The Money Tree

Under Roger Goodell, the revenue and franchise values of teams and the league skyrocketed. Stadium sponsorships and advertising, parallel marketing partnerships, merchandise sales, television and other media contracts all contributed to the soaring value of NFL franchises reaching well over one billion dollars each. Jerry Jones led the way in Dallas with his new stadium as the anchor and driver of success. When owners opted out of the CBA in May of 2008 and with Gene Upshaw’s death, there were fears of a new crisis. DeMaurice Smith replaced Upshaw at the NFLPA, Owners and players prepared for a lockout, and it came in March of 2011. A ten-year settlement was reached in July and this set the stage for massive new television contracts. The NFL reached out into the international market with league games played in London and Mexico City. In 2018 television paid the NFL $7B in rights fees. Goodell’s achievements were further enhanced when Goolell opened the Los Angles market. Franchises movement followed led by the Rams, Raiders, and Chargers and the building of new stadiums in Hollywood and Las Vegas. The other areas of controversy and concern centered on social consciousness, freedom, and Patriotism. At the heart of these issues was the protest led by Colin Kaepernick, the protests surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement, and the National Anthem controversy, all of which became political issues. Divisions within teams, between players and owners, and between players and fans were all touched by these issues. It began in September of 2015 when Colin Kaepernick “took a knee” during the National Anthem. The controversy spread across sports and borders. It seemed to decline by the 2019 Super Bowl. One key to this was the signing of Jay-Z and his production company, Roc Nation, to a contract to produce the Super Bowl halftime show, a show that Jay-Z and others had boycotted in 2019 in Atlanta. Then in a dubious PR move the NFL announced it would stage a tryout for Colin Kaepernick. Goodell’s PR skills continued to be lacking but ownership appreciated the money that flowed into the league under his leadership.