The fallout from Monday’s U.S. Court of Appeals ruling that reinstated the NFL’s suspension of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is that it puts two things that are most important to Brady in conflict – his legacy/reputation and the team he leads.
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On Monday, the Second Circuit of Appeals court reinstated Tom Brady’s four-game suspension for his role in Deflategate. The league believes the time for those talks has come and gone, the source said. The appeals court said that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell had properly exercised his discretion under a collective bargaining agreement when he imposed the suspension.
CHICAGO (AP) – NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says the league is ready to move on from “Deflategate”.
The NFL Players Association could decide to appeal the decision. Brady could once again appeal the decision, but it would need to be taken up by the full 2nd Circuit Court in a rare “en banc” hearing or be accepted by the US Supreme Court, both seemingly unlikely outcomes.
Whether Brady plays 16 games, 12 games or something in between, the Patriots are going to finish at the top of the standings in the AFC East. Belichick will find a way to coach the Patriots to more wins than the Jets, Dolphins or Bills, and enough for a probable first-round bye in the National Football League playoffs.
Soon after the ruling, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump opened a campaign rally in Rhode Island by sticking up for Brady, a longtime friend and golfing buddy.
On the other hand, a number of experiments conducted since the scandal started have disputed the NFL’s argument that the natural elements didn’t deflate the footballs. “Our Union will carefully review the decision, consider all our options and continue to fight for player’s rights and for the integrity for the game”.
This means that the league commissioner has the decision whether to uphold the suspension, or get an alternative way to penalize the star.
Brady had challenged the four-game suspension and won a legal victory in September past year when a lower court ruled in his favor, quashing the ban after judging the punishment to be unfair.
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“It would be hard to imagine any new [collective bargaining agreement] if there’s not a change”, said NFLPA President Eric Winston last August regarding the commissioner’s authority, per the Washington Post’s Mark Maske. The case he lost was heard by a three-judge panel, with two of the judges siding with the NFL.
