Roger Goodell to attend NFL opener in New England

Roger Goodell will finally face the music.

The NFL commissioner said on Tuesday at the league’s annual meetings that he will attend the Thursday night opener hosted by the defending Super Bowl champion Patriots this fall.

That’s a big deal because Goodell has avoided Foxboro since hammering the Patriots with the Deflategate scandal and penalties.

Last season, Goodell chose to attend consecutive playoff games in Atlanta rather than head to Gillette Stadium, where he knew he’d be booed by the Patriots’ faithful. This will mark his first trip to the stadium since Deflategate.

Goodell better bring plenty of security, because you know the fans will be all over him. They even taunted him last season when he wasn’t at a game. What will it be like when he’s actually there? Pats owner Robert Kraft might have to address his fans ahead of time to keep it civil.