New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady leaves federal court in New York on Aug. 31, 2015. Three federal judges will hear the NFL’s appeal of the lifting of New England quarterback Tom Brady’s four-game suspension in “Deflategate.” The three judges were listed Thursday, Feb. 25, 2016, on the court’s website.
NEW YORK — NFL union lawyers who want New England quarterback Tom Brady to put “Deflategate” behind him for good are ready to make their pitch to three New York federal appeals judges.
NFL lawyers are asking the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan on Thursday to reinstate a four-game suspension the league handed Brady. They said a lower-court was wrong to rule in September that the penalty could be lifted because the league bungled a probe of deflated footballs at the AFC Championship game in January 2015.
If the league wins, Brady may have to sit out the start of the upcoming season. If the union wins, it is likely he will play. Either way, the case is likely to be cited in labor law for years to come.
A ruling, unlikely for months, may hinge on obscure points of contract law that sports fans may find less interesting than the drama that has unfolded within the controversy.
In court papers, NFL attorneys have called U.S. District Judge Richard Berman’s Manhattan decision “inexplicable.”
In their filings, NFL Players Association lawyers said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was making a “sweeping grab for power” when he upheld the four-game suspension in July.
Neither Goodell nor Brady will be in court Thursday. It is unlikely the court will rule for weeks.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.