Patriots owner Robert Kraft had his say on Tuesday. A day later, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell took to the dais for a press conference at the league's meetings in San Francisco.
Not surprisingly, the never-ending Deflategate controversy was a major point of emphasis in the questions lobbed at Goodell from the media.
The Boston Globe notes that Goodell said he wants to hear from Tom Brady personally in the quarterback's appeal of his four-game suspension. Globe columnist Dan Shaughnessy's reaction to Goodell's comments left him thinking that Brady is in line now to “take his lumps.”
Darrelle Revis – who won the Super Bowl with New England last fall but has since returned to the hated Jets – ignited a new round of Deflategate discussions by telling the New York Daily News that the Patriots “have a history of doing stuff … Tom [Brady] was there when they did that stuff in the past.”
Boston.com columnist Eric Wilbur called Kraft's decision not to appeal the league's Deflategate punishment "pathetic" and says the Patriots owner is "is not one of us. Not anymore."
The Boston Herald says Goodell “challenges Tom Brady to come to him” in his appeal. The Herald notebook has Goodell denying that the NFL asked the Patriots to suspend a pair of equipment employees involved in the Deflategate controversy. In the Herald blog, Giants owner John Mara says that Kraft backed down because he “didn’t have anywhere to go.”
Good news Patriots fans, Jets offensive coordinator Chan Gailey says there is no competition and Geno Smith is the team’s starting quarterback!
The Providence Journal has Goodell declaring that Kraft’s decision not to appeal has no bearing on Brady’s own appeal. The paper also has the Patriots hopes for an improved pass rush in 2015.
ESPNBoston.com points out how Goodell sidestepped questions regarding the media leaks that painted the Patriots in a poor light throughout the Deflategate process, especially early on. The site also breaks down why Kraft didn’t go through with the appeal process.
In football news, ESPNBoston.com writes that New England hosted special teamer and cornerback C.J. Spillman on a free agent visit.
ESPN's Adam Schefter doesn’t believe Kraft’s decision not to appeal was related to any deal on behalf of his quarterback.
CSNNE.com also says Goodell sidestepped any questions of the NFL’s “culpability” in Deflategate. Herald columnist Ron Borges also dropped a bit of a bombshell on CSNNE.com, saying that he's told that Bill Belichick “never believed” Brady’s story in regards to the possible deflation of footballs.
New York Daily News writer Manish Mehta joined WEEI radio Thursday morning to talk about his Revis story and told the station that it's “fair to say” the cornerback never felt like a Patriot even while enjoying his journey to a Super Bowl ring.
WEEI.com notes that former Colts GM Bill Polian, now an ESPN analyst, believes the Patriots pushed for new PAT rules because it would benefit the team in late-season games. WEEI.com columnist John Tomase says Goodell now has more power than ever.
NFL.com notes that Colts owner Jim Irsay knows that the Oct. 18 rematch in Indy of the AFC title game that started the whole Deflategate controversy will be “huge, huge, huge.”
In light of David Letterman signing off for the final time last night, here's a look back at the history of Patriots appearances on the legend’s late night show.
