Tom Brady Is Reportedly Willing To Accept A Suspension

If no settlement is reached at the August 31 hearing, U.S. District Judge Richard Berman has said he hopes to rule on the issue by September 4.

“A settlement seems like a logical and rational option”, Berman said.

Berman carried the proceedings forward Wednesday by hearing oral arguments, and then lawyers on both sides talked behind closed doors.

The federal court hearing over Tom Brady’s four-game suspension may go on today without him.

The Patriots’ win sent them to the Super Bowl, where they beat the Seattle Seahawks 28-24 for Brady’s fourth title.

Considering Brady’s attorneys recently filed documents stating the NFL has done nothing but attempt to ruin his flawless image, it looks like the sides will continue to fail to reach an agreement.

“Brady is a key part of this team, a leader”, said Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler.

The commissioner also accused Brady of obstructing the NFL’s probe into the controversy by destroying his cellphone containing almost 10,000 messages.

The league remains steadfastly opposed to any compromise or reduction of suspension – that is, unless and until Brady admits guilt in the deflation scheme. That’s been followed by intermittent settlement talks, including Brady and Goodell meeting for a few hours on Tuesday to no avail.

Should there be no settlement between the two sides, it will be up to Berman to determine whether Brady should remain suspended for the first four games of the seasons for his role in the Deflategate scandal.

“Tom Brady is open to accepting some form of suspension”, Shefter wrote on his Facebook page.

Berman also suggested that the league’s finding that Brady was generally aware that game balls were being deflated was too vague, noting that any reference to the January 18 game against the Colts was “conspicuously absent” in a report on an NFL investigation that the league used as a basis for the suspension.

Author’s confession: I’m not sure exactly what that means, but the notion of employing “cumulative” testimony by the NFL really rankled Berman, who said cases have been vacated based on allowing “cumulative” testimony.