NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is upholding the four-game suspension of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady for using underinflated footballs during the AFC championship game.

In announcing his decision today, Goodell said that Brady had told an assistant to destroy the quarterback's cell phone -- either on March sixth or shortly before that date. That was the day Brady met with the investigator looking into the episode.

According to Goodell, there were nearly 10,000 text messages on that phone -- ``none of which can now be retrieved.''

The appeal decision says Brady acknowledged in his testimony that he was aware investigators wanted the information from the cellphone before he had it destroyed. The text messages could have shown details of Brady's communications with equipment managers who have been blamed for deflating footballs.

Brady and the Patriots have denied knowingly using deflated footballs in the AFC title game win over Indianapolis. The Patriots went on to beat Seattle in the Super Bowl and Brady was the MVP.

The NFL Players Association has previously said it would challenge the decision in court if Brady's suspension wasn't erased.

Brady, who turns 38 on Aug. 3, took nearly every snap last season.

But he'll miss the first four games this season unless the case
goes to court. Jimmy Garoppolo, a second-round pick in 2014, would
replace Brady, the two-time NFL MVP and three-time Super Bowl MVP.

New England hosts Pittsburgh on Sept. 10 to open the regular
season. It then goes to Buffalo, hosts Jacksonville, has a bye, and
is at Dallas in the last game of Brady's suspension.  (Associated Press)

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