Either Roger Goodell misspoke in an interview two weeks ago about a decision in the Tom Brady Deflategate case or he misspoke Tuesday at a fundraising luncheon.
Or both. Brady's appeal of his four-game suspension is turning into a big game of chicken.
Court case inevitable for Tom Brady in Deflategate because NFL wants a suspension?
The Pittsburgh Tribune reported that Goodell, the NFL commissioner denied a timetable existed for a decision on whether to uphold the four-game suspension against the New England Patriots quarterback for his involvement in the Deflategate scandal, in which 11 of 12 Patriots footballs were found to be underinflated beyond NFL regulations at halftime of the AFC Championship Game in January.
ESPN reported that 13 days earlier, Goodell told CNBC that a decision on Brady's appear of his suspension was "coming soon."
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"We are focused on it," Goodell said, according to the Tribune. "We are obviously being very thorough and want to make sure we consider all aspects of his appeal. We will make a decision as quickly as possible.
"There is no timeline. We want to make sure we have a fair and open process," Goodell said before the event.
Obviously, the commissioner must make a decision on Brady's suspension before the season starts. USA TODAY Sports reported that the reason for the delay is that Brady's representatives and league representatives are meeting behind the scenes to try to hammer out a solution that is agreeable both sides. Goodell just bought more time in coming to an agreement on a plea deal.
Mentioning the season-opener as a deadline isn't all that far-fetched, with the appeal of suspension based on the Ted Wells investigation having been heard in June.
So far, the side still could be far apart, USA TODAY Sports reported. Bleacher Report added that the NFL seems intent on doling out some kind of suspension, but is wary of the lawsuit the NFL Players Association has said it will bring against the league if Brady is forced to miss any time during the season.
Which side will blink first remains to be seen.
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