In a decade-old, fawning Sports Illustrated profile of Roger Goodell in advance of the 2011 collective bargaining agreement battle, the NFL commissioner was described as being fully in charge of the talks, with the full support and trust of franchise owners to negotiate a deal that works out best for them and their wallets.
Goodell delivered on that deal, and has since gotten the NFL Players Association to agree to another owner-friendly CBA before the 2011 one had even expired. He's overseen billions in television and rights deals, adding more and more to the already-bloated league coffers.