With the Patriots less than two weeks from a chance to secure a fifth Lombardi Trophy in Houston at Super Bowl LI, the idea of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell having to hand the hardware to Tom Brady at NRG Stadium has been an early talking point in the big game hype.
Fans and media alike have pondered the potentially awkward ceremony between the greatest quarterback the game has ever seen and the man who suspended him for four games to open this season to conclude the two-year-long Deflategate scandal.
Appearing on "The Herd" on Fox Sports Radio, Goodell dismissed the idea that handing the Lombardi Trophy over the Brady and the Patriots would be awkward.
"Not for a second. ... Tom Brady is one of the all-time greats," Goodell said. "He has been for several years. He's on the precipice of at least potentially winning his fifth Super Bowl ring. He's an extraordinary player, great performer, and a surefire Hall of Famer. So it would be an honor."
Goodell also addressed the topic of his perceived avoidance of attending a game at Gillette Stadium since the Deflategate scandal and punishments. The Commissioner spent two straight weeks watching the Falcons road to the Super Bowl in Atlanta, rather than a trip to New England.
"We had two great games. I was in Boston two years ago for the divisional and the championship games. I try to get to as many stadiums as I can. We have two great games and you've got to choose. And frankly, the focus should be on the players, the coaches and the great game. That's the way it was this weekend, and the way it should be," Goodell said.
