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Deflategate: Much more on the line than a four-game suspension

While the main focus of Deflategate coverage has been Brady's suspension and Goodell's arbitrariness, there is another angle to this story that has been largely overlooked-- bribery.

Discussions of ball deflation and Brady's lack of cooperation have dominated coverage of Deflategate, providing a distraction from a much more serious threat to Roger Goodell and, more broadly, the NFL.

Patriots QB Tom Brady's appeal is scheduled for June 23, and Roger Goodell is slated to be the neutral arbitrator who will decide whether or not to uphold the four-game suspension the league handed down for Brady's alleged involvement in deflating game-day footballs in order to gain competitive advantage.