WASHINGTON — The NFL's defeat in the drawn-out "Deflategate" saga marked the latest setback in Roger Goodell's nine-year run as commissioner.
But as long as the National Football League continues to reap hefty profits, he is seen as unlikely to lose the league's top job anytime soon.
U.S. District Judge Richard Berman on Thursday threw out Goodell's four-game suspension of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady over his alleged role in a scheme to deflate footballs used in a victory that put the Patriots in last season's Super Bowl.
Within hours of the ruling, the NFL appealed the order vacating Brady's four-game suspension.