Patriots Fans Mercilessly Boo Roger Goodell During Super Bowl Trophy Presentation
By Michael Hurley, CBS Boston
ATLANTA (CBS) -- It's become something of a tradition for Patriots fans. First, you celebrate a Patriots Super Bowl victory. Then, you boo the NFL commissioner.
The Patriots fans in attendance at Super Bowl LIII -- and there were many of them -- kept this tradition alive in Atlanta, following the Patriots' 13-3 victory over the Rams at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. As the confetti and streamers rained down upon the artificial turf, Patriots fans shouted and cheered in jubilation for the sixth Super Bowl title in franchise history.
And then, Roger Goodell took the stage. And then, they booed. Mercilessly.
Resoundingly.
Deafeningly.
Patriots fans, of course, have a less-than-cordial relationship with the commissioner after he lied and cheated and flexed his muscle over something that had never once been monitored or policed in the history of the sport suspended quarterback Tom Brady for four games for possibly knowing about a scheme to take a little bit of air out of footballs -- a removal of air which may or may not have happened. The league never did get around to proving that.
Anyway.
Ever since the NFL launched a sham investigation and spent years of time and millions of dollars before ultimately turning the entire matter into a management-labor dispute over the minutiae of the CBA instead of the actual matter at hand, the Patriots have done fairly well. They've made it to four of the last five Super Bowls, winning three of them.
That run of success has made Patriots fans very, very happy. But that mess of a situation they will never, ever forget -- and they're certainly not shy about reminding Roger about it.
You can email Michael Hurley or find him on Twitter @michaelFhurley.
