Brady suspended 4 games; NE loses a 1st, 4th, and $1M

[Spider-Dan]

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/12867594/punishments-handed-tom-brady-new-england-patriots-deflategate

NEW YORK -- The NFL has suspended Super Bowl MVP Tom Brady without pay for the first four games of the season, fined the New England Patriots $1 million and took away two draft picks as punishment for deflating footballs used in the AFC title game, the league said in a statement Monday.

The NFL also indefinitely suspended the two equipment staffers believed to have carried out the plan, including one who called himself "The Deflator."

Brady will miss the season's showcase kickoff game Sept. 10 against Pittsburgh, Week 2 at Buffalo, a home game against Jacksonville and a game at Dallas. He will return the week the Patriots face the Colts in Indianapolis. [...]

The Patriots will also lose a first-round pick in 2016 and a fourth-round pick in 2017.

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Seems about right to me.  An organizational punishment is appropriate, as multiple people within the Patriots organization conspired to break the rules.

[Tenshot13]

Should have been 6 games minimum IMO

[Spider-Dan]

I could have seen more games and less picks, but it wasn't just Brady that was doing this.  A suspension for Brady and lost picks seems appropriate (the fine is meaningless for an NFL team), as it spreads the blame.

[mecadonzilla]

Brady and the Pats got off really lightly on this, but since the Patriots were involved, I'm surprised anything happened at all. 

[Phishfan]

I'm satisfied with this. I'll certainly be upset if it drops to two games on appeal. I didn't expect draft picks so that was a bonus.

[EDGECRUSHER]

I am sure he will appeal, but what is his case? He may drop the appeal just to get this out of the news.

[MikeO]

It's a fair punishment

[dolphins4life]

Talk about laying the law down on somebody

[EDGECRUSHER]

They're lucky that Goodell forgot that he suspended Payton for a year while admitting he only did it because he was the coach and should've known.

[dolphins4life]

If the Dolphins were caught doing this, what do you think the punishment should be? 

[EDGECRUSHER]

Probably the same, less if they cooperated with the league unlike Brady and the Pats. This is why the NFL stressed that the punishment also was because of how Brady lied and did not help the investigation, rather than just for the act. So, it will be hard to overturn or reduce with an arbitrator rather than if it were just about the footballs.

Brady's agent went batshit insane earlier today, essentially calling the NFL suspension system a joke and they're a bunch of liars. I guess this really caught Brady off guard even though everyone knew he was getting suspended. No rational person would release that statement out of anything but instant rage.

[bsmooth]

They're lucky that Goodell forgot that he suspended Payton for a year while admitting he only did it because he was the coach and should've known.

They probably felt the intentional attempted injuring of other players was a worse crime against the league than using under inflated footballs.

[Spider-Dan]

That's a pretty difficult argument to make if the players are delivering game-legal hits.

[Pappy13]

Don't forget that it was Payton's 2nd strike since he had already been warned once. If this happens again with Brady I'm sure the suspension would be for a year.

[DZA]

What about Bellicheat? I know he has something to do with it as well.