Deflategate Scandal

       The league released Monday that quarterback Tom Brady was suspended four games, the team was fined $1 million and will lose its 2016 first-round draft pick and a fourth-round pick in 2017. The league has been considering punishment since the Ted Wells' report came out on Thursday.That's a fairly hefty punishment considering there was no evidence Brady was directly involved and the Wells' Report said Patriots ownership and coach Bill Belichick weren't involved. The league said the punishment was for violating playing rules and not cooperating fully in the investigation. Brady and his agent are planning an appeal to the punishment. Brady's agent claims that their was no fairness whatsoever to the Wells' Report and claimed the outcome was predetermined. He also stated that the NFL have a history of poor disciplinary decisions and that when a real, neutral judge decides, the punishment will be amended. 
        The NFL stated in their release that Patriots employees John Jastremski and James McNally have been indefinitely suspended. they will not be permitted reinstatement without the consent of the NFL. When they are reinstated, neither will be allowed to be in contact with any of the footballs before or on gameday.  The issue came about after the AFC championship game against the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts, who told the league the day before the game that they had concerns about the air pressure in the Patriots' game balls, intercepted a Brady pass in the first half and examined it on the sideline. They told the league, and league officials re-inspected the game balls at halftime and found they were under the minimum allowed by league rules.  
          The issue with punishing Brady is it is all based on conjecture. There's only circumstantial evidence. There's really no proof of Brady's direct participation in anything he was implicated of. The report claims Brady is guilty merely because it says he "had to have known", not because they had any proof that he did know or stated to either McNally or Jastremski that he wanted balls deflated after inspection. The report simply does not find him guilty which is why the NFL should reinstate him after his appeal. No matter what happens, this will not be the last time we hear about deflategate.