A source said that Patriots QB Tom Brady gave the NFLPA the "go-ahead to take the league to federal court" after NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell upheld Brady's four-game Deflategate suspension. The source said that the union intended to file its case in Minnesota, where U.S. District Judge David Doty "has historically ruled in favor of players." The NFLPA "plans to ask the court to either rule before the Patriots' Sept. 10 opener or grant an injunction that lets Brady play until it does," according to another source. The NFL management council yesterday "preemptively filed a request" for a U.S. District Court in Manhattan to "confirm the league’s decision" to uphold the suspension (USA TODAY, 7/29).
Brady's first response to the news came via a Facebook post: "I am very disappointed by the NFL’s decision to uphold the 4 game suspension against me. I did nothing wrong, and no one in the Patriots organization did either. ... To suggest that I destroyed a phone to avoid giving the NFL information it requested is completely wrong" (FACEBOOK.com, 7/29). The Patriots in a written statement said they "unequivocally believe in and support Tom Brady," calling the decision to uphold the punishment "incomprehensible" (L.A. TIMES, 7/29). Coach Bill Belichick is scheduled to talk to the media today at 10:00am ET (Mult., 7/28).
