FOXBORO, Mass. — “Rooooooogerrrrrrrr. Rooooooogerrrrrrrr.”
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell did not attend Sunday’s AFC Championship Game, but he was at the forefront of New England Patriots fans’ minds throughout their team’s 36-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers at Gillette Stadium.
The capacity crowd incessantly heckled the absent commissioner as the Patriots imposed their will on the visiting Steelers, with the chants “Roger, Roger” and “Where is Roger?” only intensifying as the game progressed.
“I didn’t hear that chant,” Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said after the game. “I did hear (the crowd) singing to Bon Jovi, though, so that was pretty cool.”
The fans were egged on by Patriots radio color commentator Scott Zolak, who garnered a massive cheer when he was shown on the video board holding a “Where is Roger” sign.
Goodell might be the most hated man in New England for the leading role he played in Deflategate, and he has not attended a game in Foxboro since the 2014 AFC title game. He was in Atlanta on Sunday to watch the Falcons close out the Georgia Dome by demolishing the Green Bay Packers to win the NFC championship.
The Patriots and Falcons will meet Feb. 5 in Houston in Super Bowl LI — a game Goodell will not be able to skip.
“Where is he? It’s like Waldo right now,” Patriots tight end Martellus Bennett told reporters. “He doesn’t want to come here. He doesn’t know where he’s at.”
Thumbnail photo via Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports Images
