Tom Brady must serve 'Deflategate' penalty

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady must serve a four-game ''Deflategate'' suspension Albert Pujols Jerseyimposed by the NFL, a federal appeals court ruled Monday, overturning a lower judge and siding with the league in a battle with the players union. A three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan ruled 2-to-1 that Commissioner Roger Goodell did not deprive Brady of ''fundamental fairness'' with his procedural rulings. The split decision may end the legal debate over the scandal that led to months of football fans arguing over air pressure and the reputation of one of the league's top teams. It also fuels a fresh http://www.officialcardinalsmlbshop.com/authentic-45-bob-gibson-jersey.htmlround of debate over what role, if any, the quarterback and top NFL star played in using underinflated footballs at the AFC championship game in January 2015. The Patriots won the contest over the Indianapolis Colts, 45-7, and then won the Super Bowl. The ruling can be appealed to the full 2nd Circuit or to the U.S. Supreme Court, but it would likely be a steep and time-consuming climb even if the courts took the unusual step to consider it. In a majority opinion written by Judge Barrington D. Parker, the 2nd Circuit said its review of labor http://www.officialcardinalsmlbshop.com/authentic-22-jason-heyward-jersey.htmlarbitration awards ''is narrowly circumscribed and highly deferential - indeed, among the most deferential in the law.'' ''Our role is not to determine for ourselves whether Brady participated in a scheme to deflate footballs or whether the suspension imposed by the Commissioner should have been for three games or five games or none at all. Nor is it our role to second-guess the arbitrator's procedural rulings,'' the opinion said. ''Our obligation is limited to determining whether the arbitration proceedings and award met the minimum legal standards established by the Labor Management Relations Act.'' The 2nd Circuit said the contract Matt Moore Jerseybetween players and the NFL gave the commissioner authority that was ''especially broad.'' ''Even if an arbitrator makes mistakes of fact or law, we may not disturb an award so long as he acted within the bounds of his bargained-for authority,'' the court said. In a dissent, Chief Judge Robert Katzmann said Goodell failed to even consider ahttp://www.officialraysshop.com/authentic-40-wade-davis-jersey.html ''highly relevant'' alternative penalty. ''I am troubled by the Commissioner's decision to uphold the unprecedented four-game suspension,'' Katzmann said. ''It is ironic that a process designed to ensure fairness to all players has been used unfairly against one player.'' The NFL Players Association said in a statement it was disappointed.