Joe Thomas has come to Tom Brady's defense in DeflateGate, heavily criticizing commissioner Roger Goodell in the process.
Joe Thomas sounds off on DeflateGate, Roger Goodell’s ‘witch hunts’
Thomas says he thinks Tom Brady’s punishment is outrageous, but also theorizes that Goodell might be persecuting the star quarterback for the sake of drumming up business.
Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
The Pro Bowl left tackle for the Cleveland Browns sounded off on the seven-month long saga Sunday, and said he thinks Tom Brady’s four-game suspension for allegedly knowing footballs were being intentionally deflated is beyond excessive.
“I would equate what [Brady] did to driving 66 [mph] in a 65 speed zone, and getting the death penalty,” Thomas said, via ESPN.
Thomas is far from the first player to defend Brady. Longtime Patriots antagonist Antonio Cromartie recently came to Brady's defense as well, and said the star quarterback is being unfairly persecuted. But Thomas' commentary took a conspiracy-inspired tone, as he equated Goodell's penchant for drumming up dramatized investigations to the work Vince McMahon does as Chairman and CEO of the WWE.
“I’m not sure if he realizes what he’s doing is brilliant, but what he’s doing is brilliant because he’s made the NFL relevant 365 [days] by having these outrageous, ridiculous witch hunts,” Thomas said. “It’s made the game more popular than ever and it’s become so much more of an entertainment business and it’s making so much money.
“It’s an entertainment business. It’s turning into the WWE really. It’s like the Vince McMahon stuff. Basically Goodell is like Vince McMahon.”
The TV ratings say Thomas is right. The Patriots and Packers preseason game two weeks ago, for example, was the highest-rated program in Boston since the Oscars. All of this drama over slightly deflated footballs hasn't turned fans away. It has drawn them in.
The NFL brand appears to be infallible -- its bottom line hasn't suffered in the least over the last couple of scandal-laden years. It seems as if that trend will continue this fall, given that the Patriots will take on the Steelers in what is perhaps the most highly anticipated season opener in recent history.
Thanks to DeflateGate, the Patriots’ banner-raising ceremony will probably be the second biggest news of the night. Whether intentional or not, Goodell has created a spectacle.
See More:
