Story highlights New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was suspended for four games

John Dowd: League's suspension is inconsistent and unfair

John M. Dowd served as Special Counsel to three commissioners of Major League Baseball in the investigations of Pete Rose, George Steinbrenner, and others. As a federal prosecutor, he conducted the internal investigation of the FBI and of Congressman Dan Flood of Pennsylvania. He is also the author of is the author of www.DeflategateFacts.com. The views expressed are his own.

(CNN) Football, baseball, soccer and virtually every sport on the planet have one thing in common: They all have rules that are supposed to protect the integrity of the game. When rules get broken, everyone loses.

But when sports authorities don't enforce their own rules with transparency and fairness, the integrity of the game is equally compromised. What's happening today with the NFL undermines the concepts of integrity and fairness in the application of the rules and threatens to damage football's credibility for years to come.

The NFL's investigation of and rulings against Tom Brady, the NFL's finest quarterback, are a travesty, and they've resulted in uncalled-for penalties. And it's all based on a report that lacks basic integrity, fairness and credibility.

Photos: Super Bowl XLIX: The best photos Photos: Super Bowl XLIX: The best photos The New England Patriots celebrate with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after winning Super Bowl XLIX on Sunday, February 1. The Patriots defeated the Seattle Seahawks 28-24 in Glendale, Arizona. Hide Caption 1 of 50 Photos: Super Bowl XLIX: The best photos Patriots head coach Bill Belichick embraces cornerback Darrelle Revis after the game. This is the fourth Super Bowl that the Patriots have won with Belichick as head coach and Tom Brady as quarterback. Hide Caption 2 of 50 Photos: Super Bowl XLIX: The best photos Confetti falls after the last second ticked off the clock. Hide Caption 3 of 50 Photos: Super Bowl XLIX: The best photos Brady was named the game's Most Valuable Player after throwing for 328 yards and four touchdowns. Hide Caption 4 of 50 Photos: Super Bowl XLIX: The best photos Patriots owner Robert Kraft, at center in the red tie, congratulates defensive tackle Vince Wilfork. Hide Caption 5 of 50 Photos: Super Bowl XLIX: The best photos Brady is congratulated by Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson. Wilson and the Seahawks won the Super Bowl last year. Hide Caption 6 of 50 Photos: Super Bowl XLIX: The best photos Brady signals late in the game as the Patriots run out the clock. Hide Caption 7 of 50 Photos: Super Bowl XLIX: The best photos Patriots rookie Malcolm Butler intercepts Wilson on the goal line, clinching the Patriots' victory in the last minute of the game. Hide Caption 8 of 50 Photos: Super Bowl XLIX: The best photos Seattle wide receiver Jermaine Kearse pulls off an incredible catch while lying on the turf during Seattle's last drive. Hide Caption 9 of 50 Photos: Super Bowl XLIX: The best photos New England running back LeGarrette Blount has his jersey pulled during the fourth quarter. Hide Caption 10 of 50 Photos: Super Bowl XLIX: The best photos New England wide receiver Julian Edelman spikes the ball after his fourth-quarter touchdown catch gave the Patriots a lead they wouldn't relinquish. Hide Caption 11 of 50 Photos: Super Bowl XLIX: The best photos Danny Amendola catches a touchdown pass in the fourth quarter to cut into a 10-point Seattle lead. The Seahawks led 24-14 in the fourth quarter. Hide Caption 12 of 50 Photos: Super Bowl XLIX: The best photos Wilson attempts a fourth-quarter pass. Hide Caption 13 of 50 Photos: Super Bowl XLIX: The best photos New England's Stephen Gostkowski kicks off in the second half. Hide Caption 14 of 50 Photos: Super Bowl XLIX: The best photos Patriots defensive end Rob Ninkovich sacks Wilson during the second half. Hide Caption 15 of 50 Photos: Super Bowl XLIX: The best photos Seattle's Bruce Irvin, front, reacts after a sack on Brady. Hide Caption 16 of 50 Photos: Super Bowl XLIX: The best photos Seattle head coach Pete Carroll talks to Kam Chancellor in the second half. Hide Caption 17 of 50 Photos: Super Bowl XLIX: The best photos Wilson slides after a run in the third quarter. Hide Caption 18 of 50 Photos: Super Bowl XLIX: The best photos Seahawks fans cheer as they watch the game on television in Seattle. Hide Caption 19 of 50 Photos: Super Bowl XLIX: The best photos Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin catches a touchdown in the third quarter. After the catch, the Seahawks took a 24-14 lead. Hide Caption 20 of 50 Photos: Super Bowl XLIX: The best photos Seattle linebacker Bobby Wagner, right, runs the ball after intercepting Brady in the third quarter. The turnover set up Baldwin's touchdown drive. Hide Caption 21 of 50 Photos: Super Bowl XLIX: The best photos Brady walks off the field during the third quarter. Hide Caption 22 of 50 Photos: Super Bowl XLIX: The best photos Carroll, left, and Wilson look on from the sideline. Hide Caption 23 of 50 Photos: Super Bowl XLIX: The best photos Seattle's Tony McDaniel celebrates a defensive stop. Hide Caption 24 of 50 Photos: Super Bowl XLIX: The best photos With two seconds left in the first half, Seattle wide receiver Chris Matthews catches a touchdown pass to help the Seahawks tie the game at 14-14. Hide Caption 25 of 50 Photos: Super Bowl XLIX: The best photos New England tight end Rob Gronkowski, left, celebrates with teammates after catching a 22-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter. The touchdown and the extra point gave the Patriots a 14-7 lead. Hide Caption 26 of 50 Photos: Super Bowl XLIX: The best photos Gronkowski catches the touchdown pass over Seattle linebacker K.J. Wright. Hide Caption 27 of 50 Photos: Super Bowl XLIX: The best photos Seattle running back Marshawn Lynch (No. 24) reacts after scoring a second-quarter touchdown. The game was 7-7 after the extra point. Hide Caption 28 of 50 Photos: Super Bowl XLIX: The best photos Lynch rumbles over the goal line for the touchdown. Hide Caption 29 of 50 Photos: Super Bowl XLIX: The best photos A closeup of a football during the game. Hide Caption 30 of 50 Photos: Super Bowl XLIX: The best photos Matthews makes a key catch during the drive that led to Lynch's touchdown. Hide Caption 31 of 50 Photos: Super Bowl XLIX: The best photos Edelman is tackled by two Seahawks during the first half. Hide Caption 32 of 50 Photos: Super Bowl XLIX: The best photos New England cornerback Logan Ryan, right, defends a pass intended for Kearse during the second quarter. Hide Caption 33 of 50 Photos: Super Bowl XLIX: The best photos New England wide receiver Brandon LaFell celebrates with Brady after the two linked up for a second-quarter touchdown that opened the game's scoring. Hide Caption 34 of 50 Photos: Super Bowl XLIX: The best photos Brady pumps his fist after the touchdown pass to LaFell. Hide Caption 35 of 50 Photos: Super Bowl XLIX: The best photos LaFell pulls in the touchdown pass as two Seattle defenders collide. Hide Caption 36 of 50 Photos: Super Bowl XLIX: The best photos Blount carries the ball in the first half. Hide Caption 37 of 50 Photos: Super Bowl XLIX: The best photos Seattle safety Earl Thomas pursues Amendola. Hide Caption 38 of 50 Photos: Super Bowl XLIX: The best photos Brady walks off the field after throwing a first-quarter interception. Hide Caption 39 of 50 Photos: Super Bowl XLIX: The best photos Hide Caption 40 of 50 Photos: Super Bowl XLIX: The best photos Seattle defensive back Jeremy Lane suffers a broken arm after he intercepted Brady and was tackled by Edelman, right. Hide Caption 41 of 50 Photos: Super Bowl XLIX: The best photos Gronkowski tries to evade Seattle defenders after a first-quarter catch. Hide Caption 42 of 50 Photos: Super Bowl XLIX: The best photos Lynch runs the ball in the first quarter. Hide Caption 43 of 50 Photos: Super Bowl XLIX: The best photos Seattle's Michael Bennett hits Brady in the first quarter. Hide Caption 44 of 50 Photos: Super Bowl XLIX: The best photos Seattle cornerback Richard Sherman tries to tackle Amendola. Hide Caption 45 of 50 Photos: Super Bowl XLIX: The best photos Seattle's Steven Hauschka kicks the ball to start the game. Hide Caption 46 of 50 Photos: Super Bowl XLIX: The best photos Singer Idina Menzel performs the national anthem before the game. Hide Caption 47 of 50 Photos: Super Bowl XLIX: The best photos John Legend sang "America the Beautiful." Hide Caption 48 of 50 Photos: Super Bowl XLIX: The best photos Seattle's Mike Morgan runs onto the field prior to the start of the game. Hide Caption 49 of 50 Photos: Super Bowl XLIX: The best photos Belichick and the Patriots take the field. Hide Caption 50 of 50

By way of background, it is not clear what this controversy is actually about. It appears the NFL permitted each team, with their assigned teams of officials, to set the pressure in the footballs. The NFL, unlike Major League Baseball, did not protect the integrity of the ball pressure by keeping the balls at all times in the custody of the officials, thus inviting controversy. The reports also indicate that weather conditions can affect the ball pressure.

There is no evidence that Tom Brady told anyone to deflate the balls below the 12.5 psi limit at any time in any game. The new NFL standard of "more probable than not," which, according to testimony , the league never notified players of, is guesswork. But guessing with the life, liberty and fortune of the NFL's best quarterback -- or any player for that matter -- has no place in any professional sport.

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