Tom Brady and the New England Patriots defeated the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC championship game 45-7 on January 19. The game was surrounded by controversy due to speculation that the Patriots deflated the ball to give them a competitive advantage.
Quarterback Tom Brady has been suspended for four games because of his involvement and knowledge of the deflation of the balls. Brady is expected to appeal the four game suspension.
Brady’s four game suspension is a slap on the wrist and frankly isn’t long enough. The NFL is basically saying that cheating is alright in the NFL and that the consequence is shorter than that of gambling on NFL games.
Tom Brady deserved a suspension that lasted the season. Players around the NFL have been suspended for longer for crimes that were not as influential in the decision of a game. Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon has been suspended for the entire 2015-2016 season for his problems with marijuana. Marijuana is legal in a few states and has a little to no affect on the outcome of a football game while cheating obviously has a huge affect on a game.
What makes me the most upset is he did this in a playoff game. A game that decides a team’s fate during the season and could have been the reason the Colts’ season ended that week.
Not only is the suspension an awful choice of length but the recent decisions of Roger Goodell prove he does not have what it takes to make decisions facing NFL players suspensions.