NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell believes the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit's ruling to reinstate Patriots QB Tom Brady's four-game suspension "was the right decision." Appearing on Bloomberg TV yesterday, Goodell said, "We're obviously very pleased with the decision. ... They were very firm in their decision that that was within our authority and the judgments were based on solid facts." Bloomberg's David Westin asked Goodell if the experience has caused him to have second thoughts on how much authority the position of commissioner has. Goodell replied, "We think it's important that the commissioner protect the integrity of the game, that you can't entrust that to someone who has no understanding of our business. In fact, the appellate court (Monday) reaffirmed that" ("Bloomberg <GO>," Bloomberg TV, 4/26).
LONG WAY TO GO: NFLPA Assistant Exec Dir of External Affairs George Atallah said the case "doesn't seem like it is going to end anytime soon" if Brady wants to "continue to pursue any further options." He said, "If we believe that a player's rights have been violated, it's our obligation to fight." Atallah said the union wants to "try to figure out and weigh all the options" that Brady has. He noted the only real chance at a settlement with the league would be if a "level-headed and influential team owner (would) step in and broker some kind of deal." Atallah: "We’ve always felt that way, that if it was between the commissioner making up his mind to come up with some sort of reasonable solution to this, we wouldn’t get there. It has been proved that we haven’t gotten there" ("The Dan Patrick Show," 4/26). Atallah added, "We have a long way to go to fight this. Worst-case scenario is we've exposed a really, really screwed-up process for the most popular game in the world." In Boston, Ben Volin notes the clock is "ticking for Brady to make a decision." He has 14 days "from the ruling to file an 'en banc' petition for the entire Second Circuit to hear an appeal." Volin notes a settlement for many reasons "is unlikely," as the NFL "has been stubborn about refusing to compromise with Brady." Also, Brady "has fought adamantly about his innocence" (BOSTON GLOBE, 4/27). ESPN's Michael Smith said, "I have not heard anybody give me a reason for Tom Brady and NFLPA to drop this fight that is rooted in Brady's best interests. It might be in the best interests of an exhausted public that is sick and tired of talking about PSI or sick and tired of this story. ... If you’re Tom Brady, the time for compromise has long since passed” ("His & Hers," ESPN2, 4/26).
PITFALLS OF JUSTICE: In L.A., Michael Hiltzik writes there are "two real pitfalls in the NFL's system of justice -- or more properly, 'justice.'" First is the NFLPA's "cavalier approach to granting the commissioner authority." The players "see the consequences now, but they must have been crystal clear in the past: who in their right minds would grant a prosecutor the authority to be his own judge?" The second pitfall is the "incredible deference courts give to arbitration awards" (L.A. TIMES, 4/27). In Boston, Christopher Gasper writes NFL players "wanted their paychecks, and to get them they sacrificed one of their primary goals of the CBA negotiations: blunting Goodell's authority." It has "proven far more costly than any lost lucre." A global settlement that would reduce Brady's suspension and resolve Vikings RB Adrian Peterson's suspension case, "which the NFL appealed, makes sense" (BOSTON GLOBE, 4/27). Saints QB Drew Brees said many people would agree that Goodell "definitely has too much power." Brees said, "He is basically judge, jury, executioner when it comes to all league discipline. I'm not gonna trust any league-led investigation when it comes to anything because it's not transparent." He added, "I feel like there's a desired conclusion or agenda that they have in mind, and that prevents maybe the absolute truth from being told or the absolute facts from being presented" ("SI Now," SI.com, 4/26).
SHIFT IN PERCEPTION: CSNNE.com's Tom Curran noted the wording of the majority opinion written by Judge Barrington Parker "did not indicate that Goodell's 'judgments were based on solid facts.'" It showed that the judges "weren't terribly interested in Goodell's gathering of facts or his ruling on them." Only that he "ran his kangaroo court in a fashion the CBA allowed him to" (CSNNE.com, 4/26). BLEACHER REPORT's Mike Freeman cited league sources as saying that they "believe the NFL got the investigation wrong -- or mostly wrong -- and that the Patriots never cheated." The sources also "believe that's the new consensus around the league." This "shift in perception of the Patriots and what they did to deserve the loss of these draft picks" has "become one of the biggest stories heading into" tomorrow's NFL Draft. Wanting to "see things go wrong for the Patriots is a natural and powerful instinct," and yet, "in this climate, fear of the commissioner's wrath is even more powerful" (BLEACHERREPORT.com, 4/26).
KING'S COURT: CSNNE.com's Curran wrote Goodell yesterday instead of "taking victory laps" would have "been better off spending his day on the phone telling NFL owners that it was time to cash out on Deflategate." Now is the "perfect time for the NFL to make a deal." The league "has the ruling it needs" confirming Goodell can "run a sham investigation, frame a player, punish a player and then sit in judgment of that punishment." Goodell can "look benevolent if he shaves Brady's suspension down to two, one or no games at all" (CSNNE.com, 4/26). YAHOO SPORTS' Shalise Manza Young wrote of Goodell, "Seriously: does he get a bonus every time he says 'integrity of the game'?" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 4/26).
