Judge casts doubt on Brady case

No 'smoking gun' to implicate Pats' star

A federal judge put the NFL on the defensive over its four-game suspension of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady on Wednesday, demanding to know what evidence directly links Brady to deflating footballs and belittling the drama of the controversy.

"What is the direct evidence that implicates Mr Brady?" Judge Richard M. Berman repeatedly asked NFL lawyer Daniel L. Nash at the first hearing in the civil case in Manhattan federal court as Brady and commissioner Roger Goodell looked on.