Brady to have appeal heard today

The day of reckoning (the sequel) has arrived for Tom Brady.

The Patriots quarterback will be in New York City to appeal his four-game suspension that came as a results of attorney Ted Wells’ investigation into his role in deflating several footballs below the legal limit prior to the AFC Championship Game to make them easier to throw.

Also present?

Wells, who will be there to directly address any issues Brady has with his findings, which figure to be manifold. Wells’ attendance, which previously was not taken as a given, was first reported Monday by the NFL Network.

After hearing Brady’s defense, which will come at the assistance of the NFL Players Association’s legal counsel, Roger Goodell will decide whether to take any games off of Brady’s suspension.

Brady’s defense case will apparently be built on the idea that Goodell violated the terms of the collective bargaining agreement by delegating the authority for punishment to NFL executive vice president Troy Vincent. They are also arguing that Brady’s punishment is “unprecedented” for a violation of its nature, and that the Wells Report is flawed and built largely on circumstantial evidence.

For all parties involved in this drama, today – and possibly Thursday, if more time is needed – may end up having a major impact on the legacies of all involved.

Pryor signs with Browns, infuriates Bengals

Terelle Pryor did not have to wait long to find a new job. Nor did he have to move far, even if he is moving positions.

Pryor, last seen as a Bengals quarterback last Thursday, was claimed by in-state rival Cleveland on Monday as they take a chance on converting him into a wide receiver and seeing what happens.

However, he also managed to annoy his former employer with a social media post that revealed top-secret images from their recent minicamp.

Pryor posted videos of himself throwing passes during the team’s drills along with the message “Going to miss QB but I will make a great WR! Already working!!”

In the ultra-paranoid NFL, posting anything that reveals information about what your team is running is a major faux pas. The footage was taken down by Pryor within an hour.
“By no means did we think a player would do something like that,” an unnamed team source told ESPN.

Panthers come out against Confederate flag

The Carolina Panthers are among the many voicing the opinion that it is time for South Carolina to remove the Confederate flag from the grounds of its state house – or at least leaving no doubt as to where they stand on the issue.

Owner Jerry Richardson has already donated $10,000 to each of the families affected by last week’s murderous rampage at Charleston’s oldest historically black church, plus another $10,000 to the church itself.

He came out even further Monday, hinting through a team spokesman that it is time for the state of South Carolina to move on.

“Our organization prides itself on bringing people together. Divisive symbols and actions should not stand in conflict to progress, healing and the unification of all of our citizens,” said Panthers spokesman Steven Drummond.

However, there isn’t any bite behind the bark. Drummond made it clear that there is no threat of Carolina abandoning its training camp at Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C., which is Richardson’s alma mater.