President Donald Trump’s relationship with the New England Patriots — specifically between him and owner Robert Kraft, head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady — has been well-documented this week as the Pats prepare for Super Bowl LI against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
Just like many Patriots fans and people around New England, the Commander-in-Chief isn’t a huge fan of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.
That was made clear in a Wednesday article in New York Times Magazine by Mark Leibovich.
“The commissioner is a weak guy,” Trump told Leibovich. “When he made the Ray Rice deal, everybody said: You’re stupid. You’re weak. And it was such a weak deal. So now he’s going overboard with their star, Brady.”
He added: “The commissioner is a dope. He’s a stupid guy.”
Goodell, Brady and Belichick have done their best to avoid questions involving Trump and any political topics in media availabilities this week. The NFL even omitted Trump’s name in transcripts from Media Day interviews Monday night.
If the Patriots beat the Falcons to win their fifth Lombardi Trophy, they’ll be the first team to visit the White House during Trump’s presidency.
Thumbnail photo via Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports Images
