The NFL seems intent on eliminating touchdown celebrations once and for all, and one former player had an interesting comparison for Roger Goodell as a result. Jonathan Jones of Sports Illustrated outlined the NFL’s tact in aggressively penalizing current players for celebrations during the 2016 season and, in the midst of the piece, former Pro Bowl wide receiver Joe Horn compared Goodell to Russian president Vladimir Putin and he did so in colorful terms.
“Roger Goodell is like the Vladimir f****** Putin of the NFL. You quote me on that sh*t. Roger Goodell is the Vladimir Putin of the NFL when it comes to players. Putin punks every country when he gets ready to. And there’s no rules when it comes to Putin, and Goodell is the same f****** way when it comes to players. He sets all the standards.”
Horn went on to further discuss the comparison, walking it back (slightly) by saying people “would know that he’s not having people killed and none of the players killed,” but Horn’s point was very clear in that Goodell rules with an iron fist.
While he was a very productive player over a 12-year NFL career, Horn is perhaps best known for stashing a cell phone in the goal post to utilize during a famous touchdown celebration in 2003. That was, of course, the initial inspiration for including Horn in the original story, but the fact that he was willing to go to lengths of including Putin in a comparison for Goodell really says it all.
Joe Horn isn’t the first player to criticize Roger Goodell’s policy enforcement, nor will he be the last. Still, this might be the first public comparison between Goodell and Putin and many current players and fans probably battled with thinking along the lines of “if the shoe fits.”
