NEW: Tom Brady’s Appeal Hearing Will be Held June 23

Friday, May 29, 2015
GoLocalWorcester Sports Team

Tom Brady
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady will have the appeal of his four game suspension stemming from findings of the Wells Report heard on June 23 and continued on June 25 if necessary, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. 

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will hear the appeal despite the NFLPA asking him to recuse himself as the players union plans on asking him to testify. 

Tom Brady filed his appeal on Thursday May, 14. 

Brady to Fight, Patriots Move on

While Tom Brady will go through with his appeal and continue to fight his four game suspension, the New England Patriots have since dropped their fighting and accepted their penalties for their role in deflategate. 

"I’m going to accept reluctantly what he’s given us and not continue this dialogue and rhetoric and we won’t appeal," Patriots owner Robert Kraft said in a statement on May 20. 

The New England Patriots have begun OTAs on the practice fields behind Gillette Stadium as they get ready to defend their Super Bowl Championship. According to reports, Tom Brady and back up quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo have split reps. 

  • Free Agency

    Year: 1992

    Case: McNeil v. the NFL

    Importance: This case is the landmark antitrust jury trial that led to Free Agency in the NFL.  This case paved the way for Reggie White's class action lawsuit against the NFL and ultimately secured the current free agency and salary cap terms in the league.

     

  • Belichick vs Jets and NFL

    Year: 2000

    Case: Bill Belichick vs. NFL and New York Jets

    Importance: When Belichick signed with the New York Jets, he agreed to be the heir apparent to their head coaching position once Bill Parcells stepped down. He was named head coach as soon as Parcells retired, but within two days, he himself retired from the position - citing that because the Jets were under new ownership, he no longer had to adhere to his contractual obligations.

    Belichick wanted to coach the New England Patriots.

    Belichick hired Kessler as his attorney, and after a number of tries and a trade between the Jets and Patriots, Belichick was finally able to come to New England. The rest is history.

     

  • Bountygate

    Year: 2011 - 2012

    Case: Vilma et al vs NFL

    Importance: Over the course of three seasons (2009-2011), the NFL found that the New Orleans Saints had been orchestrating a bounty system to purposely injur star players on opposing teams. In 2012, Jonathan Vilma and three other Saints players were suspended (Vilma for the entire 2012 season).

    At the behest of Kessler, Vilma and seven other witnesses testified in front of a federal judge claiming that Commissioner Roger Goodell had false information regarding the bounty system and that these players were instructed by coaches and personel. 

    All of their suspensions were vacated in Fall of 2012, and Vilma (pictured) ended up playing in 11 games that season.

     

  • Ray Rice

    Year: 2014

    Case: Ray Rice and NFLPA vs NFL

    Importance: Following accusations of beating his wife in an elevator, Ray Rice was indefinetly suspended by Goodell for the remainder of the 2014-2015 season and beyond. The NFLPA gave Kessler a call and within months Rice's suspension was vacated. 

    Photo Credit: "RayRice27" by Keith Allison - on Flickr

     

  • Adrian Peterson

    Year: 2014

    Case: Adrian Peterson and NFLPA vs NFL

    Importance: Peterson was accused in May of 2014 for beating his son with a branch of a tree. 

    Kessler argued that because the incident occurred prior to the NFL's new conduct policy which was released in August 2014, Peterson should not be subject to it. 

    The case went to federal court and Peterson's suspension was vacated. He was reinstated on April 15, 2015.

    Photo Credit: "Adrian Peterson 2010" by Mike Morbeck - Flickr

     
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