Patriots QB Tom Brady today is scheduled to appeal his DeflateGate punishment at the NFL's N.Y. offices, and the session is "as big as it gets." If the hearing "runs long, it will continue on Thursday." The appeal is Brady's "opportunity to prove his innocence," or at least convince NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell that his "four-game suspension is unjustifiably harsh." The CBA states that Goodell "must make his decision 'as soon as practicable,' but with no defined timeline" (BOSTON GLOBE, 6/21). FoxSports.com lists the likely figures on both sides of the table:
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NFL SIDE
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TOM BRADY SIDE
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Exec VP & General Counsel
Jeff Pash |
Agent Don Yee |
VP/Labor Litigation & Policy
Larry Ferrazani |
Attorney Jeffrey Kessler |
Senior Labor Relations Counsel
Kevin Manara |
NFLPA Exec Dir DeMaurice Smith |
Senior Labor Relations Counsel
Brook Gardiner |
NFLPA General Counsel Tom DePaso |
Senior VP/Law & Labor Policy
Adolpho Birch III |
NFLPA Associate General Counsel
Heather McPhee |
Exec VP/Football Operations
Troy Vincent |
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Senior VP/Football Operations
David Gardi |
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| Independent arbitrator Ted Wells |
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ESPN.com offers a rundown of
"what you need to know" about the appeal, while SI.com delves into the
legal arguments Brady's side "may deploy."
