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NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell makes a reported $50 million a year.  He not only is worth every penny of that, he is a bargain.

Quick Eco 101 lesson. None of us gets paid according to our “contributions to society.” If we did, then the highest paid people in this country would be teachers and sanitation workers.

Nope. We get paid according to how much money we make for our employer, and how much money we save for our employer. It’s called “capitalism.”

I wasn’t always a huge fan of The Jolly Roger. I’ve changed my tune. He’s a stud. He’s a genius. That initially became evident last season, when he somehow got the NFL through the first wave of the pandemic without missing a single game.

But what he did yesterday was the boldest and most ingenious stroke taken by any American major sports commissioner in recent memory. It was masterful.

Last year the NFL, like all of us, was at the mercy of the virus. This year we all have the capacity to control it if we want to.  And Goodell wants to. And he’s doing it.

Under the collective bargaining agreement, the NFL cannot force players to get vaccinated. But the league can certainly “incentivize” vaccination. And Roger The Hammer did that yesterday.  Here’s your “incentive.”  Get your ignorant ass vaccinated or risk losing games and losing paychecks.

Well…since you put it that way…

The Commissioner’s edict is completely legal. (Uhh, he is a highly trained lawyer, if you have forgotten that.) It is brilliant in that it moves the focus of enforcement and suasion to the 32 individual teams and the majority of NFL players who have rationally chosen vaccination.

If you’re unvaccinated, you’re going to wear The Scarlet U.

Locker room reality now. “If we have to forfeit a game, it’s on you, moron. And if we have to miss game checks, my wife is gonna beat your ass.”

Genius. Fifty mill a year?  The Jolly Roger would be a bargain at four times that price.

He protected the league from losing that amount of money or more with one memo yesterday.

One more thing on this subject.  D-Hop, I still love you. But STHU.  OK, one more “one more thing.” Cole Beasley is a full-on idiot.

I’m so upset about the death of Jets assistant coach Greg Knapp I can’t really write about it right now.

The Cowboys are saying DeMarcus Lawrence’s offseason back surgery is no big deal. There’s no such thing as back surgery that is “no big deal.” And that’s his third back surgery.

Dang, Bucs. Dem is some big rings…

Finally, I’m getting more than just my popcorn ready. This is gonna require combo nachos, hot wings, an ice tub full of malt liquor 40s and a box of HO-HOs.  I’m talking about this armed insurrection/attempted coup by Texas and Aus Jus. This is gonna get fun. And very quickly.

Thank you for being a “loving crowd.”  Happy weekend.

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Paul's Bio

I clearly have the attention span of your median fruit fly.Look! Airplane!

Sorry. I’m back.

It’s both a curse and a blessing. I’ve never bought this stuff about, “He who dies with the most toys wins.” But I do think that a wide range of life experiences helps us grow as people, and helps us better relate to other people. I’ve been fortunate. And I am beyond grateful.

I show up on time. I go like hell. I’m a good listener. I hold myself accountable. I own my mistakes. And I have a natural and an insatiable curiosity. I’m never afraid to say, “I don’t know,” when I don’t. But then I try to find out.

The flip side is I’m a lousy ballroom dancer and my clothes sometimes fit me funny.

Stuff matters to me. I care. But while I take that stuff seriously, I try hard to never take myself seriously. As a result, I have sometimes been told, “Paul, it’s hard to tell when you’re serious and when you’re just having some fun. Which is it? Serious or fun?”

My answer is “yes.” But I think that is a legitimate criticism. I promise I’m going to work on that.

This has been the quickest and strangest half-century I’ve ever experienced. During that period, I’ve been afforded amazing opportunities in news and sports journalism across all platforms. I have taught wonderful students at the high school and collegiate level. Always, I learned more from them than they did from me. I’ve been a high school administrator. I spent ten seasons as a high school varsity football coach. I’ve been an advertising executive. I’ve hosted nationally syndicated television entertainment shows. In maybe the biggest honor I ever received, I was selected by NASA to be “Chet The Astronaut” for the “Land The Shuttle” simulator at Space Center Houston. (All I can say there, is “Do as I say, not as I do.” I put that thing in the Everglades more often than not.) Most recently, I just wrapped up a decade as a television news director, during which time our teams distinguished themselves in holding the powerful accountable, achieving both critical and ratings success.

What does all that mean? It means I am profoundly grateful. It also means I’m ready for “next.” So here we are. Radically Rational. It’s an idea I woke up with in 2017. I scribbled “Radically Rational” on a piece of notebook paper and used a magnet to stick it on our refrigerator. I saw it every day, and it just would not leave me alone.

I am second in charge at Radically Rational, LLC. My wife, Jo (also known as BB), is the president. Clearly, I have failed in my attempt to sleep my way to the top of this organization.

I hope you will learn that I’m loyal as a Labrador. But I will admit that this doggie can bite every now and then. My promise to you? I will show up on time. I will go like hell. I will listen to you earnestly and attentively. I will hold myself accountable. I will never be the least bit hesitant to say, “I don’t know,” when I don’t.

But then I’ll try to find out. Let’s do it.