It reminds a bit of our University days, where it was a fervent desire to remain students for the rest of our lives, or at least have a good job waiting for us after graduation, one where we had similar schedules.
Three days of, four days off. Three days on, four days off. Winter break. Spring break.
Given this posh life, it never failed to amaze us that some of our fellow students could not wait to be free of the Halls of Academia. One bloke even signed on with the military to escape, the navy, not the air force, although the chief difference between those two branches was that one reliedprimarily of boats and the other on aeroplanes.
What explains this reminiscent frame of mind on our parts?
It is the sweetheart deal handed to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who earlier this month signed a five year contract extension. He already had two years’ of job security in the ban, so now; he is seemingly going to be a thorn in the side of Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliot until 2024.
Goodell says that he will subsequently retire. He is 58 years of age now, so come 63, he is free to pursue other interests.
It is a lucrative job, one that pays enough to persuade us that abandoning the books for a real job would have been worthwhile.
Goodell’s contract is laden with incentives. If he succeeds in restoring the game in terms of TV revenues, he could earn as much as $52 million a year.
He has already taken in more than $200 million since he was elected in 2006.
It was no cinch that Goodell would be retained. He made an enemy of Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones, who at one point threatened to sue the NFL over the suspension Goodell levied on Elliott on unproven allegations of domestic violence.
We do not know what it is like to have a billionaire made at us, but we would hope never to find out.
