Patriots quarterback Tom Brady applied his name to the antitrust lawsuit that landed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, and then he went out for a ride and he never went back. (I can’t recall ever making a Springsteen reference, and that’s now two in one day.)
But Brady apparently is keeping a close eye on the litigation that bears his name. And he said during halftime of a charity touch football game on Friday night that he’s “relatively confident” a deal will be reached, according to Tom Curran of CSNNE.com.
“There’s been a lot of positive news from both sides,” Brady said. “Everyone’s working hard for a great outcome and I’m confident that a lot of reasonable people will come to a very reasonable agreement.”
As Curran points out, Brady didn’t elaborate on the “positive news from both sides.” The fact that he’s the lead plaintiff suggests that he possibly has been given an update.
Brady also explained that the players remain unified. “The players, we all stick together,” Brady said. “We realize how important we all are to each other. A lot of guys really care about the game and the guys that have been around for a while understand what it takes for us to grow the league, to be part of the business of the NFL and to be great representatives for the NFL and to leave the NFL in better shape than when we came into it. I think that’s the responsibility of all players, young or old.”
It all sounds good, but if/when Brady thinks he may lose a shot his fourth championship in 2011, there’s a good chance he’ll be privately saying something much different than that. Brady doesn’t need the money but, as he repeatedly has said, his favorite Super Bowl victory is the next one.