Tom Brady's Deflategate Suspension Overturned
A federal judge has overturned Roger Goodell's suspension of Tom Brady.
The New York Times reports that Judge Richard M. Berman said that Goodell had acted beyond his authority by issuing Brady a four game suspension, which equals 25 percent of the NFL season, for his role in the "deflategate" scandal.
That scandal revolved around allegations that Brady cheated in the AFC Championship game last year against the Indianapolis Colts by ordering the employees responsible for the balls to deflate them so he could grip and throw them easier in cold weather. The game was played at New England's home field of Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts.
While Brady is now free to begin the season in week one against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sept. 10, the judge did not rule whether not Brady actually cheated. Berman simply said that Goodell was in violation of the collective bargaining agreement that defines the relationship between players and the league. The judge said that Goodell's punishment was in violation of that agreement.
The NFL is appealing Berman's decision, meaning that the saga is far from over, and it is still possible that a court will find Brady knew about the deflations, as has been oft asserted.
The Patriots have a history of cheating, and their coach Bill Belichik was personally fined $500,000, the highest amount possible, after it was discovered the that they had filmed the defensive signals of other teams. The Patriots organization was fined $250,000 and lost a first-round draft pick.
