirmed, would be a sixty percent increase in annual income for Goodell.
When questioned about the allegation during an appearance on NBCUniversal, owned and operated by CNBC, Goodell made several attempts to dodge the question. After repeated questioning he indicated that he had requested access to the private jet owned by the NFL but that he was prepared to compensate the organization for each use. He said, “Anything I’ll have as far as access to an airplane I pay for.”
According to Mike Florio, founder and owner of Profootballtalk.com, the statement made by Goodell is congruous with what he understood to be true. In an effort to follow up with the report by ESPN, Florio reiterated that although Goodell did request use of the private jet, he had indicated an intent to reimburse the NFL for any charges incurred in the usage of the aircraft.
The terms of the contract have generated ire among NFL players and team owners. Many feel a salary of that size is excessive. As they believe, the commissioner should not receive a larger compensation than the league’s highest-paid player. These beliefs likely spurned Goodell’s interest in setting the record straight.
Some of the frustration stems from the exorbitant nature of the terms. The extension sees Goodell exceeding the salaries of both high profile quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady combined. It further exceeds the annual amount some team owners rake in per season. Dallas Cowboys’ owner, Jerry Jones, has been vocal about his opposition of the contract extension and its terms. Although Jones originally sought to delay the contract negotiation, both he and Goodell were both seen leaving meetings regarding the terms in good spirits.
After some negotiation, Goodwell agreed to and signed a contract extension that granted him a five year term as NFL commissioner. In total, he is expected to earn a cool 200 million before the contract expires. Speculation has manifested the belief that Goodell sees recent events as perhaps his last contract negotiation as NFL commissioner.
The post Roger Goodell Sets Record Straight on Requested Access to Private Plane appeared first on Flydar.com.
