NEW YORK — A federal judge let the air out of "Deflategate" Thursday, erasing New England quarterback Tom Brady's four-game suspension for a controversy the NFL claimed threatened football's integrity. US District Judge Richard M. Berman criticized NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell for dispensing "his own brand of industrial justice." Berman said 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" including the failure to notify Brady of potential penalties, Berman wrote in his opinion, noting that an arbitrator's factual findings are generally not open to judicial challenge. "Because there was no notice of a four-game suspension in the circumstances presented here, Commissioner Goodell may be said to have 'dispensed his own brand of industrial justice,'" Berman wrote, partially citing wording from a previous case. Berman's ruling does not necessarily end the dispute. The league can appeal. In a statement, the union's executive director, DeMaurice Smith, said the ruling proves that the contract with the NFL doesn't grant Goodell "the authority to be unfair, arbitrary and misleading." "We are happy for the victory of the rule of law for our players and our fans," he said. The NFL's top lawyer did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment. 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. — AP
