Unflattering Brady court sketches cause social media flurry

As the sides did last week as well, the NFL Players Association (on behalf of Tom Brady) and the NFL have once again filed briefs to U.S. District Court stating their positions.

“Is there a text in which Mr. Brady instructs someone to put a needle in a football?”

In court documents, the union’s lawyers said the suspension was unfair and violated the labor contract and complained that it would cause irreparable harm to Brady by forcing him to miss games.

Deflategate erupted after the Patriots won the January 19 AFC championship game over the Indianapolis Colts.

In his statement, Brady also discussed matters regarding his phone which was one of the major factors that led Goodell to the upholding of the suspension.

Brady has repeatedly said he knew nothing about a plot to deflate game balls.

What should be of even greater concern to Goodell – and NFL owners other than peeved Robert Kraft of the Patriots – is if Berman next Wednesday in open court should go after the commish over his own role, decisions and contentions in this mess.

Players, reporters, physicists and lawyers all shredding to hell Goodell, the NFL and many of their actions and contentions is one thing. Kessler claimed that the quarterback got rid of the phone on the advice of his agent to protect his privacy but had otherwise cooperated with the inquiry.

Albert Breer of NFL Media reported that Brady’s refusal to admit guilt remains a stumbling block.

In what is a direct response to the NFLPA’€™s move on Friday, the league offered a counterpoint to the latest strike from Tom Brady’€™s legal team, saying the quarterback was more than “generally aware”, but that he “knew about, approved, consented to, and provided inducements in support of tampering” with footballs.

Another hearing is scheduled for August 19. After a Week 4 bye, the Patriots visit the Dallas Cowboys on October 11.

The NFL and the union have asked Berman to decide whether to uphold the suspension by September 4, six days before New England’s 16-game season begins in a nationally televised game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Goodell walked out of the courthouse about 10 minutes after Brady exited, as seen in the picture below tweeted by ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter, with some spectators shouting “cheater, cheater” toward the Super Bowl MVP.

The motion also pointed to the testimony of Ted Wells, the investigator hired by the league, who said he never told Brady at any time that he would be subject to punishment for failing to turn over his electronic communications, which Brady said he withheld on advice of counsel.