The NFLPA yesterday "formally requested" that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell "recuse himself as the hearing officer" for Patriots QB Tom Brady’s appeal of his Deflategate punishment, according to Ben Volin of the BOSTON GLOBE. The date of the appeal has not been set. The union has said that it will call Goodell and NFL Exec VP/Football Operations Troy Vincent "as witnesses." But the odds of Goodell stepping down from the case "are not good." The CBA between the NFL and NFLPA "expressly allows him to act as the hearing officer in appeals of player discipline," and in the few times Goodell has "handed off his appeals decisions to an outside party, it has not worked well for him" (BOSTON GLOBE, 5/20). FS1's Peter Schrager said both sides are "digging their heels in, and I’m being told that Brady is not looking for a knockdown of games on suspension, he’s looking for a zero-game suspension." Schrager: "This is his name and legacy on the line” ("America's Pregame," FS1, 5/19). In N.Y., Gary Myers writes it "seems clear that Brady is going to take this as far as the law allows in an attempt to have his name cleared and get his four-game suspension vacated." Meanwhile, by announcing the Patriots would not fight their Deflategate penalties, team Owner Robert Kraft "left Brady on his own to battle the league" on his suspension (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 5/20).
KRAFTING A PLAN? ESPN's Adam Schefter cited sources as saying that "despite widespread speculation that Kraft dropped his opposition" of the team's punishment "in exchange for promises regarding who will handle Brady's appeal ... the league made no assurances to the Patriots or Kraft regarding Brady's fate" (ESPNBOSTON.com, 5/19). But BLEACHER REPORT's Mike Freeman writes it would be an "understatement ... to say that most team officials believe that Kraft not appealing means a quid pro quo on Brady is coming." Outside of one league source, everybody else Freeman spoke to yesterday "believes a covert deal was made" (BLEACHERREPORT.com, 5/20). In Jacksonville, Ryan O'Halloran wrote he does not "buy for a second" that Kraft’s announcement "isn’t connected" with Brady’s current four-game suspension. Once Kraft had a "few days to decompress and talk to Goodell, he likely figured the best way to get Brady back on the field was to accept the league’s decision" (JACKSONVILLE.com, 5/19). YAHOO SPORTS' Eric Adelson wrote Kraft's decision is "more likely a way to reduce Brady's suspension and help save" the '15 season. But a plea deal "still implies guilt, and that's a stain Brady would have to get rid of" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 5/19). ESPN’s Pablo Torre said, “This smells like political theater. ... It sure seems like he got a lot of outrage out there before realizing, ‘Wait a minute, maybe I can get something out of this for me and for the Patriots’” ("Around The Horn," ESPN, 5/19).
