Condi Rice to 49ers? For a player to be named later?
The State Department is denying it.
Ditto the San Francisco 49ers.
Sort of.
Rumors are flying that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, a passionate football fan who once hinted that she would rather be NFL commissioner than POTUS, is interested in becoming the San Francisco 49ers team president.
The NFL Network reported Sunday that a 49ers official expressed interest in hiring Rice as team president. "If she's interested in talking to us, I'm interested in talking to her," the official reportedly told the NFL Network's "GameDay Morning."
But 49ers spokesman Aaron Salkin later dismissed the report, according to the San Jose Mercury News, saying, "We don't respond to rumors." He added, "We have our office structure in place."
Back in Foggy Bottom, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said the secretary of State and former national security advisor, once the provost of Stanford University, had made "no contacts" with the 49ers. It was the first question at his daily briefing this morning. The key quote:
Look, she's going to head back to Stanford. You know ... what she's going to be doing. She'll probably end up writing a book, do a little speaking and pursue other activities, particularly in the area related to education and underprivileged children. So I think that's going to be the focus of her efforts. You know, of course, once she's in private life, I have no idea what sort of interest there may be in terms of the NFL and NFL teams, but at this point, there hasn't been any contact between her and the 49ers.
-- Johanna Neuman
Photo: Associated Press
A Bush Administration official owning a BAY-AREA team? Only if the team wants to commit financial suicide. I can hear the boycott starting from here.
Posted by: Brian | October 27, 2008 at 06:37 PM
I meant "running," not "owning". The rest of my statement stands.
Posted by: Brian | October 27, 2008 at 06:38 PM
This is encouraging news. Just keep her away from any governmental and diplomatic missions. Let the 49's have her.
Posted by: Troyce Key | October 27, 2008 at 07:14 PM
Hey Brian
There's a big difference in owning a BAY AREA TEAM and becoming the president of a BAY AREA TEAM.
Posted by: Dave B | October 27, 2008 at 07:28 PM
The only thing Rice should be president of is C-block at San Quentin.
Posted by: Mike | October 27, 2008 at 07:47 PM
Well, it seems appropriate that the light in which the country now sees her makes her ideally suited to being the President of perhaps the worst team in football.
Posted by: john brodey | October 27, 2008 at 08:02 PM
No one could have predicted that a once great organization would hire a person who has been associated with one of the greatest disasters in American history as an executive.
Maybe she can help Al with the Raiders
Posted by: dee | October 28, 2008 at 05:30 AM
She's actually quite popular in the country as a whole, although her popularity declined as George W. Bush's popularity dragged down everyone else's. The McCain people were going to pick her before Steve Schmidt had a brain freeze and compelled the Old Man to pick Palin.
Stroke of genius, that.
Anyway, Rice's mission as President of the 49'ers, besides having a good draft, would be to move the club to Santa Clara, where receptivity to a new stadium appears to be on the upswing. Santa Clara, cheek by jowl with Palo Alto, is in her neck of the woods and would be perfect for her. Plus, she wouldn't have to deal with the San Francisco City Council ever again.
Posted by: section9 | October 28, 2008 at 06:00 AM
I want to know why 'Condi,' don't you know never to affectionalize your enemies, isn't going to straight to prison. While I'm not holding my breath, I sure hope Obama does the right thing and arrests Bush, Cheney, Rice, Rumsfeld, Rove, Tenet, Powell, Feith, Addington, Armitage, Wolfowitz, and several more. I ask everyone how can America really be America without the rule of law being vindicated, and that vindication requires the laws must be enforced and the (real) criminals must be held to account for their crimes.
Posted by: jimbojames | October 28, 2008 at 10:28 AM
What is so great about the USA is that anyone can be commissioner of football. The 49'ers can hire anyone they please for team President. Even if I would choose someone different, that doesn't mean I'd ridicule the person the NFL chose.
Pease ... let's be a little kinder on EVERY US citizen and STOP the hate game.
Fulfilling the American dream for anyone is what freedom is about.
Some may not like what she has done, but that doesn't mean we have to carry hate in our hearts for who she is. That's poison.
Posted by: Dav | October 31, 2008 at 12:30 PM
jimbojames, can I ask for what crime the entire Bush administration would be getting incarcerated?
Posted by: Greg | November 04, 2008 at 09:17 AM