Keller @ Large: When Will DeflateGate Nightmare End?
BOSTON (CBS) – Could today be the day our endless national nightmare finally comes to an end?
Of course I'm talking about the absurd prosecution of Patriots quarterback Tom Brady by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and his minions over completely unproven allegations that he ordered footballs deflated below the permissible level.
Unless you've been camping in Antarctica for the past seven months, you know the story. Unless you're one of the jealous losers who root for one of the other NFL teams, you know how weak the league's case against Brady was, and how spurious their decision to suspend Brady for four games has proven to be, especially when convicted domestic abusers are getting the same punishment.
We've been told to expect a Goodell ruling on Brady's appeal any minute, and the NFL players union says if he's suspended for even one game they'll appeal in federal court, where a judge almost certainly will throw the penalty out.
But even as this case wends its way toward the out-basket of history, it's worth noting the incompetence it has exposed.
Keep in mind, the NFL is a nearly $10 billion a year corporation, and a major part of our popular culture. Yet the people running it have shown a complete inability to deal wisely and humanely with issues ranging from the safety of their players to domestic violence.
Hey, everybody makes mistakes.
But if Brady has to go to court it won't be the first time a judge has had to force the NFL brass to admit error and correct it.
That shouldn't be necessary, ever.
It's enough to make you long for the common sense and humility of Congress.
OK, nothing's quite that bad.
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