On Jan. 18, 2015 the New England Patriots played the Indianapolis Colts at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts in the AFC Championship Game.
Although the Patriots defeated the Colts 45-7 that is not what most fans remember about the game. In this game, quarterback Tom Brady was accused of tampering with game footballs, giving his team an unfair advantage over the Colts.
On May 11 the National Football League (NFL) concluded it would suspend Brady for four games as a result of his supposed actions during the January game. Then yesterday, U.S. District Judge Richard Berman ruled to overturn the NFL’s suspension yesterday on the grounds that he found “several significant legal deficiencies” according to an article published on CNN.
Immediately following Berman’s decision the league filed an appeal. "We are grateful to Judge Berman for hearing this matter, but respectfully disagree with today's decision," Roger Goodell, commissioner of the NFL, said in a statement. Brady will be able to play in all regular season games as the appeal moves forward.
As an Editorial Board, we believe each person has a right to a fair trial in a court of law. In no case should the defendant be given unequal access to the files the prosecution has possession of.
However, we do not condone the alleged cheating that Tom Brady has been accused of by the league. Each team should have an equal shot at winning a game going in, and no one team should gain an advantage over the other.