For fans of Tom Brady, Part 2 of his fight with the N.F.L. was not much better than Part 1.
Brady’s four-game suspension, imposed in May, was upheld by Commissioner Roger Goodell on Tuesday. By Wednesday, the shocking disclosure that Brady ordered his phone destroyed rather than risk sharing text messages held within it had become a granite wall that would not let truth, facts or even discussion in or out.
Even for the fiercest Brady fan, this has to be slightly disconcerting. Months of complaints about a witch hunt against their beloved quarterback or the misapplication of the commissioner’s power were swiftly overwhelmed by the disturbing image of Brady, a three-time Super Bowl most valuable player, ordering the destruction of evidence on the day he was supposed to meet with N.