Fans Call For Boycott Or Goodell Firing After NFL Commissioner Embraces DEI Program
NEW ORLEANS – In making the point that the NFL is continuing to embrace its DEI program and initiatives, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell this week made a grand assumption.
"I think it's clearly a reflection of our fan base and our communities and our players," he said of the NFL's continued DEI embrace.
Well, that's a matter of perspective.
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DEI Doesn't Reflect All NFL Fans
Because there is significant disagreement on that front if one measures the reaction of OutKick readers to the story and the general election that was held in November.
In that election, Donald Trump was swept into office as President, and he soon signed a promised executive order that practically ended Federal DEI programs.
That order "protects the civil rights of all Americans and expands individual opportunity by terminating radical DEI preferencing in federal contracting and directing federal agencies to relentlessly combat private sector discrimination.
"It enforces long-standing federal statutes and faithfully advances the Constitution’s promise of colorblind equality before the law."

Trump Promised To End DEI
And this is where we recall Trump promised this before he was elected. So people knew what they were getting when they voted for him. And he won both the electoral college and the popular vote.
And now, whether Goodell agrees or not, Trump has implemented what he promised on this issue.
So, while the NFL's DEI is a reflection of a portion of its fan base, it's obviously not that for all its fan base.
And if one measures OutKick readers, who consider themselves fans of the NFL, Goodell's comments on DEI were not welcomed at all.
Sue The NFL Over DEI?
So we get calls for lawsuits because in 2023 the Supreme Court ruled that affirmative action in college admissions is unconstitutional.
That led to a DEI rollback by numerous American corporations.
And a legal challenge of DEI may or may not be wise. The NFL's program has been vetted by league lawyers and Goodell said it falls within the law.
But that doesn't stop fans from disliking it. And disliking him by extension.
As in this …
And this …
Goodell Criticism Gets Personal
None of these reactions – and there were many – address the feeling that the NFL commissioner could be alienating some fans away from the game.
But this does …
NFL Boycott Would Not Work
It's unlikely an NFL boycott would actually hurt the sport. Conservatives were effective in crashing the sales of Bud Light when that brand turned to a transgender spokesperson.
But there are tons of beers that offer options.
There is no other NFL. There is no option.
The only other option is not watching altogether.
Some people might undertake that fight starting on Super Bowl Sunday.