NFL owners appoint Roger Goodell as successor to Paul Tagliabue, becomes fourth commissioner since WW II.

Roger Goodell was unanimously elected as NFL commissioner on Tuesday by the leagues 32 owners. In the words of the Houston Texans owner Robert McNair “We chose to go with the one who brought us continuity.”

The continuity referenced by McNair alludes to Goodell’s experience as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the NFL. His tenure as Paul Tagliabue’s top assistant placed him in a role where he helped craft league policy, set strategy, negotiated TV and labor contracts, and launched the NFL Network.

Goodell succeeds a man who served 17 years as commissioner and enjoyed unprecedented success. Under Tagliabue the NFL increased revenue, welcomed four new teams, raised attendance to record levels, and maintained a strong relationship with the players' union to avoid work stoppages.

Starting as an intern in the league office in 1982 Goodell has worked his way up the NFL ladder. He has been serving as the chief operating officer since 2001.

The 47-year old Goodell has signed a five year contract ending the NFL’s seven month search for Tagliabue’s replacement. He is set to take over before the regular season begins.

Speaking about his appointment Goodell stated “The league's got a great foundation on which to build, but I think we've got a lot of challenges to face.”

Those challenges have been labeled as raising the popularity of the American sport on the international level, developing the NFL cable channel and utilizing new technologies such as wireless and video on demand. Goodell is faced with dealing with the recently completed collective bargaining agreement that left the revenue sharing formula unfinished. The new commissioner will also be facing pressure to tighten the NFL policy on doping.

Perhaps Goodell’s biggest push will be an issue shared with his former boss, returning football to the Los Angeles market.

NFL owners have always been careful when choosing their commissioner, knowing that they are trying to fill a role that requires an individual that will work for them, not control the league.

Expressing his admiration for the league and confidence in Roger Goodell, Dallas Cowboy owner Jerry Jones summed it up by saying, “It's a demonstration of the kind of people they have in the NFL. He's the perfect man to carry us on into the future.”