NFL, MEET THE NEW BOSS: GOODELL.

Byline: Staff and Wire Services

The knock on Roger Goodell's hotel room door in Northbrook, Ill., came almost three hours to the minute after NFL owners began voting for a new commissioner.

When he opened it, there stood the Steelers' Dan Rooney. He didn't have to say a word.

``When I saw Dan smiling, I knew it wasn't bad news,'' Goodell said Tuesday.

And right then, in a seamless transition that followed a swift, unanimous selection, the symbol of the NFL's storied history embraced the league's future.

Favored for months to succeed Paul Tagliabue, the 47-year-old Goodell said he expects to begin serving a five-year term before the regular season starts Sept. 7.

Goodell, who never stopped rising through the ranks during his lifelong service to the NFL, was chosen on the fifth ballot, beating four other contenders in a vote that took only three hours.

Los Angeles city leaders viewed Goodell's election as a positive sign in their discussions with the NFL about returning to the Coliseum, since Goodell is familiar with the talks.

While Anaheim and Coliseum officials have been pressing the league for a decision on a site, there had been concern that an outsider might want time to be brought up to speed on the negotations, or worse yet, might sour on the L.A. market.

Goodell was heavily involved in the late '90s, when the NFL explored stadium options at the Coliseum and in Carson before choosing Houston for an expansion team. In the more recent discussions with Coliseum and Anaheim officials, Goodell has been less involved in the negotiations but has been one of several executives directing the league's strategy.

``Because of his familiarity with the plans for a new Coliseum, I see his elevation as a true benefit to the push to bring NFL Football back to Los Angeles,'' Councilman Bernard Parks, a member of the Coliseum Commission, said in a statement. ``I expect that he will continue the tremendous work done by Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, who has been instrumental in helping us keep our efforts on course.''

Goodell becomes just the fourth commissioner since World War II, having started his NFL career as a public relations intern a quarter-century ago and having served as Tagliabue's second-in-command for most of the last decade.

``We've had the two greatest sports commissioners in the history of professional sports, Paul Tagliabue and Pete Rozelle, and I was fortunate to work for both of them,'' Goodell said. ``I look forward to the challenge and thank them again for their confidence.''

Goodell remained the favorite even through a four-month search conducted by a committee headed by Rooney and Carolina's Jerry Richardson.

``I said from the beginning that we were going to look for the man to lead us,'' Rooney said he told the owners during the voting Tuesday afternoon. ``I said that when we finished, I had no doubt that that was Roger Goodell.''

New England's Robert Kraft, one of the most influential of the newest owners, said: ``Roger got his MBA from Pete Rozelle and Paul Tagliabue. That's not a bad education.''

Goodell had been Tagliabue's top assistant on expansion and stadium construction. He also was the contact man with union head Gene Upshaw during the recent labor talks. In 2001, he became the NFL's chief operating officer.

Goodell beat four other finalists: lawyers Gregg Levy and Frederick Nance; Fidelity Investments vice chairman Robert Reynolds; and Constellation Energy chairman Mayo Shattuck III.

Also: Defensive back Jason Allen signed a six-year contract with Miami that is guaranteed to pay him between $8 million and $9 million, ending a 10-day contract impasse between the team and its first-round pick. ... Bengals guard Eric Steinbach pleaded not guilty to a charge of boating under the influence on the Ohio River in Newport, Ky., the fifth Cincinnati player in three months accused of breaking the law. ... New England inside linebacker Tedy Bruschi will be sidelined for the month of August, coach Bill Belichick said. ... Chicago Bears running back Cedric Benson said that his sprained left shoulder is no worse than the team originally thought and expects to miss two to three weeks.

Daily News staff writer Billy Witz contributed

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Photo:

(color) Roger Goodell, front, was selected to replace Paul Tagliabue, back.

M. Spencer Green/Associated Press

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THE GOODELL FILE

- Associated Press