NEW YORK — A federal judge put the NFL on the defensive over its four-game suspension of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady on Wednesday, demanding to know what evidence directly links Brady to deflating footballs and belittling the drama of the controversy.
Judge Richard M. Berman in Manhattan repeatedly asked NFL lawyer Daniel L. Nash for direct evidence as he gave both sides a chance to state their case in the first hearing before him.
The public portion of the hearing ended at 12:45 p.m. EDT after about an hour, 20 minutes, and Berman began meeting individually with each side to continue settlement discussions in private.