The NFL suspended New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady for his role in “deflategate” on Monday. Brady will be suspended for four games at the start of the 2015 season.
Of course he’s planning to appeal the decision. His agent, Don Yee released a statement:
“This discipline is ridiculous and has no legitimate basis. In my opinion, this outcome was predetermined; there was no fairness in the Wells investigation whatsoever. There is no evidence that Tom directed footballs be set at pressures below the allowable limits. In fact, the evidence shows Tom clearly emphasized that footballs be set at pressures within the rules.
“We will appeal, and if the hearing officer is completely independent and neutral, I am very confident the Wells report will be exposed as an incredibly frail exercise in fact-finding logic.”
NFL Executive President Troy Vincent released a statement, stating that Brady’s refusal to turn over his cell phone text messages and e-mails player a role.
“electronic evidence (emails, texts, etc.), despite being offered extraordinary safeguards by the investigators to protect unrelated personal information,” also played a role in the severity of his punishment.
“Although we do not hold the club directly responsible for Mr. Brady’s refusal to cooperate, it remains significant that the quarterback of the team failed to cooperate fully with the investigation,”
I honestly can’t blame Tom for not turning over his cell and e-mails. I feel as if the severity of this move has more to do with the heat that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has been under the last year. The Ray Rice issue, Aaron Hernandez, Adrian Peterson, etc.
In addition to Brady’s punishment, the Patriots will lose their first-round draft pick in 2016, and a fourth-round selection in 2017. New England has also been fined $1 million.
When it’s all said and done, I think Brady will miss two games, which seems more in line with the actual “crime.
