Paul Tagliabue: Former Commissioner the Right Choice to Address Bounty Scandal
Former NFL commissioner PaulTagliabue has jumped on the merry-go-round circling the New Orleans Saints' alleged bounty program, per NFLPAexecutive director DeMauriceSmith.
Smith tweeted on Friday:
Current NFL commissioner Roger Goodell ultimately decided that he couldn't realistically be objective when hearing the Saints' appeals. He's had his fair share of blunders during the whole process, but his decision to appoint Tagliabue as arbitrator was an excellent choice on his part.
Tagliabue, the commissioner from 1989 to 2006, is the ideal candidate to end the drawn-out process. His extensive knowledge of the league and the back-and-forth that has always existed between the league and its players makes him a solid choice to get this over with and move on to, you know, the game of football.
When the Saints' alleged bounty program was first brought to light, it spread throughout the NFL, creating a distraction and an ugly standoff between the players (particularly Jonathan Vilma) and Goodell. All of a sudden, we weren't focusing on the game at all but mired in controversy and a legal battle.
Chris Graythen/Getty Images
Tagliabue has many credits to his name beyond the NFL. The attorney is chairman of the Georgetown University Board of Directors and founding chairman of the Graduate Institute of International Commerce of the State University of New York. He was granted the Humanitarian Award by the Jackie Robinson Foundation earlier this year.
The appeals process had become a circus with Goodell in charge. But despite his scuffling throughout, you have to give him credit for doing the right thing and bringingTagliabue aboard.
Tagliabue will hear the appeals of Vilma, Scott Fujita, Anthony Hargrove and Will Smith on Oct. 30, according to SI.com.
Here's to hoping this merry-go-round ends under Tagliabue's wing.
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