Here we go again.
Today, a three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that Tom Brady must serve a four-game Deflategate suspension initially imposed by the NFL, overturning federal judge Richard Berman’s September ruling to expel Roger Goodell’s original punishment. The three-judge panel sided 2-1 in favor of the NFL.
According to CNBC, the courts ruled that the NFL and Goodell “properly exercised his discretion under the collective bargaining agreement” to suspend Brady for four games.
Chief Judge Robert Katzmann, the judge who voted in favor of Brady, expressed his disappointment with Monday’s ruling.
“I am troubled by the Commissioner’s decision to uphold the unprecedented four-game suspension,” Katzmann said. “The Commissioner failed to even consider a highly relevant alternative penalty.”
It’s important to note that the judges ruling doesn’t necessarily indicate they believe Brady is guilty in the matter (as they did not have to consider the facts in the case), it simply determined that Goodell had the right as Commissioner to be the arbitrator, thus reinstating the four-game suspension that Judge Barrington D. Parker called a “draconian penalty.”
The new ruling also promises to resurrect the tired often circular argument of Brady and the Patriots organization’s integrity, which being a Boston bro, is impeccable. Exemplary, even. Hearing this news on a Monday morning displeases me.
The NFL doesn't even know what a catch is but they're after Tom Brady for maybe using a deflated ball in a blowout win two years ago.
— #AskFFT (@daverichard) April 25, 2016
45-7.
[h/t CNBC]