To find out if the New England Patriots knowingly used deflated footballs during the A.F.C. championship game last January, the N.F.L. hired lawyers and physics geniuses and investigators who dug so deeply that it seemed that they were investigating a federal crime.
The result was released on Wednesday: a 243-page investigative report, which included a 68-page scientific report and appendices. But, truthfully, all of it could have been boiled down to a single sentence: Tom Brady — one the most accomplished N.F.L. quarterbacks ever — is more probably than not a cheater.