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DLNews Sports:

It resembles the appearance of a statesman: NFL boss Roger Goodell (63) enters the AB room in the media center in Phoenix on Wednesday.

Around him was a massive crowd of people. PR consultants, schedulers, and no less than seven visible bodyguards. In front of the press conference room are dozens of police officers. At the Munich game in mid-November, people had to be sniffed by bomb dogs if they wanted to get into a room with the big boss. That was dispensed with this time. 

Why all this?!

Goodell is the boss of the biggest sports league in the world. In 2021, the NFL made an incredible $17 billion in revenue. He has been in office as league boss since 2006. At that time, the league made only $600 million in revenue. Accordingly, Goodell is highly respected by the clubs' owners and princely paid!

As the New York Times has revealed, Goodell earned an incredible 64 million dollars annually between 2019 and 2021! NBA boss Adam Silver, on the other hand, is said to get just $10 million.

And Goodell's dough will be even more! Half of his salary is said to have been bonuses. In 2024 his contract as boss expires. Behind the scenes, he has already negotiated the following terms for a new four-year contract, which are expected to be made official soon:

His base salary will rise from $30 million to $60 million. In addition, he will get his own private jet, which he will be allowed to use for the rest of his life - and, of course, he will not have to pay for the surrounding costs.

He has also apparently negotiated something for his family: His "close circle" - leaves plenty of room for interpretation, of course - will have their health insurance paid for by the NFL until the end of their lives.

Why all this? The team owners are raking in big bucks through Goodell. The NFL boss has announced plans to boost the league's profits to $25 billion by 2027. To be able to meet this goal, several European teams are expected.

He says nothing in the press room in Phoenix, where his personal press secretary carefully selects questions. He says the NFL never looks at revenue and income, only growth opportunities.

Goodell is loved by bosses but hated by fans. He is booed mercilessly at public appearances. "That's great! It just shows how connected our fans are to the sport," he says at the press conference. Of course! That's why he also has himself protected as a precaution for fear of attacks ...