NBC on Yahoo SportsWhy would Goodell and NFL change course on Brady now?
No matter how compelling Tom Brady was, no matter how persuasive Jeffrey Kessler may have been for 11 hours on Tuesday, does it seem likely Roger Goodell is going to wake up Wednesday and have an epiphany?
Think about it. Is Goodell going to say, “I know we spent six months and way more than $5 million on this thing and my staff put sweat and man-hours into proving the Patriots cheated and Tom Brady knew about it. I realize that, if I reduce or vacate Brady’s suspension it will be a refutation of Ted Wells’ work after I stood on the table to say what a brilliant job he did. I understand that believing any of the science debunkers means the discipline the Patriots already accepted will have to be re-evaluated. But I think I have to reduce this thing.
Goodell has too much at stake personally for that to be a smart move. And the people in his ear and in his face every day at 345 Park Ave. – the ones who saddled him with this farce in the first place because of their own bumbling – aren’t going to allow Goodell to roll them into traffic because of 11 hours from Brady and Kessler.
Over six months we’ve been witness to Goodell’s evasiveness and double-speak, Wells’ bombast and defensiveness, the leaks and the institutional arrogance of the league office. Why would they change course now when doing so would only hurt them.
Tuesday was necessary – all 11 hours – because Goodell had to give the appearance of impartiality and make sure that every shred of testimony and argument was offered on Brady’s behalf. Couldn’t have anything showing up in the transcript of the day’s proceedings that would look as if Goodell wasn’t letting Brady and Kessler have their say. That wouldn’t help in an appeal.
But believing that Goodell’s NFL spent six months carrying out a frame job and never once looked at its own complicity in making this mess is suddenly impartial? Because of 11 hours in late June?
After the Ray Rice video surfaced and Goodell had to stand up at a press conference and say of his initial discipline, “I got it wrong.” Now, less than a year later, he’s going to stand up and say that again by reducing or vacating Brady’s suspension?
I’ll be surprised.
Tom E. Curran serves as Comcast SportsNet's NFL Insider. Read more from Tom here, or follow him on Twitter or Facebook.
