Cleveland Browns

Roger Goodell returned to Twitter and NFL fans let him have it

Published Apr. 5, 2016 11:02 a.m. ET

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NFL commissioner Roger Goodell returned to Twitter Tuesday for the first time in nearly two years to announce the league's new plan to stream Thursday night games on Twitter. Within seconds of Goodell's tweet, however, it was immediately apparent why the commissioner hasn't been on social media much.

Football fans from across the NFL used the moment as an opportunity to share their grievances about the league and the commissioner with the NFL boss, and there were enough complaints coming in to rival the lengthy list of grievances American colonists listed against King George III in the Declaration of Independence.

Some on Twitter used language that isn't appropriate to share, but there are still plenty of Tweets that show in a more workplace-friendly way just how disgruntled NFL fans are with Goodell. Here's a breakdown of topics fans want addressed.

Concussions are a growing concern in the NFL for players and fans, and people on Twitter seem to think Roger Goodell could do a better job of managing the issue.

Some even brought up the NFL's ongoing battle against The New York Times' probe into the NFL's handling of concussion research and promotional strategies.

Cleveland Browns receiver Josh Gordon applied for reinstatement to the league on Jan. 20 following a one-year ban for violating the league's substance abuse policy. But after 60 days passed without a decision from the commissioner, Browns fans started to complain that the NFL is taking its sweet time to decide whether to reinstate Gordon simply because it can. Leaving this decision up in the air makes it difficult for the Browns to start to plan for the 2016 season, and Browns fans are understandably annoyed by the lengthy process.

Naturally plenty of Patriots fans went off on Goodell about various Deflategate issues, including (but not limited to) draft picks, PSI checks, and a possible Tom Brady suspension.

Many St. Louis fans took the opportunity to complain about their team's relocation to Los Angeles.

NFL fans did not miss the fact that Goodell has been absent from Twitter ever since incriminating footage of Ray Rice apparently knocking his fiancee out in an elevator leaked, seemingly revealing the NFL's failure to acknowledge how serious the Rice incident was when they originally punished him.

Then there were the many fans who did not voice specific complaints against the commissioner. Instead, they stuck to showing their general distaste for Goodell.

NFL fans are a tough crowd.

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