Brady's agent's response

[RayClay]

https://www.facebook.com/AdamSchefter/posts/954360321283276

Statement from Tom Brady's agent, Don Yee:

“The discipline is ridiculous and has no legitimate basis. In my opinion, this outcome was pre-determined; there was no fairness in the Wells investigation whatsoever. There is no evidence that Tom directed footballs be set at pressures below the allowable limits. In fact, the evidence shows Tom clearly emphasized that footballs be set at pressures within the rules. Tom also cooperated with the investigation and answered every question presented to him. The Wells Report presents significant evidence, however, that the NFL lacks standards or protocols with respect to its handling of footballs prior to games; this is not the fault of Tom or the Patriots. The report also presents significant evidence the NFL participated with the Colts in some type of pre-AFC Championship Game planning regarding the footballs. This fact may raise serious questions about the integrity of the games we view on Sundays. We will appeal, and if the hearing officer is completely independent and neutral, I am very confident the Wells Report will be exposed as an incredibly frail exercise in fact-finding and logic. The NFL has a well-documented history of making poor disciplinary decisions that often are overturned when truly independent and neutral judges or arbitrators preside, and a former federal judge has found the commissioner has abused his discretion in the past, so this outcome does not surprise me. Sadly, today’s decision diminishes the NFL as it tells its fans, players and coaches that the games on the field don’t count as much as the games played on Park Avenue.”

Oh, do I like this guy.

 

[Hoodie]

Remember: None of this happens if Goodell didn't butcher the Ray Rice disaster. This is a historic overreaction

In addition to being a blatant attempt to appease the fan base outside New England. Bring it on NFL, Bring it on.

 

[Froob]

Chatham just said if Pats start selling Don Yee jerseys he'll get them for the whole family.

 

[Ring 6]

I worry the suspension will be partly upheld for withholding text messages, I certainly don't blame him for that though even if there wasn't anything incriminating on there.

The NFL and NFLPA collectively bargained this. It is borderline criminal to suspend a union member for exercising a collectively bargained right.

 

[Brewskies]

I would rather win the next Super Bowl and future Super Bowls than test beating the leaque.

 

[Joey007]

And Kraft? Will he protest?

 

[Jimke]

The chances are Roger won't step away in the appeal process. I hope the wheels of justice can
move fast enough to grant an injunction delaying the 4 game suspension until the Wells report
is reviewed by an arbitrator. A favorable decision would help Brady but not return the draft
choices. There are four months left to resolve the problem.

 

[reflexblue]

I worry the suspension will be partly upheld for withholding text messages, I certainly don't blame him for that though even if there wasn't anything incriminating on there.

The only text messages that are pertinent to the case are on the phones of the two equipment guys, the nfl has already seen them. So this is just made up Bull sht.

 

[TomPatriot]

Well done. Same tactic has been used before against the NFL and it works pretty well. Push back hard. Real hard.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

The only two ways that statement would have been any better is if:

1) those words were spoken by Tom Brady
or
2) those words were attributed to Robert Kraft.

Hopefully we'll get a reasonable facsimile of #1. Hoping for #2 seems futile.

 

[signbabybrady]

Don Yee you had me at hello.....again.

 

[Patriot_in_NY]

Deleted my initial knee jerk response. Didn't deserve to be the first post after such a powerful response. Second reading confirms it for me. Brady (and Yee) are going to war. Will Kraft continue to sit on the sidelines.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

This will be fun to watch. I was amazed that they went after the team - again. There is no connection to the team, even if there were any breach of the rules by one of the two equipment guys - which they failed miserably in proving. In fact, they had to go beyond the crooked "scientific" firm and their own in-house interviews and say things like one official must have remembered wrong... because it really really didn't fit the narrative.

 

[BradyFTW!]

If Brady's penalty is completely overturned, Kraft has a stronger case to have the Pats' penalty drastically reduced as well.

Not really. That ship has sailed. The only way the team penalty gets revisited is maybe if Goodell loses his job over this. Which won't happen since Kraft is a gutless toad, and even if he had a pair of testicles he probably wouldn't be able to get that done anyway.

 

[VJCPatriot]

The NFL has ZERO subpoena power. So when they said they increased the punishment for non-cooperation ie not turning over a cellphone, it won't and can't stick. They have no power to force anybody to turn over anything that might have a chance of being self-incriminating. Law 101. The whole Wells Report and the punishment letter sent out by Vincent is an absolute JOKE and mockery of basic legal principles.

I worry the suspension will be partly upheld for withholding text messages, I certainly don't blame him for that though even if there wasn't anything incriminating on there.

 

[Jimke]

Bob Kraft was last seen fetching Roger Goodell's slippers.

 

[BradyFTW!]

The only two ways that statement would have been any better is if:

1) those words were spoken by Tom Brady
or
2) those words were attributed to Robert Kraft.

Hopefully we'll get a reasonable facsimile of #1. Hoping for #2 seems futile.

Agreed, while it's clear that Yee is speaking for Brady, at some point I really would like for Brady to make his own statements.

 

[Jackson 2]

This is nice but no one will listen until this comes out of someone other than Bradys agents mouth.

They'll listen when it comes out of an an arbiter's mouth...

 

[FrodoBagginz]

Goodell's "Red Wedding" is coming. Or should I say, "Red Divorce".

 

[Ring 6]

The only two ways that statement would have been any better is if:

1) those words were spoken by Tom Brady
or
2) those words were attributed to Robert Kraft.

Hopefully we'll get a reasonable facsimile of #1. Hoping for #2 seems futile.

1 may be smart to allow Yee to speak on his behalf.
2 is a tremendous disappointment of a human being.