Goodell deflates: Federal judge throws out Tom Brady suspension in its entirety

Judge Richard Berman did this morning what NFL Commissioner refused to do, and what the preening sports media had neither the integrity nor the brains to do. He delivered justice, favoring evidence over scuttlebutt and public perception.

There was no serious evidence that the Patriots' Tom Brady ordered footballs deflated in advance of January's AFC Championship Game against the Colts. There was talk. There was suspicion. There was panic over the likely reaction of media and corporate sponsors if something wasn't done. And there was an insecure commissioner still smarting from the backlash over the slap on the wrist he delivered to Ray Rice, determined to show the world that he could act toughly and decisively - even if the evidence didn't support the need for any such action. So Roger Goodell suspended Tom Brady for four games to make himself look good. Judge Berman threw out the suspension entirely because that's what the evidence called for - and rightly excoriated Goodell for the malfeasance he demonstrated throughout this entire case:

While the league investigation found it was "more probable than not" that two Patriots ball handling employees deliberately released air from Patriots game balls at January's 45-7 New England victory over the Indianapolis Colts, it cited no direct evidence that Brady knew about or authorized it. Goodell, though, went beyond the initial investigation report, finding in late July as a result of testimony from Brady and others that the quarterback conspired with the ball handlers and tried to obstruct the league's probe, including by destroying his cellphone.

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The commissioner said he concluded Brady "knew about, approved of, consented to, and provided inducements and rewards" to ensure balls were deflated. Berman attacked the league while questioning one of its lawyers at two hearings, citing a lack of proof against Brady and asking how Goodell settled on a four-game suspension instead of other discipline. He warned the league that he had the authority to overturn its punishment of Brady if he found the NFL acted unfairly by refusing to deliver NFL Executive Vice President Jeff Pash as a witness even though he worked on the NFL investigation.

So you might wonder: Why wouldn't the NFL let Pash testify as Berman wanted? Especially if Berman had already warned them it could cost them the case? To me the answer is simple. The NFL was going to lose the case either way and knew it, and figured it was better off losing without Pash taking the stand, rather than letting Pash get raked over the coals for the obvious railroad job this investigation was from the very beginning. Goodell can now claim he tried to be tough against cheating, but a mean old judge got in his way. He can claim that his own hand-picked investigator and a league-affiliated arbitrator supported his position, and can completely ignore the fact that the only independent authority to touch this whole thing found that Goodell and everyone working under him were orchestrating a screw job. Now we've reached the point where Brady might quote Ray Donovan and ask, "What office do I go to to get my reputation back?" The Patriots won Super Bowl XLVIII fair and square, after completely destroying the Colts in the AFC Championship Game. Brady has won four Super Bowls in his career and deserves complete and full credit for every single one of them. Anyone who might have been inclined to put an asterisk after that accomplishment needs to cease and desist with such slander. I can't say I'm rooting for Brady to win his fifth Super Bowl this year because I'm rooting for Teddy Bridgewater to win his first. But in the highly unlikely event the Vikings don't get that far for some inconceivable reason, heck yeah . . . one for the thumb, Mr. Brady! And as for the execrable Roger Goodell, I'm sure he knows where he can stick his thumb.