NEW  YORK—The never ending soap opera known as “Deflategate,” has added another chapter to this sad saga that began over a year ago.

The Second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the NFL’s ruling that New England Patriots QB, Tom Brady, must now serve a four-game suspension for his part in the now infamous AFC championship game in 2015. The Patriots trounced the visiting Indianapolis Colts, 45-7. It was revealed that two equipment managers from the New England Patriots secretly went into a bathroom right before kickoff-to deflate the football-so Brady could hold a tight grip on the Pigskin in the frigid conditions.

“We hold that the commisioner properly excercised his broad discretion under the collective bargaining agreement and that his procedural were properly grounded,” the Second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Monday, April 25 in a 2-1 decision.

In the court of public opinion, there have been no winners. NFL Commisioner Roger Goodell is viewed as a man whose own disdain for the Patriots has clouded his judgement, and made it impossible to be objective during the investigation. Patriots fans imagine Goddell sitting high atop NFL headquarters, stroking a cat as he hands out this Draconian penalty against the face of the league.

As for Terrific Tom, his All-American boy image has been irreperably tarnished. The four-time Super Bowl champion, and two-time MVP wasnt able to avoid the symbolic pass rush as he was sacked for a loss of four games. Another reason for the hefty suspension is Spy-Gate. Remember?

In 2007, the New England Patriots were caught red-handed filming and then stealing the opposing teams plays and signs. The Patriots will face the Arizona Cardinals, Miami Dolphins, Houston Texans and the Buffalo Bills the first four weeks of the 2016 season. Brady will be eligible to play week 5 against the Cleveland Browns. One question: Why is the Pats schedule so “Cupcake” easy?

The only other quarterback on the Patriots roster is one Jimmy Garapollo. He’s in his fourth year in the league, and has improved steadily every season. The eye test is never wrong, and he could easily win 3 of the 4 games during Brady’s suspension.

Although, it would be wise for Brady to simply take the suspension like a man, it seems he will bog down the American Judicial System once again by taking his case all the way to the Supreme Court. When will this end?