Brown pledges support to new NFL boss

GEORGETOWN, Ky. -- Bengals president Mike Brown returned to training camp last night after attending a two-day NFL owners' meeting in Chicago, where they voted former league chief operating officer Roger Goodell commissioner. Goodell will replace Paul Tagliabue, who announced his retirement in March.

Of Goodell, Brown said, "He had a background in the league, and that was important to a lot of us. It's hard to come into our league and take that job from another line of business. The people from the outside were amazingly qualified. We interviewed all of them. It was an interesting process. But it got down to a duel between Roger and (NFL lawyer) Gregg Levy, both excellent, and Roger was the winner. He has been involved in everything we've done: the properties end of it, the (collective bargaining agreement), the television (and) marketing. He has a finger in just about everything over the years."