Deflategate is finally over (thankfully), putting an end to one of the more ridiculous NFL offseason stories of all time. An appeal from the NFL may be coming, but following Thursday morning’s ruling, it appears that Tom Brady will not be suspended for his role in the never-ending ball-pressure saga.
Here is a list of winners and losers from the exhausting affair:
Winner: Tom Brady
The four-time Super Bowl champion came out on top again. Instead of having to serve a four-game suspension, Brady can play immediately. More importantly, the incredible career and legacy of the future Hall of Famer will not be stained by this overblown scandal.
Loser: Roger Goodell
Add another chapter to Goodell’s embarrassing tenure as NFL commissioner. In the latest of a long list of mishandled situations — Ray Rice’s domestic violence incident, the league’s concussion problems, Spygate, Bountygate, the referee lockout — Goodell tried to take down the league’s biggest star and failed, with Judge Richard Berman questioning how the commissioner arrived at such a severe punishment. The questions over his ability to handle the job will rightfully continue.
Winner: NFLPA
Defeating the most powerful league in sports isn’t easy, and with the victory, the union has set a precedent for players’ rights. Any future suspensions handed down from the league without significant evidence could end up in court again — and struck down.
Loser: Indianapolis Colts
The Colts’ 45-7 thrashing by the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game wasn’t bad enough, apparently. Having tipped off the league to the possibility of deflated balls, Indianapolis ended up creating this avalanche of nonsense for nothing. Thanks.
Winner: New England Patriots
Just like that, the defending champions have a two-time MVP at the sport’s most important position, rather than a 23-year-old with one career touchdown pass. With Brady back under center for next Thursday night’s season opener against the Steelers, the Patriots are again the clear favorite in the AFC East. More importantly, New England avoided another asterisk to another championship season.
Loser: Patriots opponents
The Steelers, Bills, Jaguars and Cowboys were in position to pick up unexpected wins against the Patriots during Brady’s suspension for the first four weeks. Now they’ll have to do it the hard way.
Loser: Jimmy Garoppolo
The former Eastern Illinois quarterback and 2014 second-round pick may have a promising future with the Patriots, but it may not come until the 38-year-old Brady decides to retire. This month, it was reported Brady sent a recent email that said while Peyton Manning is in the final chapter of his career, he’s “got another 7 or 8 years” left.
Winner: Bill Simmons
The Sports Guy has been an outspoken critic of the commissioner for years, calling him a “liar” and demanding he be fired from his position. His crusade contributed in no small part to his messy divorce from ESPN. Thursday the Boston diehard tweeted: “I learned today that, sometimes, a poorly planned and executed sting operation/witch hunt/smear campaign does NOT hold up in federal court.”
Loser: ESPN
Apart from having to listen to Simmons’ cries of vindication, the Worldwide Leader gets embarrassed by its association with (and prolonged defense of) a January report by Chris Mortensen about the PSI of the Patriots’ game balls. The alarmist story, which turned the crank on a thread that escalated into the Deflategate report, was subsequently shot down.
Loser: Ted Wells
The New York attorney, tabbed by the NFL to investigate Deflategate and produce a comprehensive report to inform Goodell’s discipline, was laughed down by Berman in Thursday’s decision, which put scare quotes on Wells’ task of being an “independent” sleuth.