Judge orders Deflategate talks, urges all sides to cool it

Tom Brady’s supporters were out in force for the Patriots first practice of training camp on Thursday, with fans cheering the San Mateo native as he came out on the practice field.

Donald Yee, Brady’s attorney, says the league already had details of Brady’s phone communication, and that was merely recycling his phone to get a new Iphone 6.

Moments after announcing Goodell’s decision, the league filed action in U.S. District Court in New York against the union, saying the NFL commissioner has the right under the labor agreement to hand out such discipline “for conduct that he determines is detrimental to the integrity of, or public confidence in, the game of professional football”.

As it turns out, the case won’t be heard Minnesota, but rather in New York, where Judge Richard M. Berman is in no mood to deal with the irritability on both sides.

“I request that you all engage in comprehensive, good-faith settlement discussions prior to the [settlement] conference”, Berman wrote to the league and the NFL Players Association, which is acting on Brady’s behalf.

Earlier in the day, the NFL and the players union asked the Manhattan judge in a joint letter to resolve their dispute over Bradys suspension by September 4 — six days before the Patriots opener against Pittsburgh.

Brady said he replaced his broken phone only after his lawyers told league investigators they couldn’t have it. “Most importantly, I have never written, texted, emailed to anybody at any time, anything related to football air pressure before this issue was raised at the AFC Championship game in January”, he wrote.

Calling the appeal process “a sham”, Brady’s agent, Don Yee, said Goodell “failed to ensure a fair process” in upholding the quarterback’s four-game suspension. “And now coming into training camp, that’s all we’re talking about”. Weather conditions on game day in a Boston suburb Boston were raw, and a ball deflated below league standards might have been easier for a quarterback like Brady to grip.

The union did not request a court order allowing Brady to play before a decision is handed down. Coach Gus Bradley said the former Seahawk failed to make it to Jacksonville because of “personal things”.

Kraft said the team turned over every cellphone not belonging to a player – including the one belonging to Coach Bill Belichick.

The case is headed to court, but for now, the four-time Super Bowl champion is barred from playing the first four games of the regular season.

He also said Brady’s suspension should not be reviewed in Minnesota just because Peterson’s was. I personally got annoyed with how much this was talked about and how it focused most of the attention off the greatest sports event we have.

In turn, if the suspension is upheld late in the season or the playoffs, Brady must immediately carry out the suspension upon the ruling.