Brady was banned for the first four games of the upcoming NFL season for using underinflated footballs in the first half of the AFC Championship game, a 45-7 rout against the Indianapolis Colts.
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Brady, Goodell and their lawyers met again privately with Berman to discuss a settlement following the court hearing. But her work has never been so harshly criticized as her sketch of Brady.
The primary focus of the hearing was for the two sides to engage in settlement talks and then take the process from there.
Goodell walked out of the courthouse about 10 minutes after Brady exited, as seen in the picture below tweeted by ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter, with some spectators shouting “cheater, cheater” toward the Super Bowl MVP. Goodell smiled as dozens of photo and video journalists did their work. His approach was surely designed to motivate Brady and Goodell to compromise by giving them each something to fear.
The NFL sued in late July, asking Berman to rule that the punishment of Brady was properly carried out. If no settlement is reached, a ruling will be made by September 4th. Brady is alleged to have known that the balls were deflated for the game.
But a courtroom sketch artist’s depiction of Brady delved into almost the abstract, bringing out the best of the Internet as a result. At one point the judge said according to Brown: “From a legal perspective you have to be able to show that conspirators intended to be in a conspiracy … is there a meeting?” I’m sure it’s awful.
Wait, is that supposed to be Tom Brady?
Players union attorney Jeffrey Kessler said it still holds that the balls weren’t deflated, but if they were, the blame goes to McNally for “freelancing” with Jastremski in doing something he thought would be “good for his quarterback“. Across the street, two men wore jerseys with Brady’s number 12, while nine other people lined barricades wearing hats made to look like deflated footballs on their heads. Kessler said that Brady regularly destroys his phone to prevent leaks to the media.
If the parties don’t settle, the next court date is scheduled for August 19.
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Courtroom sketches have been used for many years – since before the advent of cameras – to give outsiders a glimpse into a court trial. A smiling tom Brady left the courtroom, after a federal judge grills the NFL’s lawyer about Brady’s involvement in the deflate gate.
