Tom Brady went through the roughest period of his career when he was handed a four-game suspension for “Deflategate.” However, at first, he felt like he had no support. After Roger Goodell slammed down a $1 million fine, the biggest in NFL history, a loss of draft picks, and suspended Tom Brady for four games, Robert Kraft didn’t seem to be in a battling mood. He accepted the terms of the punishment, and understandably, Brady was a little frustrated at the situation.
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The Patriots had won a massive blowout against the Indianapolis Colts in the 2014-15 AFC Conference Championship Game. All their focus would surely be on the Super Bowl ahead, and preparing for the Seattle Seahawks right? Well, not quite. Reports broke that the Patriots had tampered with the game balls, specifically underinflating them. Rather than discussing strategy or the game at Super Bowl media day, the Patriots were showered with questions about another “cheating” scandal.
Tom Brady Was Fuming After Robert Kraft’s Response
If you’re looking for a good recount of how Brady’s legal battle played out with the NFL, then look no further than Casey Sherman and Dave Wedge’s book, Tom Brady, and his Battle for Redemption.
The title is an accurate representation of the book, perfectly depicting the behind-the-scenes of how Brady had to fight for his reputation and standing in the NFL.
It perfectly depicts the “war” between Tom Brady and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, providing insider quotes and stories that you couldn’t find anywhere else.
For example, after Roger Goodell’s initial gut punch to the Patriots, there was a lot of speculation about how Patriots owner Robert Kraft would react to the news. Kraft and Goodell were friends, and this seemed like it would cause a major dent in that relationship. In the owners’ meeting in 2015, Kraft set his stance.
However, Kraft didn’t blow up the way people thought he would. “I have two options,” Kraft said on May 19th, 2015, as per the book. “I can either end it or extend it. So in that spirit, I don’t want to continue the rhetoric that’s gone on for the last four months. I’m going to accept, reluctantly, what he [Goodell] has given us, and not to continue this dialogue and rhetoric, and we won’t appeal.”
Brady was furious. He dialed the executive director of the NFLPA, DeMaurice Smith, and was livid. “What the f**k?”, he shouted as per the book. “Why am I not getting the support I deserve on this thing?”
Smith had to calm Brady down. “No matter what Kraft says, it has no bearing on our appeal of the four-game suspension,” he explained to Brady, as per the book. “We’ll be ready for that. Trust me.”
Brady did eventually win the appeal against his suspension, but his suspension was reinstated the next year. The quarterback tried his hardest to win his case, but in the end, it was out of his hands.
You can find more exciting and insider stories like this one in Sherman and Wedge’s book.
Brady Lit Up the League in His Return
A four-game suspension didn’t matter for Brady. Nothing can shake his presence and ability to perform on the football field, and a legal battle with the NFL was certainly not going to do it.
He came back to torch the league, setting a record for the highest touchdown to interception ratio at 28-2 (14-1), nearly won league MVP, and knocked off the MVP quarterback in the Super Bowl while leading the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history. Talk about that for revenge.
