It turns out that Roger Goodell will preside over what is being called a witch hunt. At least by former New England Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe.
The retired player and friend of Tom Brady joined the list of Brady supporters who don't understand how an accusation of deflating footballs can lead to a suspension of a quarter of an NFL season.
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"The overriding thing for me is I hate to see the way that this thing is portrayed for the Patriots," he told Comcast Sports Net New England. "It's like there's a witch hunt against these guys that they're bad guys, and they're cheating their way to the top and some of those things. It's simply not the case. That part really bothers me because I'm obviously very close with Mr. Kraft and his family, and Tommy and I have stayed close through the years, and I don't like to see that because that's not who they are."
Goodell, the NFL commissioner, on Tuesday refused a request by the NFL Players Association to recuse himself from hearing Brady's appeal of a four-game suspension he received for his involvement in the team's practice of deflating footballs that was discovered during the AFC Championship Game.
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The NFL punished the Patriots with a $1 million fine and the loss of a first-round draft pick in 2016 plus one other pick.
"As I have said publicly, I very much look forward to hearing from Mr. Brady and to considering any new information or evidence that he may bring to my attention," Goodell wrote in a letter to the NFL Players Association, as reported by USA TODAY Sports. "My mind is open; there has been no 'prejudgment' and no bias that warrants recusal."
Bledsoe, however, doesn't understand the fascination of Brady's testimony.
"I haven't asked (Brady) directly about it," Bledsoe said to CSNNE. "I've just sent him a couple of messages, just telling I'm supporting him, but I'm certain it's something that is very -- if nothing else -- tiring for him to deal with. It's such an inconsequential thing in my mind, and for him to kind of be raked over the coals about it, it's really, it's really . . . I hate to see it and I hope it's not souring him while continuing to play because I want to keep watching him play."
Bledsoe said when he played, the quarterbacks chose footballs simply on a matter of feel.
"We'd go sit down and grab the footballs," he said. "That one felt good, it went in the good bag. If another one didn't feel right then it went in the other bag. To this day, I have no idea what the pressure was in the football. I really don't. I just knew what felt normal and what didn't feel normal and that was it."
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