NFL's Roger Goodell to personally hear Brady's appeal of 4-game suspension

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) -- NFL officials say Commissioner Roger Goodell will personally hear Tom Brady's appeal of his four-game suspension over deflated footballs.

League officials said Thursday night that Goodell chose to preside over the appeal as allowed under the current collective bargaining agreement.

The players union that filed the appeal urged Goodell to appoint a neutral arbitrator in the case.

Earlier Thursday, the the NFL Players Association filed the appeal on Brady's behalf.

The appeal comes after the National Football League suspended Brady for four games without pay after an independent investigation found the Patriots used underinflated footballs for an advantage in last season's AFC Championship game.

Brady's appeal only deals with the suspension and must be heard within 10 days, the Associated Press reports.

The team, which was fined $1 million and had two draft picks taken away, has not said whether it will appeal or possibly take the NFL to federal court over the matter.