Jeff Vinik, Tampa’s patron saint and owner of the Tampa Bay Lightning, characterized it as “bittersweet.”
He was referring to the recent resignation of Bolts’ CEO Tod Leiweke, 55, who will now become the chief operating officer of the National Football League.
We get it.
Leiweke was a keeper–and the Lightning managed to keep him for five years after Vinik had lured him from Seattle, where he had been CEO of the NFL’s Seahawks. It was one of the first things Vinik did after purchasing the Lightning in 2010. There was no bigger personnel priority.
In short order, Leiweke became recognized as the hands-on, go-to guy for virtually anything to do with the Lightning–from overseeing the renovation of Amalie Arena to helping in the redesign of new team jerseys.
He also became a major player in the Lightning’s community outreach, including work with the homeless, and was the CEO of Strategic Property Partners LLC. That’s the Vinik company that is planning the $1 billion, “true 18-7 live, work, play, stay urban environment” in the Channel District.
He’s exactly the civic-minded, entrepreneurial, business-savvy sort this evolving market and fast-forwarding downtown can’t get enough of.
As for Leiweke’s new position, it’s a promotion in all the ways up-the-career-ladder changes are ascendant moves. Pay, power and profile.
With a couple of caveats.
First, he’ll be working for Roger Goodell and not Jeff Vinik.
The latter is an unassuming visionary with Tampa’s best interest vital to his own vested interest. The former has been called “the most powerful man in sports” as well as somebody who will do anything to “protect the shield” of a business too often in the news for all the wrong, integrity-challenged reasons. They range from domestic violence and drugs to weapons ownership, “Bradygate,” and wrongful-death lawsuits over head injuries. It’s never a good sign when NOW calls for your resignation.
Second, in Tampa Leiweke was, in effect, in charge of synergy. The better the franchise, the better the relationship with the community, the better the Channel District overhaul, the better it is for everybody. Win, win, win, win.
In NFL headquarters in New York, he’ll be involved with network TV and sponsors and Super Bowls and all that, but you can bet damage control and image whitewash will be prominent. Leiweke played a game-changing role in Tampa. With the NFL, he will have to play a culture-changing role. Big difference.