Put down whatever you’re drinking. This is insane:

BREAKING NEWS:NFL paid Roger Goodell $29.49 million in 2011, nearly tripling his pay, according to tax return to be filed later today…

— daniel kaplan (@dkaplanSBJ) February 15, 2013

…Goodell rewarded for new CBA, TV contracts. Most of comp was $22.3 mln bonus. Pay going forward will now be largely incentive-based….

— daniel kaplan (@dkaplanSBJ) February 15, 2013

The next highest paid NFL executive was general counsel Jeff Pash, who made $8.6 million in 2011 according to Kaplan. To put Goodell’s hefty salary into context, Goodell made more than Kenny Chesney ($29.4m), Lady Gaga ($25.4m) and Lil Wayne ($23.2m) in 2011. Not sure if I want to live in a world where Goodell makes more than Lil Wayne.

Gary Bettman made $8 million in 2011. Bud Selig makes around $22 million and David Stern earns anywhere from $20 to $23 million. Rog trumps them all. The NFL, health problems and all, remains a juggernaut that cannot be stopped.