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 NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will be the arbiter of the appeal by
the New England Patriots quarterback, who was found by a
league-hired investigator to have been aware of the plan.
The Patriots were fined $1 million and forced to surrender two draft
choices for deflating footballs in a 45-7 victory over the
Indianapolis Colts in January's AFC championship that put New
England in the Super Bowl.
New England defeated the Seattle Seahawks 28-24 in the Super Bowl, a
title now viewed by some as tainted. Deflating a football below NFL
standards could enable a quarterback to grip the ball better,
especially in the raw conditions in which the AFC title game was
played.
A four-game suspension against the 37-year-old Brady could harm his
legacy as one of the NFL's greatest quarterbacks ever. He has denied
any knowledge of a plan to deflate the balls.
Should Goodell uphold the league's suspension, the four-time Super
Bowl champion could take his case to federal court, where the NFL's
track record has been shaky recently.
Ted Wells, hired by the NFL to investigate how the footballs lost
the air, said Brady was aware of the plan, which Wells said was
carried out by two Patriots employees, officials' locker room
attendant Jim McNally and equipment assistant John Jastremski.
Wells, whose investigation has drawn praise by some and been blasted
by others, is expected to testify at the hearing, which could last
through Thursday.
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The NFL Players Association unsuccessfully called for Goodell to
recuse himself from Brady's appeal, labeling him a key witness and
saying he would be partial to the Wells report.
Brady's appeal pits the NFL's most popular player against the most
profitable sports league in the United States at a time when it is
reeling from criticism over its handling of players involved with
domestic violence and a concussion settlement for retired players
that could ultimately cost $1 billion.
Experts believe Brady has a chance to get his suspension halved, as
the penalty is severe by NFL standards. The league, for example,
assesses the same suspension for first-time violators caught using
performance-enhancing drugs.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft did not admit the team's guilt, but
decided against appealing the penalty.
(Reporting by Steve Ginsburg in Washington; Editing by Lisa Lambert)
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