Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, citing a league source, reports that there is now a sense among some NFL owners that it’s time to put an end to the DeflateGate sage, given that the issue is likely to mare the start of 2015 season.
According to Florio, the best way to do so would be for the NFL and Tom Brady‘s representatives to reach an agreement on a settlement. However, Brady continues to resist even a one-game suspension with the NFL insisting that he accept the findings of the Ted Wells report.
Despite some owners pushing for an end to the situation, Florio mentions that there is a group of “hard-core, old-school owners” who want the league to stand pat and try to retain full power over the players.
Florio sums the situation up well by writing:
“The current fight is about control, and the owners who are pushing the league office to hold firm want a victory not because it hurts Brady and the Patriots specifically but because it generally keeps the players from chipping away at management’s authority over the sport.
“Ultimately, that’s why the NFL insisted on keeping final say over matters like this one. The NFL wants to run its business the way the NFL see fit, with no third parties having the ability to dictate to folks who are accustomed, based on their extreme wealth and influence, to doing the dictating.“
The NFL and the NFLPA are scheduled to meet again next Wednesday for a settlement conference and oral argument regarding Brady’s four-game suspension, so we should have a much better idea of when this can all be put to rest next week.
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