Tom Brady's suspension over deflategate scandal may be restored, according to the statements of a three-judge panel in the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan on Thursday. The panel claimed that they found compelling if not overwhelming evidence of ball tampering during the NFL playoff game in 2014.
NFL Players Association attorney Jeffrey Kessler was put in a hot seat as the three judges, including Judges Robert A. Katzmann, Barrington D. Parker and Denny Chin questioned the former. The judges cited their reasons why they would be supporting NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's decision on Brady's suspension. They claimed that Goodell had the rights to suspend him after investigation revealed that the Patriot's quarterback was aware of under-inflating their football before the championship between the Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts, according to Blogs WSJ.
"The evidence of ball tampering is compelling if not overwhelming," Judge Denny Chin said. The judges also told the attorneys for the NFL that Brady hindered the investigation of the league. During the investigation, Brady said that he destroyed his cellphone for security reasons when the investigators tried to analyze his text messages. Kessler on the other hand said that Goodell had no blanket authority to suspend players for equipment violations, according to Daily Mail.
Brady's suspension took effect in May 2015, four months after the contentious deflategate scandal that led to the Patriot's win over Indianapolis Colts. The teams' championship took them to the Super Bowl. Brady was able to get his fourth championship title after defeating the defending champion Seattle Hawks, Reuters reported. The league suspended Brady after NFL attorney Ted Wells found that the 38-year-old quarterback knew that two employees of the Patriot's connived to deflate the footballs to make it easier to grip.
It could take weeks before the Appeals Court make their final decision over Brady's suspension. Paul Clement, an attorney for the NFL requested for a speedy ruling of the court to resolve the issue before the next football season.
