Jed Bartlet To Replace Tagliabue As NFL Commissioner

This Sunday evening on NBC, Josiah “Jed” Bartlet will finish his service as President of the United States. Political observers have speculated about Bartlet’s next move after he exits The West Wing. That question has now been answered. NFL owners have selected President Bartlet to replace the retiring Paul Tagliabue as the league’s commissioner.


Bartlet will take over upon his predecessor’s exit in July. The President will assume the commissioner’s position under very similar circumstances as Tagliabue did in 1989. At that time, it was Tagliabue who replaced a long-time, respected leader (Pete Rozelle). Tagliabue also spent time as a powerful Washington figure – 24 years as an attorney - before taking the job in the NFL’s New York office. Unlike Bartlet, however, Tagliabue was not replaced by Jimmy Smits, who was then practicing law in L.A.


Bartlet’s selection is not surprising, given that the owners are primarily interested in the bottom line. The outgoing President certainly understands economics, having won a Nobel Prize in that area before entering politics. Bartlet’s honor was the reverse of Jimmy Carter, who became a Nobel laureate after his presidency. Like Carter, President Bartlet will strive to maintain peace – in this case, between owners and players.


An NFL insider expects a smooth transition from Tagliabue to Bartlet. The NFL dwarfs the popularity of other sports leagues, so significant changes are unlikely. Out of habit from the past eight years, President Bartlet does plan to deliver a State of the NFL Address every January. However, his comments will mostly focus on “how much we rock,” concluding the address with “Take that, Bud Selig and David Stern!” Hail To The Chief will not be played for Bartlet, as 31 owners would object to any apparent favoritism toward Kansas City. In terms of day-to-day activity within the league office, The NFL source expects the most significant change to be “more staffers walking briskly through the hallways while delivering witty repartee.”


As a Notre Dame alumnus, President Bartlet’s dream sports job would have been to coach the Fighting Irish football team. However, Charlie Weis is firmly entrenched in that position. Observers do expect Bartlet to bring a touch of the Golden Dome to the league office by appointing Regis Philbin as deputy commissioner. Players facing league discipline will get to plead their cases on the couch with Regis and Kelly Ripa.


Some observers feel that President Bartlet’s health issues could present a major concern. However, if anything, those vulnerabilities will only endear him to NFL fans. Bartlet has been battling multiple sclerosis throughout his presidency. He also survived a bullet wound during his first year in office. These obstacles have not kept him from performing his duties. To football fans, nothing is more admirable than a guy who plays through pain.


Bartlet does have one objective that Tagliabue was unable to fulfill: returning professional football to Los Angeles. The City of Angels has been without an NFL franchise since the Rams and Raiders skipped town after the 1994 season. Bartlet should be successful in placing a team in the nation’s #2 media market. He has consistently demonstrated his commitment to the Los Angeles area, spending most of his presidency on a soundstage in Burbank.


Yes, Jed Bartlet’s time in the Oval Office is about to end. However, the NFL’s new television contract ensures that one thing will not change: Sunday nights, he’ll still have a presence on NBC.

Tagliabue's Retirement Plan

On Monday, NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue announced that he will retire in July.  Tagliabue has had a highly regarded tenure since replacing Pete Rozelle in 1989.  No work stoppages have occurred on his watch, and the NFL’s popularity towers over other professional sports leagues.

 

 

The departing commissioner has an endless number of possibilities for what he can do next.  One can only imagine what suggestions that other public figures who have retired would have for him.  Here’s how a few individuals – past and present - might have advised Tagliabue on how to spend his retirement.

 

 

Keith Jackson:  Return in the fall, but only as the commissioner for west coast teams

 

Michael Jordan:  Try your luck at minor league baseball

 

Jim Brown:  Become a film action hero

 

Sugar Ray Leonard:  Un-retire a bunch of times before the retirement actually sticks

 

Richard Nixon:  Fly off in a helicopter and get pardoned by Gerald Ford

 

Johnny Carson:  Before you go, get Bette Midler to come by and sing to you

 

Roger Clemens:  Keep people in the dark about whether you’re really retiring or not

 

Bill Clinton:  Have your wife run for the Senate

 

John Wooden:  Watch as replacements regularly get hired, then fired for not measuring up to you

 

Grace Kelly:  Marry a European prince

 

Mark McGwire:  Refuse to talk about the past

 

Joe Namath:  Show up drunk on the sideline and hit on a reporter

 

Ted Koppel:  Have three people take your place

 

Secretariat:  Get put out to stud, siring potential future commissioners

 

Joe Paterno:  Retire?  What does that mean?

 

 

Tagliabue does not plan to immediately move into a retirement home.  However, when that day arrives, the facility will surely be equipped with luxury boxes.  And the bingo games will be played under a revenue-sharing agreement.