Report: Tom Brady got 'hammered' in the Deflategate appeal hearing, and he might be in trouble

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The NFL and NFLPA were back in court Thursday for an appeal hearing over "Deflategate."

Deflategate was the scandal that rocked the NFL world, when after the 2015 AFC Championship between the Patriots and the Colts, it was revealed that several of the Patriots' footballs were under-inflated.

After Judge Richard Berman overruled the NFL's four-game suspension for Tom Brady for Deflategate, the NFL immediately filed an appeal, which was shelved until after the season.

On Thursday, the NFL was trying to get a favorable ruling that Commissioner Roger Goodell was within his right to punish Brady and the Patriots for conduct "detrimental" to the game.

And according to The Boston Globe's Ben Volin, Tom Brady might be in trouble.

When the hearing was over, Volin tweeted a string of updates on the case. They didn't sound good for Brady:

Brady and Roger Goodell were not expected to be in attendance for the meeting, but it doesn't seem as if Jeffrey Kessler, the NFLPA's lawyer, will have good news to give Brady.

The NFL is not just trying to suspend Brady, but they're also trying to set a precedent with this hearing.

The league's image took a hit when it was beaten in court by Brady over the summer. So, regardless of costs, the NFL is trying to protect its image. Losing to Brady not only casts doubt on Goodell's power to punish players, but it also could encourage other players to fight their own punishments after seeing Brady win in a court case.

According to Volin, a two-thirds vote is needed for either side to win the appeal.

If the NFL once again loses, they could file for another appeal, which would reportedly go to the US Supreme Court. This case could once again be an issue for several months, but in the latest update, it sounds like the tide could be turning against Brady.