It seems the NFL's battle with New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady over Deflategate won't end anytime soon, even after U.S. Judge Richard Berman announced on Thursday the nullification of Brady's four-game suspension, originally handed down by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. In a statement released shortly after Berman's ruling, Goodell made clear that he and the league "respectfully disagree" with the decision and will appeal.
"We are grateful to Judge Berman for hearing this matter, but respectfully disagree with today's decision. We will appeal today's ruling in order to uphold the collectively bargained responsibility to protect the integrity of the game. The commissioner's responsibility to secure the competitive fairness of our game is a paramount principle, and the league and our 32 clubs will continue to pursue a path to that end. While the legal phase of this process continues, we look forward to focusing on football and the opening of the regular season."
As Pro Football Talk notes, a further appeal process could take quite a long time and may not be fully resolved until next season. That's a long time for Brady and the league to have this hanging over their heads, but it's clear that both sides are dug in on this issues.
As for the possibility of a stay, Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports reports that Goodell and the league will not pursue a stay, meaning that Brady will be free to continue playing during the appeal of Berman's decision.
