If Brady Gets Suspended, He'll Become Fall Guy For NFL QB's
 Brady's future to start 2015 is in question. (USA TODAY Images) |
The Patriots are no stranger to being martyrs for the rest of the league.
Wednesday's release of the Wells report puts an end to three months of uncertainty after all the allegations and speculation, which started following the Colts' claim that New England illegally deflated footballs before the AFC Championship game.
It's become a fiasco, and now it seems like the Patriots may potentially be without Tom Brady to start this season if the league decides to make an example out of the team that vehemently fought the NFL and the entire investigation.
It's frustrating to say the least. Most of the report centers around a couple of nitwits complaining via text with each other about Brady's dislike for too much air pressure in the footballs, which apparently is enough to come to the conclusion that "it's more probable than not" (that's the new catch phrase BTW, try it out yourself and use it often) that the air pressure fell below the acceptable threshold because the veteran quarterback wanted it that way. From there, his two supposed stooges allegedly put together an elaborate scheme to elude the officials on the way out to the field after seemingly letting the air out of the footballs after they were inspected.
 This fiasco may cost Brady the start of the 2015 season if the NFL decides to suspend him. (USA TODAY Images) |
Without getting into a debate over the accuracy of the report, the bigger issue is the fact that how quarterbacks feel about the footballs they use is a big deal, and the methods around how they do it is well documented. If you've followed the stories surrounding Peyton Manning, Brad Johnson, Aaron Rodgers, and others during this investigation, quarterbacks go through great lengths to prep the footballs heading into each week. Some prefer more air pressure, some prefer less. It's not exactly a big secret.
But Wednesday's exciting conclusion is probably going to change all that. No more will quarterbacks likely have as much freedom over how the balls are prepped as they do right now. If the NFL decides to end their ability to doctor the footballs, guys will quietly grumble, although the "better him than me" thought process will come into play as they reflect on whatever little tricks and things they did that might have pushed the envelope never came to light. Meanwhile, if Brady is a spectator in week one, he'll be the one to suffer a punishment over a practice that isn't exactly new.
Ask Bill Belichick. He ripped into a reporter during his Saturday press conference when he first fought back about this whole mess. The reporter tried to use spygate as a previous transgression of the Patriots breaking the rules, but the point Belichick made was that it was a practice happening league-wide and it happened out in the open in front of over 60,000 people. Fans from the 31 other teams love to gloat but don't realize it probably also forced the remaining coaches to have to get creative about how they're watching signals being sent into the field.
He just happened to take the fall, and it cost the Patriots a draft pick and a fine.
Now it seems Brady might ultimately be the guy who takes the hit over a practice that is well known and certainly didn't stop the Patriots from hanging a massive second half against the Colts after the air pressure was corrected. Other quarterbacks around the league might have to just play with the footballs they're given out of the box from now on because of this. But there will be other guys who won't be made examples of who had intentionally been doing worse.
Unfortunately, those transgressions will never be made public. Success has been a staple here in New England and the only explanation many come up with is the fact that it can't just be skill and talent, there has to be something more.
Either way, suspension or no suspension, rule change or no rule change, this is a football team that has big shoulders and they've proven they'll be O.K. The fact it might happen without definitive proof will be the most frustrating part, but the phrase "it is what it is" more or less sums it up, even if it just isn't right. Either way, if he does get penalized, you can bet the other quarterbacks around the league will likely be taking note and being thankful it's Brady, and not them, taking the hit.
