I like a good joke as much as anyone, so I laughed when the NFL released its long-awaited decision on “Deflategate,” because it’s funny.
Have we waited since January to find out today that maybe the NFL knows what happened, and maybe it doesn’t? But we should be satisfied because the NFL is “at least generally aware” of what went on, which is the same silly standard the league is pinning on Tom Brady.
There are many things that I’m “generally aware of” that I really don’t know much about. For example, the weather, and computers.
So I think the NFL owed Tom Brady a higher standard; say “beyond a reasonable doubt” or “preponderance of the evidence” before it judges him guilty.
Instead, the NFL convicts the Patriot’s quarterback by concluding “it is more probable than not that Tom Brady was at least generally aware of the inappropriate activities…”
Well, that’s just another way of the NFL saying, “we think he knew, but we can’t prove it. And it’s less probable that he wasn’t aware.”
Interestingly, the NFL trashed Tom Brady’s reputation, but stopped short of painting the Patriots team and owner as “generally aware” of doing anything wrong.
Now, the NFL Commissioner says the league will see what steps to take next, including possible disciplinary action.
I think a fitting punishment would be to make everyone in NFL headquarters actually read the entire 243 page report, to see how uncertain it leaves us.