At this point, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell getting booed throughout the NFL Draft is a tradition. The boos have become such a staple that Goodell even paused to give fans a chance to boo him virtually during the 2020 NFL Draft.
While Goodell has certainly embraced the villain role to a certain extent, why is he booed so heavily during the event?
Roger Goodell Gets Booed at Every NFL Draft Location
When the draft was held in Radio City Music Hall in New York for nearly a decade until 2014, some viewers may have thought that it was just New York fans who expressed their disdain for Goodell during the draft.
However, the NFL now moves the draft to a different location each year and Goodell has been booed at every draft — from Chicago to Philadelphia to Detroit to Las Vegas. Even bringing out Eminem in Detroit couldn’t save Goodell.
This year, the 2025 NFL Draft is being held at Lambeau Field and the Titletown campus in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and you can bet the commissioner will hear the boo birds yet again. Believe it or not, you can even bet on how long the boos will last.
So, what’s the reason for this negative reaction from seemingly every NFL fan base? Initially, fans booed Goodell because they were displeased with his performance.
Goodell has drawn criticism for how he’s handled many thorny issues, including domestic violence, player safety, and cheating accusations. He hasn’t been afraid to make unpopular decisions, and he has received a lot of blowback for how he’s handled sensitive topics.
NFL fans are a passionate bunch and given how infrequently the commissioner appears in front of them, there are seldom few opportunities for fans to express their frustration. And let’s be honest here: there will always be something for fans to be disgruntled about. If fans have an opportunity to vent their frustration at the guy in charge, they’ll take it.
It’s also worth noting that Goodell is not the only commissioner who gets booed during the draft. Hockey fans do it at the NHL Draft, and NBA fans certainly used to let David Stern hear it. Stern’s successor, Adam Silver, has also been booed at the NBA Draft, so this isn’t something that’s exclusive to Goodell.
At This Point, the Boos May Be a Sign of Endearment
Sometimes, something that initially started as an insult can evolve into an ironic term of endearment.
For the wrestling fans out there, you may remember way back in 2002, a young Edge trolled Kurt Angle by saying his theme music sounded like “you suck.” Since Angle was a heel (read: bad guy), fans genuinely started chanting “you suck” during Angle’s theme song. It was meant to insult him.
Over the years, though, Angle became beloved by WWE fans. Even when he was a fan favorite, the chants persisted and have continued throughout his career. To this day, when Angle’s music plays, fans will chant “you suck” throughout it. Except, now, it’s all love.
With Goodell, the boos were definitely born out of malice, but it’s fair to say the dislike toward Goodell has dissipated over the years. Combined with the fact that Goodell leans into it, there’s a distinct chance the boos are now more of an ironic praise of the commissioner or just a fun tradition that fans want to keep alive.
