Dive Brief:

• The PR damage inflicted on the NFL from its handling of the Ray Rice ordeal is so bad, it might involve long-term damage from sponsors and fans, said a senior VP-content strategy at consulting firm IEG.
• The CMO position came open last month when Mark Waller, who had the been in the position since 2009, was promoted to executive VP of international operations.
• The crisis will undoubtedly effect how the NFL goes about hiring its new CMO, with a likelihood the new person will have a expertise in crisis communications. 

Dive Insight:

While the NFL is a male-dominated sport, 45% of its fans are female, and the league is under serious pressure from women's groups—with many calling for Roger Goodell's resignation. There is not a timeline for when a new CMO will be picked, though the NFL may want to act sooner rather than later to make the necessary amends.