No phrase in professional sports has been mocked more thoroughly than "conduct detrimental to the integrity of the game," the clause under which Tom Brady was suspended four games. The punishment, authorized by commissioner Roger Goodell, was of course vacated in federal court and now is in the hands of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in Manhattan.
This week in Boca Raton, Fla., the NFL will conduct its annual league meeting. Last week in The Wall Street Journal, Matthew Futterman reported that the NFL and the Players' Association were moving closer to a deal that would involve Goodell conceding some of his disciplinary powers.