If DeflateGate was a hot air balloon, it would be the most grotesque air traveling vehicle in history. And now it would be plummeting toward Earth as the air is all but gone from one of the most ridiculous stories in the history of the NFL.
Tom Brady did NFL fans everywhere a favor when he decided that discretion was the better part of valor. He gave up his fight with the League not because he felt like he was in the wrong, but to do the least amount of damage to his team.
To keep fighting the legal battle meant that Brady could eventually miss games late in the season as the appeal process played out.
The greatest field general in the history of the NFL figured it would be least harmful to his Patriots if he accepted the suspension that covered the first four games of the year.
At least now, the Pats have more time to prepare for the first 25 percent of their schedule, as they face Arizona, Miami, Houston, and Buffalo. Prepping Jimmy Garoppolo multiple weeks in advance is a much better plan than running him out there on a few days notice, based on a court schedule
While most legal experts expected Tom Brady to lose the case no matter how far it went, nothing was guaranteed. Many of those same experts never figured Brady would ever take this case to a real courtroom, much less have his suspension initially overturned.
In my eyes, Brady stood up to the bully that is Roger Goodell.
And if Roger was high-fiving his staff when the news of Brady’s acceptance of the suspension came in, he is more delusional than we thought.
Goodell only succeeded in tarnishing his legacy further by continuing to press forward with DefateGate.
The Commish is no hero.
He didn’t clean the game up.
And he certainly didn’t knock the greatest NFL quarterback of all time down a notch or two.
If anything, Goodell just made Tom Brady more of an icon than ever.
Again, Brady didn’t cry “uncle.” He just sacrificed his fight in order to put his team in the best position to win long term.
Before you all get overly excited about the impending end to DeflateGate, keep in mind that it won’t really be over until about week six or seven of the 2016 NFL season.
Brady’s absence will be a constant point of analysis in every pregame and postgame show. Not to mention the comparisons we’ll hear about Brady and Garoppolo during the first four games.
As this debacle winds down though, there could be some unexpected consequences as a result of DeflateGate.
– Jimmy Garoppolo could play lights out in the first four weeks, making himself the heir apparent to Brady. Or he could be used as trade bait to teams desperate to find a franchise QB. You do remember how Matt Cassel got rich quick when he filled in for an injured Brady in 2008 right?
– Playing only 75 percent of the season could help an aging quarterback like Tom Brady. If he’s 25 percent fresher when the playoffs roll around, this suspension might be a blessing in disguise. If it works out, the Pats might even send a thank you card to Rog and let Brady rest the first four games for the rest of his career.
– Bill Belichick could be seen as even more brilliant if he leads this team to another Super Bowl after having his most important guy only play 12 regular season games.
– Brady being out will make waves in the fantasy football world too. Do you take him in season long leagues knowing he is out for so long? And for daily fantasy, will Garoppolo be a real value even with a low price tag? And how cheap will Brady be in week five?
– This case could serve as a good example of how the League should proceed in the future when it comes to minor offenses like deflating footballs. Even if the NFL had video of Brady telling the equipment guys to suck the air out of some footballs, only the real Patriot haters would care.
Whether or not the owners are willing to back another ridiculous witch hunt remains to be seen. If they care about their league’s image in the slightest, they better rein in their commissioner going forward.