PinnacleSports.com Offers Odd on Next NFL Commissioner

Yesterday Paul Tagliabue announced he'll retire as commissioner of the National Football League in July, ending a 16-year reign at the helm of the country's most popular sport. With the NFL's 32 owners now charged with selecting the sport's third commissioner in league history, PinnacleSports.com today released odds on who'll replace Paul Tagliabue as the next head of the NFL.

The largest sports betting site on the Internet, PinnacleSports.com has created individual odds on 15 candidates replacing the retiring Tagliabue. The early odds favor the owners appointing a successor from within the league offices as current NFL COO Roger Goodell is an overwhelming 1/2 favorite to be named the next commissioner. Atlanta Falcons' President and General Manager Rich McKay, who co-chairs the NFL competition committee, has the second-best odds at 3/1 followed closely by Baltimore Ravens' President Dick Cass at 5/1. PinnacleSports.com lists NFL Executive Vice President Jeff Pash at 10/1 to be promoted to the commissioner's office, while television executives Steve Bornstein and Sean McManus are both listed at 20/1. Although she expressed interest in the position in the past, current Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is a 100/1 long shot to become the first female commissioner of a major sports league.

"By playing a major role in league expansion, labor negotiations and the direction of NFL properties, Roger Goodell has solidified himself as the leading candidate to become the professional football's next commissioner," said Simon Noble of PinnacleSports.com. "If the owners decide to go in another direction, Rich McKay would be a logical choice as he's highly regarded in every league circle and has extensive NFL experience. Nominating Condoleezza Rice would certainly be a coup for the league, but the State Department already said she'd decline the position despite her love of the sport."

PinnacleSports.com lists the likelihood of current NFL owners Jerry Jones and Daniel Snyder replacing Paul Tagliabue as league commissioner as long shots at 100/1 odds. Former Oakland Raiders' coach and longtime NFL broadcaster John Madden is listed as a huge underdog for the position at 200/1 along with his sidekick in the booth, Al Michaels. Should the owners decide to go the political route, they could select former President Bill Clinton (200/1) as football's next commissioner. PinnacleSports.com also lists Terrell Owens' agent Drew Rosenhaus and Hall of Fame quarterbacks John Elway and Dan Marino as 200/1 long shots to succeed the outgoing commissioner.