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Robert Kraft and the New England Patriots will not appeal the punishment which was handed down by the NFL against the team for the whole “Deflate-Gate” scandal. Quick, someone alert the media! Oh wait, we are the media.
But we still do not believe what we have heard.
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The Patriots were fined $1 million and were docked 2 draft picks — a first rounder in 2016 and a 4th rounder in 2017 — as a punishment for the team’s staff members having deflated balls to less than the required level of air pressure during the AFC Championship Game held at their Kraft Field in January.
A stoic Robert Kraft held a press conference today in which he said, “Although I might disagree what is decided, I do have respect for [Roger Goodell] and believe that he’s doing what he perceives to be in the best interests of the full [NFL]. 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 has given to us and not continue this dialogue and rhetoric. We won’t appeal.”
“I know a lot of Patriot fans are going to be disappointed in that decision, but I hope they trust my judgment and know that I really feel, at this point in time, that taking this off the agenda is the best thing for the New England Patriots, our fans, and the NFL, ” Kraft said.
Kraft said basically that he made the decision for the good of the league and he remains critical of how the NFL conducted its investigation into the scandal.
But the real question here is how will this affect Tom Brady, the Patriots’ star quarterback.
Brady is, of course, still appealing his 4 game suspension which is due to begim at the start of next season. He still maintains that he had no knowledge that the team’s employees were taking air out of footballs.
But if the team has thrown in the towel on its appeal then it might have an affect on the judgement of Brady’s appeal to his detriment.
George Atallah, the NFL Players Association executive director of external affairs, believes that it will not. He tweeted after Kraft’s announcement, “The Patriots may not appeal, but this will not impact the NFLPA appeal of the 4 game suspension of Tom Brady.”
See Kraft’s Announcement here:
