Stephen A. Smith: 'Tom Brady Actually Destroyed His Cell Phone'
BOSTON (CBS) -- While we're all waiting for real "DeflateGate" news to break, it's only fitting that a news morsel befitting a three-ring circus came across our screens on Tuesday morning.
Stephen A. Smith took the lead on Bozo's Circus on Tuesday when he hit the ESPN airwaves with this delectable nugget: "I'm hearing that Tom Brady actually destroyed his cell phone."
That's right.
Tom Brady: Former American sports hero, now just a lousy football deflator and cell phone smasher.
That's what we've got right now.
Here's the full "report" from Stephen A. this morning, as captured by The Big Lead (emphasis added by me):
I just heard that Tom Brady's suspension will likely be upheld. Now we all recognize that anything's possible, or you know, minds can change, but from what I'm hearing, within the next 24 to 48 hours the NFL will announce that they are upholding the four-game suspension against Tom Brady. He will serve his four-game suspension. They know and expect the National Football Players, the National Football League Players' Association to appeal that decision, to file an injunction, so Tom Brady will still be able to play and all of this other stuff. But at the end of the day, the NFL does not have any fear whatsoever about Tom Brady taking this to federal court. Skip Bayless, they are fully aware that that is a possibility. They are confident that they will win, and they are going to uphold this four-game suspension from everything I'm hearing. Barring a last-minute change, that is the plan within the next 24 to 48 hours. He's going to serve his four-game suspension.
And not only am I hearing that, Skip, I'm hearing some of the reasons why. Just to throw it out there, remember when we had conversations about his text messages and refusing to show it? I'm hearing that Tom Brady actually destroyed his cell phone. I'm hearing that when you talk about the $1 million fine and the confiscation of a first- and fourth-round pick, that ultimately owner Robert Kraft accepted, you have to remember in Spygate back in 2007, Bill Belichick when they, when the Patriots and Bill Belichick were fined, apparently there's some language in that agreement, in that fine that ultimately was handed down to him that if something like this happens again, you talking about Bill Belichick being banned. Which, in some folks' eyes, may have facilitated Robert Kraft showing a willingness to accept the penance and the penalty that Roger Goodell handed down to him.
But at the end of the day, all of that is water under the bridge as it pertains to the Patriots -- they have accepted their penalty, Bill Belichick is still their coach, they are moving on.
But as it pertains to Tom Brady, the NFL is very, very confident that in their ruling that he deserves a four-game suspension. From what I'm being told, they're not going to budge one bit, and if he wants to go to federal court, it will be at his own peril, because remember if he goes to federal court, then you're not talking about him lying to the NFL, potentially, you know supposedly, or whatever the case may be. You're talking about him having to give testimony under oath, along with the ball boy, the equipment managers and all of those other guys, whoever was involved in the whole DeflateGate scandal. They'd have to give a deposition, they'd have to give sworn testimony. Which means that any questions could be asked, not just pertaining to DeflateGate, but potentially beyond that. And they don't think that Tom Brady and the New England Patriots want that at all. So they are holding firm to the four-game suspension, and barring any last-minute wiggle room or what have you, that is the way that it is going to be. Tom Brady will miss the first four games of this NFL season. At least that's what I'm told to expect in the next 24 to 48 hours, barring any last-minute, you know, any last-minute adjustments.
Whoa, Nelly! Where to begin!
Well, let's start here: This is Stephen A. Smith. This is not Adam Schefter. Stephen A. is part of an "entertainment" show in the mornings, and based on much of his wording, it seems as though he hasn't even followed the developments of "DeflateGate" all that closely.
Next we can address Stephen A.'s insistence on curbing everything he said with "barring any last-minute changes." Say it or don't say it, Steve. Yikes.
Then there is the fact that Tom Brady has already given sworn testimony under oath. A source told ESPN's Adam Schefter -- a real reporter -- that Brady testified under oath during his appeal with Roger Goodell in June.
"While there is no legal penalty for lying in an NFL hearing, having the witnesses questioned under oath preserves a record of the proceedings in case the entire issue ends up in court," ESPN reported at the time.
Sure sounds like federal court was in the plans for Brady's camp all along. But perhaps Stephen A. was tuned to another station that day.
So clearly, that is not an issue for Brady. And as for the ball boys and locker room attendants testifying ... Stephen A., this is not a trial. There would be a judge presiding over whether Goodell has the authority to impose a discipline, hear an appeal and ultimately serve as judge, jury and executioner for an offense that has never before been regulated in NFL history. If you think some federal judge is going to play Law & Order for all of us to see, and if you think we're going to get a recreation of the Wells report, I fear you will be sadly disappointed.
Really, you almost have to feel bad for Stephen A. for serving as the puppet for whatever league source fed him this info. The whole, "Tom Brady WILL serve the four-game suspension" thing is just nuts. That's not going to happen. You don't hire Jeffrey Kessler to just sit back and accept Goodell's suspension, saying, "Eh, we gave it a good go. Guess I'll just start playing in mid-October this year! Oh well!"
Lastly ... Stephen A. Smith went on television to say that Tom Brady destroyed his cell phone. He prefaced it with a "just to throw it out there," no less! That's simply hilarious. That's not how reporting works, but, ah, well, it's 2015, and you've got to do what you've got to do.
The "he didn't show his cell phone so he's obviously hiding guilt" has been the crutch of so many boneheads throughout this entire process, so it's a good place to go in order to appeal to the masses. (Smart people were able to understand the reasons in the early days of this mess.) It's only right that as we near the end of the current "DeflateGate" chapter, we are treated to the apex of comedy.
Now let's all enjoy the music while we wait for Goodell to announce that he's upholding his own decision.
Update: Stephen A. Smith's source proved to be right on the money, as the NFL did indeed accuse Brady of destroying his cell phone. That of course doesn't mean it happened, but it does prove that Smith was given accurate information from an NFL source.
Read more from Michael Hurley by clicking here. You can email him or find him on Twitter @michaelFhurley.
