In what amounts to a deliberate attempt to beat the National Football League Players Association to the punch, the NFL has reportedly filed a complaint with a federal court in Manhattan to confirm the four-game suspension the league levied against New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.
BREAKING: @NFL asks federal court to confirm Tom Brady suspension. Complaint filed in Manhattan #sportsbiz #NFL #preemptivestrike
— Scott Soshnick (@soshnick) July 28, 2015
Considering it comes on the same day that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell upheld the four-game suspension that he levied against Brady, it potentially takes the case out of the hands of U.S. District Court Judge David S. Doty, who has sided with the union more times than not in the past.
Doty is named in the collective bargaining agreement as the chiefs decision-maker in arbitration cases, meaning that the union will do its best to make sure his court is the one that oversees Tom Brady’s federal court action moving forward. Doty previously ruled in favor of Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson.
The union’s next step has to be to set aside the suspension in lieu of a federal court ruling on his appeal. This is just the first step in what promises to be a long, drawn-out court process.
Photo: USA Today Sports