Suddenly, the key to Tom Brady's appeal of his four-game suspension today may not be Tom Brady.
The Boston Globe is reporting that Ted Wells, whose report that led to the four-game suspension the NFL levied against the New England Patriots quarterback has come under considerable scrutiny, will be in attendance.
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Brady will have to answer to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in a hearing that could go on until Thursday if events warrant an extension.
Brady's agent, Don Yee, who has been one of the more outspoken opponents against the Wells report, will be in attendance, as will NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith, outside counsel Jeffrey Kessler and union lawyer Tom DePaso also will be in attendance on the quarterback's behalf.
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Brady's team will argue that his four-game suspension is "grossly inconsistent with the league's prior disciplinary treatment of similar alleged conduct" that represents "a change in sanctions forbidden by the CBA," USA TODAY Sports is reporting.
His other argument is that "the discipline is based solely on the league-sanctioned report by Wells 'which contains insufficient evidence to find that Mr. Brady committed any violation of NFL rules,'" according to USA TODAY Sports.
It's unclear whether Wells will be asked to clarify any of the information in his findings. That could prevent a slippery slope if he speaks and Brady's handlers are allowed to ask him questions, leading to a scenario where Wells could be on the witness stand as much as Brady.
If so, it's possible that Wells may end up helping Brady's case if his answers about his investigation create more doubt about the process.
The Globe added that researchers from the American Enterprise Institute, which produced a paper earlier in the month asserting that the Wells report conclusions were wrong, will not be in attendance at Brady's hearing.
The Inquistr.com has suggested that the AEI report has fueled a wave of support for Brady that could have an impact on the case. USA TODAY reported that "Goodell has made it clear he wants to hear the two-time MVP's version of events. Why did he spend nearly an hour on the phone with {Patriots equipment assistant John) Jastremski the day after the AFC title game? Why did they meet privately in the quarterbacks' room at the Patriots' facility? Answers to those questions could prove more compelling than circumstantial evidence. Testifying on his own behalf also would open up Brady to questions from Goodell, Wells and the league's attorneys."
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