Old Man Writes to Federal Court to Complain About Deflategate Decision
They say that with age comes patience and wisdom, but one World War II veteran, 93, is short on the former. He wrote a letter to federal judges on the Second Circuit Court of Appeals to let them know that their recent intervention in a sports scandal is, well, scandalous.
Calling a decision to overturn a ruling for quarterback Tom Brady and reinstate his four-game suspension for Deflategate "asinine," Warren B. Lessing chided the judges for wasting time. "Don't you have anything more important to do," he asked in his letter, reports the New York Daily News. Let's see why he's angry.
Unnecessary Intervention?
Lessing, unlike the federal judges he accuses, has time. He is retired. He spoke on Boston's CBS News Radio about why he's so riled up over the Brady suspension and the court's involvement. "I think it's just a ridiculous waste of everybody's time," Lessing said. "I think there would be thousands and thousands of football fans and the general public who feel the same way I do."
That may be true. For those who don't know, the story is a little long but the short version is that Tom Brady was accused of involvement in a scheme to tamper with the air in the footballs used during a New England Patriots game in 2015. Brady was suspended for four games after an investigation by a labor commission.
Brady then challenged the labor arbitrator's findings in federal court, and won. But this win was recently reversed by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals and that is what made Lessing so mad. It should be noted, however, that Lessing is not a Patriots fan, though he did write in support of Brady. Lessing likes the Giants. He does not like the Second Circuit right now.
Legal Developments
Meanwhile, the saga continues and the Second Circuit is receiving more messages. Today, Tom Brady's lawyers announced that they are filing for rehearing of the decision, asking an appellate panel to review the conclusions. If the court takes Lessing's counsel, Brady will be denied -- that would save their precious time.
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Related Resources:
- Tom Brady, NFLPA Win Deflategate Appeal (FindLaw's Tarnished Twenty)
- Deflategate Report: Pats Staff Altered Balls, Tom Brady Knew (FindLaw's Tarnished Twenty)
- NFL Takes Its Deflategate Case to the Second Circuit (FindLaw's US Second Circuit)
- Meet Ted Wells, Lawyer-Turned-Deflategate-Investigator (FindLaw's Greedy Associates)