UPDATE: In a statement to Us Weekly, Brady’s agent Don Yee slammed the NFL’s decision. "The discipline is ridiculous and has no legitimate basis. In my opinion, this outcome was pre-determined; there was no fairness in the Wells investigation whatsoever. There is no evidence that Tom directed footballs be set at pressures below the allowable limits. In fact, the evidence shows Tom clearly emphasized that footballs be set at pressures within the rules," Yee said in the lengthy statement. "Tom also cooperated with the investigation and answered every question presented to him. The Wells Report presents significant evidence, however, that the NFL lacks standards or protocols with respect to its handling of footballs prior to games; this is not the fault of Tom or the Patriots. The report also presents significant evidence the NFL participated with the Colts in some type of pre-AFC Championship Game planning regarding the footballs. This fact may raise serious questions about the integrity of the games we view on Sundays."
"We will appeal, and if the hearing officer is completely independent and neutral, I am very confident the Wells Report will be exposed as an incredibly frail exercise in fact-finding and logic. The NFL has a well-documented history of making poor disciplinary decisions that often are overturned when truly independent and neutral judges or arbitrators preside, and a former federal judge has found the commissioner has abused his discretion in the past, so this outcome does not surprise me," he concluded. "Sadly, today’s decision diminishes the NFL as it tells its fans, players and coaches that the games on the field don’t count as much as the games played on Park Avenue."
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Tom Brady has been suspended by the NFL following Deflategate. The New England Patriots quarterback, who was found to be "at least generally aware” his team won their AFC Championship game by playing with deflated balls, has been suspended without pay from the first four games of the upcoming 2015 season. The verdict was issued on Monday, May 11, by NFL Executive President Troy Vincent. The team has also been fined $1 million and lost first and fourth-round draft choices.
"We reached these decisions after extensive discussion with Troy Vincent and many others," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement to NBC News. "We relied on the critical importance of protecting the integrity of the game and the thoroughness and independence of the Wells report."
Last week Gisele Bundchen’s husband stayed mum about the scandal, telling Jim Gray during a Q&A that he hadn’t had time to take in the 243-page investigative report yet.
"I don't have really any reaction, our owner commented on it yesterday,” the NFL hunk said on May 7 when asked about the report, which was commissioned by Goodell and lawyer Ted Wells. “It's only been 30 hours so I haven't had much time to digest it fully but when I do I'll be sure to let you know. And everybody else!"
"I've dealt with a lot of things in the past," he added to the sportscaster. "I dealt with this there months ago before the Super Bowl. I dealt with a lot of adversity over the course of my career, my life…I'm very fortunate to have so many people that love me and support me. Life is so much about the ups and downs. Certainly I accept my role and responsibility as a public figure and I think a lot of it, you take the good with the bad.”
