FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- When New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady takes the practice field Thursday morning, everyone will be watching. After all, a LOT has happened these past two days.
Wednesday began with Brady insisting he "did nothing wrong" and ended with the NFL Players Association officially taking the NFL to court on Brady's behalf:
Brady released a statement on his personal Facebook page around 7:30 a.m.. "There is no 'smoking gun' and this controversy is manufactured to distract from the fact they have zero evidence of wrongdoing," he wrote.
Owner Robert Kraft made a surprise appearance prior to Bill Belichick's scheduled news conference at 10 a.m., and ripped the NFL in a prepared statement. He also apologized to Patriots fans, explaining that he accepted the league's penalties because he felt it would help exonerate Brady. "I've come to the conclusion that this was never about doing what was fair and just. Back in May, I had to make a difficult decision that I now regret," he said. "I was wrong to put my faith in the league."
The fireworks were naturally the talk of the league. One of Kraft's close friends in ownership, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, spoke about how Goodell has a tough job. He didn't exactly strike a sympathetic tone for Kraft.
Patriots captains Devin McCourty and Matthew Slater, in scheduled news conferences, expressed their support for Brady.
The NFL Players Association officially filed its 54-page lawsuit on behalf of Brady in Minnesota. The lawsuit includes comments from Kraft's statement earlier in the day. The lawsuit requests a Sept. 4 deadline for a judgment or injunction, to provide clarity on Brady's status before the season-opener Sept. 10.