NEW: Tom Brady's Appeal Hearing Will be Held June 23
GoLocalProv Sports Team
NEW: Tom Brady's Appeal Hearing Will be Held June 23
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NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will hear the appeal despite the NFLPA asking him to recuse himself as the players union plans on asking him to testify.
Tom Brady filed his appeal on Thursday May, 14.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTBrady to Fight, Patriots Move on
While Tom Brady will go through with his appeal and continue to fight his four game suspension, the New England Patriots have since dropped their fighting and accepted their penalties for their role in deflategate.
"I’m going to accept reluctantly what he’s given us and not continue this dialogue and rhetoric and we won’t appeal," Patriots owner Robert Kraft said in a statement on May 20.
The New England Patriots have begun OTAs on the practice fields behind Gillette Stadium as they get ready to defend their Super Bowl Championship. According to reports, Tom Brady and back up quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo have split reps.
Kessler vs. NFL: Winning the Big Cases
Free agency
Year: 1992
Case: McNeil v. the NFL
Importance: This case is the landmark antitrust jury trial that led to Free Agency in the NFL. This case paved the way for Reggie White's class action lawsuit against the NFL and ultimately secured the current free agency and salary cap terms in the league.
Belichick vs Jets and NFL
Year: 2000
Case: Bill Belichick vs. NFL and New York Jets
Importance: When Belichick signed with the New York Jets, he agreed to be the heir apparent to their head coaching position once Bill Parcells stepped down. He was named head coach as soon as Parcells retired, but within two days, he himself retired from the position - citing that because the Jets were under new ownership, he no longer had to adhere to his contractual obligations.
Belichick wanted to coach the New England Patriots.
Belichick hired Kessler as his attorney, and after a number of tries and a trade between the Jets and Patriots, Belichick was finally able to come to New England. The rest is history.
Bountygate
Year: 2011 - 2012
Case: Vilma et al vs NFL
Importance: Over the course of three seasons (2009-2011), the NFL found that the New Orleans Saints had been orchestrating a bounty system to purposely injur star players on opposing teams. In 2012, Jonathan Vilma and three other Saints players were suspended (Vilma for the entire 2012 season).
At the behest of Kessler, Vilma and seven other witnesses testified in front of a federal judge claiming that Commissioner Roger Goodell had false information regarding the bounty system and that these players were instructed by coaches and personel.
All of their suspensions were vacated in Fall of 2012, and Vilma (pictured) ended up playing in 11 games that season.
Ray Rice
Year: 2014
Case: Ray Rice and NFLPA vs NFL
Importance: Following accusations of beating his wife in an elevator, Ray Rice was indefinetly suspended by Goodell for the remainder of the 2014-2015 season and beyond. The NFLPA gave Kessler a call and within months Rice's suspension was vacated.
Photo Credit: "RayRice27" by Keith Allison - on Flickr
Adrian Peterson
Year: 2014
Case: Adrian Peterson and NFLPA vs NFL
Importance: Peterson was accused in May of 2014 for beating his son with a branch of a tree.
Kessler argued that because the incident occurred prior to the NFL's new conduct policy which was released in August 2014, Peterson should not be subject to it.
The case went to federal court and Peterson's suspension was vacated. He was reinstated on April 15, 2015.
Photo Credit: "Adrian Peterson 2010" by Mike Morbeck - Flickr
Deflategate
Year: 2015
Case: Tom Brady vs NFL (Pending)
Importance: It was recently announced that Tom Brady had hired Kessler to be part of his legal team in his defense in the Deflategate controversy. It is likely Brady appeals his four game suspension sometime today and then the legal process will begin.
