Tom Brady Deflategate Appeal Hearing Date Announced

The NFL will have to wait until after Super Bowl 50 to get its next crack at Tom Brady for his supposed role in the Deflategate controversy.

According to Reuters' Jonathan Stempel and Joseph Ax, the Second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments regarding the NFL's appeal on March 3, 2016.    

In September, U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman overturned Brady's four-game suspension issued by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Goodell quickly announced the NFL would file its appeal of that decision, per NFL.com's Kevin Patra:

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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.

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Most NFL fans can't wait for this story to be over, but at least the timing of the appeal allows Brady to play the remainder of the 2015 season without interruption. The appeal will also come almost a full month after the Super Bowl, which is scheduled for Feb. 7, 2016.

If history is any indicator, the NFL will likely be unsuccessful in its appeal. Sports Illustrated's Michael McCann examined Berman's court record and found the second circuit has overturned just 17 of the 204 decisions it has received from Berman.