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SPORTSFriday 4 March 2016
Court debate may lead to ‘Deflategate’ suspension for Brady
LARRY NEUMEISTER - In this Monday, Aug. 31, 2015, file photo, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady leaves at “first blush a draconian
COLLEEN LONG federal court, in New York. Associated Press penalty” for deflated foot-
Associated Press balls.
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. ap- Roger Goodell to severely per Bowl. hired. “What’s the advantage
peals court judges seemed penalize the star quarter- Judge Barrington D. Parker “Goodell is effectively the you get from an underin-
likely to restore New Eng- back after concluding he said the cellphone-destruc- judge, the juror and ex- flated football?” he asked.
land Patriots quarterback tarnished the game by im- tion issue raised the stakes ecutioner,” Parker told NFL The judges also questioned
Tom Brady’s four-game peding the league’s inves- “from air in a football to attorney Paul Clement, why deflating footballs
suspension for the scandal tigation into deflated foot- compromising the integrity though he quickly added would warrant a severe
known as Deflategate af- balls, including having an of the proceeding.” that executioner “is not suspension.
ter shredding some of his aide destroy a cellphone The judges did not treat the right word.” Clement But they seemed to answer
union’s favorite arguments containing nearly 10,000 the NFL gingerly either, with said Goodell was the right that question themselves
for dismissal on Thursday. messages. The league con- Parker questioning whether person to preside over the as they noted repeatedly
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court cluded that deflated balls Goodell took his authority proceedings because the that it may well be within
of Appeals in Manhat- were used when the Patri- too far by designating him- dispute began as a conflict Goodell’s authority to pun-
tan gave a players union ots routed the Indianapolis self the arbitrator and mak- between two teams over ish a player if he concludes
lawyer a tough time, with Colts in January 2015 in the ing findings that went be- ball deflation.At another that the player interfered
Circuit Judge Denny Chin AFC Championship before yond a report prepared by point, Parker said Brady’s with an investigation and
even saying evidence of they went on to win the Su- an investigator the league lengthy suspension seemed thus engaged in conduct
ball tampering was “com- detrimental to the game.
pelling, if not overwhelm- After Goodell rejected
ing,” and that there was Brady’s appeal of the
evidence Brady encour- four-game suspension, the
aged it and supported it. league went to federal
“How do we simply sec- court to get a judge’s ap-
ond-guess a four-game proval of its handling of
suspension?” he asked at- the case. But Judge Rich-
torney Jeffrey Kessler of the ard Berman ruled against
NFL Players Association. the NFL a week before the
The appeals court did not season began, eliminating
immediately rule, but it Brady’s suspension.
seemed to lean heavily at The NFL appealed. Clem-
times against the union’s ent urged the court to rule
arguments, raising the quickly for the good of the
prospect that the suspen- game.“It would be an aw-
sion Brady was supposed ful shame if this issue has to
to start last September may hang over the league for
begin next season instead. another season,” he said.
The three-judge panel “End it now.”
seemed receptive to the Neither Goodell nor Brady
NFL’s argument that it was in court on Thursday.
was fair for Commissioner q
Australia wins men’s team pursuit,
Kristina Vogel the women’s keirin
Germany’s Kristina Vogel, front, crosses the finish line to win the were ahead going into the super hungry, and I just told gins said. “Initially, you’re
Women’s Keirin final race at the World Track Cycling champi- last 250 meters at Lee Val- them before I went out we gutted - I am especially -
onships in London, Thursday, March 3, 2016. At right is Britain’s ley VeloPark. are on the verge of doing and you try to put a brave
Rebecca James. But Australia hit back to something magical, and face on, be sportsmanlike
take the gold medal in a they didn’t let the pressure and say congratulations.
Associated Press national record of 3 min- get to them.” I said it was going to take
utes, 52.727 seconds, the Hepburn believed a sub a (three minutes) 52 (sec-
LIZ BYRNES ships on Thursday. second fastest in history. 3:50 will be needed to win onds) or world record to
Associated Press Australia went out quickly “That is the sixth rainbow jer- the Olympic title in Rio de win here.
LONDON (AP) — Australia but the hosts - including re- sey for me, and I’m sure it’s Janeiro. Hats off to them. They’re
overhauled Britain on the turning seven-time Olympic the most special,” Austra- The result meant Britain missing two strong riders
final lap to win the men’s medalist Bradley Wiggins - lian rider Michael Hepburn ended the second night from that team.
team pursuit at the track took the lead with two and said. “We just stuck to our with a medal of each col- “It’s really disappointing (for
cycling world champion- a half laps remaining and plan, and rode the times or, though it’s still consid- us). But at the same time,
we wanted to ride coming ered to be enduring a poor when we look where we
into the final, where they start to the championships, come from, we’re close.”
probably laid it down a lit- continuing a lean run in re- Hepburn paid tribute to
tle bit more. cent years. Wiggins.
“What got us across the The last time Wiggins com- “It is fantastic to have
line tonight was six solid peted at a track worlds someone like Bradley back
guys, no superheroes, and was in 2008, when he came riding the boards, bringing
getting the best out of away with three titles. the limelight to the track
each other. The boys were “It’s mixed emotions,” Wig- again,” he said.q
