On May 6 the NFL released a report alleging that New England Patriots employees, including quarterback/heartthrob Tom Brady, conspired to deflate game balls below the lower pressure boundary required by league rules. On May 11 the league suspended Brady and levied other harsh punishments against the Patriots organization. On May 14 the Patriots released their own strong critique of the league’s evidence. In recent days, reports have suggested that Patriots owner Robert Kraft and league Commissioner Roger Goodell may negotiate a settlement in order to avoid litigation over the levied penalty. And Tuesday morning huge news on that front was broken by NFL news fiend Adam Schefter:
Wow.
(Sean McManus is the president of CBS Sports, which broadcasts NFL games.)
Inherent ridiculousness aside, it is actually big news, in context, that Kraft and Goodell are on speaking terms, given the seeming possibility that one was maybe about to (indirectly) sue the other. A negotiated settlement, at this point, would not be a surprise.