[24th February 2000 – 10:00 AM, NFL Headquarters, Park Avenue, New York City]
The NFL's headquarters occupied several floors of a modern glass tower on Park Avenue. Here, the engine that is the great league in America churned to life, built by television contracts and glued together by merchandise sales. A week after he met with Hess, Xavier sat in a waiting area outside the Finance Committee's conference room, his posture relaxed despite the significance of what was about to happen.
He'd spent the week preparing for this moment, assembling financial documents, and calling in every favour his father's network could provide. Across from him sat Jess Person, his newly retained attorney, a Senior Partner from Gordon, Schmidt, & Van Dyke a tall and beautiful black woman in her early forties. She was his senior from Harvard and had made a name for herself in New York law circles.
Next to her was Elizabeth Chen, a financial analyst from Goldman Sachs, whom he had hired specifically for this presentation. She wore rimless glasses and had a habit of tapping her pen whenever she was nervous, and right now her tapping was the only thing audible. Her twenty-page report on Xavier's liquidity structure had already circulated among the committee members all week.
Through the glass wall, Xavier could see movement inside the boardroom. The NFL Finance Committee was a small but powerful body, composed of seven team owners, two senior executives, and Commissioner Paul Trueman himself. They were the gatekeepers, responsible for ensuring that any prospective buyer had the financial depth and operational integrity to maintain the league's stability.
The door opened, and an assistant leaned out. "Mr James, they're ready for you." Xavier rose smoothly, buttoning his jacket as he walked into the room, nodding at the assistant. Pulling out a chair for Jess and then Elizabeth, he finally took his in the centre.
~~~
[10:10 AM – Inside the Conference Room]
The room was elegant with minimal decoration, with mahogany walls, a long polished table, and a massive NFL shield mounted on the far wall. Seated at the head was Commissioner Trueman, flanked by familiar faces: Jerry Richardson of the Panthers, Robert Kraft of the Patriots, Ralph Wilson Jr. of the Bills, Bob McNair representing Houston's pending franchise, and John Mara of the Giants. Beside them were the league's finance executives and counsel.
"Mr James," Trueman greeted, offering a handshake. "Thank you for coming on such short notice. We've reviewed your preliminary submission, and I must say—your presentation raised quite a few eyebrows."
"I'll take that as a compliment, Commissioner," Xavier said with a calm smile, settling into the chair provided for him.
Trueman nodded. "Let's begin, then. We understand you've offered $700 million for the New York Tigers, entirely in cash. That… well, we weren't expecting it."
Jess leaned slightly forward, voice steady. "Mr James's position allows for that flexibility. His holdings include liquid assets diversified across hedge positions and short-term Treasuries. There is zero leverage exposure."
Kraft interjected dryly, "So you're saying a twenty-year-old can walk in and buy a franchise outright? No consortium, no syndicate? Forgive my scepticism, but this isn't a car dealership."
Xavier turned to him without a trace of irritation. "I know, and if I want to buy a car company, I'll do that, but let's not act like my networth hasn't eclipsed the minimum standard some of you had to meet."
"The crux of the matter is simple: do you want to earn more money from the league?" He asked, halting the outburst from Kraft that was about to ensue. "I plan to roughly invest 2 billion dollars into the Tigers in total in the next 3 years. The League sells entertainment, and a more competitive league will boost not only visibility but also drive revenue."
The air thickened at the mention of two billion dollars, more than some of the league owners' net worths. Most of them owned traditional business empires, growing their wealth slowly over generations. So hearing that kind of number startled everyone, and not all in a good way.
Jerry Richardson folded his hands. "You're talking about a heavy investment. Most new owners spend their first few years stabilising operations before thinking of expansion. What exactly do you plan to do with two billion?"
"Right now I'm not a liberty to say, all I'm willing to say is that I plan on giving New York and the league in extension its third powerhouse franchise." He calmly responded, unwilling to go into further detail about his plans. "I'm looking to invest that money somewhere, and right now it's between this and a soccer club in England, which, honestly, has greater prospects for profits long term given the sport's reach; the choice where that money goes is entirely up to you gentlemen."
It was a threat, no doubt about that, but no one doubted that his words were most likely true. No matter what their personal views of Xavier were, he had the means to carry out his plans. For team owners like them, the prospect of a new competitor pouring in money wasn't exactly a good thing.
However, for Commissioner Trueman, the figures felt like honey on his tongue. It would be a major achievement on his part, and with the country becoming increasingly racially sensitive, having a black owner might put some lipstick on the pig that is the league's owner reputation.
The presentation lasted nearly an hour, with Elizabeth walking the room through all the relevant information about Apex Ventures' holdings. This was the actual entity acquiring the franchise as Jess fielded the legal inquiries.
"Thank you, Mr James," Trueman said, clasping his hands together. "Your financial soundness is, frankly, impressive. We'll need a few minutes to deliberate before presenting our recommendation to the full ownership body."
Xavier rose to his feet. "Take all the time you need, Commissioner," he replied smoothly. "I'm confident the numbers speak for themselves."
As he, Jess, and Elizabeth exited the conference room, the heavy door closed behind them with a soft thud. The moment they were gone, Kraft was the first to lean forward. "Are we really entertaining this?" he said sharply. "A twenty-year-old billionaire with no operational experience in the league? You hand him a franchise, and what happens when he gets bored?"
"Or when the media turns this into a circus," John Mara added, tone clipped. "Giving one of New York's oldest franchisees to someone of his pedigree could create chaos."
Commissioner Trueman didn't respond immediately. "Gentlemen, the reality is he has the liquidity. Seven hundred million Dollars to make the purchase. And he's not another leveraged mogul trying to get free advertising for his company."
Jerry Richardson grunted. "That may be true, but the league isn't just about having the money. It's about stewardship. Legacy."
Ralph Wilson Jr., the Bills owner, adjusted his glasses. "Let's be honest—half of us wouldn't be sitting here if we were vetted under these new standards. The boy's rich, smart, and confident. He's not the first rich kid to inherit a fortune, but he might be the first one who knows how to multiply it."
Kraft sighed, rubbing his temple. "That's not the point. You're ignoring the optics."
"Optics? Or discomfort?" Trueman echoed, tilting his head. "No matter how your personal opinions facts of the matter are that he meets all our financial soundness criteria, so we have no choice but to push this through to the owners' vote."
~~~
[27/02/2000, 10:00 AM, NFL Owners' Assembly, Main Boardroom]
The main conference hall was significantly larger than the one Xavier had been in, with name cards bearing the different clubs' logos. One by one, the owners who could make the trip took their seats while others joined in on video conference. Unlike the future convenience of digital video calls, this costs much more money, with the owner's figures displayed on 16-inch CRT TVs. The Commissioner presided at the front, flanked by senior league counsel and the finance committee.
"Gentlemen, let's keep this short," Trueman began, his voice carrying authority. "We're here to vote on the proposed acquisition of the New York Tigers by Mr Xavier Isaiah James, acting through Apex Ventures. The Finance Committee has completed its review and finds the applicant to be financially qualified."
A murmur rippled through the room. "The motion requires approval from three-fourths of the ownership body. We'll proceed alphabetically."
---
The roll call began orderly:
Arizona Cardinals – Yes.
Atlanta Falcons – Yes.
Baltimore Ravens – Yes.
Buffalo Bills – No. Ralph Wilson's curt tone barely hid his disdain.
Carolina Panthers – Yes.
Chicago Bears – Yes.
Cincinnati Bengals – Yes.
Cleveland Browns – Yes.
Dallas Cowboys – No. Jerry Jones stated without a care
Denver Broncos – Yes.
Detroit Lions – Yes.
Green Bay Packers – Yes.
Houston Texans – No. Bob McNair's vote came almost reflexively.
Indianapolis Colts – Yes.Jacksonville Jaguars – Yes.
Kansas City Chiefs – Yes.
Miami Dolphins – No. "Nothing personal, just wouldn't hear the end of it from the fna base."
Minnesota Vikings – Yes.
New England Patriots – No. Kraft didn't elaborate.
New Orleans Saints – Yes.
New York Giants – No. Mara's "no" was crisp and final.
New York Jets – Yes.
Oakland Raiders – Yes.
Philadelphia Eagles – Yes.
Pittsburgh Steelers – Yes.
San Diego Chargers – Yes.
San Francisco 49ers – Yes.
Seattle Seahawks – Yes.
St. Louis Rams – Yes.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Yes.
Tennessee Titans – Yes.
Washington Redskins – Yes.
[Final Tally: 24 Yes – 7 No]
---
Commissioner Trueman looked up from the tally sheet, suppressing a faint smile. "By a vote of twenty-four to seven, the league approves the sale of the New York Tigers to Mr Xavier Robert James, pending final execution of transfer documents."
For a brief second, the room was silent, then a polite applause broke out. A few owners shook their heads; others simply gave a polite smile. From the back of the room, Xavier rose to his feet, buttoning his suit jacket, his expression unreadable.
Trueman extended a hand. "Congratulations, Mr James. You've made history today."
"Thank you, Commissioner," Xavier said, shaking it firmly. "I look forward to working along with all of you to raise the sport to the global stage" The room fell quiet again at his words before Trueman heartily clapped his hands, prompting the room to follow.
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To Be Continued...