Over the years, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has been continuously ridiculed by fans, and it has now become the custom to do it, know why do fans boo him
Since taking over as Commissioner of the NFL in 2006, Roger Goodell has served as the organization’s top figure. As the league’s CEO, Goodell is responsible for leading the league’s public relations efforts, enforcing rules, punishing infractions, and managing the business as a whole.
Even though he has been in the post for over 17 years, Goodell has regularly faced jeers from spectators at prominent occasions like the NFL Draft and the Super Bowl.
Over time, this pattern has taken on the characteristics of a recurring occurrence. So, let’s examine the causes behind why fans love to boo Roger Goodell every now and then:
Why do fans boo NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell as video goes viral
They boo’d Roger Goodell at the NFL Draft 💀 pic.twitter.com/t4XCd1aSKG
— Sportsville (@Sportsville_) April 28, 2023
NFL fans coming together to boo Roger Goodell at the NFL Draft pic.twitter.com/ujzOqmP4Cl
— Blake Garman (@FrostedBlakes34) April 28, 2023
It’s a long-standing custom to show dissatisfaction with authority figures, which is one of the main reasons NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell frequently hears boos. It has become usual for supporters to criticize Goodell, and at the 2020 Draft, Goodell even stopped to let fans boo him during the virtual event.
Another contributing factor is the infrequency of opportunities where Goodell is physically present at events. These opportunities are usually limited to the Super Bowl, the Draft, and perhaps a regular-season or playoff game.
It’s important to note that Goodell’s colleagues in other professional sports leagues, including the NBA and NHL, have also faced the same kind of criticism from fans.
Controversies that plagued Goodell’s career
A number of incidents that have followed Goodell’s time as the NFL Commissioner have heightened people’s dislike for him. The deflate-gate incident and his response to Colin Kaepernick, while he kneeled during the national anthem, are two such instances that have occurred while he has served as NFL Commissioner.
When Tom Brady played for the New England Patriots, Roger Goodell oversaw the league’s response to his deflation of footballs. At an appeal hearing that lasted ten hours, he upheld Brady’s four-game punishment.
Goodell issued a rule mandating that players stand for the national anthem prior to games when Kaepernick started to kneel. In light of Goodell and the NFL’s decision to ignore the issue at hand, discipline would be meted out to anyone who did not stand.