DeflateGate: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to Hear Tom Brady's Appeal

Earlier this week, the NFLPA filed a request for Commissioner Roger Goodell to recuse himself from hearing the appeal of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. Today, a little over an hour after the NFLPA made it known that they were still waiting, CBS's Jason La Canfora reported that the NFL rejected the NFLPA's request.

Goodell will be hearing Brady's appeal.

This should not come as a surprise. It's within the agreement between the players and the league that the commissioner will be able to hear the appeals- and this role dates back to 1968. If Goodell had accepted the request from the NFLPA, he would be setting a precedence that he would never be able to hear an appeal, because it's actually impossible for him to be impartial.

This whole case is now about precedence, as the NFLPA will likely challenge whatever the ruling is from Goodell and escalate this to the court systems. The players want Goodell's power stripped and given to a neutral party. The result of Brady's case will likely play a larger role in the landscape of NFL punishments.