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Washington Airs Grievances Over DeflateGate Ruling

New England Patriots fans and sports pundits aren’t the only ones weighing in on the NFL’s decision to suspend quarterback Tom Brady for the DeflateGate scandal.
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New England Patriots fans and sports pundits aren’t the only ones weighing in on the NFL’s decision to suspend quarterback Tom Brady for the DeflateGate scandal.

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., used the league’s ruling as chance to continue his push for the Washington Redskins to change their name.

“Yesterday the National Football League punished one of its most recognizable players for allegedly having tampered with game balls,” Reid said Tuesday. “I find it stunning that the NFL is more concerned about how much air is in a ball than with a racist franchise name that denigrates Native Americans across our country. The Redskins name is a racist name.”

The NFL on Monday leveled one of the harshest fines ever against the Patriots after an investigation found the team had been under-inflating footballs and that Brady was generally aware it was going on. The Super Bowl winning quarterback was suspended for the first four games of the upcoming season and the Patriots were stripped of some draft picks and fined $1 million as a result.

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White House press secretary Josh Earnest said Tuesday he thinks Brady will be “mindful” of his standing as a role model as he determines his next steps.

“He serves as a rolemodel to so many, not just American kids...But to kids around the world,” Earmest said during the press briefing.

Earnest said he has not spoken to the president about his thoughts on Brady’s suspension.

— Andrew Rafferty