NFL Files Letter in Response to Tom Brady's Case Examples at Deflategate Hearing

After the NFL Players Association filed its brief on behalf of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, the NFL issued its own letter to United States District Court Judge Richard Berman. In the letter, attorneys representing the league analyze why the precedents highlighted by the NFLPA don't apply in Brady's Deflategate lawsuit.  

WHDH in Boston uploaded a full copy of the letter the league sent to Berman, about which legal expert Dan Werly offered this helpful summary:

David Wade of WBZ in Boston wonders if the move is a bit of a preemptive strike from the NFL:

One interesting aspect of the NFL's letter that Werly highlighted is the league's seeming admission commissioner Roger Goodell wasn't an independent party when he issued a four-game suspension for Brady and subsequently upheld said suspension.

"All of the cases cited by the NFLPA in support of its evident partiality argument involve neutral arbitrators who, for instance, failed to disclose conflicts of interest," the NFL argued.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, that has been an issue for Berman throughout the process:

Although ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio reported Berman has urged both parties to reach a settlement on the matter, that seems an impossibility given how entrenched the NFL and NFLPA are in their respective positions.

As a result, the outcome of the lawsuit will likely be in Berman's hands. CBSSports.com's Will Brinson reported in July the league and players' union hope to have a resolution by Sept. 4, which would be six days before the Patriots kick off their regular season against the Pittsburgh Steelers.