The most difficult owner for me was the late George Marshall of Washington.

At least I'm going into the job with clean hands.

Rather than saying that the commissioner is hired by the owners and therefore is subservient to them, you have to look at whether or not the players are getting a fair shake.

People are interested in pro football because it provides them with an emotional oasis; they don't want football to get involved in the same types of court cases, racial problems and legislative issues they encounter in the rest of American life.

I'm not claiming that football is the nation's salvation in this area, but it's one of them, one little thing that apparently has captured the imagination of a large sector of our society. But when football can't be a relatively pure outlet, a fun thing, then it hurts itself.

But I haven't met a player or a coach whose goal isn't to win the Super Bowl.

The most difficult owner for me was the late George Marshall of Washington.