Even though the Patriots won Super Bowl LI in remarkable fashion and got the last laugh over Roger Goodell, the fanbase still isn’t ready to bury the hatchet and move on.
After the DeflateGate saga raged on for months, even fans who have rooted against the Patriots dynasty for years hoped to see the awkwardness of Goodell handing the Lombardi Trophy over to the Patriots on the Super Bowl stage.
And the awkwardness is just beginning.
For the Patriots’ season opener of the 2017 season, which traditionally doubles as a celebration for the reigning Super Bowl champions, online outlet Barstool Sports will provide Roger Goodell clown nose towels to fans at the stadium. Lots and lots of towels. Just how many? Try thirty thousand towels.
Barstool (and founder Dave Portnoy) has been a thorn in Goodell’s side for a while standing up for the Patriots and trolling the commissioner. All the way back in 2015, Portnoy and other Barstool employees were arrested after staging a sit-in at the NFL offices. Portnoy was also seen with a “Goodell is Hitler” sign at an anti-pope protest. (Apparently there are anti-pope protests?) The NFL fired back when Barstool had their credentials pulled from Super Bowl week this year.
Here’s what Portnoy wrote at Barstool about the next step in the Barstool v Goodell feud:
So we know Roger Goodell is going to be at Foxboro for the NFL Season opener. We also know our Clown shirt drives him bananas. Just sends him into a blind rage. Hmm, what oh what should I do? Hey I got an idea! I think I’ll order 30 thousand of these towels to give out to all my closest friends and family on Thursday September 7th. And if my friends want to bring these towels into Gilette and wave them in Roger’s face who am I to stop them? Now I’ve seen lots of scuttlebutt on how we’ll do this? That the league won’t allow it. Well let me say this. I’ll figure out how to get the towels to the people. The people will figure out how to get them in the stadium.
And yes, in case you were wondering, Goodell is still planning to be at the Patriots’ season opener. Imagine the visual of Goodell on the field being greeted by a stadium full of waving towels with his face and a clown nose on them. Even if they don’t get in the stadium though, the fan reception for Goodell in Foxboro is going to be quite memorable.
[Barstool]
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