Recent Forum Topics › Forums › The Rams Huddle › Tom Brady accepts suspension
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nittany ram.
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July 17, 2016 at 8:29 am #48886
znModeratorTom Brady announces he will accept four-game suspension
Future Hall-of-Fame quarterback Tom Brady announced on Facebook Friday that he will “no longer proceed in the legal process” of appealing his four-game suspension as a result of Deflategate.
So after over two years and millions of dollars in legal fees on both sides, the saga is finally over. Brady and his lawyers probably came to the realization that there was virtually no chance the Supreme Court would agree to hear the case. Brady will accept his punishment, although will likely never admit he did anything wrong, and the New England Patriots can get on with the process of preparing backup QB Jimmy Garappolo for the task of leading the team for the first four weeks of the season.
Brady will be eligible to return against the Cleveland Browns and will likely be in an ugly mood for the rest of the season. The suspension knocks him down a couple of spots on fantasy draft boards but he remains a top-10 QB and will feel he has something to prove. Never underestimate either Brady or the Pats when their backs are gainst the wall.
July 17, 2016 at 8:37 am #48887znModerator
NFLPA may take Deflategate to SCOTUS despite Brady decisionDespite Tom Brady’s decision to drop his appeal and accept his four-game suspension in the Deflategate debacle, the NFLPA is still considering taking the case to the Supreme Court according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
“We will continue to review all of our options and we reserve our rights to petition for cert to the Supreme Court,” said the NFLPA in a statement released on Friday. Brady will still serve his suspension but, in the extremely unlikely scenario that the union wins in court, the NFL would refund Brady’s four missed game checks to the tune of $253,000.
Brady clearly weighed the lengthy odds against him and decided he would rather miss the Patriots first four regular season games rather than face the possibility of a suspension later in the season when the team will likely be pushing towards the playoffs. That is probably the right decision for both the player and the team. As for the NFLPA, they might more wisely use their resources figuring out how to rescind Commisioner Roger Goodell’s absolute power over player discipline decisions in the next collective bargaining agreement.
July 17, 2016 at 8:38 am #48888znModeratorPatriots owner rips the NFL, says Tom Brady didn’t get his due process
Ater New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady announced Friday he would serve his four game suspension, owner Robert Kraft issued a lengthy statement voicing his disappointment in the process.
“While I was disappointed with the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision not to rehear Tom Brady’s case, I am most frustrated that Tom was denied his right to a fair and impartial process. The League’s investigation into a football pressure matter was flawed and biased from the start, and has been discredited nearly unanimously by accredited academics and scientists.
“The penalty imposed by the NFL was unprecedented, unjust and unreasonable, especially given that no empirical or direct evidence of any kind showed Tom did anything to violate League rules prior to, during or after the 2015 AFC Championship Game. What Tom has had to endure throughout this 18-month ordeal has been, in my opinion, as far removed from due process as you could ever expect in this country.
“From day one, I have believed in Tom and given him my unwavering support in his pursuit to rightfully clear his name of any wrongdoing. That support extends throughout our organization and has only grown more steadfast as the preponderance of scientific evidence has exonerated Tom. Unfortunately, this stopped being about air pressure a long time ago.
“This entire process has indelibly taken a toll on our organization, our fans and most importantly, Tom Brady. His reluctant decision to stop pursuing further action and to put this situation behind him is what he feels is best for the team in preparation for this season and is fully supported by me and our entire organization.
“To our devoted fans, your unwavering support for Tom and our organization have only reinforced our longstanding belief that we have the greatest fans in all of sports. We will continue to unequivocally support Tom and know our fans will rally around him and the rest of the team like never before. Our full focus now is on making the upcoming season a memorable one for all of our fans.”
Editors Note: While we won’t disagree with Kraft’s statement, we have to note that Kraft was part of the owners negotiating team which produced the CBA denying Brady due process. Karma’s a bitch sometimes isn’t it Robert?
July 17, 2016 at 8:41 am #48889znModeratorAnalysis: Standing down was the smart move by Tom Brady
Why now? Why stand down?
That’s the question many Patriots are probably asking today after Tom Brady announced he would abandon his legal challenge to the four-game suspension handed down to him by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.
Perhaps Brady was tired of fighting. Perhaps he didn’t think he could win at the U.S. Supreme Court.
But ultimately, it was probably that Brady didn’t want the possibility of the suspension being reinstated at some point during the season that drove his decision to withdraw from the appeal.
Consider the statement from the NFL Players Association that it may yet continue the appeal — without Brady at the head of the case — at the Supreme Court. The decision for Brady to stand down, the union said, “was made in the interest of certainty and planning for Tom prior to the New England Patriots season.”
Translation: Brady didn’t want a ‘no’ from the Supreme Court to lead to him serving the suspension in December, January or … gulp … February.
Brady might have been able to get the Supreme Court to stay his suspension while it considered whether to hear his case. That would have allowed him to play in Week 1 and beyond.
But if the court then refused to hear the case, Brady’s suspension would likely be immediately reinstated by Goodell. That could happen in December with the Patriots pushing for the playoffs. Or it could happen in January with the Patriots in the playoffs. Or, in a worst case scenario, imagine the Patriots reaching the Super Bowl and then, 10 days before, the Supreme Court declines to hear Brady’s case.
That’s a bad time to have to start serving a suspension.
So instead Brady and the Patriots have the certainty of knowing he’ll miss the first four games. They know the opponents. The schedule is manageable, with three of the games at home. And it comes at a point in the season when the Patriots are still learning what type of team they have anyway.
Call it a team-friendly move by Brady if you want. But really, it’s just the smart move.
He was facing very long odds to get the Supreme Court to hear his case. The trend in the case was bad. Judges weren’t buying what his lawyers were saying.
Patriots fans may not like that. But this was the hand Brady was dealt. He made the best and smartest move he could make at this point.
Get ready to see him Oct. 9 in Cleveland.
July 17, 2016 at 10:10 am #48894
wvParticipantThis: “…Translation: Brady didn’t want a ‘no’ from the Supreme Court to lead to him serving the suspension in December, January or … gulp … February.”
I have accepted Brady’s suspension
as well, btw.w
vJuly 17, 2016 at 11:20 am #48895znModeratorI have accepted Brady’s suspension
as well, btw.New England’s 1st 4 games:
@ ARZ
Miami
Houston
BuffaloSo 3 home games. That little fact eases our pain somewhat, fortunately.
.
July 17, 2016 at 12:33 pm #48896
nittany ramModeratorEven though this isn’t an admission of guilt, I consider this an admission of guilt.
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