by Kadeem Simmonds

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said on Monday night that he will appeal his four game suspension for his part in “deflate-gate.”

The National Football League (NFL) investigated claims that the Patriots deflated balls to gain an advantage during their 45-7 victory over the Indianapolis Colts in January.

The Patriots went on to win the Super Bowl — Brady’s fourth with the franchise.

“The discipline is ridiculous and has no legitimate basis and we will appeal,” said Brady’s agent Don Yee.

A 243-page report conducted by Ted Wells found that it was “more probable than not” that the Patriots broke the rules and despite the report not linking Brady to the illegal activity, text messages between the equipment staffers indicated that the player “was at least generally aware” of plans by two Patriots employees to prepare the balls to his liking, below the league-mandated minimum of 12.5 pounds per square inch. 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.

The Patriots were fined $1 million (£642,000) — matching the largest fine in league history — and docked two draft picks for their part in the scandal, known as deflate-gate.

It’s the second time in eight years the Patriots have been punished for violating league rules. In 2007, the team was fined £319,210 and docked a first-round draft pick while coach Bill Belichick was fined £159,583 for videotaping opposing coaches as a way to decipher their play signals, remembered as spy-gate.