Brady's Suspension and the Effects of Deflategate

                                         Written by Dylan Hunter Carter

After months of investigation, the NFL has finally reached an understanding of what took place in the Patriots organization regarding Deflategate. During the 2015 AFC Championship game between the Indianapolis Colts and the New England Patriots, it was discovered that the footballs used by the Pats had been slightly deflated, making it easier to throw and to catch each ball. Since then, the NFL has gone into deep investigation to discover what truly took place and who was responsible for the incident. Recently, Roger Goodell came to the conclusion that many different people within the organization had information regarding the mishap. Superstar Quarterback Tom Brady has been stuck in the center of the situation

Brady, the Super Bowl MVP and obvious leader of the Patriots, has been suspended by the NFL for the first four games of the 2015-2016 NFL season. In addition to Brady’s suspension, the Patriots were fined one million dollars, their first-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, and their fourth-round pick in the 2017 draft. Brady’s suspension will leave the Patriots without their leader in matchups against the Steelers, Bills, Jaguars, and Cowboys with a bye week in between Jacksonville and Dallas. These key matchups are expected to lead the Superbowl Champions off with a rough start.

Fans, players, and officials alike feel as if the suspension against Brady is unfair because of his lack of involvement in the actual deflating of the balls. Ted Wells, lead attorney working on the case, claims that Brady did have some minimal knowledge of the actual deflation although sufficient evidence has not yet been provided.

As expected, Brady’s agent and the NFLPA has filed an appeal against Brady’s 4 game suspension. The official press release by the players association stated :“If Ted Wells and the NFL believe, as their public comments stated, that the evidence in their report is “direct” and “exculpatory,” then they should be confident enough to present their case before someone who is truly independent.”

The NFLPA has acted with confidence in saving Brady from the situation, but the question of morality comes back into play. If information comes to light that Brady was in fact involved in the scandal then his luxurious career and image will be forever tainted. Some of the top athletes in the world have had their achievements overshadowed with scandal and allegations of breaking the rules of the sports they claim to love. . Players such as Gilbert Arenas and Barry Bonds have had their skill and achievements overshadowed by acts of weakness that cheat the sports we love. If Brady is revealed to have cheated his way into a Super Bowl victory, will his image change? Will Brady’s legacy in New England be tainted? What long term effects will come from Deflategate?

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