Although I am a Steelers fan, I am not about to defend Roethlisberger's conduct. But FWIW Roethlisberger's original suspension was 6 games, which was reduced to 4 games after he expressed contrition to Goodell.
In that one-on-one meeting, which took place at Westchester County Airport, about 30 miles north of the NFL offices in Manhattan, Roethlisberger was contrite and real, a source with knowledge of the meeting told ESPN's Sal Paolantonio. Then Goodell informed Roethlisberger that the suspension would be reduced.
http://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=5527564
Brady supposedly could have obtained a reduction to no more than 2 games but elected to fight it out.
The NFL offered to reduce New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady’s four-game Deflategate suspension by “at least 50 percent” before commissioner Roger Goodell upheld the penalty, reports ProFootballTalk.com’s Mike Florio.
http://www.si.com/nfl/2015/07/28/tom...-nfl-reduction
While "at the end of the day" both Roethlisberger and Brady both received 4 game suspensions, the initial suspensions were not the same and Brady's suspension apparently would have been reduced if he had copped a plea to what The New York Times reported this week was evidence supporting the conclusion there was tampering with the footballs.
The Deflategate Scientists Unlock Their Lab
The researchers whose work led to Tom Brady’s suspension have never spoken publicly. Now they’re eager to say they were right, no matter what Patriots fans believe.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/25/sp...ence.html?_r=0
I do not believe it is appropriate for Goodell to have such expansive authority to impose discipline. If that bothered Brady and the Pats so much they should have voted against the collective bargaining agreement in 2011 that gave Goodell that authority. As the Steelers did.
In summer 2011, when there was a rush to approve the newly negotiated collective bargaining agreement during training camps so the preseason games could take place, Steelers players took a stand.
The Steelers were the only one of the 32 teams to vote against the CBA. They felt the new deal continued to give NFL commissioner Roger Goodell too much leeway as judge, jury and executioner over the player conduct policy.
http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/s...s/201507290155
Hard to see why you are throwing rocks at the Rooneys.
Steelers president Art Rooney accompanied Roethlisberger on his trip to see Goodell... Goodell's ruling was made in consultation with Rooney and the Steelers, who were angered by the two-time Super Bowl winner's behavior and would have punished him if the league hadn't.
http://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=5527564
In contrast, ESPN ran a long story in 2015 that reviewed why the league dropped the hammer for Deflategate in part because the other NFL owners believed the Patriots, as an organization rather than as rogue individuals players, had been skirting the rules for years, specifically with regard to their videotaping practices (aka "Spygate").
Spygate to Deflategate: Inside what split the NFL and Patriots apart
http://www.espn.com/espn/otl/story/_...patriots-apart
When measured by their won-loss record and number of championships the New England Patriots unquestionably have a great history of success. So do the North Carolina Tar Heels.