Giants' Eli Manning Is Sorry To See Tom Brady Get Suspended
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The NFL suspended Patriots quarterback Tom Brady for the first four games of the upcoming season on Monday for his role in "Deflategate," and the Patriots were fined $1 million.
It came as no surprise that Brady was suspended, though it was unclear just how hard NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell would come down on the NFL's golden boy.
He ended up pounding his gavel with authority.
Along with the rest of the country, Giants quarterback Eli Manning has been following the Deflategate story (it has dominated the news cycle, after all).
Manning, who defeated Brady twice in the Super Bowl, was not happy to see his counterpart get suspended. On the contrary, he found it upsetting.
"I kind of know what you know and seen some of the reports, what's been written in the paper, and obviously it didn't look good," Manning said, according to the New York Post. "I figured something like this may happen. Tom has been a friend of mine. I don't like to see anyone get suspended. I don't like to see anybody get in trouble.
"I don't like to see anything happen to the NFL or to a player or to another quarterback. In no way am I glad to see this happen. Obviously the football, I think it is about integrity and you have to follow the rules. If someone's breaking the rules I understand you're gonna get punished for it."
Goodell didn't stop with a suspension and a fine. He took it a step further, taking away the Patriots' first-round pick in 2016 and fourth-round pick in 2017.
"Any time you lose a starting quarterback for four games and draft picks, that's a pretty big statement," Manning told the newspaper. "Obviously the NFL is serious about not messing with the integrity of the game, no matter (how) big or little the issue is."
Does this tarnish Brady's legacy? Many will say yes, while plenty will argue no. A four-time Super Bowl champion and three-time Super Bowl MVP, Brady has established himself as a future Hall of Famer and one of the greatest to ever play the game.
"I think Tom is still one of the best in the business, and coming off a great year and championships," Manning said, according to the Post. "He's won a lot, so I don't think he's worried about legacy right now. I'm sure he'll get ready to get back to playing and playing good football."