USA TODAY Sports' Tom Pelissero explains what a federal judge's decision to overturn Patriots QB Tom Brady's Deflategate suspension means for the Patriots and the rest of the NFL. USA TODAY Sports
The NFL season doesn’t begin for another week, but already it has seen a resounding loss — by the league itself.
A ruling from U.S. District Court Judge Richard M. Berman on Thursday that vacated an arbitration upholding a four-game suspension for Patriots quarterback Tom Brady ventures nowhere near a gray area. In vacating NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s decision – something that happens rarely in the courts by with increasing frequency to the league – Berman likely sent the strongest message yet about the way the league handles player discipline.