Joe Thomas Backs Tom Brady, Rips Roger Goodell
BOSTON (CBS) -- As a Pro Bowl left tackle, Cleveland's Joe Thomas has plenty of experience protecting quarterbacks in the NFL.
Now he's coming to the defense of Tom Brady as the Patriots quarterback battles the league over his four-game DeflateGate suspension.
Simply put, Thomas sees the whole mess as a witch hunt against Brady, and doesn't think the punishment fits the crime.
"I would equate what [Tom Brady] did to driving 66 [mph] in a 65 speed zone, and getting the death penalty," Thomas said after Browns practice on Sunday, according to ESPN.
Thomas doesn't think Brady is a cheater, and doesn't understand why air pressure in footballs is such a big deal.
"I think he's trying to do everything he can to gain a competitive advantage to help him do his job better, which is to throw the football," Thomas said. "Why should we be punishing a guy that wants to do his job better?
"If you want [quarterbacks] to play with a brand new football that comes out of the box, then make that the rule," he added. "If you're going to allow them to break it in because you want more passing yards, then let them do whatever they want.
"Who cares if they throw a football that has no air pressure? What does it matter? Why don't we let the quarterbacks do whatever they want to the football? I don't understand why there's any rules," he continued. "We know [quarterbacks] already doctor [footballs] 99 percent, why do we care about the 1 percent in the air pressure?"
Thomas took aim at NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, and is glad Brady has brought his fight against the league to federal court.
"I'm glad that he's fighting [it]," he said. "Because it's good for the game. It's an entertainment business. It's turning into the WWE really. It's like the Vince McMahon stuff. Basically Goodell is like Vince McMahon."
If Goodell wants the league to be in the spotlight as much as possible, then Thomas applauds him for accomplishing that. He just doesn't think it should be at the expense of Brady.
"I'm not sure if [Goodell] realizes what he's doing is brilliant, but what he's doing is brilliant because he's made the NFL relevant 365 [days] by having these outrageous, ridiculous witch hunts," Thomas said. "It's made the game more popular than ever and it's become so much more of an entertainment business and it's making so much money.
"That's why I'm sure there's plenty of people saying this is embarrassing for the league. But it's an entertainment business when it comes right down to it. When the game gets eyeballs in newspapers and on TV, that's what in the end is the goal for everyone. And that's what this controversy is giving them."
Thomas joins Seahawks corner Richard Sherman and long-time Brady foe Terrell Suggs, who have both backed Brady (Sherman also took aim at Goodell) since the saga began seven months ago. It will be interesting to see if any of these players have a few fines (or even a "failed" drug test) in their near futures.