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Leagues and Governing Bodies

Brady, NFL Have Had Settlement Discussions Regarding Deflategate Punishment

Talks between the NFL and NFLPA regarding Patriots QB Tom Brady's Deflategate suspension “haven’t gone very far, but the fact that they’re reaching out indicates a desire on at least one side, if not both, to avoid a court fight when and if this decision does come down,” according to ESPN's Dan Graziano. While details of the settlement offer are unclear, the prevailing sentiment is that Brady "is still holding firm to his insistence that there be no suspension at all and he would fight any suspension in court.” ESPN’s Field Yates notes it "seems unlikely at best to say that the league would accept some sort of an agreement before Roger Goodell has had a chance to rule on the appeal hearing, especially if it's just a fine." If the league "did accept an agreement with Tom Brady and his camp prior to Roger Goodell's appeal hearing announcement, public perception-wise, some people would think they're cowering to Tom Brady” (“SportsCenter,” ESPN, 7/23). PRO FOOTBALL TALK's Mike Florio cited a source as saying that settlement talks "have indeed occurred," but "no progress has been made toward a deal." The source said that Goodell is being "pushed by a small handful of influential owners to hold firm on the four-game suspension." However, working against that is the "fear that the four-game suspension would be wiped out by a federal court." NFL outside council Gregg Levy has been "warning Goodell that it will be difficult to make a suspension stick in court" (PROFOOTBALLTALK.com, 7/22). Bengals OT and NFLPA President Eric Winston on NBC Sports Radio yesterday said if the league does not exonerate Brady, the union is "prepared to take the next step, whatever that next step might be." Winston: "Why it takes over a month, and why it took six months to get to that point before that, and the constant feet-dragging on not just Tom’s issue but all the issues is, to me, just seems a bit ridiculous and doesn’t serve the players very well" (PROFOOTBALLTALK.com, 7/22). 

DECISION WILL BE TELLING: ESPN BOSTON's Mike Reiss noted Goodell could make his decision as soon as this week, and the outcome "will tell us a lot" about Goodell, NFL Exec VP & General Counsel Jeff Pash and NFL Exec VP/Football Operations Troy Vincent. If they keep the suspension at four games, they are "tone deaf," but if they reduce it to three games, they are "instigators." Reducing the suspension to two games would be "playing to perception," and this is the "safest play" for the trio of NFL execs (ESPNBOSTON.com, 7/20). USA Today’s Jarrett Bell said Goodell "may be in a no-win situation" with the Brady decision. Bell: "Keep the four-game suspension and another battle against the NFL players union is next up. Reduce the punishment and people will wonder if he's going soft on a ‘Golden Boy.’" Bell added Goodell could "still make a strong point by, say, suspending Brady for a game for lack of cooperation, which just might help shift the focus back to football." ESPN’s Mark Dominik said of Goodell, "You're not going make everybody happy and you realize that, so you've got to do what you think is in the best intention for all 32 teams, not just one, and that’s the way you have to always approach it" ("NFL Insiders," ESPN, 7/21).

TWO FOR THE ROAD? ESPN's Yates said two games "seems to be the magic number." If Goodell "knocks it down to one, I think people are going to blow back towards the league and say, ‘You're treating the ‘Golden Boy’ in a different way than you would treat another player in this situation.’" Yates: "If he stays at four or even just goes to three, I think that public perception will start to play the apples-to-apples game between Greg Hardy … versus Tom Brady." ESPN's Mike Golic said, “The only way to get out of it and make it completely go away is to take his suspension completely away. And I wouldn't. They have looked so bad already in their decisions.” The MMQB’s Peter King said that he does not think Goodell "is going to change it" at all. King: "Out of good faith and trying to get this done, he may just say, ‘Would you take one game to just drop this?’ But again, I doubt that that's going to happen" ("Mike & Mike," ESPN Radio, 7/22).

STILL MAKING UP HIS MIND? ESPN's Tony Kornheiser said Goodell's lack of a timeline on the ruling "indicates to me he doesn’t know yet what he’s going to do" ("PTI," ESPN, 7/21). The Dallas Morning News' Tim Cowlishaw said Brady is "eventually going to get one game or two, but the league hasn’t figured out how to get to that point” ("Around The Horn," ESPN, 7/22). CSNNE.com's Tom Curran wondered why 10 hours of testimony during an appeal would "need 720 hours to process." Curran: "It shouldn’t. It doesn’t. And the holdup for Roger Goodell is, quite likely, that it’s not really his game now." This process is "taking so long" because there is no "'Do the right thing' sanctuary for Roger Goodell to run to." The whole thing "is just wrong." If it "weren't, it would have been done by now." Curran wrote this case going to federal court "is bad for the league appearance-wise, worse if Goodell is made to look silly again." The continued publicity around Deflategate "is bad for the league’s brand because you want the focus on the football, not the absurd investigation and prosecution of the only quarterback to start six Super Bowls" (CSNNE.com, 7/22). ESPN's Jemele Hill said the "last thing you want to do is wind up in an ugly court battle, right as you're about to go into your season … with this team and with this quarterback. And for what? Over deflated footballs? Essentially, you're going to wind up in court for that of all things?” ("His & Hers," ESPN2, 7/22). Meanwhile, SNY's Chris Carlin said by not yet issuing a decision, Goodell is "just sticking it to the Patriots since they’ve been -- let’s just say -- less than helpful this offseason" ("Loud Mouths," SNY, 7/21).

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