Jealous?

Jon Show at Sports Business Journal peered through the PGA Tour's tax filings (which is a 501(c)6 nonprofit, by the way) and found that Tim Finchem made $4.8 million in 2007.  That's down from $5.2 million in 2006, but up from $4.2 million in 2005.  Finchem earned a bonus for 2006 work which hiked his pay. 

That was probably for negotiating through a 15 year deal with the Golf Channel and the new broadcast deal.

As I reported at the GNN Blog last year, Finchem's pay placed him at third on the PGA Tour money list. 

When I reported on Finchem's six-year extension in 2006 for Sports Central, I talked about how Finchem's average salary over the contract of $4.5 million would place him at fourth on the 2005 money list.  He has moved up since then.

What is even more stunning, though, is how the pay of the other major sports leagues' commissioners have surpassed Finchem's in just two short years.  At the time of the Sports Central piece, NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue made $5.2 million.  His successor Roger Goddell made $11 million last year.  Bud Selig made the same amount in 2006.  Even NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman - no one likes him - made around $6 million.

Finchem got passed.  That makes his salary seem a lot more reasonable in his company.  But, really?  $6 million for Bettman?!

To view the 2006 filing for free, go to GuideStar.org.