Goodell Would be “Honored” to Hand Brady Lombardi

Ever since Tom Brady returned from his four-game suspension to start the 2016 season, fans – in New England and elsewhere – have referred to his tear as Brady’s own personal revenge campaign against the NFL. For many, there would be no more fitting end to that narrative than getting to witness NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell “bend the knee” in presenting Brady, Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft with the Lombardi trophy.

But the Commish has no plans of fulfilling that fantasy. Not because he wants to see Brady lose, but because he is adamant that there is no bad blood between the pair.

“This is one of the great opportunities we have – two dominant teams playing in the Super Bowl. The Patriots and Falcons both earned the opportunity to be here, and whoever wins that championship is going to have to earn it,” he said diplomatically on Colin Cowherd’s radio show.

“Tom Brady is one of the all-time greats; he has been for several years. He’s on the precipice of winning at least his fifth Super Bowl ring. It would be an honor [to award him the trophy].”

Goodell also touched on the mini-controversy created by his decision to attend the Steelers-Chiefs divisional game in Arrowhead as opposed to the Texans-Patriots game in Foxboro, saying the focus should be on the “players, coaches and the game,” and that he “was in Boston two years ago” for playoff games in consecutive weeks.

His response was expected, yet respectable. The New England faithful will never forgive Goodell for dragging their legendary quarterback’s name through the mud on some tentative counts of rule breaking. But if Roger and Tom do harbor any ill will towards one another, both are professional enough to know the Super Bowl podium will be neither the time nor the place to air those grievances.