Tom Brady awaits NFL's decision on suspension appeal as hearing concludes

(Updates at conclusion of Brady appeal hearing) By Larry Fine NEW YORK, June 23 (Reuters) - New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady's appeal of his four-game National Football League suspension for participating in a scheme to deflate footballs concluded in a marathon hearing on Tuesday at NFL headquarters. The two sides finished 11 hours after the start of the appeal heard by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell that included an hour break for lunch. "Tom was here until the bitter end," Players Association lawyer Jeffrey Kessler, who represented Brady, told reporters as he left the Park Avenue office tower. "I think we put in a very compelling case." Thursday had been set aside for a possible second day for the appeal, but was not needed. Kessler said Commissioner Goodell gave no timetable for his decision. Goodell, who approved the four-game ban, is the arbiter of the appeal by the New England Patriots quarterback. A league-hired investigator found that Brady had been aware of the plan. The front and back entrances to the league's headquarters were crowded all day with TV cameras, reporters and fans with phone cameras at the ready for a glimpse of Brady, and satellite trucks lined up in front of the Park Avenue address. Brady, wearing a dark suit and tie and accompanied by an entourage, was mobbed by autograph seekers on his way into the office tower, while a young fan waved a sign with "Free Brady" written above the Patriots logo. The Patriots were fined $1 million and forced to surrender two draft choices for deflating footballs in a 45-7 victory over the Indianapolis Colts in January's American Football Conference (AFC) championship, which put New England in the Super Bowl. New England defeated the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl, a title now viewed by some as tainted. Deflating a football below NFL standards could enable a quarterback to grip the ball better, especially in the raw conditions in which the AFC title game was played. A four-game suspension against the 37-year-old Brady could harm his legacy as one of the NFL's greatest quarterbacks ever. He has denied any knowledge of a plan to deflate the balls. Should Goodell uphold the suspension, the four-time Super Bowl champion could take his case to federal court, where the NFL's track record has been shaky recently. Ted Wells, hired by the NFL to investigate how the footballs lost the air, said Brady was aware of the plan, which Wells said was carried out by two Patriots employees, officials' locker room attendant Jim McNally and equipment assistant John Jastremski. The NFL Players Association unsuccessfully called for Goodell to recuse himself from Brady's appeal, labeling him a key witness and saying he would be partial to the Wells report. Brady's appeal pits one of the NFL's most popular players against the most profitable sports league in the United States. It comes at a time when the league is reeling from criticism over its handling of players involved with domestic violence and a concussion settlement for retired players that could ultimately cost $1 billion. Experts believe Brady has a chance to get his suspension cut in half because the penalty is severe by NFL standards. The league, for example, assesses the same suspension for first-time violators caught using performance-enhancing drugs. Patriots owner Robert Kraft did not admit the team's guilt but decided against appealing the penalty. (Reporting by Steve Ginsburg in Washington; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Lisa Shumaker)