The case known as DeflateGate or Ballghazi, with Tom Brady appealing and fighting the decision by Roger Goodell and the NFL to suspend him four games, isn’t going anywhere, as both sides allegedly are no where closer to a compromise than they were at the beginning of all the legal stuff.
So there are two versions of what’s going on right now. One of them suggests Brady is willing to take a reduced suspension and the other one says the two sides aren’t getting nowhere.
The version suggesting Brady is willing to accept some sort of suspension suggests Brady is willing to be punished for failing to cooperate with the NFL but not to the findings in the Wells reports – in short, not admitting he did anything wrong.
The other version suggests that Brady got so angry with what he saw in court on Tuesday he simply left, and is not willing to give any sort of guilt admission, even if it means a reduced sentence.
So what now? The judge, Richard M. Berman, has ordered the two sides to be back in court on August 31, and is urging them to find some common ground and solve this thing without it getting too ugly.
According to ESPN, during oral arguments Wednesday in New York, Berman questioned the NFL on issues of “fundamental fairness and evident impartiality.” He questioned why NFL attorney Jeff Pash, who was the co-author of and edited lawyer Ted Wells’ report to the league, was not allowed to testify during Brady’s appeal hearing, allowing the NFLPA a chance to question someone involved in the writing and editing of the report. The judge also took issue with Goodell comparing Brady’s alleged actions in Deflategate with a player taking steroids to gain a competitive advantage.
Both parties have asked for a ruling by September 4, although Berman might not give it by then. If there’s no ruling, then his suspension begins on September 5, five days before the Patriots season opener. NFL teams must reduce their rosters to 53 players by 4 p.m. ET that day, and Brady might not be even allowed at the stadium while being suspended.