Next Thursday the Patriots and Steelers will kick off the 2015 NFL season at Gillette Stadium. After Judge Richard Berman vacated his suspension Thursday, Tom Brady will be there! And Roger Goodell will ... not.
The NFL told Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports the NFL commissioner won't be present in New England for the start of the season, because he "believes the focus should be on the game [and] festivities."
Can't really blame Goodell for this one. Showing up in Foxborough would probably result in one or two bad words directed his way from Patriots fans.
Honestly, it probably wouldn't really be safe for him to be there. Seriously. Patriots fans appear to be kind of riled up about this whole thing. And Goodell is right: The focus next Thursday should be on football and the Pats getting a chance to start their title defense.
Goodell will appear at a game over the first regular-season weekend, per Garafolo, though the league hasn't said where he'll be.
As for Steelers-Patriots, he'll be watching it on TV, just like the rest of America.
