NFL Punishes Brady and Patriots for 'Deflategate'

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is planning to appeal the NFL's punishment for the cheating scandal that came before the Super Bowl earlier this year.

The league suspended Brady for four games and fined the Patriots $1 million for deflating footballs in the AFC Championship game. The NFL also took away two draft picks from the Super Bowl champs.

An NFL investigator says it was "more probable than not" that the Patriots broke the rules and that Brady knew about it.

Although the NFL's report did not conclusively link Brady to the illegal activity, text messages between the equipment staffers indicated that the quarterback "was at least generally aware" of it. Investigators said Brady's explanation for the messages was implausible.

"It is unlikely that an equipment assistant and a locker room attendant would deflate game balls without Brady's knowledge and approval," the report said.

Brady's agent Don Yee said, "The discipline is ridiculous and has no legitimate basis."