You all know I am not a fan of the New England Patriots, and especially not a fan of Tom Brady.  I think he is a primadonna , egomaniac, and above all I hate the fact that he keeps winning year after year, (jealousy? maybe).  This whole Deflategate drama has been going on for seven months and there have been voices on both sides of the issue, both in favor of Brady and against him.  I honestly think the whole thing was silly, overblown (remember the Pats won that game 45-7) and above all, stupid. 

That being said, with the NFL and Roger “Napoleon” Goodell upholding the four game suspension of Tom Brady for his role in this whole thing was shocking to me.  I honestly thought there would be a reduction of his suspension, maybe to two games or even one game.  I did not believe for a minute that the four games would be upheld, and I believe that most of the football world thought the same exact thing.  the deciding factor in this was the fact that Brady did not cooperate with the investigation and actually had his cell phone destroyed the day he was to meet with investigators. 

That in and of itself was the straw that broke the camel’s back.  Brady says he destroys all of his old phones when he buys a new one, but the fact he destroyed that particular phone on that specific day weighed heavily in upholding the suspension.  Look, I’m not that naïve to believe That Brady didn’t know exactly what he was doing.   He knew the NFL was going to want to look at the phone, he knew that they were going to use the history of his text messages to find out whether or not he had an active role in deflating the balls for the AFC Championship game, and he knew that by destroying that phone any messages that were sent to anyone that he may have messaged regarding the deflating of said footballs would be out there for the NFL and the world to see. 

Brady deserved to be suspended.  did he deserve four games? no…

The comparison being used as to the length of the suspension is equal to the suspension given tot a player for a DUI.  A DUI????  seriously?   You are comparing impeding an investigation over whether or not some player directed ball boys to underinflate a game ball for a playoff game to a player driving drunk.  where is the rationale in that?  This whole issue has been mismanaged by the NFL from the start.  The inconsistency of the way the NFL has handed down punishments for player behavior is mind boggling.  To put it in perspective, Tom Brady is now suspended for AS MANY games for his role in deflategate as GREG HARDY is for domestic violence.  think about that.  how the hell is that fair?

I truly believe one or two games would have been sufficient, but because Brady didn’t admit to any guilt in a conspiracy or to his role in this, he is not being punished on the same level as a player that has been pleaded guilty to beating up women.  Goodell needs to look at himself long and hard in the mirror and wonder whether or not he has a “God Complex”.  cause to punish the best QB in the game on that same level is tantamount to cruel and unusual punishment in the prison system.  Tom Brady was never accused or convicted of committing an actual crime.  he didn’t break the law, he didn’t beat up Giselle (frankly I think she could kick his ass) and he certainly wont be looked upon as a monster like Hardy.  So no, the punishment does not fit the “crime” in this instance

This is now going to the courts, and the final decision will be decided outside of the NFL venue and both parties will now leave the final say on the matter to a federal judge.  This should have been over months ago and we should be more focused on the upcoming season.  This has been a comedy of errors from the get-go, and now it has become the plotline of a reality show.  I’m embarrassed for the league, and I am sad as a fan.

Scott Wright “The Sports Nerd”