Judge lets Brady play, ruling against NFL in ‘Deflategate’
By The Associated Press
news@abc6.com
NEW YORK (AP) _ The battle between the NFL and Tom Brady is not over. Commissioner Roger Goodell says the league will appeal the decision by U.S. District Judge Richard Berman that ruled in favor of Brady and erased his four-game suspension for "Deflategate."
NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy says that while the league will not seek an emergency stay of Berman’s decision, leaving Brady free to start the season while the appeals court considers the case.
The Patriots open September 10 against the Pittsburgh.
In his ruling Berman came out forcefully in Brady’s favor, maligning the NFL for its handling of the scandal that erupted after the AFC championship game in January, when officials discovered during the first half that Brady used underinflated footballs. New England beat the Indianapolis Colts 45-7 then won the Super Bowl two weeks later.
Judge Berman cited the following in his statement:
- That Brady had no notice of his possible suspension for general awareness of ball deflation by others.
- That he had been given no notice that his discipline would be the equivalent of the discipline imposed upon a player who used performance enhancing drugs
- Brady was not given equal access to investigative files, including witness interview notes, and didn’t have a chance to examine one of two lead investigators.
In a statement, Goodell said that an appeal is paramount to protect the integrity of the game and his office’s responsibilities under the collective bargaining agreement with players.
After being informed of the league’s decision, Judge Berman had a clerk forward the electronic case file to the appeals court, which also sits in Manhattan.
© The Associated Press/WLNE-TV 2015
