NFLPA attorney Jeffery Kessler was grilled by the three-judge panel presiding over the latest step in the Deflategate saga, according to Lorenzo Reyes of USA Today.
The two sides were presenting arguments in front of the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan, and judges Robert Katzmann, Barrington Parker, Jr. and Denny Chin appeared to reverse course from Judge Richard Berman’s language by directing more scrutiny toward Kessler rather than NFL attorney Paul Clement.
Neither Tom Brady nor 
were present at the NFL’s appellate hearing.
Goodell originally suspended the Patriots quarterback for four games to start last season before Berman’s ruling vacated that ban. Should two out of these three judges determine New England’s 17-year veteran was part of a scheme to have tampered with footballs during the 2014 season, Brady would be suspended for the first four games of this season, per Tom Curran of CSNNE.com.
If this ruling goes against Brady, he can appeal again as well, according to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (on Twitter).
Reyes describes the questioning directed toward Clement paled in comparison to the inquiries subsequently aimed at Kessler. Parker and Chin, per Reyes, took issue with Brady destroying his cellphone.
“You all had notice with the cell phone issue. Anybody within 100 yards of this case would have known that the cell phone issue elevates this merely from deflated balls to a serious issue of obstruction,” Parker said during the 1-hour, 16-minute session.
Parker also shot down Kessler’s argument for Brady’s privacy-related concerns for destroying the phone by countering, “With all due respect, Mr. Brady’s explanation made no sense whatsoever.”
The three judges will meet for a voting conference, and Katzmann, the panel’s senior judge, will appoint one to be the opinion’s author.
Photo courtesy USA Today Sports Images
I don’t know what’s worse. That the federal courts are involved or that this thing is still going.
What is worse is all the NE Fans with their heads in the sand or more likely someplace else. The whining about how the NFL is out to get them is old and run its course. From destroying the phone to a guy named “the deflator” ( how dumb do you have to be to think it was about losing weight) and the guy taking them into a bathroom. Time to take your medicine stop whining and move on.
Are you serious whereslou? This is ridiculous as many people have said if it’s any other team or anyone else it wouldn’t be as big of a deal! Did Brady have something to do with it? I have no clue, but you can’t say he did it and it make sense without any evidence ex. Text messages or a video about him talking about doing it. 4 games is way too long how exactly is it equal to beating a woman? That’s my huge problem with this the NFL is basically saying to all the little fans that you can deflate a ball and beat a woman and it will still be the same punishment