As widely projected, Tom Brady's Deflategate appeal has fallen flat and his four-game suspension stands.

ESPN reported Tuesday afternoon that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has upheld Brady's four-game suspension over his role in the Deflategate scandal, which means that the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots will have to play – and survive – the first four games of the season without their superstar quarterback.

Brady had initially appealed his suspension on June 23, to no avail. It didn't help his cause any that his lawyer reportedly told the league that his client's cell phone was "unavailable because it had been destroyed." 

Brady will still be able to participate in the team's training camp and preseason, but will lose $2 million in salary over the first four games. In Brady's absence, the franchise will likely look to young backup QB Jimmy Garoppolo to hold down the fort during the first 25 percent of the season.

This should bring an end to the Deflategate scandal, which blew up after the Patriots were accused of deflating footballs in their January AFC title game to make them easier to throw and catch in the cold conditions at their Gillette Stadium.

When the original punishment was announced in May, it came with a fine of $1 million and the Patriots being stripped of their 2016 first-round draft pick and 2017 fourth-round selection, in addition to the four-game suspension hammered down on Brady.

To ensure that a scandal like this never happens again, the NFL will be doing pregame football air-pressure checks as well as random halftime and postgame re-checks.

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