Roger Goodell acknowledged that NFL fans want to have fun when they go to football games. Speaking at Bloomberg’s The Year Ahead Summit the NFL commissioner said "people come to our stadiums to be entertained and have fun, not to be protested to," and that he understands "the anthem, the respect for our flag is very important. So, I want to see our players stand."
According to SB Nation Goodell claimed that "getting into politics is not something we do," and that "values aren't necessarily about politics."
The comments come as attendance at stadiums has been dropping and TV ratings continue to decline. Goodell is under increased pressure to solve the problem from advertisers and TV networks who believe the drop in popularity of the league is due to players kneeling in protest during the national anthem.