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Which is why, for the past three weeks, Judge Berman made no progress. Even with Berman’s derision for the way the NFL’s conducted its investigation. Even with his disgust that the league trampled a worker’s appellate rights. Even with the mocking Berman gave Goodell and attorney Daniel Nash in open court, the NFL was able to swallow hard and take it.
Because this is what it wanted. It’s like broccoli and asparagus for the league.
This – all of it – has benefited the collective NFL. The Patriots are diminished on the field and in the draft – good for any team competing in 2015 to have the top dog neutered. The franchise got its comeuppance – good for the league suits who’ve had it with the Patriots arrogance. The Krafts are pissed off and squealing – good for all the owners who’ve been told by Robert Kraft to do what Roger says. The players see the willingness of the commissioner to go ballistic over ball pressure and that the league can get away with a bag job investigation – good for the league’s disciplinary arm. And the commissioner’s power to hear appeals will be bulletproof.
The NFL is now through the hard part. The unseemly image of dragging Brady behind their car for seven months is over. Now they can just sit back and let Berman rule – which is what they wanted when they brought it to his court in the first place – and if they lose, they just take it up for an appeal of their own. It’s just business.
Goodell will inevitably speak at some point of how painful this has been for him. The paternal: “This hurts me more than it hurts you, son.”
We’ll probably hear from him before the opener in an awkward interview where he goes heavy on the use of “integrity” and “fair.” All said with a straight face.
http://www.csnne.com/new-england-pa...deflategate-nfl-gets-what-it-wanted-all-along