The Sports Xchange

New England Patriots fans will hold a rally on Sunday in support of beloved quarterback Tom Brady, who is fighting his four-game suspension stemming from Deflategate.

The “Free Tom Brady” rally is scheduled to take place at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET. Fans are encouraged to wear Tom Brady jerseys.

A recently created Facebook page describes the event as a “peaceful rally to protest the unjust football arrest of half God half man Tom Brady.”

According to ESPN.com, 240 people had confirmed by Saturday afternoon that they were planning to attend the rally.

Brady was suspended for his role as the alleged ringleader of team equipment managers who intentionally lowered the air pressure in footballs. He did not fully cooperate with the NFL’s third-party investigation led by Ted Wells, according to a 243-page report outlining the offenses.

The Wells report released May 6 concluded that the Patriots “more probable than not” violated NFL rules and Brady “was at least generally aware of the inappropriate activities” of the deflated game balls in the 45-7 AFC Championship Game victory over the Indianapolis Colts.

—Patriots fans have strongly supported Brady since the four-time Super Bowl MVP was investigated by the league.

The late Patricia Shong of Auburn, Mass., who passed away on Monday at the age of 72, even showed support for the quarterback in her obituary.

The obituary, which appeared Thursday in the local daily newspaper, included a passage that stated: “Patricia was known for being an avid reader which all who knew her can attest to based on her mini home library. She especially loved spending time with her family. She would also like us to set the record straight for her: Brady is innocent!!”

—Hall of Fame quarterback Roger Staubach said he would have a hard time playing alongside Dallas Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy because of his domestic violence past.

Although he admires the way Cowboys executive vice president Charlotte Jones Anderson has taken a leadership role in the NFL’s efforts on domestic violence, Staubach said he can’t justify allowing a player like Hardy on the team.

“Well, it depends on getting a chance to understand the red flags … like the Hardy situation,” Staubach said Friday on KTCK-AM 1310 in Dallas. “Charlotte Jones is fantastic. She’s involved with the NFL on the committees. I think she had a hand in trying to understand that this guy deserves a second chance. I don’t have any tolerance toward domestic violence. If I was making the decision, it probably wouldn’t have been good for the Cowboys.”

Hardy missed 15 games last year and is suspended for 10 games this year for a domestic violence incident while he was playing for the Carolina Panthers.

The 73-year-old Staubach, who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985, said Hardy is not the kind of teammate he wants to be around.

“I wouldn’t really enjoy being in the locker room with someone I knew was a domestic violence person. That’s how I feel,” the legendary Cowboys quarterback said.

—The Houston Texans have emerged as the favorites to be featured on the 10th edition of HBO’s “Hard Knocks” series.

The Texans are one of three finalists for the training camp documentary, but HBO prefers the Texans over the Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins, according to the Houston Chronicle.

Multiple media reports indicated the Cleveland Browns, Redskins and Bills are not interested, which would make the Texans the front-runner. However, NFL.com analyst Gil Brandt tweeted Friday that the Redskins will be on the upcoming show.

The Browns had concerns that the HBO reality series would focus on Johnny Manziel and their request to not be on the show was granted

Texans defensive end J.J. Watt, the 2014 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, is the kind of player the NFL would want to be showcased on “Hard Knocks.”

—Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross has made it clear he wants to win now after quarterback Ryan Tannehill and center Mike Pouncey signed contract extensions. and the team landed the year’s biggest free-agent prize, defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.

When Dolphins general manager Dennis Hickey was interviewing for the job in 2014, Ross said then that the time to win is now. The Dolphins were 8-8 last season.

Ross has put up even more money to make that happen — committing more than $125 million in guaranteed money to Suh, Tannehill and Pouncey.

Hickey said everyone — from the the front office to the coaching staff — has been on the same page on the way to build the Dolphins as they turned over roughly half of their starting lineup.

“As you put together a strategic plan, even going back to when I first interviewed for the job, you look ahead and you try to be strategic with how you try to allocate your resources,” Hickey said Friday, appearing on 104.3 The Ticket in Miami. “What are next year’s decisions? What are the following year’s decisions? And so we went through that.

“We’re a process-driven organization. Part of the process is collaboration, getting our coaches together with our scouts and getting them together to do their due diligence. The process is about making good, sound decisions that make sense.”

—Tennessee Titans fans, already showing their support for new quarterback Marcus Mariota, are buying the No. 2 overall draft pick’s jerseys to lead the NFL in sales this month.

Mariota has the NFL’s best-selling jersey so far in May, Titans director of finance Stuart Spears told Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com.

The Titans have been searching for a franchise quarterback for 10 years — ever since they traded Steve McNair to the Baltimore Ravens in 2005.

Mariota becomes the face of the Titans franchise after winning the Heisman Trophy at Oregon in 2014. The Titans hope he can adapt quickly to being an NFL quarterback after first-round misses on Vince Young in 2006 and Jake Locker in 2011.

The Titans, 2-14 last season, and Mariota have not reached an agreement on his rookie contract. He is the only pick taken in the top seven of the draft who has not yet signed.