I have a VERY GOOD Idea what Brady didn't give the NFL, the information they were seeking to FULLY conduct their investigation. Not only didn't give it to them, but destroyed the phone so it would not be possible to give it to them, AFTER he knew that the NFL wanted it. Those are not the actions of someone who wasn't hiding something.
It won't get to court. Brady has no case. Just like Kraft, he'll bluster for awhile, and then back off.
On the chance it does get to court, Brady will lose. The NFL has covered their bases and their asses on this one. Goodell has learned from his previous mistakes,
From Brady:
I am very disappointed by the NFL’s decision to uphold the 4 game suspension against me. I did nothing wrong, and no one in the Patriots organization did either.
Despite submitting to hours of testimony over the past 6 months, it is disappointing that the Commissioner upheld my suspension based upon a standard that it was “probable” that I was “generally aware” of misconduct. The fact is that neither I, nor any equipment person, did anything of which we have been accused. He dismissed my hours of testimony and it is disappointing that he found it unreliable.
I also disagree with yesterdays narrative surrounding my cellphone. I replaced my broken Samsung phone with a new iPhone 6 AFTER my attorneys made it clear to the NFL that my actual phone device would not be subjected to investigation under ANY circumstances. As a member of a union, I was under no obligation to set a new precedent going forward, nor was I made aware at any time during Mr. Wells investigation, that failing to subject my cell phone to investigation would result in ANY discipline.
Most importantly, I have never written, texted, emailed to anybody at anytime, anything related to football air pressure before this issue was raised at the AFC Championship game in January. To suggest that I destroyed a phone to avoid giving the NFL information it requested is completely wrong.
To try and reconcile the record and fully cooperate with the investigation after I was disciplined in May, we turned over detailed pages of cell phone records and all of the emails that Mr. Wells requested. We even contacted the phone company to see if there was any possible way we could retrieve any/all of the actual text messages from my old phone. In short, we exhausted every possibility to give the NFL everything we could and offered to go thru the identity for every text and phone call during the relevant time. Regardless, the NFL knows that Mr. Wells already had ALL relevant communications with Patriots personnel that either Mr. Wells saw or that I was questioned about in my appeal hearing. There is no “smoking gun” and this controversy is manufactured to distract from the fact they have zero evidence of wrongdoing.
I authorized the NFLPA to make a settlement offer to the NFL so that we could avoid going to court and put this inconsequential issue behind us as we move forward into this season. The discipline was upheld without any counter offer. I respect the Commissioners authority, but he also has to respect the CBA and my rights as a private citizen. I will not allow my unfair discipline to become a precedent for other NFL players without a fight.
Lastly, I am overwhelmed and humbled by the support of family, friends and our fans who have supported me since the false accusations were made after the AFC Championship game. I look forward to the opportunity to resume playing with my teammates and winning more games for the New England Patriots.
His word vs. Goodells
The court will decide who is right/wrong
Stop guessing
hno:Not his word, his actions. His phone was destroyed, he failed to co-operate fully with the investigation.
Here's the key phrase in Tommy's Facebook rant, why he knows he's gonna lose: I authorized the NFLPA to make a settlement offer to the NFL so that we could avoid going to court and put this inconsequential issue behind us as we move forward into this season. The discipline was upheld without any counter offer.
Tommy's side was in a position of weakness, that's why THEY initiated settlement talks. The NFL made no counter because they didn't have to. They know they are holding Bullets in the hole. And the flop gave them 2 more. People bringing up prior cases are barking up the wrong tree. That has nothing to do with this one.
this is so funny its sad. I might enjoying bugging Patriot fans about this but this is the stupidest thing ever maybe. We are talking a little air in a football and now going to court?
I am sorry .... but you can talk all you want about cell phones or whatever, but it comes down to some air in a fucking ball.
Having said that, after spygate the commissioner has the right to comedown harsher on repeat offenders as he said he would. One game would have been plenty.
I am sorry .... but you can talk all you want about cell phones or whatever, but it comes down to some air in a fucking ball.
Having said that, after spygate the commissioner has the right to comedown harsher on repeat offenders as he said he would. One game would have been plenty.
Exactly. What, because the NFL gave inadequate penalties before, they're not supposed to learn from their past mistakes, and do so again, with a repeat offender, no less? Anybody who thinks the league WANTED to sit down the star player of the team that has won the most Super Bowls in the last 15 years is an idiot, but, like the old saying goes, sometimes it's not the crime, it's the cover up, as Nixon learned the hard way. The league didn't even learn that the phone was destroyed until late June, PLUS he lied and said it was his usual policy to destroy cells when there was another old phone still around from November, PLUS he's an idiot if it didn't occur to him to not destroy the phone even if it was his policy. If they had actually reduced his penalty, and it got out that they knew, months after the fact(and it WOULD have gotten out), the NFL would've been crucified. FUCK that sanctimonious owner and his lying, cheating scumbag quarterback. How the fuck does he say that neither he nor the equipment grunts did anything wrong? Did the footballs deflate by themselves?!?! I hope those schmucks ARE stupid enough to take it to court, they'll get butt fucked and bring even more discredit to the organization.
OR: (Tom's Attorney):"Hey Look Man, we could drag this out and go to Court where, yeah, its a Slam Dunk, suspension overturned and we humiliate Roger or we could give them the chance to Save Face, give you a bit shorter season to contend with...You are nearing 40 years old after all...I suggest we accept a 2 Game Suspension and be done with this."
Followed by absolute stunned-ness on the part of Tom's Legal Team when Roger refuses the deal.
Because they have nothing valid evidence-wise to even go to Court with, let alone win there.
Goddell just seems to enjoy Public Humiliation, thus does he seek this. he's almost certainly gonna get that here...if NFL is foolish enough to let this get to Court.
I don't see how NFL Legal Team hasn't coated Goddell in several layers of STFU by now....
<header class="trb_ar_h" style="margin: 30px 0px 13px; padding: 0px; border-top-style: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tinos; font-size: 10px;">[h=1]Brady Suspension More Likely After Court Of Appeals Puts Union On Defensive[/h]
</header><aside class="trb_embed" data-content-id="86096068" data-content-size="leadart" data-content-type="image" data-content-slug="hc-tom-brady-patriots-deflategate-case-0304-20-001" data-content-subtype="photo" data-role="socialshare_item imgsize_ratiosizecontainer" data-state="" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: 720px; overflow: hidden;"><figure data-role="imgsize_item" class="trb_embed_imageContainer_figure" imgheight="450" imgwidth="750" imgratio="16x9" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 405px; position: relative; width: 721.438px; height: 0px; overflow: hidden; background-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
(Steven Senne / Associated Press)
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Associated Press
<time itemprop="datePublished" class="trb_ar_dateline_time" data-datetime-month="March" data-datetime-day="3" data-datetime-year="2016" data-datetime-clock="5:35 PM" datetime="2016-03-03T17:35:30EST"></time>
NEW YORK — The odds of the "Deflategate" four-game suspension of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady being restored rose considerably after federal appeals court arguments Thursday.
A three-judge panel from the U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan gave a players' union lawyer a tough time, with one of three judges even saying evidence of ball tampering was compelling, if not overwhelming.
The judges did not immediately rule and a decision may be weeks away.
All three judges put NFL Players Association attorney Jeffrey Kessler on the defensive with multiple reasons they thought NFL commissioner Roger Goodell might have been within his rights to order the suspension of Brady after finding out that the quarterback knew about the deflation of game balls before the January 2015 AFC Championship game between the Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts and that he had obstructed the league's investigation.
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</aside>The judges also were tough at times on Paul Clement, attorney for the NFL, asking why the simple act of deflating footballs warranted such a severe suspension.
But they seemed to answer that question themselves when Kessler stood before them as they noted repeatedly that it may well be within Goodell's authority to punish a player if he concludes that the player interfered with an investigation and thus engaged in conduct detrimental to the game.
New England beat the Colts 45-7 and went on to win the Super Bowl.
After Goodell rejected Brady's appeal of the four-game suspension, the league went to federal court to get a judge's approval of its handling of the case. But Judge Richard Berman ruled against the NFL a week before the season began, eliminating Brady's four-game suspension.
The NFL appealed, leaving it to the 2nd Circuit to decide whether the suspension is reinstated for this season.
Clement urged the court to rule quickly and put the debate over Deflategate to rest.
"It would be an awful shame if this issue has to hang over the league for another season," he said. "End it now."
Think you are jumping the gun based on nothing more than opinions of reporters who don't matter in the decision. What one sees and hears in court doesn't necessarily reflect what the judges are really thinking. If the appeal court rules in NFL's favor, NFLPA and Brady will appeal and this waste of time will continue.
The entire legal system is a joke. Cases like this going to court. My God. Dominicans taking steroids. Roger Clemens in court. And at the end of the day nothing happens except attorneys get richer and the courts collect BS fees from millionaires. No matter what is found or not found absolutely nothing changes.
Government has gotten too big.
Government has gotten too big.
