Roger Goodell: Teams That Host Fans Won’t Have an Advantage

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says that teams who allow fans into stadiums will not have a competitive advantage.

Roger Goodell was discussing the matter on Wednesday, as the NFL gets to grips with how to manage Covid-19 protocols.

As it is a local issue, some teams will not be able to host fans on matchdays. Roger Goodell cites conversations with the competition committee as assurance that this won’t be overly unfair.

“We do not believe it’s a competitive advantage,” Goodell said.

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“We’re going to create a safe environment in our stadiums, and we’re going to invite [fans] in whenever we can do that in a responsible and safe way,” he added.

The Chiefs, Cowboys and Dolphins are some of the few teams who will be able to host fans upon the season’s start. The commissioner said that it is possible for more teams to host fans as the season goes on.

“People want to get comfortable, not only our fans but also the local officials, and we support that,” he said.

The NFL has, in recent years, been subject to pressure from Donald Trump. The President enjoys ties to several club owners, as well as popularity with the league’s more conservative fanbase. 

Goodell says that the desire to get fans onto seats this season is not down to pressure from Trump.

“We feel our own pressure,” Goodell said. 

“We want our fans to be able to experience the games. That’s always been our intent: to open up for our fans.”

Read: Goodell – NFL Stands With Black Community

The league will certainly feel pressure from Trump when it comes to protests and social justice. There will be social justice messages inscribed on NFL endzones this season, not to mention the fact that at least one player from every team has stated their intent to protest peacefully.

It won’t be long before Trump goes on a tirade about how it’s bad for the league, but Goodell disagrees. 

“We don’t look at it as a straight line up and down,” he said. 

“We look at this as an opportunity to grow our audience with different segments of the population, to make sure we’re reaching more people on more platforms.”