Dallas attorney Rogge Dunn has represented a variety of professional sports figures over the years, and he has been closely watching the “Deflate-gate” saga involving New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. Mr. Dunn says today’s decision from the U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals to reinstate a four-game suspension levied against Brady by the National Football League shows how much power has been placed in the hands of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
Under the collective bargaining agreement signed by the players union and the NFL, the commissioner has broad discretion, which the ruling notes,” Mr. Dunn said. “The 2nd Circuit also noted that it was required to give the commissioner ‘substantial deference’ when considering an appeal of one of his rulings. That means that unless the commissioner goes outside his authority and ignores the plain language of the collective bargaining agreement, or unless he is demonstrably unfair, then his rulings will not be overturned by an appellate court. This court decision will have implications in the future when players and team owners reexamine their collective bargaining agreement, which gives the commissioner these broad powers. This isn’t the first time that a commissioner of a major sports league has taken decisive action and made a statement. Back in the early 1920s, Major League Baseball Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis banned White Sox players for life for throwing a game in the World Series even though they had been found innocent by a jury.