Skip to main content

Judge’s Deflategate ruling is a win for NBC almost as much as for Tom Brady

nbc tom brady deflategate madden week 15
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Tom Brady and the New England Patriots were thrilled to see the four-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback’s suspension nullified by a judge Thursday, but NBC execs may have been just as pleased. With Brady back in the Week 1 starting line-up, the season opener, which will be broadcast on the NBC’s Sunday Night Football broadcast, will be a much more exciting match-up.

Brady’s suspension came after an independent investigation conducted by Ted Wells found that Brady was “generally aware” of equipment tampering during January’s AFC Conference Championship game against the Indianapolis Colts. After settlement talks failed, Brady fought the decision, bringing it to the Federal District Court of Manhattan. There, Judge Richard M. Berman ruled that the suspension was void and that the quarterback hadn’t received proper notice from the NFL about the kind of discipline such misconduct might warrant.

Recommended Videos

Team owner Robert Kraft maintained in a statement Thursday that there was no evidence of wrongdoing by Brady, adding that “the lawyers at the league still insisted on imposing and defending unwarranted and unprecedented discipline. Judge Richard Berman understood this and we are greatly appreciative of his thoughtful decision that was delivered today.”

The league has already appealed the judgment, according to the NFL, but it will not attempt to prevent Brady from joining his team against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Sept. 10 opener. This is great news for NBC considering that the match-up was previously going to feature second-year quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo under center for the Patriots. For fans, seeing a controversial figure like Brady take the field Thursday will offer a more intriguing storyline than watching his back-up make his first NFL start against a strong conference rival.

For NBC, a photo posted on the Patriots’ official Twitter after the judge’s ruling came down seems to say it all.

Stephanie Topacio Long
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Stephanie Topacio Long is a writer and editor whose writing interests range from business to books. She also contributes to…
Check out this great movie before it leaves Amazon Prime Video next week (November 2024)
Danny walks through the Overlook Hotel as an adult in Doctor Sleep.

Anyone who loves movies likely holds The Shining, one of Jack Nicholson's best movies ever, in high regard. It's one of the most important horror movies ever made, and it's also a movie that was quite loosely adapted from its source material, a novel by Stephen King. The author has never been quiet about his dislike for the movie adaptation in spite of its popularity, and even wrote a sequel called Doctor Sleep that expanded on his version of the story.

That novel eventually made its way to movie theaters, and it wasn't exactly a box office phenomenon. Before it leaves Amazon Prime Video at the end of the month, though, here are three reasons you should make time for it (the director's cut is particularly excellent).

Read more
Scream 7 casts 1883’s Isabel May to play Sidney Prescott’s daughter
A woman holds the saddle of a horse as she rides.

The Scream franchise has found its new final girl. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Isabel May is in talks to play the daughter of Neve Campbell’s Sidney Prescott in Scream 7.

May is the breakout star of 1883, Taylor Sheridan's prequel series to Yellowstone. May starred as Elsa Dutton, the daughter of James (Tim McGraw) and Margaret (Faith Hill) Dutton. May would later reprise the role as the narrator for the 1883 sequel series, 1923.

Read more
Is Venom going to be in Spider-Man 4? Sony may have revealed a major clue
spider man 4 venom tom holland hardy major crossover and

Spider-Man 4 is now official. Tom Holland is back and will reprise the role of Peter Parker in his fourth solo film. Now, all eyes are on the story, as fans speculate the plot details for the next entry in the Spider-Man universe. One of the hottest rumors for Spider-Man 4 is a crossover with Venom. Sony Pictures Japan might have accidentally revealed plans for Holland to interact with Tom Hardy's Venom.

Sony included some revealing information about Venom in a press release announcing Spider-Man 4's release date. The statement read: "Tom Holland, who plays Peter, has already given his stamp of approval to the story! 'This will be a real movie that fans can respect!' Is Tom Hardy, who plays Eddie in the 'Venom' series, ready to take part?"

Read more