This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell obviously is not a popular man in New England after the whole Deflategate thing, and he's gone out of his way to avoid making an appearance at Gillette Stadium over the past two years. That may change now that the Patriots are again Super Bowl champions. At some point, one would think Goodell would have to show up for a game in Foxboro, Massachusetts.
New England tight end Rob Gronkowski is not a person who thinks that.
"To tell you the truth, I really don't think so," Gronkowski said when asked by ESPN's Cari Champion whether Goodell could possibly make an appearance in Foxboro. "The fans are nuts, they're wild, and they have the Patriots' back no matter what. They have Tom Brady's back. I'm telling you, he won't get through the highway if the fans saw him. I don't even think he can even land in the airport in Boston because Patriot fans are the best fans, they're the most loyal fans. I'm telling you, they might just carry out Roger themselves. They couldn't even get to the stadium in Foxboro if he landed in Boston."
While the idea of an army of Patriots fans physically restraining Goodell from even using Massachusetts roadways is certainly entertaining, methinks Gronk is a wee bit exaggerating here. Goodell obviously would fly into Providence.