Brady Takes Ban to the Supreme Court

Once again, Patriots golden, Tom Brady is making headlines. The four-time Super Bowl champion and eleven-time pro bowler appealed his 4 game suspension, to the 2nd US Court of Appeals in Manhattan earlier today, July 7, 2016.

The suspension stems from the deflate gate game versus the Colts in the 2015 AFC championship, in which Indianapolis raised allegations that the Patriots staff had tampered with the game balls. The League later tested the balls and they were indeed under-inflated. These findings were then followed by a three-month investigation conducted by league investigator Ted Wells. The Wells’ report came to the conclusion that the Patriots did indeed use under-inflated footballs during the January 18th bout versus the Indianapolis Colts, and that Tom Brady was at least somewhat aware of these happenings. After this report was released in May of 2015, Brady was initially suspended by the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell for four games. After the first suspension was laid on Brady, he appealed to the federal court and ultimately had the 2015 four game ban lifted and went on to participate in all 16 regular season games of the 2015 season.

Well, here we are again. Earlier this year the NFL filed an appeal to the 2nd Circuit Court the would have Brady’s four-game ban reinstated. On April 25, the three-judge panel of the court decided on a 2 to 1 decision, that upheld the suspension Goodell issued. They concluded that the ban was fair under the grounds of the collective bargaining agreement. After the ruling was made, Brady and his legal team appealed en banc, which led us to this morning’s hearing where the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Brady and the NLFPA’s push for a reconsideration of the verdict that was reached on the 25th of April.

So what does Brady do now?  

Brady and his legal team, led by attorney Ted Olson, look to make an appeal to the Supreme court. According to Olson and the legal team, this is no longer just about football, but an American worker who is fighting for his “industrial rights”.

With the sporting world having to sit and watch this long, drawn out process of appeals many come to wonder if Brady should just accept his suspension and move forward. At this point, the back and forth volley between the NFL and Brady has become frankly obnoxious and has transpired into a tired out fiasco. One may understand that Brady is not only fighting for his right to play the game he loves but to save his legacy from being tarnished by one occurrence. Even if this holds to be true, it is time to lay this case to rest.

Andre Toran