The fall of the gavel sent shockwaves throughout the NFL.

After handing down a four-game suspension in May to Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, the NFL found its punishment overturned by a Manhattan federal judge.

Brady had been suspended for his alleged “awareness” of the deflation of footballs in last seasons AFC championship game vs the Colts.

The ruling follows a pattern in which NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has come down harshly on those he sees as violating the NFL’s code of conduct policies only to see those rulings overturned in federal court.

One must not think long to remember the “Bounty Gate” scandal in which members of the New Orlean’s Saint’s were suspended for supposedly earning “bounties” for hurting rivals in the 2011 season.

That ruling was overturned by a league arbitrator in 2012.

Roger Goodell has had a desire to bring order to a league which seems out of control and lawless. I completely agree with this sentiment.

There has been a failure though to establish definitive punishments for the breaking of NFL’s conduct code.

It is long past time the league create serious policies less the fans suffer further for the league’s ineptness.