NEW YORK (AP) -- Paul Tagliabue is retiring as commissioner of the NFL, a league that evolved during his 16-year tenure into the nation's richest and most powerful sports empire.
The 65-year-old Tagliabue will leave the NFL in July with labor peace, unprecedented revenue through television deals and a place in the American consciousness where Sundays mean football.
Tagliabue has been in charge since 1989, when he succeeded Pete Rozelle, and agreed last March to stay to complete the TV deal and a long-term contract with players.
He finally got that done 12 days ago, finishing the most arduous labor negotiations since the league and union agreed on a free agency-salary cap deal in 1992.
"I really want to emphasize how much of a privilege it is to spend most of your adult life with the NFL. This is not an easy decision for me," Tagliabue said on a conference call Monday.
"As difficult as this decision is, I also know it's the right decision. Right for me. Right for the league," he said. <TABLE cellPadding=1 align=left border=0 hspace="10" vspace="5"><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle>
:howdy: Tagliabue once suggested to Baltimore
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE> and its fans who lost out on one of the two expansion teams, that "Baltimore should build a museum" since it does not have a team anymore....good riddance.<SCRIPT type=text/javascript>if (window.yzq_a == null) document.write("<scr" + "ipt type=text/javascript src=""http://us.js2.yimg.com/us.js.yimg.com/lib/bc/bc_1.7.3.js></scr" + "ipt>");</SCRIPT><SCRIPT type=text/javascript>if (window.yzq_a){yzq_a('p', 'P=BOy1KNhtfvHD7YzaRBr6IgDpRCJLaUQfOIUABGKs&T=13r4a3tqv%2fX%3d1142896773%2fE%3d95858717%2fR%3dsports%2fK%3d5%2fV%3d1.1%2fW%3d8%2fY%3dYAHOO%2fF%3d2469146797%2fS%3d1%2fJ%3d52776DD8');yzq_a('a', '&U=139fkbc0f%2fN%3dJRtsgdibyhE-%2fC%3d396100.8161939.8984208.1806201%2fD%3dLREC%2fB%3d3378976');}</SCRIPT><NOSCRIPT>
</NOSCRIPT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
The 65-year-old Tagliabue will leave the NFL in July with labor peace, unprecedented revenue through television deals and a place in the American consciousness where Sundays mean football.
Tagliabue has been in charge since 1989, when he succeeded Pete Rozelle, and agreed last March to stay to complete the TV deal and a long-term contract with players.
He finally got that done 12 days ago, finishing the most arduous labor negotiations since the league and union agreed on a free agency-salary cap deal in 1992.
"I really want to emphasize how much of a privilege it is to spend most of your adult life with the NFL. This is not an easy decision for me," Tagliabue said on a conference call Monday.
"As difficult as this decision is, I also know it's the right decision. Right for me. Right for the league," he said. <TABLE cellPadding=1 align=left border=0 hspace="10" vspace="5"><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle>
:howdy: Tagliabue once suggested to Baltimore
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE> and its fans who lost out on one of the two expansion teams, that "Baltimore should build a museum" since it does not have a team anymore....good riddance.<SCRIPT type=text/javascript>if (window.yzq_a == null) document.write("<scr" + "ipt type=text/javascript src=""http://us.js2.yimg.com/us.js.yimg.com/lib/bc/bc_1.7.3.js></scr" + "ipt>");</SCRIPT><SCRIPT type=text/javascript>if (window.yzq_a){yzq_a('p', 'P=BOy1KNhtfvHD7YzaRBr6IgDpRCJLaUQfOIUABGKs&T=13r4a3tqv%2fX%3d1142896773%2fE%3d95858717%2fR%3dsports%2fK%3d5%2fV%3d1.1%2fW%3d8%2fY%3dYAHOO%2fF%3d2469146797%2fS%3d1%2fJ%3d52776DD8');yzq_a('a', '&U=139fkbc0f%2fN%3dJRtsgdibyhE-%2fC%3d396100.8161939.8984208.1806201%2fD%3dLREC%2fB%3d3378976');}</SCRIPT><NOSCRIPT>
