Report: NFL Sets Date For Tom Brady Suspension Appeal Hearing
BOSTON (CBS) -- Tom Brady's appeal hearing will be held June 23, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports.
Brady and the NFLPA officially filed for the appeal on May 14, three days after the NFL announced a four-game suspension for the Patriots quarterback.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell responded to that appeal notice by appointing himself as the arbitrator of the hearing. Goodell deemed himself to be a fair, impartial party because NFL executive VP of football operations Troy Vincent technically issued the punishment.
However, in the announcement of the punishment, Goodell spoke like someone who was deeply involved in the process.
"We reached these decisions after extensive discussion with Troy Vincent and many others," Goodell said. "We relied on the critical importance of protecting the integrity of the game and the thoroughness and independence of the Wells report."
The day after the announcement, the NFLPA wrote a letter to Vincent saying that he had "no authority to impose discipline on Mr. Brady under the CBA."
"We also note that one arbitrator has previously found that you, in particular, are unfamiliar with proper NFL discipline procedures and have no role in imposing discipline," the letter, written by NFLPA general counsel Tom DePaso, continued.
On May 19, the NFLPA formally requested that Goodell recuse himself as arbitrator of the hearing.
"Given a process that has contained procedural violations of our collective bargaining agreement, the Commissioner's role as a central witness in the appeal hearing and his evident partiality with respect to the Wells report, the Commissioner must designate a neutral party to serve as an arbitrator in this matter," the letter stated. "The players also believe that the Commissioner's history of inconsistently issuing discipline against our players makes him ill-suited to hear this appeal in a fair-minded manner. If the NFL believes the Ted Wells report has credibility because it is independent, then the NFL should embrace our request for an independent review."
Goodell was asked about this request when he spoke at the conclusion of the NFL owners' spring meetings in San Francisco, but he said he had not yet taken the time to consider the request at that time. But late Friday afternoon, the NFL rejected the request, meaning Goodell still intended to hear the appeal.
