As he prepared to attend induction ceremonies this weekend at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, in an interview with a Canton newspaper, stood by his Deflategate punishment for Tom Brady, again citing the "integrity of the game."
“The integrity of the game is something we will always protect. The rules apply to everybody,” Goodell told The Repository. “That is my job in particular, to make sure everyone from our players to our coach, to our fans and our partners, that they all recognize we’re going to play by these sets of rules, and that’s part of our values and standards.
“Listen, he’s a great player and he’s a great young man,” Goodell said of Brady, 38. “We issued the decision just last week. We’re in the midst of litigation to ... ensure that that’s enforced the way we ruled on that, after a long process that is established in our collective bargaining agreement. That’s something we’ll play through.”
According to a post by from Boston Herald columnist Ron Borges on the Talk of Fame Network, Goodell shared a “tense few minutes” with Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who is also in Canton for the Hall ceremonies.