Roger Goodell had a surprising reaction to Monday’s news that Tom Brady’s suspension had been reinstated.
Just kidding. He responded exactly as you’d expect.
The NFL commissioner spoke Tuesday morning on Bloomberg TV and he expressed satisfaction with the U.S. Court of Appeals’ decision to reinstate the New England Patriots quarterback’s four-game suspension for his alleged role in Deflategate.
“We’re obviously pleased with the court’s decision,” Goodell said on Bloomberg TV, as transcribed by Pro Football Talk. “We think that was the right decision. They were very firm in their decision that that was within our authority and the judgments were based on solid facts. So we’re actually pleased with that, and we hope we can move on from there.”
While everyone surely would love to “move on,” it doesn’t appear that’s going to happen any time soon. All signs point to Brady and the NFLPA digging in their heels and fighting this latest ruling.
Even if Brady and the union want to continue the fight, Monday’s ruling — with two of three judges siding with the NFL — could forecast an uphill battle on the players’ side, as Goodell and the league don’t show any signs of letting up.
“We think it’s important that the commissioner protect the integrity of the game, that you can’t entrust that to someone who has no understanding of our business, and the appellate court yesterday reaffirmed that,” Goodell continued. “So we think this is an important element of our success. We obviously have changed our discipline process through the years and we will continue to do that if we think it’s in the best interests of the NFL.”
Either way, this thing probably is a long way from over.
Thumbnail photo via Joe Camporeale/USA TODAY Sports Images
