To football fans in the New England area, it still seems to be “much ado about nothing.”
But to Patriot haters around the nation, the decision by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to uphold the four-game suspension of quarterback Tom Brady was met with jubilation and a sense that the Patriots got what they deserved.
Yes, even “Golden Boy” Tom Brady is not above the rules when it comes to the National Football League. Goodell, the often-criticized man in charge of the league’s public image, finally made the right call when he decided to uphold Brady’s suspension for his presumed role in “Delflategate.”
Goodell didn’t buy Brady’s story that his cell phone mysteriously broke just when the NFL was trying to get evidence against the star quarterback. The broken cell phone, as it turns out, was the “smoking gun” Goodell was looking for to wrap up his case for upholding the four-game suspension.
Of course, Brady is appealing the case in federal court. He’s still in denial, and so is obnoxious owner Robert Kraft and the delusional Patriot fans.
Maybe if Brady had come across as more sincere and humble he could have gotten his suspension reduced or even dropped. Perhaps all along Brady was just looking to get his suspension dropped to two games, which probably would have been a fairer punishment for such small infraction. Really, we’re talking about PSI football pressure, certainly not the biggest deal in the grand scheme of things.
But to Goodell and many others, what this comes down to is not messing with the integrity of the NFL. In other words, don’t cheat or there will be consequences.
The Patriots have been down this road before, which is probably why Goodell was so tough on Brady for “Deflategate.” Who can forget “Spygate” in 2007, when New England was found guilty of videotaping defensive signals used by opponents. The Patriots have also been accused of videotaping practices of their foe before the Super Bowl.
And last January before the Super Bowl, the Patriots were right in the center of another big controversy following a blowout win over the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC title game, After that game, league officials found footballs the Patriots were using to be under-inflated, apparently giving New England an advantage during a cold and rainy day in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
If this were any other team but the Patriots, this probably wouldn’t have been made into such a big deal. But again, New England has a way of drawing critics ever since Spygate, and that just won’t seem to go away.
Until recently, most of the criticism against the Pats has been directed toward their elusive, cantankerous head coach, Bill Belichick. Perhaps Brady is feeling the commissioner’s wrath because of past Patriot transgressions.
Personally, I don’t feel sorry for Brady at all and neither should anyone else. The guy has got fame, fortune, and a supermodel wife. Yet all along I never believed the image that Brady is this “perfect” quarterback with a spotless record. No one is perfect, not even “Tom Terrific.”
But Brady is looking to protect his legacy as one of the all-time greatest quarterbacks, if not the best of all time. He’s got four Super Bowl rings and is almost certain to make the Hall of Fame. Certainly, something like “Delfategate” shouldn’t take away Brady’s greatness as a quarterback.
But rules are there for a reason, and not even Brady, Belichick and the Patriots are above them.
