Tom Brady is down to a Hail Mary pass



... Deflategate about to claim a victim

Since the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has denied Tom Brady's last efforts, the New England QB now has to complete a Hail Mary pass or succumb to the whims of Roger Goodell and serve his four-game suspension.

The New England QB last year claimed that his win in the first level of his court proceeding "exonerated" him of complicity in the Deflategate scandal. Today, he must appeal or acknowledge that he indeed tried to help his team win a playoff game by deflating footballs in a 2014 battle against the Colts.

Hoping for manna from heaven

Right now, he is hiding behind the judge's robe and thinking that his union will bail him out like it did last year, but the die is cast: The Supreme Court is in summer recess and will not be happy being called back into session for some athlete to get his kicks.

There are enough serious legal concerns in the country right now that a suspension by a commissioner does not rise to the level of a SCOTUS decision. He will need four votes to reach the highest legal body, and that is unlikely.

Case challenged Goodell's authority

This case essentially has to do with Commissioner Roger Goodell having the power to make that suspension rather than ruling on Brady's action.

That means that a QB who was sensational in college but has done little in the NFL because he has not had the chance may take Brady's place in the first four games. Jimmy Garoppolo is in his third year after playing superb football for Eastern Illinois and will finally get his chance.

In truth, I think that what bothers Brady is what happened to his teammate in 2001.

The 2001 season

During the 2001 season, starting QB Drew Bledsoe was injured in the second game and was out for the regular season. Bill Bellichick inserted Brady into the lineup and he took them to the playoffs.

However, in the AFC title game, Brady was hurt, and Bledsoe entered the game and led them to a 24-17 win that humbled the Steelers.

The whims of Bellichick

Brady does not want to see what happened to him happen to his backup. Instead of giving Bledsoe his job back for the Super Bowl, he allowed Brady to play, and they won on a last second FG. 

In short, knowing Bellichick, Brady may not get back in if Garoppolo leads them to four consecutive wins. After all, despite his plaudits thus far, Brady will be 39-years-old on Aug. 3.

Bellichick is funny that way. The QB of the future sometimes becomes the QB of the moment.

[Steeler reference: In the 2001 game, the Steelers gave up a 55-yard punt return for a TD by Troy Brown and the Pats blocked a field goal that turned into a 60-yard TD. Then Kordell Stewart -- remember him? - threw two interceptions in the final three minutes to seal the win for the Pats.]

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