I'm not sure if Brady cares about how the public outside of NE views him at all, but if he does, he really needs to think pretty hard about whether or not to take this to SCOTUS (if needed).
Right now, the overwhelming majority of football fans in the country aren't paying attention and really don't care how this turns out. But if this goes to SCOTUS, that's a whole 'nother level. Football fans and non fans will all be paying attention.
And potentially (most likely in my opinion) be pretty freakin' pissed a case about deflated footballs (which is how most would see it) and a CBA agreed to by complete idiots, would be competing for time with other cases having to do with issues like abortion, immigration/deportation, LGBT rights, and so on...
Not saying he absolutely shouldn't do it, but he just better consider the consequences. If he does go through with it, at bare minimum he better have one heck of a PR team explaining his (or the broader) case to those outside NE.
I know most of you think he should do it. But trust me, I don't know a single person who thinks SCOTUS should spend a single second of their time on this.
Hopefully it doesn't even matter and Brady gets his appeal now. Guess we'll see soon enough.