In the end, it amounts to nothing
by
, 09-03-2015 at 11:06 AM (3794 Views)
In hindsight, the NFL went after the wrong guy, and lost.
Judge Richard Berman, no relation to ESPN's Chris Berman (we think), overturned the 4 game suspension issued to New England Patriots QB Tom "Crybaby" Brady, which means trouble for the rest of the league. Crybaby will play with a bigger chip on his shoulder than usual when it all starts to count in a week's time vs. Pittsburgh.
Ted Wells' report didn't exactly indict Brady for his involvement, such as it is, in "DeflateGate", and the Patriots had already punished their designated sacrificial lambs before things spiraled out of control. The NFL, however, wanted more, in order to appease fans in 30 other cities who felt the Patriots should've been punished. They went after Brady, the face of the franchise, but they went after the wrong guy. If they wanted to punish Brady, it shouldn't have come to this at all, but a retroactive punishment for previously not disciplining him for a post-game temper tantrum that aired live on ESPN after a 2013 loss to Carolina. among other things.
Coach Bill Belichick claimed he had 0 do to with any of this, and it seems he's right about that. You had two low level assistants, looking to give their team an unfair advantage, they got busted, and I believe both were dismissed by the team. Like I said, sacrificial lambs.
So, then, who should the NFL have gone after? Probably owner Bob Kraft, since it's his team that's breaking rules with impunity, and until now, immune from discipline because of Kraft's standing with the league. It ends as yet another black eye for the league, because of the protracted, prolonged botch.
If the league couldn't provide concrete evidence that Crybaby had anything to do with this, they should've dropped the focus on him and turned their attention elsewhere. Since Kraft has to be held accountable for his employees' actions while "on the clock", if you will, and he's already washed his hands of the two clowns, he still has to take the punishment, which, rightfully, should be:
Kraft: Suspended from his committee(s) for 1 year.
Patriots: No draft picks for 2 years. Forfeiture of Super Bowl 49, the AFC East title, and conference title. Reduction of 2015-6 home games to 4 games per year, which this year would mean moving next week's game vs. Pittsburgh to Heinz Field and letting Seattle have the Thursday opener. Home games would be vs. Miami, Buffalo, the Jets, and Jacksonville.
Instead, it's an embarrassment to the entire league. The other shoe will drop when Roger Goodell is forced out after another scandal is botched within the next year or two.
I have made a point the last couple of years of not watching Patriots games because I lost respect for them a long time ago. I'll find something else to do next Thursday. I don't think Crybaby's going back to the Super Bowl next February, anyway. He'll get his on the field. Where it belongs.