Tom Brady Deflategate Appeal Testimonies Included in NFLPA Counterclaim

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady won't allow the NFL's upholding of his four-game suspension to prevent him from pursuing alternative appeal options—and he isn't hiding anything from his initial appeal hearing.

Brady and the NFL Players Association filed a counterclaim in a New York City court Tuesday that includes testimony from Brady's original rejected appeal, according to Fox Sports' Mike Garafolo.

The documents from Brady's appeal weren't filed under seal, meaning they're viewable by the public to provide more insight and clarity into Brady's side of the Deflategate story. The full 172-page PDF is available through ProFootballTalk.com and contains some 10 hours of testimony.

Michael McCann of Sports Illustrated logged the excerpt of Brady firmly stating his innocence:

Garafolo took a snapshot containing a key portion of Ted Wells' testimony, which hints at the controversy surrounding the cellphone Brady disposed of:

Wells was the independent investigator hired to determine whether Brady had knowledge of the deflated footballs New England used in the AFC Championship Game. It appears Wells discounted Brady's version of the events because his legal team didn't turn over certain unspecified documents.

But it was never indicated to Brady that he'd face disciplinary consequences for not turning over certain documents. Wells admitted as much in his own testimony.

"I did not tell Mr. Brady at any time that he would be subject to punishment for not turning over the documents. I did not say anything like that," said Wells, per CBSSports.com's Will Brinson.

Bleacher Report's Matt Miller noticed how Brady's team cited another case similar to Brady not giving up his cellphone:

Albert Breer of NFL Network reported what Brady said were his first thoughts on Deflategate, along with why Brady didn't give up his mobile device and ultimately destroyed it:

Another takeaway Breer had from the testimony was Brady's initial awareness about the rules on PSI levels. This was after the New York Jets game on October 16—a 27-25 New England victory.

WEEI.com's Christopher Price reported that Brady was "pissed" at John Jastremski because he didn't like how the ball felt for the first time in his NFL career.

Ben Volin of the Boston Globe showed Brady's comments about how he likes to prepare footballs before a game—and how his grip preferences might make him oblivious to PSI levels:

ESPN.com reported Brady and league Commissioner Roger Goodell will be in attendance for the Aug. 12 hearing in Manhattan. U.S. District Court Judge Richard M. Berman has told the sides to attempt to negotiate a settlement before the impending hearing.

The intense focus the Patriots like to have on only football has helped them maintain consistent greatness in an era of significant parity. 

Head coach Bill Belichick's favorite phrase of late when Deflategate comes up has been, "It's already been addressed." The longer this drags on, however, the more difficult it will be for Belichick and New England to block it out.