Yet another NFL mishap for Roger Goodell
Why the NFL commissioner is one step closer out the door
Derrick Bennington | Sports Staff | @Derrick_Benn
As yet another NFL season draws closer, Roger Goodell has one more tally mark on his list of woes.
This past Thursday, Manhattan district Judge Richard Berman ruled in favor of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, which nullified his four-game suspension for his involvement in the ‘deflategate’ scandal during last season’s Super Bowl run.
I, along with many other NFL fans, finally received a sense of relief in this whole seven month process; a process that should have been settled back in February. As time went on, and each side dug in further, the less of a chance anyone would come out a winner.
During the Patriots’ AFC Championship game against the Indianapolis Colts, footballs from the game had been found to be underinflated. Those footballs were removed from the game and footballs with the regulation PSI were put in their place. Once the NFL caught wind of the situation and had time to review the case, Goodell handed down a four-game suspension for Brady’s role.
That’s when things got interesting and the summer of deflategate started its twists and turns.
Jan. 20 — NFL finds that all 11 footballs used by Patriots were underinflated
Jan. 23 — Ted Wells appointed to investigate under inflation
May 6 — Ted Wells report finds that 2 locker room/equipment employees “participated in deliberate effort” to release air in footballs
May 11 — NFL suspends Tom Brady for violating NFL policy on the integrity of the game
May 14 — NFLPA files appeal on behalf of Tom Brady
June 23 — Brady’s appeal heard by Goodell
July 28 — Goodell upholds suspension stating that Brady destroyed cellphone he used during the timeframe of the AFC Championship game
August 12 — Brady and Goodell meet in court. Judge Berman urges sides to reach settlement
Aug. 19 — Berman once again urges settlement
Aug. 31 — Berman informs both that no settlement will be reached; final decision will come out no later than Sept. 4
Sept. 3 — Judge Berman sides with Brady stating that he “did not receive the proper advance notice to be disciplined by the NFL and information of the kind of penalties he could receive.” Brady allowed to play Week 1.
The two reasons as to why there is no winner from this case are that Brady gets to play (even after his second ‘cheating scandal’ — spygate in 2007) and the fact that the NFL went through another mishandled case (one that should have been dealt with in two weeks time) leaving Goodell looking like a playground bully that had been stripped of his power.
The fact that such a small and petty thing like underinflated footballs took so long to settle is an absolute joke. It’s just another example of how the commissioner has tried to be the judge and jury for the NFL, but fallen flat on his face.
It should speak volumes as to just how much of a deal Goodell made this when multiple media personnel agreed that he had to win this case just to ‘save face’ and keep some sort of credibility.
He is already one of the most hated commissioners in American professional sports and something this absurd and ridiculous just pushes him closer and closer out the door as the head of the NFL.
