During my weekly interview with CNBC's Larry Kudlow this morning on WMAL radio in Washington, he threw me for a loop with a brilliant suggestion.
"Is Condi Rice gonna be the next NFL commissioner?" he asked, chuckling.
The idea hadn't even occurred to me, but it instantly made sense.
Have a problem with Ray Rice? Solve it with Condi Rice. The NFL needs to send a message that they "get it," and it may be that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is too tainted by this current episode and his embarrassingly light two-game suspension to survive the fallout.
What better way to repair the damage with a high-profile, experienced, and well-respected woman who knows her football?
"I think Goodell is gonna be under a lot of pressure here and Condi is waiting in the wings," Kudlow said. "I saw her out at the Hoover Institute about a month ago; we visited for about an hour and the NFL thing came up. I know she's interested. "
It's true that Rice has openly pined for the job. And her enthusiasm (some say obsession) with America's new pastime is well documented.
Not only would she be the first female commissioner of a major sports league, she would also be the first African-American to hold the job.
The selection would be an immediate remedy to what ails the League. And, even better, it would really annoy Liberals.
I pressed Kudlow to tell me if he thinks this is the way to go for the NFL, considering his knowledge of the business world, and he demurred.
"I don't think I know enough whether they should, he said, "but this 'elevator catastrophe' is a really bad thing, and I think Goodell needs to deal with this conclusively and, I don't know, perhaps he will. "
"The spotlight is on him and I believe Condaleeza is waiting in the wings," he said.
Kudlow was not the only one to jump on the Condi bandwagon. Actor Rob Lowe also suggested Condoleezza Rice be made NFL commissioner on Twitter.
She said it's her dream job, the #NFL should give the job of commissioner to Dr. Condi Rice. Today. #TheGoodRice
— Rob Lowe (@RobLowe) September 9, 2014