Imperious NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has apparently signed off on a deal to drop the tax-exempt status of the league's office.
It's pretty ironic that an institution that wraps itself in the American flag has been dodging federal taxes for more than 60 years.
The NFL's reason for no longer stiffing Uncle Sam: the $10B financial juggernaut NFL wanted to get rid of the "distraction" of being hassled by members of Congress to pay up. [Left unsaid: the "distraction" of concussions that have ruined the lives of many former players.]
Jason Chaffetz, head of the House's Oversight and Government Reform Committee, and Elijah Cummings, the panel's ranking member, didn't exactly kiss Roger's ring in gratitude for paying up. They said in a joint statement: "It is rewarding to see such an important and positive step in restoring basic fairness."
Nice touch.
The duo hopes other sports leagues will follow the NFL's lead and rightly return "millions of dollars to the federal treasury as a result."
The NFL has enjoyed tax-exempt status since the 1940s. Many gouged-by-the-NFL fans would have loved to have the same distraction enjoyed by Roger's operation.
The NFL crackerjack PR team attempted an end-run around the distraction issue.
Goodell's statement said: "The effects of the tax exempt status of the league office have been mischaracterized repeatedly in recent years" and "every dollar of income generated through TV rights fees, licensing agreements, sponsorships, ticket sales and other means is earned by the 32 clubs and is taxable there."
Biggest downside of NFL office agreeing to pay tax: we won't see the outrageous money earned by King Roger, who received $44.2M in fiscal 2012 and $35M in 2013.
That lost salary information is a PR touchdown for the NFL.
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