Scott Zolak Flips Out On NFL Network Hosts' Opinions On Tom Brady, DeflateGate
BOSTON (CBS) -- When it comes to DeflateGate, everybody's got opinions. Some are better than others.
98.5 The Sports Hub host Scott Zolak heard some opinions that were shared on NFL Network by Chris Canty, Jamie Dukes and Elliot Harrison on Wednesday, after news broke that Tom Brady was denied a rehearing by the Second Circuit and would likely be taking his case to the Supreme Court.
Here's what Chris Canty said:
"After this news, it's just a natural reaction to be defensive. And I think he's just got to understand the landscape of where we are as a country and where our game is at, and the importance of it and what it means to people. We're trying to bring people together, we're trying to heal as a country, and this game goes a long ways in being able to do that."
"Stop!" Zolak screamed. "Stop. All of a sudden, this is how bad people hate the Patriots and Brady, they've got to incorporate it into everything else that's going on in this country about bringing people together. So now it's about Tom Brady and this ruling, and you're Chris Canty and you're sitting on NFL Network and you're paid to give a football analysis, and you're going to go off the reservation? Are you kidding me? Is this real?"
More from Canty:
"I think Tom Brady needs to go ahead and take the suspension on the chin. He restructured the contract in the offseason, so he's not going to take the big loss that he would've taken. There's not the huge fine for missing the first four games. So I think you move forward with this, and we start the narrative of the 2016 New England Patriots."
"Yeah, that'll bring the country together," Zolak sarcastically replied. "Brady, serve your suspension, because you're going to bring this country together. That's the power that this guy has. What is Chris Canty talking about? Stupidity."
Up next from the NFL Network was Jamie Dukes, who had this to say:
"Tom feeling personally, his legacy, and feeling that he didn't do anything wrong personally -- and I believe that personally he didn't do anything wrong, but beyond that, this is to me much bigger than that. Because to me, like, you're tone-deaf. There's some serious stuff that's going on right now in this country across the country."
"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!" Zo screamed. "Are you kidding me? What are you on Fox News? What are you on MSNBC? What are they going to do? Are you kidding me? We're talking about a legality between a CBA of the owners and the NFL players. And you want Tom Brady to take a suspension because 'this country's crazy, man, some crazy things going on'? Do some homework before you go on, so you know what you're talking about. This is what happens when you talk off the cuff. And I've talked to Willie McGinest about this. You watch Willie McGinest and Kurt Warner on NFL Network. Those guys prepare, they put in the work. And it bugs those types of guys when you roll out clowns that have no idea what they're talking about."
Back to Jamie Dukes:
"To me, it would appear very self-serving for you to, you know, want to put something like this ahead of what is going on. Now some people don't care, but I just think it's just really ... when somebody dies big, we get an email from everybody: 'Stop tweeting.' Because we're getting that email to stop tweeting because you've got to understand there are bigger things at play here than things related to football."
Former NFL lineman Mike Flynn, filling in for Marc Bertand, had heard enough.
"That is quite possibly the stupidest thing I have ever heard in my entire life," Flynn said. "So what, the world can't go on? I don't pay parking tickets now, because there's bigger things to do. That is quite possibly the stupidest thing I've ever heard. Brady's deal with the commissioner and getting suspended four games and that he needs to take it on the chin and take a back seat because it's self-serving and selfish, because there's bigger problems in this world? Well what about 10 years ago? You don't think there were problems then? What about around 9/11? The world keeps on going. That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard in my life."
Hardy pointed out the obvious: Brady must continue the fight in order to prevent Roger Goodell from having unlimited power.
"If Goodell can do it to Brady, he can do it to anybody," Hardy said.
"Do you think Canty and Dukes even know there's a CBA? Do you think they even understand what this back-and-forth is about?" Zolak asked.
The NFL Network crew wasn't done. It's time for host Elliot Harrison to bring his opinion to the table:
"Being from Dallas, as I am, I can tell you that I agree with Jamie, and I am speaking specifically about what happened in Dallas last week. We just commemorated five officers who lost their lives in duty, and I just, for me, I feel the way you do, Jamie. I think you have to know what's going on in the country, I certainly know what's going on in my hometown. And you know what, yes, if I were Tom Brady -- which I'm not, which I'm not -- I would take a step back and say, 'Hey, is this really something I need to be doing right now?'"
"You know what, Jim," Zo said to producer Jim Louth. "What are we doing here? We shouldn't be talking about this. Shouldn't be talking about this. We should be talking about Dallas. What does this have to do with this incident, this horrific incident that happened in Dallas which we all agree is as bad as it can get, a police ambush in Dallas. And we understand why there are tensions. What does this have to do with Tom Brady?"
"That's the most obnoxious, exploitative, self-serving thing to say," Hardy said. "Drivel. It has nothing to do with anything. But I'm going to invoke what happened in Dallas to somehow help prove my point that Tom Brady shouldn't fight this anymore. That is shameful. That's shameful."
"That's the NFL Network? This is breaking news and that's your lead there?" Flynn said. "They're concerned about comparing this, that Brady is selfish and cant' move forward because of what's going on and the temperature of the nation?"
Zolak summed it all up in one word: "Amazing."
Watch the video above to see it all play out.
