May 11, 2015

Tom Brady suspended four games for Deflategate

  

The New England Patriots were notified today of the following discipline that has been imposed for violations of the NFL Policy on Integrity of the Game and Enforcement of Competitive Rules relating to the use of under-inflated footballs in the AFC Championship Game of this past season: 

For the violation of the playing rules and the failure to cooperate in the subsequent investigation, the New England Patriots are fined $1 million and will forfeit the club’s first-round selection in the 2016 NFL Draft and the club’s fourth-round selection in the 2017 NFL Draft. If the Patriots have more than one selection in either of these rounds, the earlier selection shall be forfeited. The club may not trade or otherwise encumber these selections. 

Patriots owner Robert Kraft advised Commissioner Roger Goodell last week that Patriots employees John Jastremski and James McNally have been indefinitely suspended without pay by the club, effective on May 6th. Neither of these individuals may be reinstated without the prior approval of NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations Troy Vincent. If they are reinstated by the Patriots, Jastremski is prohibited from having any role in the preparation, supervision, or handling of footballs to be used in NFL games during the 2015 season. McNally is barred from serving as a locker room attendant for the game officials, or having any involvement with the preparation, supervision, or handling of footballs or any other equipment on game day. 

George Zimmerman involved in Florida shooting 

  

Police in Lake Mary, Florida, a suburb of Orlando, said they were investigating the shooting, according to police spokeswoman Bianca Gillett.

WFTV said Zimmerman was shot in the face and WESH-TV in Orlando said the wound was minor.

Police said it appeared to be a “road-rage incident,” according to the FOX 35 television station in Orlando.

A bullet hole could be seen in the passenger window of Zimmerman’s vehicle, WESH reported. 

Witnesses told the television station that a man appearing to be Zimmerman was able to walk normally into an ambulance.

Zimmerman, 31, a former Florida neighborhood watch volunteer, was acquitted of murder in the death of Trayvon Martin in 2012, an incident that prompted civil rights rallies and drew international attention to Florida’s controversial “stand your ground” law.