It’s looking more likely that ever that Tom Brady will be sitting the first four games of the 2016 season. The second circuit court denied Brady and the NFLPA’s appeal for an En Banc hearing on Deflategate, leaving limited options for the defamed quarterback. Brady could try to take it to the Supreme Court, but he’s just about out of options.
For Pats fans, there are so many emotions. Everyone is sick of Deflategate. Even those of us who are apoplectic at the way the NFL treated their star player are ready to be done with it. And by now it’s easy to find the silver linings.
Jimmy Garoppolo is now poised to play at Arizona, vs. Miami, vs. Houston and vs. Buffalo. Three home games, but four defenses that are daunting. In the long term, it’s great for the Patriots to get a look at Garoppolo now, in his third year. Next offseason will be the last time the Pats could move Garoppolo and get something for him. So this will be an audition as much as anything.
And really, even with Brady, the Pats usually sputter a bit out of the gate. Even a 1-3 record wouldn’t be insurmountable, while 3-1 or 2-2 are usually par for the course anyway. So to the 31 teams who are reacting like the Bills, nah-nah-nah-poo-poo the Patriots are still going to be fine, not only this season, but for future seasons because they’ll truly know what they have in their backup QB.
Plus Brady gets a lighter training camp and shortened season which can only benefit the soon-to-be 39 year-old. He’ll have four weeks to stew and will be ready to unleash hell on the Cleveland Browns on October 9th, before making his first home appearance against the Bengals. I’m most curious how Brady studies the offense in those first four games, what he sees and how he can help implement ways to use new players like Martellus Bennett.
But it still sucks. The NFL played dirty from the start with this whole affair. From refusing to correct false information in the media, to planting lies in the media to support their version, to moving the goal posts after the appeal, the NFL was in it to win it the entire time. Forget the actual truth and evidence. They saw their chance to finally get those Patriots, and pulled out all the stops to make sure they prevailed.
Maybe Brady tries to go to the Supreme Court. He certainly has the legal team in place for it. Maybe, like many would love, he opens a defamation lawsuit against the NFL (that’s where things would get uber interesting). Or maybe this really is the end of a crazy charade that lasted over a year-and-a-half all over footballs that were .4% below what the Ideal Gas Law predicted they would be.
