Well, this is just about as tedious as it gets. The NFL was forced to re-file its appeal brief in the Deflategate case against Tom Brady because it covered the brief with the wrong color cover. Under the Federal Rules, all briefs must be filed with a yellow cover, and the NFL evidently missed the memo. Now I ask you, who cares? This is a minor technicality and, although the penalty is rather tame—it amounts to little more than a fine, really—it's more a disgraceful show of power from the court than anything else."Sorry, them's the rules," the court seems to say, and it made an example of the NFL. Should Roger Goodell and the NFL's high-priced lawyers know some of the basic procedural rules of practicing in federal court? Of course, but Deflategate is an important issue to the NFL. Maybe they were trying to make a point with whatever color they chose and simply didn't realize the exacting nature of court procedure.In the end, it doesn't matter. If we've learned anything from the courts over the years, it's that they will enforce their trivial and Draconian rules to protect the scales of justice.NFL flagged for rules violation in #Deflategate appeal; filed brief with "wrong color cover" and ordered to refile. pic.twitter.com/ZLsuOfnCly
— Daniel Wallach (@WALLACHLEGAL) December 30, 2015