"Thursday Night Football" has long been a controversial addition to the NFL's viewing schedule. Last year, Richard Sherman wrote an article for The Players' Tribune in which he explained why he hated TNF so much. Then Thursday night, Sherman tore his Achilles, sidelining him for the season. And NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was with the Seahawks faithful when it happened.
Goodell visited a Seahawks themed bar in New York City during the game Thursday, mingling with fans and watching the game.
Roger Goodell surprised fans at a Seahawks bar in NYC last night for Thursday Night Football game https://t.co/yA0SMrI8aQ pic.twitter.com/ch1gYOafZM
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) November 10, 2017
When @nflcommish shows up in NYC at the @Seahawks dive bar to drink bud light and take fireball shots with the rest of us. pic.twitter.com/GU05hPOLiR
— Patrick M. Horton (@patrickmhorton) November 10, 2017
The @nflcommish came to the Seahawks bar in NYC for the game tonight! pic.twitter.com/zayNcQQllT
— Alex Smith (@alexcwsmith89) November 10, 2017
In its own way, it's amazing that Goodell goes to bars dressed like he's going to country clubs. But if he was there when Sherman went down, that must have been mighty awkward.
But then, of course, Goodell has a lot going on. He's in a few fights with Jerry Jones. His extension as commissioner might be incentive-based, and the Ezekiel Elliott saga might never end. Sometimes, he just wants to get out and hang out with the people. It's just that, all things considered, these might not have been the right people on this particular night.
If Goodell asked the fans for suggestions on how to improve football, expect to see defensive lines abolished in 2017 and any touchdowns that occur after a quarterback scrambles for more than eight seconds to be worth 16 points instead of six. On second thought, call up the commissioner. This could be a good pitch.