Like me, everyone is likely frustrated by the ruling that has Tom Brady sidelined to begin 2016. So to change things up and lead off today, here are some thoughts about the decision:
People Still Don’t Get What This Case is About – This is no longer about Brady or psi or footballs, this is about the fact that Goodell’s ridiculous and random punishments have gone well outside the lines of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
The CBA and rules were put in place with a specific set of circumstances surrounding air pressure as it pertains to footballs where if the league really wanted to stick to their guns, at worst this should have been a $25,000 fine with no loss of draft choices or suspension. Instead, this penalty was seemingly fabricated by Goodell because the proposed fine likely wouldn’t have satisfied the jealous group of owners and players who were looking for blood and are likely quietly celebrating knowing the Patriots will open 2016 in a weakened state.
What people don’t realize is that if this ruling holds up, “more probable than not” is now enough to cost a player 25% of the season, even if he did absolutely nothing wrong. That’s likely why the NFLPA released such a strongly worded statement because they know full well that losing this battle is potentially going to create further problems down the road.
Having an employer who intentionally overlooks a proper arbitration process sets a bad precedent, which spans much farther than just the NFL. That’s the argument Brady’s camp will probably attempt to try and drive home as they now prepare for the next legal step to make sure he’s on the field to start 2016.
There’s a scary amount of people who just don’t know the facts – Days like Wednesday were a reminder of just how few people outside this region really know the facts of this case, or the effects of the ideal gas law.
It’s dismissed as nonsense, with people seemingly completely oblivious to why their tire pressure drops during the winter. According to their logic, some “scheming” individual came by when they weren’t looking and let out a little air pressure from their tires, because the real reasoning “doesn’t make any sense.”
People forget about the epic Saturday press conference where Bill Belichick became extremely angry at all the speculation leading up to their match-up against the Seahawks and stood before a room full of media and explained the gas law, along with how they wasted an entire day simulating how they prep the footballs and how they were affected by the change in temperature. He completely walked everyone through what the process was and how the measurements came out when they tested the air pressure.
But thanks to things the league decided to leak like “11-of-12 footballs” and “destroyed cell phone”, along with the commissioner using the word “scheme”, the perception and damage is done.
There’s no changing their minds even when all of this is explained to them, and it’s a great example of just how dangerous perception vs reality really is.
Hearing People Say He Should Just Give Up is Maddening – Anyone who has ever been accused of something that they didn’t do knows how incredibly frustrating that is, but there’s a big difference, the entire country usually isn’t a part of the process. Brady finds himself at the center of a wide range of reactions, with some wanting him to take this all the way to the Supreme Court, while others want him to just accept the suspension and move on because they’re “tired of hearing about it”.
Those people who are “tired of hearing about it” have no idea what Brady’s living with on a daily basis. Honestly, if I’m him and after having already come this far, there’s no point in quitting now, especially given the fact he hired Ted Olson for exactly this situation. Whether or not it gets to that point is now the next big hurdle that Brady is facing, and most legal experts seem to believe that while it’s not over yet, it’s certainly another long-shot for the Patriots quarterback.
But at this point, there’s no other option except to see it through. Hopefully for Brady’s sake, Olson’s history of success in these cases, despite how bleak it looks right now, will see Brady lining up under center to begin 2016.
 Brady’s status remains uncertain to start 2016 after Wednesday’s ruling. (USA TODAY Images) |
Former Patriot Brace Died of Heart Condition – The loss of former Patriot Ron Brace back in April came as a surprise, but an explanation was finally released about what took him at far too young at just 29.
According to the medical examiner’s office, the former defensive tackle suffered from an irregular heartbeat combined with a heart condition caused by high blood pressure.
The Patriots released a statement back on April 24th following his death expressing their sadness of his passing.
“We were deeply saddened to hear the news this morning of Ron Brace’s death. Seven years ago tomorrow, we drafted Ron after his standout career at Boston College. During his Patriots career, the Springfield native was always eager to volunteer and give back in our communities, especially when those community initiatives were held in Western Mass. It is difficult to believe that someone so young and in the prime of his life is no longer with us. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Ron’s family, friends and the many former teammates who will mourn Ron’s passing.”
The former standout from Boston College is survived by his parents and six siblings.
Bettis Says Cheating By Patriots Cost them – The nonsense continues outside of New England and this time it comes from a former Steelers running back who wasn’t happy with being beaten by the Patriots in the postseason.
Jerome Bettis told the Pittsburgh Post Gazette that the fact New England seemed to know their hand signals proved costly in the 2004 title game.
“The Spygate thing, that was frustrating,” said Bettis. “Looking back, there were opportunities that were blown that was very hurtful. But you can’t cry over spilled milk; we lost those opportunities. We should have played better and we didn’t and we can’t do anything but blame ourselves.”
The Patriots handled the Steelers easily that day, as Brady threw two touchdowns and they rushed for two more while holding Bettis to 64 yards on 17 carries in a 41-27 win to advance to the Super Bowl against the Eagles.
Fortunately for Bettis, he would finally get his ring after the Broncos bounced New England from the postseason the following year in the Divisional round out in Denver.
Single-Game Tickets Go On Sale Today – For anyone looking for an opportunity to catch a game this season, Patriots single-game tickets are scheduled to go on sale at 10 a.m. Thursday.
Tickets can only be purchased exclusively through Ticketmaster online at www.ticketmaster.com or by phone at (800) 745-3000. A Visa debit or credit card is required to purchase.
The Patriots open 2016 on the road out in Arizona before coming home to play three straight home games against Miami (Sep 18), Houston (Sep 22) and Buffalo (Oct 2).
October 16 might be a game worth purchasing against the Bengals since, should Brady’s suspension stand, it would be the veteran quarterback’s first home game at Gillette Stadium of the season.
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Ian Logue is a Seacoast native and owner and senior writer for PatsFans.com, an independent media site covering the New England Patriots and has been running this site in one form or another since 1997.
