NFL DEFLATE-GATE OVERLOAD - MISPLACED ATTENTION

If the media had spent as much time focusing on the Iran Nuclear Treaty or the events in Benghazi in the fall of 2012, we'd know a whole lot more about things that have potential impact on this country. But instead we're obsessing over whether a football was inflated below NFL standards, how much involvement star quarterback Tom Brady knew about it and what punishment should be imposed. Really? NFL commissioner Roger Goodell thinks it's such a travesty that he is invoking his authority under an "integrity of the game" clause in the current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) to throw the Patriots and Brady under the bus (assuming the tires are fully inflated). Now the NFL Players' Association has filed a suit in Minnesota to have the four-game suspension overturned based on procedural grounds, primarily maintaining that the CBA was violated by the league.At the end of the day, is it really that important? All parties in this matter, the NFL on one side and the Patriots, Brady and the NFLPA on the other, have done their best to turn the entire affair into an overblown fiasco. I've stated this in prior posts, but if the NFL had thought the inflation level of the balls was such an important aspect of the game, it should have been given specific penalties in the collective bargaining agreement. And if the Patriots didn't think they did anything wrong, whey were two clubhouse attendants fires as result of the infractions?

I don't really care how it all turns out, except for the potential impact on the games and standings if Brady is forced to miss four games. With the losses that the Patriots experienced from their secondary, I believe they'll need to rely more than ever on their offense in order to compete for the conference title. In addition, the Jets, Bills and Dolphins should all be better, creating a lot more competition for New England in the AFC East. What's really interesting about the suspension and subsequent court battle is that the timing of the games he might miss could be affected by a potential injunction issued by the court. If the suspension stays the way it is and covers the first four games, then only one division contest would be affected. However, there are other times during the season where as many as three of them would fall during the the time Brady is out of the lineup So although I see the rationale for fighting the suspension, but from a coaching, planning and competitive perspective it could end up having a further negative impact on the Patriots. The only positive I see is it gives the commentators something to talk about in the void that exists until college football begins on August 3. Or until Iran decides to ignore our treaty and start a nuclear holocaust in its attempt to blow Israel from the face of the earth. Just sayin...

Don't forget to check out my new book, "Roughing the Passer - A PK Frazier Novel" and my first, "Illegal Procedure - A PK Frazier Novel", available in print and e-formats at Amazon.com, iBooks and Smashwords. The third installment, "Offsetting Penalties" is due out in the fall.