Tom Brady has made a career out of fighting until the absolute bitter end. If Tom Brady is going to lose, he’s going to do everything imaginable until there is nothing that can be done. That’s how Brady led the New England Patriots to six Super Bowls and had four rings to show for it. Very few in NFL history can say they’ve won as much as Brady, but even Brady loses.
At this point, you know the story of “Deflategate.” Back in the 2015 AFC Championship Game, the New England Patriots dominated the Indianapolis Colts and ended up winning the game by a final score of 45 to 7. The balls that were used by Tom Brady were said to be “deflated” and could have been as much as two pounds per square inch below the minimum amount.
Over a year and a half later, Brady and the Patriots are still being scolded for “cheating” and NFL commissioner Rodger Goodell has continued to push punishment against Brady, which has continued to drag Brady’s name through the mud for almost two years. Brady’s legacy continues to be tarnished over the fight to serve a four-game suspension. After the back and forth on the ruling of “Deflategate” over the past year and a half, Tom Brady has one last Hail Mary to throw to avoid the suspension.
According to a report from the Associated Press & MSN, Tom Brady’s appeal to overturn his four-game suspension was flatly rejected by the federal court earlier today. This leaves Brady with only two options. In response to the decision from earlier today, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan issued the following statement about Brady’s appeal being rejected.
“We are disappointed. The track record of this league office when it comes to matters of player discipline is bad for our business and bad for our game. We have a broken system that must be fixed.”
Another report from NFL.com has revealed that Brady now has ninety days to appeal that decision and take the issue to the Supreme Court for an absolutely final decision. However, Nellie Drew, a sports law professor at the University at Buffalo thinks that is a Hail Mary throw for Brady.
Ultimately, Drew said, “It’s time to put this thing to bed. If it was my kid, I’d say: `Let it go.’” Drew and almost every other major city in the United States with a football team seem to think the same. Tom Brady should accept that he has lost.
Tom Brady is one of the most accomplished quarterbacks in the history of the NFL, which makes dragging the Brady name through the media circus that has been “Deflategate” for over three seasons questionable. However, the issue at hand is about preserving the legacy and prestige of his career. If Brady is going to be branded a cheater, he’s going to go down swinging.
A big issue with the appeal to the Supreme Court for Brady is that at the end of the day, Tom Brady is supposed to be an NFL quarterback. The Supreme Court has a lot more to deal with in the United States than the fact that some footballs may or may not have been “deflated” in 2015. However, the stubbornness of Tom Brady and the NFL is continuing this fight to the bitter end.
Brady has ninety days to make the decision, but the 2016 NFL season will begin before that, so the Vegas odds are that Tom Brady will only be playing twelve games this regular season. In week five, the Patriots are playing the Browns in Cleveland. Brady’s return to the gridiron is going to be one of the most anticipated in NFL history. Week five will be a very interesting week of football. Until then, Johnny Garappolo has four weeks to become a star before Brady returns for blood.
[Photo By Steven Senne/AP Images]