by: Brian Jones 23 hours ago brianjones_93
Troy Aikman shared a hilarious story about an interaction he had with former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue , whodied at the age of 84on Sunday morning. While appearing on ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown , Aikman recalled the time when Tagliabue got on him for leaving the Pro Bowl early.
“One year, I left the Pro Bowl early at halftime,” Troy Aikman said. “Leigh Steinberg, my agent at the time, called me and said, ‘Hey, Paul Tagliabue wants to see you in his office in New York. I said, ‘Just tell me what the fine is. I’m not going to fly all the way to New York just to get a butt-chewing.’ He goes, ‘No, no, no. He wants to talk to you about being a Goodwill Ambassador to the league. I said, ‘Alright. Then I’ll make the trip.
“I was in his office for two hours, Goodwill Ambassador never came out of the conversation. He was a tough guy, too. I had a lot of respect for him.”
Tagliabue became the NFL’s seventh full-time commissioner in 1989, the same year Aikman entered the NFL. He was voted to succeed Pete Rozelle and was commissioner for 17 years. During his time in the NFL, Tagliabue helped the league expand from 28 to 32 teams, grow from six divisions to eight, and launch an official NFL website and TV network. He also helped institute a salary cap and free agency, which saw more parity in the league.