Is Roger Goodell going against the NFL's best interests by trying to bury the face of the sport?
Last week, the NFL's commish stated in his appeal decision, “In response to the question, ‘Why were you talking to Mr. (John) Jastremski in those two weeks?,’ Mr. Brady responded, in sum: ‘I think most of the conversations centered around breaking in the balls.’ ”
He also wrote:
“The sharp contrast between the almost complete absence of communications through the AFC Championship Game and the extraordinary volume of communications during the three days following the AFC Championship Game undermines the suggestion that the communications addressed only preparation of footballs for the Super Bowl rather than the tampering allegations and their anticipated responses to inquiries about the tampering.”
Well, the lie detector test has determined that was a lie. Brady—during questioning by NFL Players Association lawyer Jeffrey Kessler—did in fact admit to talking to John Jastremski about not only the "preparation of footballs for the Super Bowl," but also about how Jastremski was holding up in the midst of the media outcry.
It says so in the transcripts below:
“Okay. Now, what did you mean or why were you sending a text to Mr. Jastremski saying, “You are good, Jonny boy?” And then he writes back to you, “Still nervous. So far, so good, though. I will be all right.” What do you understand that to be referring to, if you could explain that to the Commissioner?
Brady: I wrote, “You good, Jonny boy,” like, you doing okay? Because he was obviously nervous the fact that these allegations were coming out that they would fall back on him. And I was just, I guess, expressing my concern for him.
Brady essentially said the same thing during a an exchange with Loren Reisner, partner to Deflategate investigator Ted Wells:
And do you recall what you and John Jastremski discussed during that 11-minutes-and-one-second telephone call?
Brady: I don’t remember exactly what we discussed. But like I said, there was two things that were happening. One was the allegations which we were facing and the second was getting ready for the Super Bowl, which both of those have never happened before. So me talking to him about those things that were unprecedented, you know, he was the person that I would be communicating with.”
Seems like either Goodell purposely lied, or failed to read the full transcripts of Brady's suspension appeal hearing. Somebody's got some 'splaining to do.
[via NESN]
