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103 days.
That's how long it took to concoct the Wells Report, with nary a "leak" from the league sprinkled in between a seemingly endless stretch of time. Now that the report has been circulated, perused, (mis)read, and (mis)interpreted, the league office has sort of officially begun their Great PR Circus, filled with giant elephants in the room and bright trial balloons. A day after the New York Daily News published this article citing sources close to the league and proclaiming Tom Brady's suspension an absolute certainty, Boston.com received an email from NFL spokesman Greg Aiello refuting it.
Chris Greenberg of Boston.com writes:
But NFL spokesman Greg Aiello spokesman said in an email to Boston.com Saturday that "no decisions have been made."
"It is Gary Myers' prediction," Aiello wrote. "The headline is misleading."
That headline, which you can read here, is "Tom Brady will be suspended by Roger Goodell for role in DeflateGate, announcement expected next week."
The NFL's statement that no decision has been made on possible punishments does not necessarily mean that no suspension is coming. Speculation on the duration of a possible punishment for Brady has been rampant since investigator Ted Wells' report on the scandal was released Wednesday.
Of course, this doesn't really mean too much as the NFL might just be trying to quell any speculation or baseless assumptions from running rampant throughout the course of the weekend (ha). Still, it has to offer some glimmer of hope for a team that may have to begin the season without their starting quarterback, one whose suspension has been estimated to fall somewhere between the 2 and 16 game range; in other words, entirely accurate and eminently believable.
The Patriots and their many fans will undoubtedly be holding on with bated breath as soon as the new week officially begins, but for now, a huge thank you should extend to Mr. Greg Aiello, Roger Goodell, and the National Football League for finally, once and for all, putting this madness to rest.