(Adds federal court's ruling) By Steve Ginsburg July 29 (Reuters) - New England Patriots football star Tom Brady denied on Wednesday he had destroyed his cell phone to avoid giving it to NFL investigators, saying the flap was "manufactured" to distract from "zero evidence" against him in the "Deflategate" scandal. Brady issued his statement a day after National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell upheld a four-game suspension of the quarterback for his part in an alleged scheme to deflate footballs below league standards in the game that put the Patriots in the 2015 Super Bowl. Many NFL quarterbacks, including Brady, prefer softer game balls because they are easier to grip in cold weather.

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