Free Republic

NEW YORK (AP) - This time it looks like the NFL commissioner will be all business. The five finalists to succeed Paul Tagliabue were announced Sunday with, no surprise, early favorite Roger Goodell still on the list. Unlike last time, when the late Jim Finks, then the Saints' general manager, was deadlocked with Tagliabue for three months, none of them has a background that includes playing or coaching in the NFL or running a team. The closest is the 47-year-old Goodell, who remains a clear favorite - as he has been for the last five years or so, or since...

NEW YORK – Tiki Barber and Jonathan Tisch have been leaders in their respective fields for many years. They broke new ground on Wednesday night when they became the first active player and team owner to jointly interview the commissioner of a major professional sports league in a public forum. Barber, the Giants’ record-setting running back, and Tisch, the team’s treasurer, spoke with NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue for 90 minutes at the 92nd Street Y in Manhattan. Approximately 600 people attended the event. Barber and Tisch queried Tagliabue on a wide range of subjects, including the commissioner’s childhood, his desire...