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Judge who ruled for Brady in "Deflategate" weighs in on Super Bowl

NEW YORK -- The federal judge in New York who ruled against the National Football League in “Deflategate” says the New England Patriots showed with their Super Bowl victory “never to quit.”

Judge Richard Berman in Manhattan made the comment Monday in an email to The Associated Press.

Berman nullified Tom Brady’s four-game suspension in 2015, finding that the NFL had overstepped in its investigation of New England’s quarterback. The suspension resulted from claims the Patriots deflated footballs to gain a competitive advantage.

A federal appeals panel reversed Berman’s decision. Brady served the suspension at the start of the season capped by Sunday’s 34-28 overtime victory against the Atlanta Falcons.

Berman offered his congratulations to the Patriots, saying they showed “us all never to quit, everything is possible, and the importance of teamwork.”

As CBS Boston reported, Berman has become something of a folk hero in New England for overturning the Patriots quarterback’s four-game “Deflategate” suspension. His ruling in Brady’s favor sparked an outpouring of letters from grateful Patriots fans, calls for him to run for president and even offers of free coffee for life.

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