People have stopped asking for a verdict simply because it’s taking too long. The decision on Tom Brady’s appeal for his four-game suspension that was levied by commissioner Roger Goodell after allegations from the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Championship game for deflating footballs to illegal air pressure levels has not been made, as the timeline reached its seventh month from start to finish.
So far, the timeline is as follows, which was beautifully outlined in a tweet from Bill Simmons.
-1/18/2015: Date of the AFC Championship.
-5/6/2015: Ted Wells Report released.
-5/11/2015: Tom Brady suspended for four games by the NFL.
-5/14/2015: Brady and the NFLPA appealed the four-game suspension by the NFL.
-6/23/2015: Brady met with Goodell.
It’s now July 23 and the entire situation has become cartoonish for the NFL. Brady’s popularity hasn’t been affected in the least bit, as a tweet from ESPN business reporter Darren Rovell pointed out that more Brady merchandise was sold than any other player from March 1 to May 31, according to the NFLPA. After all the league has done to try and taint another New England Patriots Super Bowl title, Patriots ticket sales may be higher than ever as fans probably think this season should be dedicated to sticking it to the NFL.
Since Brady’s unlikely-to-be-held-up original suspension was four games, below is secondary market ticket information provided by TiqIQ.com for the games the future Hall of Fame quarterback can potentially miss.
9/10/2015 | New England Patriots vs. Pittsburgh Steelers | Gillette Stadium | Average Price: $492.14 | Get-in Price: $226
9/20/2015 | Buffalo Bills vs. New England Patriots | Ralph Wilson Stadium | Average Price: $186.02 | Get-in Price: $88
9/27/2015 | New England Patriots vs. Jacksonville Jaguars | Gillette Stadium | Average Price: $318.01 | Get-in Price: $125
10/11/2015 | Dallas Cowboys vs. New England Patriots | AT&T Stadium | Average Price: $434.76 | Get-in Price: $176
There are still high average ticket prices for Patriots games, even with the uncertainty of Brady’s availability. The NFL’s season kicks off at Gillette Stadium, as is tradition that the defending Super Bowl Champions play the opening game at home. Hipmunk.com offers hotels near Gillette Stadium for fans in the northeast area making the road trip for the opener. The Patriots will follow the season opener by facing Rex Ryan and his new team, the Buffalo Bills, at Ralph Wilson Stadium. The personal rivalry between Ryan and the Patriots will still be entertaining, even with his change of colors.
New England should have no issue handling the Jaguars before having a premier road clash with a team still very much on the rise, the Dallas Cowboys.
It’s highly unlikely Brady is out for all four of these contests, but in any case, the game with the largest circle around it is Week 5 against the Indianapolis Colts. Cheap tickets to Indianapolis can be found on Hipmunk to watch Brady and the Patriots play the Colts for the first time since the AFC Championship game, not to mention the allegations that began this mess.
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