NEW YORK – There was a small sign of optimism following a long day in court.
NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith — shortly before being whisked into a car and driven off after he and his union argued on behalf of Patriots quarterback Tom Brady in a Deflategate settlement conference — offered reporters gathered outside the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York just five words.
“It was a productive day,” he said.
And after this case has dragged on for almost seven months, that’s a good sign.
Judge Richard M.