New England Patriots QB Tom Brady Has His Deflategate Suspension Overturned By Judge {VIDEO}{F}

Tom Brady destroyed his cell phone and its 10,000 texts during Deflategate investigation, NFL report reveals as his four-game ban is upheld

A federal judge let the air out of "Deflategate" Thursday, erasing New England quarterback Tom Brady's four-game suspension for a controversy that the NFL claimed threatened football's integrity.

U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell went too far in affirming punishment of the Super Bowl winning quarterback. Brady has insisted he played no role in a conspiracy to deflate footballs below the allowable limit at last season's AFC championship game.

The suspension was "premised upon several significant legal deficiencies," Berman wrote in his opinion, noting that an arbitrator's factual findings are generally not open to judicial challenge.

Berman's ruling does not necessarily end the dispute. The league can appeal. Neither side's top lawyer immediately responded to an email seeking comment.

The judge said Brady had no notice he could receive a four-game suspension for general awareness of ball deflation by others or participation in any scheme to deflate football and for not cooperating with an investigation.

"Brady also had no notice that his discipline would be the equivalent of the discipline imposed upon a player who used performance enhancing drugs," Berman said.

Brady was also denied equal access to investigative files, including witness interview notes, and didn't have a chance to examine one of two lead investigators, the judge said.

The written decision frees Brady to prepare for the Sept. 10 season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The ruling was a surprise to some legal experts who believed Berman was merely pressuring the league to settle when he criticized its handling of the investigation and discipline over the last eight months.

The league brought the scandal to Berman's Manhattan courtroom immediately once Goodell upheld Brady's four-game suspension, blasting the quarterback for arranging the destruction of his cellphone and its nearly 10,000 messages just before he was interviewed for the NFL probe. The union countersued, said Brady did nothing wrong and asked the judge to nullify the suspension.

While the league investigation found it was "more probable than not" that two Patriots ball handling employees deliberately released air from Patriots game balls at January's 45-7 New England victory over the Indianapolis Colts, it cited no direct evidence that Brady knew about or authorized it.

Goodell, though, went beyond the initial investigation report, finding in late July as a result of testimony from Brady and others that the quarterback conspired with the ball handlers and tried to obstruct the league's probe, including by destroying his cellphone.

The commissioner said he concluded Brady "knew about, approved of, consented to, and provided inducements and rewards" to ensure balls were deflated.

Berman attacked the league while questioning one of its lawyers at two hearings, citing a lack of proof against Brady and asking how Goodell settled on a four-game suspension instead of other discipline.

He warned the league that he had the authority to overturn its punishment of Brady if he found the NFL acted unfairly by refusing to deliver NFL Executive Vice President Jeff Pash as a witness even though he worked on the NFL investigation.

Berman had repeatedly urged both sides to settle and tone down their rhetoric. At a hearing Monday attended by Brady and Goodell, the judge announced that both sides had "tried quite hard" to reach a deal in morning talks. But the case was left for him to decide.

As they negotiated, the sides attacked each other in court papers.

In one August court filing, the union said the four-game suspension displayed "a clearly biased agenda — not an effort at fairness and consistency," and it criticized Goodell's ruling upholding the suspension as a "smear campaign," a "propaganda piece written for public consumption."

In its papers, the NFL said there was "ample support" in evidence for the commissioner to conclude Brady was involved in efforts by the Patriots equipment personnel to deflate footballs.

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New England Patriots QB Tom Brady Suspended 4 Games By NFL For 'Deflategate.' Team Fined 1 Million {VIDEO}

• Tom Brady's four-game suspension has been upheld by Commissioner Roger Goodell, which will cost him $1.88million
• Brady was punished for his role in allegedly using underinflated footballs during the AFC championship game last season
• The 19-page report released on Tuesday also revealed that Brady destroyed his cell phone while the Deflategate investigation was underway
• Brady said it was common practice for him to destroy his old phones when he got a new one so people could not get his information 
• This now means that backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo will likely start the first four games of the season 
• Brady will now challenge the decision in federal court and seek an injunction that will allow him to play

Tom Brady's four-game suspension for his role in using underinflated footballs during the AFC championship game last season has been upheld by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

The league announced the decision Tuesday.

Goodell also revealed that Brady destroyed his cell phone as the NFL investigation into the matter was underway.

This will now go to federal court where Brady will seek an injunction that would allow him to play at the start of the season while the case is under review.

The suspension will cost Brady Brady $1.88million. 

Brady's agent Don Yee said after the decision; 'The appeal process was a sham.' 

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'On or shortly before March 6, the day that Tom Brady met with independent investigator Ted Wells and his colleagues, Brady directed that the cell phone he had used for the prior four months be destroyed,' wrote Goodell. 

'He did so even though he was aware that the investigators had requested access to text messages and other electronic information that had been stored on that phone.' 

Brady's agent had previously said it was common practice for the quarterback to destroy his old phones when he got a new one so people could not reset it and get his information.  

Brady and his lawyers delivered a 10-hour appeal to Goodell on June 23 as to why his suspension should be overturned. 

This now means that backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo will likely start the first four games of the season. 

Brady, 37, arrived at training camp on Monday, two days early, and the team veterans are all expected to show up Wednesday to Gillette Stadium. 

Patriots coach Bill Belichick is expected to address the media at that time. 

Brady meanwhile is still eligible to train with the team and play in preseason games.

The New England Patriots' star quarterback was suspended by NFL executive Troy Vincent in May following a league-sanctioned investigation by Ted Wells.

The Patriots were fined $1 million and docked a pair of draft picks. The team didn't appeal its penalty, but Brady and his lawyers made their case during a 10-hour appeal hearing on June 23.

The NFL Players Association has previously said it would challenge the decision in court if Brady's suspension wasn't erased.

Brady and the Patriots have denied knowingly using deflated footballs in the AFC title game win over Indianapolis. The Patriots went on to beat Seattle in the Super Bowl and Brady was the MVP. 

Knowing that he will likely file in federal court, the NFL filed a preemptive complaint in Southern District of New York to confirm their decision.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft announced at a press conference in May that the team would not appeal the $1million fine handed down to them by the NFL for their involvement in the scandal.

'I don't want to continue the rhetoric that's gone on for the last four months,' said Kraft, as he agreed to 'reluctantly' accept the league's punishment. 

'At no time should the agenda of one team outweigh the collective good of the whole 32,' explained Kraft.

He then said the decision was the 'best thing for our fans, our team and the NFL.'

The team will also lose their first round pick in the 2016 draft and the fourth round pick in the following year.

The NFL fined the club the record amount after determining individuals in the organization had purposely deflated footballs used in the team's 45-7 playoff victory over the Indianapolis Colts earlier this year.

The report also said there was a strong possibility Brady knew this was happening at the time.

Kraft previously told Sports Illustrated he is convinced Brady is innocent of this charge.

'I’ve known Tommy 16 years, almost half his life. He’s a man, and he’s always been honest with me, and I trust him. I believed what he told me. He has never lied to me, and I have found no hard or conclusive evidence to the contrary,' said Kraft.

'I just get really worked up. To receive the harshest penalty in league history is just not fair. The anger and frustration with this process, to me, it wasn’t fair. If we’re giving all the power to the NFL and the office of the commissioner, this is something that can happen to all 32 teams.

'We need to have fair and balanced investigating and reporting. But in this report, every inference went against us … inferences from ambiguous, circumstantial evidence all went against us. That’s the thing that really bothers me.'

In the report, released on May 6, Wells found that two Patriots equipment personnel were involved in doctoring the footballs, citing text messages from the pair.

Brady was largely implicated due to the revelation that he declined to hand over details of his own emails, text messages and phone messages.

Brady himself has made little public comment on the matter, although he insisted shortly after the report came out that the Patriots' latest Super Bowl triumph was 'absolutely not' tainted by the scandal. 

Prior to Deflategate, Kraft and Goodell had been remarkably close, frequently spending time with one another both during the regular and off-seasons.

After the league's Deflategate ruling however Bleacher Report said that one league owner noted that the relationship between Kraft and Goodell was 'pretty much dead.'

They were however spotted chatting at the annual Allen & Company conference in Sun Valley, Idaho earlier this month, though it remains to be seen if their rekindled friendship can withstand the upholding of Brady's suspension. 

Also of note is that earlier this year Brady received a letter from Godell saying he was an 'elite player' who held a historic place in the game as it informed him he would be a part of multiple ceremonies over the course of next season to mark Super Bowl 50.

Godell wrote that Brady had left an 'enduring legacy of a great performance on the biggest stage in sports.'

Brady even shared a photo of the letter to his Facebook noting how proud he was of getting the honor from Godell.

Godell closed by saying; 'Thank you for all you have contributed to our great game.'  

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'Tom sucks, I'm going to make that next ball a f***in balloon': The incriminating texts between Patriots employees accused of being behind Deflategate {VIDEO}

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady will miss the first four games of theNational Football League's 2015 season for his role in deflating footballs before last year's AFC Championship game against the Indianapolis Colts.

The incident has become known as "Deflategate." The lower air pressure supposedly gave Brady a better grip on the football in cold weather.

The Patriots crushed the Colts 45-7, then went on to defeat the Seattle Seahawks inSuper Bowl XLIX.

TMZ reports that the league also severely punished the Patriots organization by fining them $1 million and taking away a first round pick in 2016, and a 4th round pick in 2017.

"Tom Brady will be suspended without pay for the first four games of the 2015 regular season for conduct detrimental to the integrity of the NFL," the league said in a statement. "Brady may participate in all off-season, training camp and pre-season activities, including pre-season games."

Troy Vincent

In a letter to Brady, NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations Troy Vincent explained the league found "substantial and credible evidence to conclude you were at least generally aware of the actions of the Patriots’ employees involved in the deflation of the footballs and that it was unlikely that their actions were done without your knowledge."

"Moreover, the report documents your failure to cooperate fully and candidly with the investigation, including by refusing to produce any relevant electronic evidence (emails, texts, etc.), despite being offered extraordinary safeguards by the investigators to protect unrelated personal information, and by providing testimony that the report concludes was not plausible and contradicted by other evidence."

"Your actions as set forth in the report clearly constitute conduct detrimental to the integrity of and public confidence in the game of professional football."

Patriots owner Robert Kraft told WCVB that he disagreed with the findings.

"While I respect the independent process of the investigation, the time, effort and resources expended to reach this conclusion are incomprehensible to me. Knowing that there is no real recourse available, fighting the league and extending this debate would prove to be futile," Kraft said.

The two equipment managers, John Jastremski and James McNally, have also been suspended by the team indefinitely.

Brady will have the opportunity to appeal his suspension.

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Seattle's Jeremy Lane Wrist Breaks at 90 Degrees after intercepting Tom Brady's Pass!! {VIDEO}

• NFL released 243-page probe into allegations Patriots tampered with balls
• Named Patriots workers Jim McNally and John Jastremski
• Included text message exchanges where the two discussed 'needles'
• Concluded it was likely Patriots made 'deliberate attempt' to break rules
• Said that Tom Brady was probably aware of cheating - and that he 'sucks'
• But exonerated Patriots management and coach Bill Belichick
• Team owner Robert Kraft blasted the 'incomprehensible' findings 

Two New England Patriots employees at the center of the deflategate scandal traded texts about sticking needles into balls for quarterback Tom Brady.

The incriminating messages came to light after the NFL published a lengthy investigation into the controversy, and concluded that it is likely Brady knew of and condoned the scheme to let down the air pressure of NFL balls to gain a competitive advantage.

Jim McNally and John Jastremski, a locker room assistant and equipment assistant, traded messages with each other observing that 'Tom sucks' and also gossiped about wanting cash and signed goodies in exchange for their work. 

In one exchange the two discussed using a 'needle', seemingly for letting air out of the balls. At one point McNally asked that he be provided with the implement 'surrounded by cash and new kicks'.

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According to the NFL, in the exchanges McNally referred to himself as 'the deflator', and appeared to acknowledge the outrage which would follow anybody finding out about the ruse by entertaining leaking the secret to ESPN.

McNally has been a Patriots employee for 32 years. The NFL said that his official job 'did not involve the preparation, inflation or deflation of Patriots game balls.' 

At McNally's home in the leafy town of Amherst, New Hampshire a man wearing a New England Patriots shirt made it clear he had no intention of commenting on the Deflategate report.

'Get off my land,' the man - believed to be McNally - yelled each time a reporter approached his door.

No one responded when Daily Mail Online rang the bell at Jastremski's apartment in Franklin, south of Boston.

The lengthy report, published online by the NFL, concluded: 'Based on the evidence developed in connection with the investigation and summarized in this Report, we have concluded that it is more probable than not that New England Patriots personnel participated in violations of the NFL Playing Rules and were involved in a deliberate attempt to circumvent those rules.

'In particular, we have concluded that it is more probable than not that Jim McNally (the Officials Locker Room attendant for the Patriots) and John Jastremski (an equipment assistant for the Patriots) participated in a deliberate effort to release air from Patriots game balls after the balls were examined by the referee.

'Based on the evidence, it also is our view that it is more probable than not that Tom Brady (the quarterback for the Patriots) was at least generally aware of the inappropriate activities of McNally and Jastremski involving the release of air from Patriots game balls'.

The report also includes logs of phone activity between Brady and Jastremski following the first accusations of foul play. Despite having no communicated by phone in around six months, the report says the two exchanged numerous early-morning calls. 

Neither man explained fully what the calls contained, but admitted they likely dealt with media reports about the emerging controversy.

At one point text messages between the pair seem to show Brady attempting to calm Jastremski and warning him about an upcoming period of questioning from officials.

Investigators wrote: 'We believe it is unlikely that an equipment assistant and a locker room attendant would deflate game balls without Brady's knowledge and approval.  

The Patriots went on to win the Super Bowl.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft responded to the report on Wednesday with a statement blasting the findings, which he said were 'incomprehensible' and based on 'circumstantial evidence' rather than science.

He said: 'To say we are disappointed in [the investigation's] findings, which do not include any incontrovertible or hard evidence of deliberate deflation of footballs at the AFC Championship game, would be a gross understatement.

He continued: 'While I respect the independent process of the investigation, the time, effort and resources expended to reach this conclusion are incomprehensible to me.'

Elsewhere in the statement Kraft contended that the 'science of atmospheric conditions' proved that his team had done nothing wrong.

However, Kraft admitted there was nothing his team can do, and agreed to accept any punishment the NFL chooses to dish out.

He said: 'Knowing that there is no real recourse available, fighting the league and extending this debate would prove to be futile.

'We understand and greatly respect the responsibility of being one of 32 in this league and, on that basis, we will accept the findings of the report and take the appropriate actions based on those findings as well as any discipline levied by the league.'

Brady himself has yet to comment on the controversy, which he furiously distanced himself from and belittled when the allegations first came to light.

However, his father, Tom Brady Snr, came out swinging for his son, claiming he was 'framed' in an NFL cover-up.

He told USA Today: 'The reality is if you can't prove he did it, then he's innocent, and lay off him. That's the bottom line.

'The league had to cover themselves. The reality is they had no conclusive evidence. This was Framegate right from the beginning.' 

New England Patriots WINNERS Of Super Bowl XLIX {VIDEO} Katy Perry & Missy Elliot Perform

• WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT
• Seattle Seahawks cornerback Jeremy Lane intercepted Tom Brady's pass
• He ran back to the 14-yard line where he was tackled by Julian Edelman
• Lane landed on his wrist which bent at an unnatural angle and broke
• Carried to the locker rooms for x-ray he didn't return for rest of the game 

This is the shocking moment where Seattle Seahawks cornerback Jeremy Lane's wrist was snapped during a brutal tackle at the Super Bowl.

It was the first quarter of the Super Bowl XLIX game and New England Patriots were poised to score and take the lead during their second possession when Lane intercepted a poor attempted endzone pass by the New England Patriots' Tom Brady.

The Seahawks cornerback was running the ball back to the 14-yard-line where he was tackled by Julian Edelman.

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Sent flying into the air, Lane lands badly. As these gruesome pictures show, the 24-year-old landed on his wrist which was bent back to an unnatural angle before it snaps.

He was rushed off the field and into the locker rooms for an x-ray but, unsurprisingly, he did not return to play for the rest of the game.

The injury signaled bad luck for the Seahawks who lost the game to the New England Patriots 24-28 on Sunday.

Jeremy Lane had made the first big play to negate a nearly eight-minute drive by the Patriots with a leaping interception at the goal line late in the first quarter. Lane made his first pro interception, but was replaced by Tharold Simon after the injury, who got torched by Brady the rest of the way.

Brady overcame a second interception and threw for four touchdowns, while Malcolm Butler intercepted Russell Wilson's pass in the end zone with 20 seconds left, helping the New England Patriots beat the Seattle Seahawks 28-24 Sunday night for their fourth Super Bowl title. 

The game ended with Seahawks linebacker Bruce Irvin being ejected in the final seconds for instigating a near-brawl, delaying the celebration for the Patriots.

Sunday's Super Bowl was a record-breaker for New England Patriots quarterback Brady who surpassed Joe Montana's record of 11 Super Bowl touchdowns. Brady has equaled Montana with four Lombardi Trophies and three Super Bowl MVPs. He stands alone with 13 Super Bowl touchdown passes. 

The Patriots are still being investigated for using for those under-inflated footballs the AFC championship game. 

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New England Patriots Beat Seattle Seahawks 28-24 In Super Bowl XLIX

Katy Perry put on a memorable halftime performance at the 2015 Super Bowl XLIX with the help of Missy Elliot and Lenny Kravitz.

The pop superstar kicked things off performing her mega hit single “Roar” while riding a giant mechanical tiger. She then performed her single “Dark Horse.”

Katy Perry was later joined onstage by Lenny Kravitz playing his guitar before Missy Elliot hit the stage to loud cheers.

The 1990s female rap icon kicked things off with her classic singles “Get Your Freak On,” “Work It,” and “Loose Control.”

Watch Katy Perry, Missy Elliot and Lenny Kravitz full performance at the Super Bowl XLIX halftime show below.

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CSI Tom Brady: NFL assembles team of lawyers and forensic experts to look into Deflategate as it's revealed Patriots balls HAD passed inflation inspection before the game

The New England Patriots will face the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX. The game will take place on Sunday, February 1, at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. It will be aired by NBC starting at 5:30 PM.

The Seahawks return to the big game for the second time in as many years, after stunning the Green Back Packers in the NFC Championship game by coming from behind to win 28-22 in overtime on Sunday, January 18.

The Patriots destroyed the Indianapolis Colts 45-7 in the AFC Championship game on Sunday to advance.

Who are you picking to win the big game?

Tell us in the COMMENT BOX below!

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PIERS MORGAN: If the Patriots deliberately deflated those balls then they're a bunch of cheats who should be thrown out of the Super Bowl

• The NFL has finally released a statement regarding Deflategate and their investigation into the New England Patriots 
• The league began investigating Sunday night and has conducted 40 interviews while also hiring a forensics team
• The Patriots have been fully participating and fully available for the investigation according to the league 
• It has also been revealed that the NFL tested all 24 of the Patriots pregame footballs, and they all passed inspection
• What's more, Indianapolis Colts linebacker D'Qwell Jackson claims that a ball he intercepted from Tom Brady did not feel underinflated
• This after many pegged Jackson as the man who set the events of Deflategate in motion following Sunday's AFC Championship Game  

The NFL has finally broken their silence as it pertains to Deflategate, and outlined how they are investigating the fact that 11 of the 12 balls used by the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game last Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts were underinflated in the first half.

In a statement released Friday afternoon, the league said; 'Our office has been conducting an investigation as to whether the footballs used in last Sunday’s AFC Championship Game complied with the specifications that are set forth in the playing rules.' 

They then added; 'The investigation began based on information that suggested that the game balls used by the New England Patriots were not properly inflated to levels required by the playing rules.' 

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Among other things, the league said they had conducted over 40 interviews, been reviewing video footage and even hired a forensics team to figure out what happened on Sunday. 

This as new questions have arisen in the Deflategate scandal as it is now being reported that all 24 of the Patriots footballs were tested prior to the game under standard NFL practices, and all 24 passed inspection. 

What's more, Colts linebacker D'Qwell Jackson, assumed by many to have put the events in motion which led to the current NFL investigation of the New England Patriots, has denied stating that a ball he intercepted from Tom Brady during Sunday's AFC Championship game felt underinflated.

Speaking to the press following a Pro Bowl practice on Thursday, Jackson said; 'I'm a linebacker, I'm a defensive guy. If anybody recognized anything it definitely wouldn't come from me.'

Many had been calling on the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell to make a statement about just what caused 11 of the team's 12 balls to have less air pressure than is required by league rules. 

'According to an NFL source with direct knowledge of the situation, referee Walt Anderson inspected all 24 of the Patriots’ footballs with a pressure gauge supplied by the league, as well as all 24 footballs from the Colts' reports The Boston Globe. 

'All 48 footballs were found to be within the allowable range of 12.5-13.5 pounds per square inch.' 

Furthermore, when officials decided to swap out the 12 balls at the half, they grabbed the other 12 that had previously been tested, and were properly inflated.  

As for why Jackson, and why he tossed the football he intercepted to a member of the Colts' equipment staff after he picked off Brady, he claims he just wanted a 'souvenir,' and that anything that happened after that is 'beyond' him.

'I don't know how it got to this point,' he said.

'Somehow I'm in the middle of it.' 

He even went so far as to say he thought the entire thing was 'comical' when he first heard about it on Monday.

Jackson also addressed rumors that the Colts organization had noticed that the Patriots were playing with underinflated balls earlier this year during a regular season game in November, saying that no one on the coaching staff told the players to look out for anything on Sunday and that they were all just focused on the game.

His fellow teammate and Pro Bowler, safety Mike Adams, also seemed eager to downplay the Deflategate scandal on Thursday, telling reporters; 'I'm not going to even touch that subject.' 

Shortly after the NFL released their statement on Friday, Patriots owner Robert Kraft released his own, saying; 'On Monday, I received a letter from the league office informing me that they would be conducting an investigation into the air pressure of the game balls. Immediately after receiving the letter, I instructed our staff to be completely cooperative and transparent with the league’€™s investigators.

'During the three days they were here, we provided access to every full- and part-time employee the league’€™s representatives requested to speak with and produced every communication device that they requested to search. It is an ongoing process that the league and our team are taking very seriously. I very much support the league’€™s desire to conduct a complete investigation and welcome the appointment of Ted Wells to lead the process.

'Competitive balance and the integrity of the game are the foundation of what makes our league so special and I have the utmost respect for those principles. Our organization will continue to cooperate throughout the league’€™s investigation. Meanwhile, our players, coaches and staff will continue to focus on our preparations for Super Bowl XLIX and the many challenges we face as we prepare for the Seattle Seahawks.' 

Others however, especially former players, are calling for the NFL and Goodell to come down hard on the Patriots, specifically Brady, with many former players saying there is no possible way the quarterback had nothing to do with the team's underinflated balls on Sunday.

Former Dallas Cowboys star Troy Aikman, who, like Brady, has three Super Bowl rings, told a Dallas radio show; 'It's obvious that Tom Brady had something to do with this.'

This sentiment, expressed by many, makes Brady's statement yesterday the neither the NFL or Goodell has sat down with him to talk about what happened even more shocking. 

Not helping matters either is the fact that Goodell spent the hours before Sunday's game enjoying some time with Kraft, a longtime pal.

At a press conference Thursday afternoon Brady told reporters; 'I would never do anything outside of the rules of play.'

He then added of his pregame ritual; '

When I pick those footballs out, at that point, to me, they're perfect. I don't want anyone touching my balls after that. I don't want anyone rubbing them, you know, putting any air in them, taking any air out. To me, those balls are perfect and that's what I expect when I show up on the field.'  

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Cheaters? NFL Investigating The New England Patriots For Under-Inflating Footballs Against The Indianapolis Colts (VIDEO)

I watched the NFL game between New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.

American football’s not my main area of global sporting expertise, but I’ve watched enough of it to know an embarrassing walk-over when I see one.

The Patriots would have won if they’d played with a golf ball, worn no padding or helmets, and tied their right hands behind their backs.

So the 45-7 rout was humiliating for the Colts, and yet another triumph for Patriots’ superstar quarterback, Tom Brady - the man with the golden arm, golden smile and golden wife. 

So the fact that 11 of the 12 balls on Sunday were deflated to his preferred size, during the two and a half hours between the officials checking them and the start of the game, is clearly highly pertinent.

Does this matter? Yes, it damn well does.

It’s cheating.

‘If you cheat in practice,’ said America’s greatest ever sports coach Vince Lombardi, ‘you’ll cheat in the game. If you cheat in the game, you’ll cheat in life.’

I loathe cheating in sports.

Ever since a yellow-eyed Ben Johnson destroyed many a dream by steroid-pumping his way to Olympic 100m Gold in 1988, I’ve grown more and more allergic to sportsmen and women who abuse the rules to win.

None more so than cyclist Lance ‘Live Wrong’ Armstrong, who poisoned an entire sport with his seedy blood bags, nasty bullying and endless lies. Then built a whole charity empire around himself to cover it all up.

I thought of Armstrong when I watched Tom Brady laugh off the ball-inflation allegations as if it were irrelevant.

I’m not for a moment suggesting they’re in the same league of cheating.

But there was something about the way Brady thought he didn’t even need to take the very serious charge even remotely seriously that reminded me of Armstrong’s dismissive arrogance towards media enquiries about his doping.

At this stage, Brady, Belichick and the Patriots remain innocent until proven guilty.

This ball-tampering scandal may still turn out to be just an incredible coincidence; or perhaps the cold weather (though it wasn’t even that cold, around 55 degrees) was responsible; or it could, as some bonkers conspiracy theorists will doubtless already be suggesting, emerge that it was the work of lone wolf nut-job ball boy who wanted to smear the Patriots.

But this morning’s shocking ESPN revelation has so far not been denied.

And we know that the Patriots, and coach Belichick, have form for underhand behavior – they were fined for spying on opponents in 2007.

If it turns out to be blatant cheating, as many – including me – strongly suspect, then the NFL has a decision to make. A very BIG decision.

Commissioner Roger Goodell had a pretty dreadful year in 2014, most notably for the cack-handed way he handled the Ray Rice domestic violence incident.

He’s talked a lot about wanting to bring integrity back to the game, and specifically of ‘protecting the NFL shield’.

Well this is his chance to do just that. He can’t hide behind ignorance as he did with Rice until the disgusting elevator video leaked.

This happened on the field, in a game watched by tens of millions.

If it is proven that the Patriots deliberately deflated those balls, then I believe the only correct punishment is the ultimate one.

They should be thrown out of the Superbowl, coach Belichick should be fired, and Tom Brady should be heavily fined and loudly reminded that next time he feels an under-inflated ball in his hand, the proper course of action is to tell an official.

As Vince Lombardi would have said: ‘This is the right way to do it. Which way are you going to do it, Mr Goodell?’

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Russell Wilson & the Seattle Seahawks To Face Tom Brady & The New England Patriots In Super Bowl XLIX. Who Will Win? {VIDEOS}

The NFL says its investigation into whether the New England Patriots used under-inflated footballs in the AFC championship game is ongoing after a report Tuesday night claimed the league found 11 balls were not properly inflated.

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Seattle Seahawks will defend their title against the Patriots in the Superbowl as Tom Brady leads New England to massive blowout over rival Colts {VIDEO}

The New England Patriots will face the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX. The game will take place on Sunday, February 1, at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. It will be aired by NBC starting at 5:30 PM.

The Seahawks return to the big game for the second time in as many years, after stunning the Green Back Packers in the NFC Championship game by coming from behind to win 28-22 in overtime on Sunday, January 18.