The Sports Xchange

The lawyers for Tom Brady claim there is a “smear campaign” by the National Football League against the New England Patriots star quarterback in the fight over the Deflategate scandal.

Brady’s attorneys on Friday reiterated their claims of unfair treatment by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell as they seek to overturn Brady’s four-game suspension for his alleged involvement in the deflation of game balls during the AFC Championship game against the Indianapolis Colts in January.

Jeffrey Kessler, the lead attorney for Brady and the NFL Players Association, referred to Goodell’s written ruling against Brady as a “propaganda piece” in documents filed Friday in U.S. District Court, according to ESPN.com.

Kessler said Brady was judged by a different standard from when he was first suspended to when his appeal was upheld.

The Ted Wells report said Brady was “generally aware” of the deflating of footballs, but Kessler said the league then asserted Brady was the mastermind of the scheme.

“It is more smear campaign than reasoned decision,” Kessler wrote, according to the Boston Herald, in a court document asking federal Judge Richard M. Berman to vacate Brady’s suspension.

The NFL, in response, pointed to the absolute power over this case that it contends Goodell has as commissioner.

“The CBA provides that these questions were for the commissioner to answer,” NFL lawyer Daniel Nash wrote. “Under the law, his judgment cannot be disturbed.”

Goodell and Brady arrived at the federal courthouse in New York on Wednesday to meet with Berman. The settlement conference ended after about 7 1/2 hours.

Attorneys for the league and the NFLPA were in court on Thursday for continued settlement talks. Goodell and Brady were not present on the second day.

Brady returned to New England for a preseason game against the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night and made an unexpected start.

The next scheduled settlement talks in court are next week on Wednesday and ESPN reported that both sides are trying to avoid that hearing, which could be open to the public.

Berman informed Brady and Goodell that they were not mandated to attend, a change from the mandatory attendance requirement in the first court session.

On July 28, Goodell upheld a four-game suspension for Brady. The NFLPA then filed an appeal in federal court.

With the ruling by Goodell, Brady is slated to miss the Patriots’ first four regular-season games: the Sept. 10 home opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sept. 20 at the Buffalo Bills and Sept. 27 at home against the Jacksonville Jaguars. After a Week 4 bye, the Patriots visit the Dallas Cowboys on Oct 11.

Second-year quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is expected to start in place of Brady.

Brady would be eligible to return in Week 6 at Indianapolis in a Sunday night game against the team that helped pave the way for the investigation.

After routing the Colts 45-7 to advance to the Super Bowl, the Patriots beat the Seattle Seahawks 28-24 to win their fourth title.