New England quarterback Tom Brady is back, and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is on the ropes.
In a stinging rebuke of Goodell's authority, U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman on Thursday wiped out the four-game suspension of Brady, the two-time NFL most valuable player, who had been punished for his role in an alleged football-deflating scheme.
Berman wrote in his 40-page opinion that Goodell's handling of Brady's case was "fundamentally unfair" and was "premised upon several significant legal deficiencies." Brady has insisted he played no role in any decision to deflate footballs below the allowable limit before last season's AFC Championship game.