LoungeMachine
05-24-2006, 09:32 AM
So, Gov. Bush: Are you ready for some football?
He is reportedly receptive to the idea of becoming the next NFL commissioner.
By Linda Kleindienst and Sarah Talalay | Tallahassee Bureau
Posted May 24, 2006
TALLAHASSEE -- Could Gov. Jeb Bush's future be in football?
While U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has publicly flirted with the idea of becoming the next commissioner of the National Football League, Bush has been privately approached to gauge his interest in the job and was reportedly receptive.
Bush, who spends his Sundays each fall watching the sport, acknowledged Tuesday that he discussed the top NFL job during a recent meeting with Patrick Rooney Sr., owner of Palm Beach Kennel Club.
Rooney is the brother of Dan Rooney, who owns the Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers and co-chairs the NFL's search committee to find a replacement for retiring Commissioner Paul Tagliabue.
"I met with Mr. Rooney, and I said I'm doing my job until I'm finished, and then I'm going to consider other things. But I'm not going to do anything until I finish," said Bush, who leaves office in January.
Although he has repeatedly said he will not seek the presidency in 2008, Bush has declined to say what he does hope to do other than return to Miami.
Asked his interest should the NFL hold the job open until he's ready, Bush replied, "They're not going to do that."
Patrick Rooney Sr. has not returned calls seeking comment about the meeting with Bush and was out of the country Tuesday.
Tagliabue, who has been commissioner since 1989, announced his decision to retire in March. Although he originally set a July 31 date by which he intended to be out of the job, he has indicated his willingness to stay on past that date.
Names that have surfaced for the job include Rice, league Chief Operating Officer Roger Goodell and Atlanta Falcons President Rich McKay.
A fascination with professional sports teams runs in the Bush family. While Jeb Bush had a financial interest in the fledgling Jaguars club, his brother, President George W. Bush, assembled a group of partners that purchased Major League Baseball's Texas Rangers in 1989.
NFL owners, who met in Denver on Tuesday, received an update on the search process, but no names were mentioned.
Executive search firm Korn/Ferry International is interviewing owners to determine what type of commissioner each is seeking.
He is reportedly receptive to the idea of becoming the next NFL commissioner.
By Linda Kleindienst and Sarah Talalay | Tallahassee Bureau
Posted May 24, 2006
TALLAHASSEE -- Could Gov. Jeb Bush's future be in football?
While U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has publicly flirted with the idea of becoming the next commissioner of the National Football League, Bush has been privately approached to gauge his interest in the job and was reportedly receptive.
Bush, who spends his Sundays each fall watching the sport, acknowledged Tuesday that he discussed the top NFL job during a recent meeting with Patrick Rooney Sr., owner of Palm Beach Kennel Club.
Rooney is the brother of Dan Rooney, who owns the Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers and co-chairs the NFL's search committee to find a replacement for retiring Commissioner Paul Tagliabue.
"I met with Mr. Rooney, and I said I'm doing my job until I'm finished, and then I'm going to consider other things. But I'm not going to do anything until I finish," said Bush, who leaves office in January.
Although he has repeatedly said he will not seek the presidency in 2008, Bush has declined to say what he does hope to do other than return to Miami.
Asked his interest should the NFL hold the job open until he's ready, Bush replied, "They're not going to do that."
Patrick Rooney Sr. has not returned calls seeking comment about the meeting with Bush and was out of the country Tuesday.
Tagliabue, who has been commissioner since 1989, announced his decision to retire in March. Although he originally set a July 31 date by which he intended to be out of the job, he has indicated his willingness to stay on past that date.
Names that have surfaced for the job include Rice, league Chief Operating Officer Roger Goodell and Atlanta Falcons President Rich McKay.
A fascination with professional sports teams runs in the Bush family. While Jeb Bush had a financial interest in the fledgling Jaguars club, his brother, President George W. Bush, assembled a group of partners that purchased Major League Baseball's Texas Rangers in 1989.
NFL owners, who met in Denver on Tuesday, received an update on the search process, but no names were mentioned.
Executive search firm Korn/Ferry International is interviewing owners to determine what type of commissioner each is seeking.