Hundreds of New England Patriots fans, pumped up over the ongoing Deflategate scandal, are pouring into Gillette Stadium for a "Free Tom Brady" rally organized on the millionaire superstar's behalf by a part-time Framingham janitor, writes Laurel J. Sweet / Boston Herald.
"Money can't buy legacy, and that's what's being tainted right now," said Pablo Munoz, 22. "If you take that away from him he could live his whole life with money, but at the end of the day if he goes in the Hall of Fame with an asterisk next to his name, that's going to be more than defamation. That's to be just terrible.
"That's really what this is about," Munoz said in unflagging support of the 37-year-old MVP quarterback, who is appealing before the NFL Players Association the four-game suspension league president Roger Goodell sanctioned. "It's to show him there's still a nation, a sea of people who believe that he's the champion that he is. I think it's going to be great for him. He's given us so many memories. We just want to give him one."
Fans of all ages turned out for the 11 a.m. start of the two-hour event in red, white and blue No. 12 jerseys, their cars decorated, their faces painted, their voices strong.
Newlyweds Paul and Kellie Goodrow of Watertown, who married May 9, have put their honeymoon cruise to Bermuda on hold until Brady's name is cleared.
"We want to be here to support our Patriots, and until that ban is lifted we're not going on our honeymoon," Paul Goodrow said. "Our whole house is like a man cave. The NFL debacled this so-called Deflategate. It's just ridiculous. It's all because of fans from other states who hate us because they ain't us. I believe that he is innocent. This is just a smear campaign against the Patriots."
The bride wearing a Patriots T-shirt and a bittersweet smile, said, "I'm OK. I know once the ban is lifted I'll have a happy husband again.
"He lives, eats and sleeps Patriots. This is his Disneyworld," Kellie Goodrow said of Gillette Stadium.
Munoz said at least 600 people had committed to attending the rally as of last night.
"This is what I was imagining," Munoz said, looking around at the enthusiastic mob. "It could be in the thousands or it could stay in the hundreds. I mean, this is good enough for me," he said to chants of. "Free Brady, fire Goodell!" and "Kiss the ring!"
Munoz said he was not expecting any of the four-time Super Bowl champion players to appear or team owner Robert Kraft; however,
"It was his final word that gave us the OK here so, no matter, Bob Kraft is here in spirit," Munoz said. "He knows this is happening and thank you to him. If he comes out here and says a few words that'd be awesome, but I can complete understand if he won't."
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