Yes, the NFL lockout is over, and has been for nearly 36 hours but in its wake a league, rife with riches and guaranteed labor peace for at least 10 years has emerged.

At the forefront of it all was embattled league commissioner Roger Goodell, who has been vigilant and hopeful that this nightmare would eventually end.

Goodell, who succeeded former commissioner Paul Tagliabue in 2006, has become a polarizing individual as he is beloved by the owners for whom he works but is seen as a heartless disciplinarian by players, such as Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison, ignominiously known more for his cheap shots and salty comments than his excellent athleticism and non-stop motor.

However, it is hard to imagine Goodell being heartless when he chats with fans frequently on nfl.com and conducts summits with passionate fanbases onsite such as with the Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints, taking time to field any questions they may have.

Additionally, players always seem to forget Goodell is there, ready to embrace wayward members of the NFL Players' Association who have paid their debts to society, such as current Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick and present free agent receiver Plaxico Burress, who have each come back to the league after serving time in prison.

To me, Goodell is a hybrid of my two mission presidents in the Arizona Tucson Mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

My first mission president: President Nalder had a rulebook almost as thick as one of former Raiders/Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden's playbooks and he valued obedience above all else, although some of us wondered where the compassion was.

My second mission president, Philippe J. Kradolfer epitomized many of Goodell's more endearing characteristics, such as forgiveness and compassion for those around him, of course he was the more beloved one among missionaries in this illustrious U.S. Southwest mission nine years ago.

Anyway, Goodell is the best of both worlds in that regard and if anyone cared to listen to him during the lockout rather than deride him, it was always his ambition to ensure the NFL would prosper and rise above this pernicious morass.

In this instance, Goodell was spot on, so now, I hope my fellow NFL fans will finally acknowledge how good for the game he really is.

We all would be fortuitous to have a mentor such as Goodell who cares enough about us to reprimand wrongdoings but at the same time is ready to accept us back after we have corrected our errors.

All I know is the NFL is in better hands with Roger Goodell than the NBA is with David Stern.

When's that lockout going to end? Perhaps as soon as Deron Williams has played six years in Istanbul, who knows?