The NFL reached a decision on Tom Brady's appeal of his four-game suspension Tuesday, upholding the original discipline imposed upon the New England Patriots star quarterback.

The ruling hardly brings an end to the ongoing saga, as litigation is the next step in the NFLPA's process of challenging the suspension.

Reaction to the decision was widespread, as both those directly involved and many others around the football world were quick to weigh in.

NFL upholds Tom Brady's 4-game suspension; evidence hidden by destroying cell phone

Kraft fires back at NFL

Owner Robert Kraft made a surprise appearance at head coach Bill Belichick's press conference Wednesday, saying he regrets accepting the NFL's punishment of the Patriots and that "the league still has no hard evidence" against his team.

Robert Kraft on Brady's suspension: 'I was wrong to put my faith in the league'

Brady responds

Brady took to Facebook to deny accusations he intentionally destroyed his cellphone in an attempt to hide evidence and reassert his innocence of any wrongdoing. Brady said he won't allow his case to set a dangerous precedent for other NFL players.

Tom Brady explains broken cellphone, insists 'I did nothing wrong'

NFLPA ready for court

As expected, the NFLPA is prepared to take Brady's case to federal court. The players' union released a statement following the NFL's announcement Tuesday, taking aim at what it called an "outrageous decision" and stating its plans to appeal the ruling on Brady's behalf.

NFLPA to appeal NFL's 'outrageous decision' on behalf of Tom Brady

Brady's agent weighs in

Brady's agent, Don Yee, responded to the unfavorable ruling made against his client with a lengthy statement. Most notably, Yee spoke of the commissioner's disciplinary decision lacking precedence, as well as its negative impact on the game overall.

Brady's agent says NFL's ruling 'diminishes the integrity of the game'

The ruling up close

The NFL stated its case in deciding to uphold Brady's suspension with a comprehensive 20-page report. While plenty of information on the basis behind the decision can be found throughout, Goodell likening Brady's conduct to steroid use stands out well above the rest.

Roger Goodell sees steroid use as 'closest parallel' to Tom Brady's conduct

Patriots' reaction

The Patriots organization was the last in a long line of directly involved parties to weigh in on the ruling, releasing a statement through the team's official website Tuesday afternoon. New England stuck by the science-related points it made dating back to the AFC Championship Game, but this time suggested the NFL was attempting to destroy the reputation of the team's star player.

Patriots on suspension ruling: NFL 'attempting to destroy' Tom Brady's reputation

Further reading

With details on Brady's efforts to destroy evidence having come to light, Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe writes that the Patriots quarterback has been forever tarnished:

According to the NFL, the Patriots cheated. They tampered with footballs after the balls were approved by game officials. The NFL terms it an ongoing "scheme." It’s not a huge transgression, but the tampering was done to gain a competitive advantage. It appears to have been systematic. Tom Brady knew about it, then he destroyed evidence.

Sorry. Obstructing an investigation by destroying evidence doesn’t play in America. No matter what happens now, the hard-earned accomplishments of Brady and the Patriots are tarnished.

Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports suggests Brady made a mistake in his dealings with Goodell, refusing to cooperate with the investigation and thus making his cover-up efforts worse than the crime:

Above all else, however, one gets the sense that Goodell feels as if he, and this disciplinary process, are being trifled with by Brady. And that never sits well with him. There was one particular passage in the conclusion where I could almost envision Goodell seething, stopping just short of writing - who the hell do you think you're fooling? And who the hell do you think you're messing with?

Brady's last hope now comes down to the lawsuit he and the NFLPA will soon file against the NFL, but ESPN legal analyst Lester Munson doesn't think his team stands much of a chance in federal court:

No, Brady will not succeed. Although he enjoys top-of-the-line legal representation and his lawyers will file a brilliantly written lawsuit, his effort to stop the suspension is doomed. There are two reasons why: First, federal judges are reluctant to reconsider the rulings of arbitrators; second, Goodell produced a decision on Brady that is brilliantly reasoned, meticulously detailed, and well-written. Goodell's recitation of the evidence of the tampering with game balls is powerful, and his description of Brady's attempt at a cover-up is persuasive.