Landon Buford
Earlier this year, It was announced that Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice would join the ownership group that purchased the Denver Broncos.
Rice, a national security advisor and a provost at Stanford University, lived in Denver as a child and earned a bachelor’s and doctorate from the University of Denver.
“It is an honor to be part of this ownership group. Football has been an integral part of my life since the moment it was introduced to me, and I am thrilled to be a part of the Broncos organization today,” Rice said in a statement. “I spent much of my younger years in Denver, so to be able to combine my love of the game with my love for this great city and team is an adventure of a lifetime and a great opportunity.”
Before becoming a minority NFL owner of the Broncos, Rice led the “Independent Commission” on College Basketball, making a solid case for college athletes to be paid for their name, image, and likeness.
“We believe that students ought to be able to benefit from name, image and likeness but you can’t decide a program until you know the legal parameters,” Rice told USA TODAY Sports in 2018. “That was the point. I think some of the commentary suggested that we didn’t really speak on this issue. I think we did speak on this issue, it’s just that we understand there’s a legal framework that has to be developed first.”
It would later lead to what is now known as NIL [Name, Image, and Likeness].
In recent conversations with some NFL sources, they shared that it isn’t a coincidence that Rice joined the Broncos ownership group. According to one of the sources, it could be the first move in a strategic plan for the Former U.S. Secretary of State to replace Rodger Goodell as Commissioner. The source said it could happen in the next three to five years.
That timeframe would give Rice the time to learn the ins and outs of the inner dealings of the NFL. Owners must also know all the aspects of the organization they are involved in. When I asked the source if he thought Goodell would be retiring in that timeframe, the source replied, “The NFL owners are going to lean on him to try to push the Commanders’ owner Dan Snyder out of the league by forcing him to sell the team, and that will most likely backfire.”
Another source shared, “Condoleezza Rice would be pushed as the first non-white commissioner in all four major sports, propelling women’s agenda in male-dominated sports. They will also find ways not to push the black man on the same level as a white man, and that’s the undertone. In the position of NFL commissioner, her job would be to babysit the owner’s money. Her job would also be to protect the 32 owners, and they would be her bosses. She would be in a place to defend them.”
On Thursday, ESPN reported that Snyder claimed to have dirt on other NFL owners, including Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and NFL Commissioner Rodger Goodell.
According to ESPN, Snyder told someone close to him that he has collected enough secrets to “blow up” the league.
“They can’t f***with me,” he has said behind the scenes.
Per ESPN, At least 24 owners are required to force Snyder to sell his team.
