Some New England Patriots fans are fighting back against the National Football League.
They have filed a federal lawsuit asking the NFL to reinstate the team’s draft picks that were taken away as part of the "Deflategate" punishment.
One of the plaintiffs, David Vaccaro, said he wanted to "make a wrong right."
"We decided let’s just do it, it’s gonna stir the pot," said Vaccaro. "We deserve the draft pick, we earned it. And as a fan, I’d like to see us get it."
The lengthy lawsuit asks for the first-round draft pick to be returned to the team.
In the motion, the attorney representing the seven plaintiffs wrote:
‘We are facing a modern tyrant who has used his power in a most un-American way- to purposely, arbitrarily and capriciously hurt the New England Patriots for untoward and unfair reasons. Namely to appease jealous owners and fans of the other 31 teams who the patriots have spanked over the past 15 years.’
The lawsuit claims the NFL, in punishing the Patriots, violated the Massachusetts Consumer Protection Act and committed fraud. It claims the NFL caused both intentional and negligent emotional distress of its fans.
One fan wrote he has lost sleep since the punishment was handed down by the NFL last summer. The lawsuit is asking a federal judge to suspend the NFL’s decision until at least after the draft.
Three of the plaintiffs are from Massachusetts. The others are from Connecticut, New Jersey and Florida.
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