JOHN YANG: Chances are that at some point# in the next few days, a couch in your## house will be occupied by someone watching# football.

It's America's most popular sport.

The National Football League unites much# of the country in a shared passion, but,## as Lisa Desjardins reports, the league faces# a tricky potential threat to that, politics.

LISA DESJARDINS: The National Football# League is in the middle of a ratings and## profit boom.

At the same time, it is also# in the center of something else notable,## the way President Trump engages with# and wants to influence American sports.

Joining me to talk about# this is Christine Brennan,## a sports columnist for USA# Today and friend of the show.

Christine, let's start with the NFL# itself.

Roger Goodell, the commissioner,## is experiencing an all-time all-star# era.

What is behind it right now?

CHRISTINE BRENNAN, USA Today: America has# really fallen in love with the new national## pastime.

It's no longer baseball.

It's football.# It is about the cadence of the game.

Obviously,## we love that, versus baseball as our# attention spans gets shorter and shorter.

Also, it's a sport, high school,# college, Americans grow up with,## not only the day of the week Sunday, as# we all know, but now prime time.

That## has been going on.

A public relations man# named Pete Rozelle was the commissioner## who just saw the NFL explode back in the# '70s.

You had "Monday Night Football."

And, again, it's the violence.

It's# the -- it's a very national game.

LISA DESJARDINS: The violence, the aggressiveness.

(CROSSTALK) CHRISTINE BRENNA.. but also, of course, the big cities,# and the superstars.

Go all the way back.

I think everything about# it is a marketing success,## and it fits perfect American psyche and# what we want, which is quick action,## violent action, and then the opportunity to# run to the refrigerator before the next play.

LISA DESJARDINS: I do want to come back to# President Trump himself.

He himself is a showman.

We know he's had a love for sports his whole life.## He was at the Washington Commanders game# just two weeks ago.

Let's listen to this.

DONALD TRUMP, President of the United States:# By the way, they're going to build a beautiful## stadium.

That's what I'm involved in.

We're# getting all the approvals an.. you have a wonderful owner, Josh and his group.# And you're going to see some very good things.

LISA DESJARDINS: A little name-dropping there,## because he actually wants his name put on# that stadi.. CHRISTINE BRENNAN: Yes.

LISA DESJARDINS: He's also r.. Now, billionaire owners of the NFL seem# to generally like kind of stoking this## relationship.

Fans are mixed.

But how has Roger# Goodell navigated this attention from Donald## Trump?

We know, when he gives something# attention, he wants to be in control.

CHRISTINE BRENNAN: Exactly.

Roger Goodell,# the son of a senator, Charles Goodell,## has been with the league his entire# career.

I think he understands this## tiptoeing through the tulips, so to speak,# with the president of the United States.

For example, there was the announcement that# the NFL draft is going to be held in Washington,## D.C., in 2027.

So, of course, Roger# Goodell was there with one of the## owners of the Washington Commanders and# the president.

And how do you say no to## the president about being a part# of some kind of show like that?

LISA DESJARDINS: Any president, much less Trump.

CHRISTINE BRENNAN: Exactly.

And presidents have# been linked with football,.. play advice to the Washington football# team's coach at the time, George Allen.

RICHARD NIXON, Former President# of the United States: Well,## maybe you can put No.. GEORGE ALLEN, Washington# Head Coach: I hope so, yes.

RICHARD NIXON: Who'd you lose?

GEORGE ALLEN: We lost -- this hasn't even# been announc.. RICHARD NIXON: Yes.

GEORGE ALLEN: We.. on either tonight or tomorrow morning.

CHRISTINE BRENNAN: So this is not just -.. not the first president, but he has certainly# put it on times 100 in terms of his involvement.

And I think, for Trump, he understands football,## the NFL is that common denominator.

All# Americans love it.

They all can talk about it,## the watercooler or the virtual watercooler, Lisa.# It is a game that all -- everyone understands.

And so Trump is going there to try# to change the national conversation## or put his imprint on those issues and, of course,## make the points that he wants to make, some# of them seemingly just kind of fun, like,## OK, the NFL draft is going to be in D.C., some# of them much more serious, like racial issues.

LISA DESJARDINS: And let's get to that, because# this is a league, especially a commissioner, who## has pushed for diversity, pushed for DEI ideas.# This is a president who has pushed against that.## How has that worked now?

Is the NFL continuing# its DEI effort now in the era of Trump 2.0?

CHRISTINE BRENNAN: We saw this with the# Super Bowl.

By the way, the president,## President Trump, was the first sitting# president to ever attend a Super Bowl,## which really surprised me, as# someone who's covered a lot of them.

LISA DESJARDINS: Yes.

CHRISTINE BRENNA.. incredible national pastime.Highest# rated television show every year,## of course, is the Super Bowl.

So you have that.

So then the NFL changes.

They no longer# have "End Racism" in the end zone,## but "Choose Love."

Coincidence?# Not.

Whatever.

Of course,## there had been the terrible terrorist# attack in New Orleans, the fires in L.A.,## the terrible plane crash right off -- at DCA.# So it made sense.

That was what the NFL said.

Nonetheless, "End Racism" was gone.

This is# a league that is a majority-Black league,## a significant majority-Black league.# There is no way on earth you cannot## have some semblance of DEI in the# thinking of the NFL because Black## players are such a huge part of it# and so popular with so many fans.

Again, it's that tightrope wire, tight-wire act# that Roger Goodell and the owners are doing.

LISA DESJARDINS: Right.

But they have kept the DEI program in place.

CHRISTINE BRENNAN: Well, they have.# They have got the Rooney Rule.

Every## big opening with an NFL team, there needs to# be a minority who's considered for the job.

LISA DESJARDINS: But they have dialed# down that messaging of end racism,## no longer those words now.

CHRISTINE BRENNAN: Yes, it was "Choose# Love" in the case of the Super.. LISA DESJARDINS: "Choose Love."

CHRISTINE BRENNA.. this era, while also understanding# that the people who make the league,## it's a majority-Black league.

So you# cannot just fall in line completely## with Trump on that, because you would lose# the players, you would lose the coaches.

We have seen that, of course, with Trump going# back to 2017, when he said kick the SOBs,## without saying SOBs, off the field, fire them when# they were kneeling for the national anthem.

Well,## two days later, you had incredible kneeling# by many, many players throughout the league.

So, already, we have seen that# these players will speak out.

LISA DESJARDINS: This is about American# culture.

It's also about big business.

Quickly, on other sports, the president knows# that the World Cup is coming in this country,## the Olympics are coming in this country,# and he's made some sort of vague threats,## sort of political, about where# they should go.

Let's listen.

DONALD TRUMP: If we think there's any# reason that -- whether it's Boston or## anywhere else, that they're not doing their job,## we're going to take -- those World Cup# games and move them someplace else.

LISA DESJARDINS: Are those serious# threats?

Are that -- what is that?

CHRISTINE BRENNAN: No, it's not# serious.

They -- those tickets## are already sold.

He even said it's sold out.

This is a good signal, I think,# for many people who are going to## watch the two biggest sports events in the# world, men's World Cup soccer next year,## the Olympic Games in 2028 back in Los Angeles.# We're going to see Trump do this time and time## again.

It will be fascinating to watch# how these leaders try to deal with him,## but also sidestep him and do the things that they# were planning to do before Trump opened his mouth.

LISA DESJARDINS: Christine Brennan,# thank you so much for joining us.

CHRISTINE BRENNAN: My pleasure, Lisa.

Thank you.