Fans of the New England Patriots are suing the NFL and their own team owner over their lost draft picks taken in the Deflategate punishment.
When the 32 NFL teams meet in Chicago later this month for the annual player selection draft, the New England Patriots will have an extra day to prepare for their first pick. As a result of punishment for the Deflategate scandal during the AFC Championship Game two seasons ago, the Patriots will not have a pick in the first round this year.
Team owner Robert Kraft had asked the league for that pick back, a request that was denied by commissioner Roger Goodell. Now, fans of the Patriots are taking matters into their own hand and suing the NFL in court over the lost picks as a result of their own actions, according to NESN:
"The lawsuit accuses the NFL of several wrongdoings, including breach of contract, fraud, negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress.“This case is brought by New England Patriots fans on behalf of all Patriots fans who believe the New England Patriots professional football team were harmed by the Defendants’ arbitrary and capricious decision to revoke the Patriots first round draft choice in the April 28, 2016 NFL Draft for alleged participation in a cheating scandal popularly referred to by the media as ‘Deflategate,’ ” the suit, signed by Maine attorney Seth Carey, states."
But, wait…there’s more! The lawsuit also names Kraft as a defendant, saying the owner didn’t do enough to get the first round pick in 2016 and fourth round pick in 2017 back from the league:
"“Defendant Robert Kraft had remedies to attempt to get the Plaintiffs’ draft pick back, but he chose his fellow billionaire owners above the Plaintiffs and fellow fans,” the lawsuit states.“Plaintiffs have dealt with embarrassment, ridicule and depression due to the rest of the country who is jealous of the Patriots ‘piling on’ and criticizing the Patriots and their fans for being ‘cheaters,’ ” the lawsuit states."
If you’re thinking this is just a late April Fools’ Day joke about some idiots who filed an insane suit in court thinking they really had a case, sadly this is real. The seven plaintiffs include a man who, honest to God, is suing because his young child won’t go to games anymore because she thinks the NFL is “fixed” according to him.
It’s a rare day when something so insane can make fans across the country actually side with Goodell, but the hilarious actions of a delusional group of fans might be just the thing to make that happen.
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