The NFL today announced that Commissioner Roger Goodell is upholding the four-game suspension of Patriots QB Tom Brady over Deflategate. The league indicated that a "key factor was Brady ordering that his cell phone be destroyed." The NFL said that Brady "on or shortly before" meeting with investigator Ted Wells on March 6 "directed that the cellphone he had used for the prior four months be destroyed." Investigators "had requested access to text messages and other electronic information" that had been stored on that phone. Brady "had exchanged nearly 10,000 text messages, none of which can now be retrieved from that device." Goodell found Brady's "deliberate destruction of potentially relevant evidence went beyond a mere failure to cooperate in the investigation and supported a finding that he had sought to hide evidence" (BOSTONGLOBE.com, 7/28).
The league this afternoon in Manhattan Federal Court filed a suit seeking to confirm the decision. Bloomberg News’ Scott Soshnick writes the suit is a "likely attempt to steer jurisdiction from Judge David Doty, who has ruled favorably for union in the past" (TWITTER.com, 7/28).
ESPN’s Suzy Kolber said Brady's “not cooperating” was “likely thought to be a bigger part of this and the punishment than his participation of the deflation of footballs.” ESPN’s Jim Trotter said, “To destroy potential evidence, you have to believe the league wasn’t going to look kindly on that, so there’s no surprise in this” (“NFL Insiders,” ESPN, 7/28).
