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As Deflategate passes 500 days since the now-infamous incident during the AFC Championship Game in Jan. 2015, the case drags on. The latest plot twist is New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady fighting a four-game suspension that, unless overturned, will kick in at the start of the 2016 season.
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A federal appeals court in April backed the NFL in a fight with the NFL Players' Association on Brady, ruling that commissioner Roger Goodell had the power to enforce the punishment.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft was asked Wednesday at a gathering to honor his late wife about his decision to become involved in Brady's fight against the NFL. He offered a vague response.
"I appreciate you asking that question and I respect it, but today we are celebrating volunteerism," Kraft said. "We always start this right before the start of the season. We're excited football is back, seeing these guys work out, but I'm going to keep all of our discussions today on a high point in the spirit of what this day is about."
Kraft seems confident that the situation will work out in the team's favor eventually.
"Things working out, to me, means we make the playoffs and then hopefully take the next step to do what we all would like to see happen here," he said. "When you go through the locker room, you get a feel of what's going on and I think the new people that have come in are pretty special. There is a great chemistry in the locker room and people have worked very hard in the offseason training program.
"We're very excited to have football back. I can't wait for the season to start."
As a result of Deflategate, the Patriots paid a $1 million fine and forfeited a first-round draft pick this year that Kraft accepted.
