Roger Goodell
Age: 51
Occupation: NFL commissioner
Previous TIME 100 appearances: 0
Under Goodell's tenure, the NFL has cemented itself as America's most popular sport; it now generates over $9 billion in revenue, up from some $5 billion eight years ago. Yet if Goodell takes too hard a line in player labor relations and extends the current lockout into the season, depriving fans of games, that brand could be tarnished for good. Goodell has expressed a genuine concern for player safety, which has become an important issue as science continues to shed light on the long-term health effects of football concussions. After a wave of violent hits this season, Goodell increased fines on helmet-to-helmet hits, though his critics accused him of trying to alter the fundamental, violent nature of the game.