Roger and Me

How did this happen, me being on the same side as NFL commissioner Roger Goodell?  But in the case of Goodell vs. Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady, I am, sort of.

Yesterday, a federal judge overturned Brady’s four-game suspension for Deflategate.  Apparently, the judge didn’t think that the seriousness of the situation had been conveyed to Brady, and he found instances where evidence and a witness had been kept from the quarterback’s legal team.  Furthermore, “No NFL policy or precedent notifies players that they may be disciplined (much less suspended) for general awareness of misconduct by others,” wrote Federal District Judge Richard M. Berman.  By this, Berman means Brady may have been vaguely aware that Patriots’ equipment people had been tampering with the balls but didn’t alert anyone.  In other words, Buck Weaver would’ve been home free if only he had played football instead of third base.

My own take on the situation is that a reasonable suspicion of cheating merits investigation and punishment, if the facts warrant it.  The problem for Goodell is that the NFL has been used to getting its way for so long that it thought due process is for suckers.  But you have to respect the law if you want to live under the rule of law.

Things could get interesting for the folks who pay the commissioner’s salary and dislike taking it on the chin in court.  One thing about owners is they all hate losing.