Jared Max: Brady Is No Better Than Bonds, A-Rod And Armstrong
By Jared Max
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Tom Brady is starting to remind me of George Costanza. And, Alex Rodrguez, too. And, every athlete and politician who has denied heinous accusations in vehement fashion.
Hey Tom, denial ain't just a river in Egypt!
Brady issued a statement on Facebook on Wednesday morning that defended his innocence in Deflategate. He contends that neither he, nor any member of the Patriots organization, did anything wrong. Brady accused NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell of disrespecting the league's collective bargaining agreement with the NFL Players Association, as well as his own rights as a private citizen.
Yada. Yada. Yada.
Outside of New England, does anybody believe that the footballs deflated themselves? I have yet to be convinced that this was not a multi-pronged conspiracy to cheat.
At a Wednesday morning press conference, Patriots owner Robert Kraft supported Brady and criticized the NFL. To me, Kraft sounded like the father of a punk kid who cannot accept that his son committed a crime. This is the same tune the Patriots have been singing for months.
For my money, Brady has placed his pretty, dimpled face on the Mount Rushmore of American pro sports cheaters -- alongside Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez and Lance Armstrong. His legacy is irreparable, I believe.
While most would agree that the further he takes his story, the worse the situation will become, I expect Brady will fight this until he is blue in the face. I look forward to his version of Bill Clinton's thumbing denial about relations with a former White House intern.
Whether it was Pete Rose denying that he bet on baseball or George Costanza telling his future in-laws that he owned a mansion with horses in the Hamptons, audiences tend to see transparency despite the unwavering fight from suspects to paint opaque images.
Like a cover-up that is worse than its crime, an elongated denial is counterproductive to clearing one's name. Until Brady accepts the reality that the majority of Americans have seen since we learned about deflated footballs, I believe that he will make his situation worse.
Even Costanza finally broke down after driving for hours to a mansion that did not exist. The difference between Costanza and Brady is that audiences saw George as a lying louse long before he said he owned a horse named Prickly Pete. For the four-time Super Bowl champ, being seen as a liar is a new game.
Assuming he is guilty, the only way Brady can deflate this scandal is to come clean. Face the music. Unfortunate for Brady, he does not seem to understand that the only way he will become healthy again is if he takes his medicine. Until then, his golden legacy is contaminated.
Follow Jared on Twitter at @Jared_Max