The reasons it took so long for the decision on Brady's appeal are 1) the NFL needed time to prepare its legal strategy to defeat the NFLPA in court, and 2) the owners wanted to put Belichick at the greatest disadvantage heading into camp.
Neither will work.
DeflateGate is about the league having unlimited power over the union and the players. 24 players have been suspended since last seasom ended, and the league has released a strange list of fines for everything imaginable to recover their money and exert control over the workers.
I think this law suit has the potential to be as important to professional sports as the Curt Flood challenge to the Reserve Clause.
The NFLPA knuckled under during the last CBA negotiation and is weak. Brady and his legal team bring a whole new dimension to the fight. It is a bit fairer, but I have no doubt the NFLPA will make mistakes. They are not as tough or as shrewd at the NBAPA or MLBPA.
I believe the entire DeflateGate process was illegal and the NFLPA should win. But who knows? That's why the venue and the judge are so critical. The NFL's pre-emptive strike to get the appeal vacated in NY before the law suit was even filed was a fascinating move. Who draws up papers to fight a law suit before it is even filed? The NFL has its teeth bared for this fight.
As far as messing with Belichick is concerned, this is a distraction, but not as big as the Hernandez arrest for the murder of Odin Lloyd prior to the 2013 season. The Pats did fine, made it to the AFCCG and lost for reasons un-associated with the preseason distractions.