Roger Goodell says he will attend regular season opener in New England

Posted by Curtis Crabtree on March 28, 2017, 8:21 PM EDT
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It has become customary in the NFL for the first game of the regular season to be hosted by the defending Super Bowl champion. It is also customary that Commissioner Roger Goodell personally attends the first game of the season.

It just so happens that game will be in New England this year, which is a place Goodell has seemingly avoided at all costs since Deflategate began during the 2014 postseason.

But just like Goodell was forced to present Patriots owner Robert Kraft with the Lombardi Trophy in February in Houston, Goodell said Tuesday at the league meetings in Phoenix that he will be attending the season opener.

“I plan to be at the kickoff game,” Goodell said.

Goodell has reportedly not attended a game in New England since the AFC Championship in 2014 that sparked the Deflategate controversy. Goodell’s postseason appearances last year came in Atlanta for their Divisional Round game against the Seahawks and NFC Championship game against the Green Bay Packers.

That New England drought is now set to end on Sept. 7 with the Patriots home opener.

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87 responses to “Roger Goodell says he will attend regular season opener in New England”

  4. Time to listen to all the obnoxious Pats fans whine like little girls about Goodell now.
    I have a request for you: could you please stop ruining every thread that has anything to do with Goodell or league punishment with your incessant whining? By now were all very clear on how you feel about him and we couldn’t have possibly cared less in the first place so please spare us from having to hear anymore. Thank you

  16. Good!

    Now behave yourselves Pats Fans and don’t embarrass us. Boo Birds in full force, funny chants, posters, goodell masks… all would be awesome.

    Don’t physically do ANYTHING (read: don’t throw anything).

  17. I hope he enjoys the banner unveiling. We’ve added two since you told the world that league leadership failed 8th grade chemistry.

  18. From a Patriots fan – I give him credit for showing up and facing the music. It’s time to let this one go. SB 51 was the sweetest revenge on Goodell and the owners who really pulled his strings all the way. I will find a way to go to the game. If I boo Roger, it will be to have fun with it. This thing needs to end.

  25. The moment where he is shown on the jumbo tron will be the loudest amount of booing in Boston sports history.

    There will literally be nonstop WHERE IS ROGER. Chants throughout the entire game.

    All patriots haters and deflategate/spygate historians. Turn off your TVs September 7th, since this doesn’t concern you

  26. Hope commissioner Idiot wears some good ear muffs. Why he is attending is a farce, you know he hates the Pats and Brady. Well this should be the last time commissioner ever shows his face in New England even if they win another super bowl.

  27. The Patriots will supply a special seat for Roger . Even though it will only be a September 7th game , his seat will be very warm . They will make sure he is plugged in properly to make sure he doesn’t miss any of the well executed plays .

  30. New England fans should just be glad their team is good and has won a bunch of Super Bowls. Getting all bent out of shape about some wrist slapping pales in comparison to your team moving to another city.

  36. Roger needs to come. And, Pats fans need to boo.

    The fans can’t get him fired. They can’t make him answer for his actions. All they can do is let him know what they think of him.

    That means booing him as loud and as long as they can. And, he deserves it.

  38. $19.99 – Digital pressure gauge
    $89.00 – 1.6 cu ft. dorm size refrigerator
    $99.00—Official NFL football

    Having videos available online like the titled below that will forever show intelligent people that Roger Goodell messed up and then lied —-> PRICELESS !!!

    Search online for:
    “DEFLATE GATE & WHY SCIENCE SAYS THE PATRIOTS DID NOT TAMPER WITH FOOTBALLS”

  40. RandyinRoxbury says: Mar 28, 2017 8:25 PM
    As a long time Pats fan, it’s time to let by gones be by gones, welcome back Roger.
    We forgive you

    ——
    No, no we dont.

  42. He won’t show up. He’ll make up some excuse and there will be a convenient scheduling conflict.

    He says he “plans” to be there, but there was no guarantee. He knows what’s waiting for him.

  43. Roger also said he was all about the integrity of the game. Lies like a rug. If he does show it will only in a luxury box. He is too much of a coward to actually sit in the stands. Plus not sure there is enough security to keep him from getting embarrassed.

    I would love a close up when they uncover the new SB banner and for the R-O-G-E-R change.

  44. “Remember Henry Hill, the inspiration for Goodfellas-turned-informant-would visit the Howard Stern Show and all the upset mafiosos in the audience would call and threaten Henry? Tell him what scum he was…and then they would say that they were going to show up henry’s next appearance and they would “rub him out”? Remember that? Because rubbing him out never happened.

    upset mafiosos had all the opportunity in the world, they knew exactly were Henry would be signing his artwork or a book, it was in his website! but they never did squat.

    I’m willing to bet the same is true of Goodell visiting New England. What’s the talk, lots of blaster, lots of hatred for the flight gate and it’ll be just fine. Let’s get beyond this

  49. If the camera pans to his stupid a$$ face and puts it up on the “jumbletron,” as the mayor once called it, it will be a moment for the ages. Almost as fun as winning the super bowl.

    I can’t wait.

  50. It’s kinda like in scary movies when someone does something dumb and you’re like “Bro Jason is like right around the corner don’t do it!” this is not gonna end well.

  52. I preferred it when he wouldn’t come. Now’s there is a risk that someone might do something foolish.
    Stay away Roger. You are not wanted and not respected. You’re just a sip of water Roger. Now run along and play with the other little twats.

  53. Roger is looking forward to this game about as much Slick Willy Clinton enjoyed admitting on Nation TV to his Oval Office cigar tricks with Lewinski.

  57. patriot ownership may say your welcome(sad) but patriot fans DO NOT WANT YOU HERE, be prepared for endless jeers and clown signs!!!!!

  58. Time to listen to all the obnoxious Pats fans whine like little girls about Goodell now.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Dear Staff,

    Seems to me it’s time for all the obnoxious Pats haters to whine like little boys about the fact that we’re not his biggest fans.

    Whine whine whine, Staffie.

  59. “bartor1544 says:

    Good!

    Now behave yourselves Pats Fans and don’t embarrass us. Boo Birds in full force, funny chants, posters, goodell masks… all would be awesome.

    Don’t physically do ANYTHING (read: don’t throw anything).”

    You can absolutely count on at least one (or more) drunken idiot to do something absolutely foolish, illegal, and/or dangerous. If Goodell is at the game, something really stupid will happen. Wait and see.

  60. He’ll have so much security people surround him he has very little to fear about being physically harmed. As for booing, he’s used to it. Ever watch the NFL Draft? He’s booed every time he comes on stage for a presentation.

  62. Operative words: “plan to” — If he actually does show up, I hope he stays out of the way — not front and center. Let the fans boo (he earned it and he can take it), but protect the idiot from any idiots who may want to add an exclamation point to their indignation. The focus should be on the game and the incredible (unbelievable) achievement of the 2016 Patriots. Roger’s already been made a fool – don’t let him try to make it into something else.

  63. Where’s all the computer gangsters that said he wouldn’t come and he’d never make it to the stadium because the fans wouldn’t let him make it in. Lol.

  66. LyinRogerMustGo says:
    Mar 28, 2017 8:30 PM
    Free clown shirts to all fans entering the stadium! 🙂

    —-

    Someone with money needs to make this happen. Just hand out those shirts to everyone entering the stadium so they can all put one on before sitting down.

    God, that’d be beautiful!

  67. It was the other owners who forced Goodell to push Deflate Gate. He could have done a better job tempering the legal process but everyone should understand the level of hatred and jealousy the other owners have towards the Patriots. They forced him to play his hand in the manner he did.

  69. Never forget, never forgive (unless we get our two first round picks back, then we just might consider letting bygones be bygones).

    I can’t wait to see all the clown shirts in the stands.

  71. “It is also customary that Commissioner Roger Goodell personally attends the first game of the season.”

    Except in 2015 when in Foxboro.

  72. I got a thousand dollars that says somebody takes (or tries to take) things entirely too far and makes all New England fans look like idiots to the rest of the country.

    As A Pats fan myself I’m not really going out on a limb on this prediction. Ultimately we won the Super Bowl. As a fan I’ve declared victory and moved on myself. I’d rather we ignored him completely.

  75. He’ll be moving around in the Pope-Mobile, surrounded by security, with 7-8 body doubles wandering around Gillette.

    Fact is, he is nothing more than a shill for the other 31 and their crybaby fans. So while he’s a nice centerpiece at which we direct our disdain, he really nothing more than a figurehead

  76. Goodell is a vile little worm of a man. I think most NFL fans took great delight in the rain of boos he got when he came up to hand the trophy to the Pats after the Super Bowl.

    The most corrupt sports commissioner in modern American history, that will be Goodell’s only legacy.

  77. pat fans are the biggest whiners in the league. they always forget about good ole Roger destroying the tapes and protecting their history.
    funny how they bite the hand that feeds.

    maybe they should just stop cheating and avoid all this drama.

  79. RandyinRoxbury says:
    Mar 28, 2017 8:25 PM
    As a long time Pats fan, it’s time to let by gones be by gones, welcome back Roger.
    We forgive you, let’s move on. 🙂
    ————————–

    Let’s move on? Sure, that’s fair. We forgive you??? NOPE!

  81. pastabelly says:
    Mar 28, 2017 8:58 PM
    From a Patriots fan – I give him credit for showing up and facing the music. It’s time to let this one go. SB 51 was the sweetest revenge on Goodell and the owners who really pulled his strings all the way. I will find a way to go to the game. If I boo Roger, it will be to have fun with it. This thing needs to end.

    ——————

    I get what you’re saying, but every day that Goodell withholds the results of the “random” pressure testing done in the 2015 season is one more added bit of dishonesty. And furthermore, they are still taking away another draft pick (4th round) this year over this total miscarriage of fairness, even though they have demonstrated that they know full well (as demonstrated during the Giants / Steelers Deflategate2) that the balls lost pressure due to the cold weather, as they always do.

    It wasn’t the original act of punishing the Patriots due to their own ignorance that is so irritating. It’s that they continue to keep their heads in the sand just hoping it will go away.

    I do hope New England fans will ridicule him with some class and not do anything over the top, but since we can’t believe anything he says anyway, I really doubt Roger will actually show up. He’ll stay home when he realizes it wouldn’t be safe.

  82. As a faithful Pats supporter, NE fans should surprise the world and just move on and make this a non event. We have the greatest fans in the NFL and opening night should be a celebration of Super Bowl 51 not a night to embarrass the commissioner. I am sure many do not agree, but Deflategate is over, punishments (fair or unfair) have been served. If Brady has moved on and is looking forward, everyone else should too.

  83. He’ll be gone shortly after kickoff. The boos didn’t affect him at the draft. Or the SuperBowl. It won’t affect him on kickoff night as well. Tone deaf and dumb. Boo, don’t boo. Class, no class. Neither changes the fact an idiot is ruining the NFL.

  85. staffordisbetterthanyourteamsqb says:
    Mar 28, 2017 8:27 PM

    Time to listen to all the obnoxious Pats fans whine like little girls about Goodell now.

    —————

    …Not sure whether to whine about Goodell, or whine about all the haters whining about Pats fans whining about Goodell.

    and btw, Stafford is not better than the two top Pats QB’s.

  86. The booing is great, he knows what to expect. let’s not get into the 4 letter words people, it will embarrass NE and I bring my kids to the game.

  87. worldizending says:
    Mar 28, 2017 8:33 PM
    Goodell SUCKS!

    Goodell SUCKS!

    Goodell SUCKS!

    The chanting just won’t stop

    ———————-

    This is exactly why he hasn’t come. There was never a concern for his safety that will be fine. But the crowd chanting derogatory stuff on national TV is not a good look and one he wanted to avoid. On the other hand it wasnt even a Patriots crowd (not more than 25%) at the Superbowl and they still let him have it. So its not really avoidable. They can keep it down by not showing him on the jumbotron too much and the network sound technicians, if they prepare for it, can do a lot to keep the chanting from getting on the air.

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