Are you ready for some NFL Football? 2014 Edition.

[meenman]

Sean Peyton got a year off for stuff he probably had no knowledge of. Belicheat needs to get the same as a repeat offender.

Brady is no better than the roiders in baseball like Ortiz and manram - all of their *rings* will forever have asterisks attached.

Love the text exchanges between the equipment guys - unfortunately, they are going to be the scapegoats in this whole thing.

[newtogolf]

Sean Peyton got a year off for stuff he probably had no knowledge of. Belicheat needs to get the same as a repeat offender.

Brady is no better than the roiders in baseball like Ortiz and manram - all of their *rings* will forever have asterisks attached.

Love the text exchanges between the equipment guys - unfortunately, they are going to be the scapegoats in this whole thing.

I hate Brady and the Patriots but in no way can I relate Inflategate to what Sean Peyton did.  Peyton placed bounties on players that could have ended their career, you can't compare that to removing 1lb of air pressure from a ball.

IMO, Patriots should lose a 1st round pick and be fined $1M.

[meenman]

I hate Brady and the Patriots but in no way can I relate Inflategate to what Sean Peyton did.  Peyton placed bounties on players that could have ended their career, you can't compare that to removing 1lb of air pressure from a ball.

IMO, Patriots should lose a 1st round pick and be fined $1M.

Peyton didn't do it, his other coaches did - he was suspended because the NFL said that * he should have had knowledge* - same offense as belicheat.

Integrity of the game is just as important, the gamblers don't like fixed games unless they are in on it.

Take away gambling and the NFL is about as relevant as soccer.....

[dsc123]

Brady seems like a class act. Intimidate the equipment guys into risking theor jobs by deflating the balls, berate them when they don't get it passed the refs, give them signed swag, but as soon as things go south he big times them and claims he doesn't even know the guys name or who he is. Moral of the story, don't do favors for the golden boy.

[dsc123]

HA!  I have to laugh at you.  This was just a total cover-our-ass statement by the NFL.  No proof whatsoever.  "more probable" = no clue.  Kraft's response was perfect.  What a waste of time by the incompetent Commissioner Badell.  End of discussion.

Now that you've had time to digest the report, you take back the bold, right?

[jsgolfer]

Now that you've had time to digest the report, you take back the bold, right?

Nope, there still isn't enough information.

This is probably the best article on this so far.

http://boston.cbslocal.com/2015/05/06/hurley-wells-report-doesnt-have-enough-information-to-condemn-tom-brady/

My biggest issue with the report is that the two employees — John Jastremski and Jim McNally — shared in a text message conversation that the genesis of Tom Brady’s desire for footballs inflated on the low end of the spectrum likely came from NFL officials’ overinflation of footballs in a Week 7 game against the Jets.

“I just measured some of the balls. They supposed to be 13 lbs… They were like 16,” Jastremski texted to his fiancee. “Felt like bricks.”

“I checked some of the balls this morn… The refs [expletive] us…a few of them were at almost 16,” Jastremski texted to McNally the day after that game. “They didn’t recheck then after they put air in them.”

What Jastremski is saying is that the footballs were given to the officials before that Week 7 game likely close to 12.5 PSI, and the officials put air into them but filled them up well beyond the allowed range of 12.5-13.5 PSI. If they measured at 16 PSI the following day, they must have been really pumped up for that October game.

Tom Brady’s preference for footballs is for the inflation level to be “closer to 12.5 than 13.” After that Jets game, Brady said he learned the rule and then requested that all footballs be inflated at 12.5 PSI, “because he did not ever want to get near the upper range again.”

“In addition, Brady stated that he suggested that the Patriots give the game officials a copy of Rule 2 when they delivered game balls prior to each game, so that the officials would know that it was not necessary to inflate them further,” the report said. “He claimed that doing so would help ensure that the officials did not alter the footballs he had approved.”

Given this information, and given the complete absence of any evidence of Brady instructing Jastremski or McNally to deflate balls below 12.5 PSI, it’s hard to envision a scenario where the NFL can rightfully issue a punishment of any significance to Brady. - Michael Hurley, CBS Boston

[dsc123]

Nope, there still isn't enough information.

This is probably the best article on this so far.

http://boston.cbslocal.com/2015/05/06/hurley-wells-report-doesnt-have-enough-information-to-condemn-tom-brady/

My biggest issue with the report is that the two employees — John Jastremski and Jim McNally — shared in a text message conversation that the genesis of Tom Brady’s desire for footballs inflated on the low end of the spectrum likely came from NFL officials’ overinflation of footballs in a Week 7 game against the Jets.

“I just measured some of the balls. They supposed to be 13 lbs… They were like 16,” Jastremski texted to his fiancee. “Felt like bricks.”

“I checked some of the balls this morn… The refs [expletive] us…a few of them were at almost 16,” Jastremski texted to McNally the day after that game. “They didn’t recheck then after they put air in them.”

What Jastremski is saying is that the footballs were given to the officials before that Week 7 game likely close to 12.5 PSI, and the officials put air into them but filled them up well beyond the allowed range of 12.5-13.5 PSI. If they measured at 16 PSI the following day, they must have been really pumped up for that October game.

Tom Brady’s preference for footballs is for the inflation level to be “closer to 12.5 than 13.” After that Jets game, Brady said he learned the rule and then requested that all footballs be inflated at 12.5 PSI, “because he did not ever want to get near the upper range again.”

“In addition, Brady stated that he suggested that the Patriots give the game officials a copy of Rule 2 when they delivered game balls prior to each game, so that the officials would know that it was not necessary to inflate them further,” the report said. “He claimed that doing so would help ensure that the officials did not alter the footballs he had approved.”

Given this information, and given the complete absence of any evidence of Brady instructing Jastremski or McNally to deflate balls below 12.5 PSI, it’s hard to envision a scenario where the NFL can rightfully issue a punishment of any significance to Brady. - Michael Hurley, CBS Boston

By "best" you mean the one that accepts Brady's account of what happened, despite the fact that he refused to turn over his texts and email, lied about having never given an instruction about the level of inflation, was in constant contact with the one guy once the news broke, and lied about not knowing who McNally was?

[phan52]

By "best" you mean the one that accepts Brady's account of what happened, despite the fact that he refused to turn over his texts and email, lied about having never given an instruction about the level of inflation, was in constant contact with the one guy once the news broke, and lied about not knowing who McNally was?

This. Brady was as thick as thieves with these guys.

I expect Brady to get at least a game suspension, the team will get a huge fine and I am curious to see what they do with Belichick. The report appears to clear him but they could come down really hard on him by using the Sean Peyton measure (he should have known and helped create a culture) and the fact that the Pats are repeat offenders.

[jsgolfer]

By "best" you mean the one that accepts Brady's account of what happened, despite the fact that he refused to turn over his texts and email, lied about having never given an instruction about the level of inflation, was in constant contact with the one guy once the news broke, and lied about not knowing who McNally was?

I wouldn't turn my texts over either, whether I'm innocent or not.  How about Brady was in contact to find out what they did.

Until someone comes and says Brady told them to lower the limit below the required amount after they were checked by the referee, this is still much ado about nothing.

To me it doesn't sound like either of the guys liked Brady much, so if they had something I'm sure it would've came out, and the best you can come up with is more likely than not.  The Wells report is a piece a garbage, not even worth to use as toilet paper.

[dsc123]

I wouldn't turn my texts over either, whether I'm innocent or not.  How about Brady was in contact to find out what they did.

Until someone comes and says Brady told them to lower the limit below the required amount after they were checked by the referee, this is still much ado about nothing.

To me it doesn't sound like either of the guys liked Brady much, so if they had something I'm sure it would've came out, and the best you can come up with is more likely than not.  The Wells report is a piece a garbage, not even worth to use as toilet paper.

They asked for his texts and email about deflated footballs, not all of his texts.  He refused.

[jsgolfer]

They asked for his texts and email about deflated footballs, not all of his texts.  He refused.

The way I read the report was that they wanted to go through his phone but only review the ones in reference to deflategate, but they would still see all other text messages.

[dsc123]

The way I read the report was that they wanted to go through his phone but only review the ones in reference to deflategate, but they would still see all other text messages.

Then you read it wrong.

[dsc123]

Quote:

Similarly, a lthough Tom Brady appeared for a requested interview and answered questions voluntarily ,he declined to make available any documents or electronic information (including text messages and emails) that we requested, even though those requests were limited to the subject matter of our investigation (such as messages concerning the preparation of game balls, air pressure of balls, inflation of balls or deflation of balls) and we offered to allow Brady‟s counsel to screen and control the production so that it would be limited strictly to responsive materials and would not involve our taking possession of Brady‟s telephone or other electronic devices. Our inability to review contemporaneous communications and other documents in Brady‟s possession and control related to the matters under review potentially limited the discovery of relevant evidence and was not helpful to the investigation.

So now you're ready to admit it right?

Quote:

The Patriots provided cooperation throughout the investigation, including by making personnel and information available to us upon request. Counsel for the Patriots,

however, refused to make Jim McNally available for a follow - up interview requested by our investigative team on what we believed were important topics , despite our offer

to meet at any time and location that would beconvenient for McNally. Counsel for the Patriots apparently refused even to inform McNally of our request.We believe the failure by the Patriots and its counselto produce McNally for the requested follow-up interview violated the club‟s obligationsto cooperatewith the investigation underthe Policy on Integrity of the Game & Enforcement of League Rules and was inconsistent with public statements made by the Patriots pledging full cooperation with the investigation.

The entire organization should be punished.

[Golfingdad]

They asked for his texts and email about deflated footballs, not all of his texts.  He refused.

Perhaps he just didn't want to relinquish his rights?

[14ledo81]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dsc123

They asked for his texts and email about deflated footballs, not all of his texts.  He refused.

Perhaps he just didn't want to relinquish his rights?

Well played......

[Golfingdad]

I hate Brady and the Patriots but in no way can I relate Inflategate to what Sean Peyton did.  Peyton placed bounties on players that could have ended their career, you can't compare that to removing 1lb of air pressure from a ball.

IMO, Patriots should lose a 1st round pick and be fined $1M.

Another point somebody recently brought up (talking head on espn - don't know his name) is that in both cases of Spygate and Bountygate the offenders were warned before the actual actions were performed that lead to the sanctions.  Meaning, the league knew that they may have been into something they shouldn't be and they said something like "guys, we are aware of this, you shouldn't be doing this, cut it out."  In both cases, they ignored those warnings and kept doing what they were doing.

If the league was consistent, since this was the first they heard of this, a reasonable course of action here would have quite simply been to go straight to the Patriots after the allegations from the Colts, and say "guys, don't know if this is true or not, but if it is, cut it out, because we're watching you."  Then when/if they continued to do it in the Super Bowl or thereafter, you throw the book at them.  But doing it this way?  I can fully understand why they feel like this was a witchhunt.

The whole thing is stupid.

Which brings me to my next point:  "More probable than not" is what we're basing these "conclusions" from?  Seriously?  They basically said that there is a 51% probability that the Patriots were in the wrong here, and its now "case closed?"

Puh-lease.  So dumb.

[jsgolfer]

Another point somebody recently brought up (talking head on espn - don't know his name) is that in both cases of Spygate and Bountygate the offenders were warned before the actual actions were performed that lead to the sanctions.  Meaning, the league knew that they may have been into something they shouldn't be and they said something like "guys, we are aware of this, you shouldn't be doing this, cut it out."  In both cases, they ignored those warnings and kept doing what they were doing.

If the league was consistent, since this was the first they heard of this, a reasonable course of action here would have quite simply been to go straight to the Patriots after the allegations from the Colts, and say "guys, don't know if this is true or not, but if it is, cut it out, because we're watching you."  Then when/if they continued to do it in the Super Bowl or thereafter, you throw the book at them.  But doing it this way?  I can fully understand why they feel like this was a witchhunt.

The whole thing is stupid.

Which brings me to my next point:  "More probable than not" is what we're basing these "conclusions" from?  Seriously?  They basically said that there is a 51% probability that the Patriots were in the wrong here, and its now "case closed?"

Puh-lease.  So dumb.

[dsc123]

Another point somebody recently brought up (talking head on espn - don't know his name) is that in both cases of Spygate and Bountygate the offenders were warned before the actual actions were performed that lead to the sanctions.  Meaning, the league knew that they may have been into something they shouldn't be and they said something like "guys, we are aware of this, you shouldn't be doing this, cut it out."  In both cases, they ignored those warnings and kept doing what they were doing.

If the league was consistent, since this was the first they heard of this, a reasonable course of action here would have quite simply been to go straight to the Patriots after the allegations from the Colts, and say "guys, don't know if this is true or not, but if it is, cut it out, because we're watching you."  Then when/if they continued to do it in the Super Bowl or thereafter, you throw the book at them.  But doing it this way?  I can fully understand why they feel like this was a witchhunt.

This is so frustrating because its based on incorrect facts that should not be disputable.  If you really mean this, then you have to agree that the NFL should slam Brady and the pats here.  The league sent out a memo after the Vikings game and reminded the teams not to mess with the footballs.  The patriots then took the bag of balls out of the referee's locker room, took it into a bathroom, put needles in the balls to deflate them, and brought them back out.  Then denied doing it.  Lied to the public.  Lied to the investigators.  Refused to fully cooperate with the investigation.

And the lies matter, too.  Remember when Goodell said he went easy on Rice because he thought he came clean, then slammed him when he realized he lied?  It doesn't matter if you believe the sequence of events (I know I don't) , but it shows that the league's practice is to be harsher if you lie.  We've seen the same thing with baseball.  Wasn't it Melky Cabrera who got an extra long suspension because not only did he juice but he created some fake website to cover it up?

Which brings me to my next point:  "More probable than not" is what we're basing these "conclusions" from?  Seriously?  They basically said that there is a 51% probability that the Patriots were in the wrong here, and its now "case closed?"

Puh-lease.  So dumb.

First, "more probable than not" is basically the standard applied to EVERYTHING except throwing a person in jail.  When google sues microsoft for a billion dollars, that's all they have to prove.

Second, think about what it would take to state the case with more certainty.  Direct evidence.  A video, with audio, of Brady instructing these guys to do it.  Or an admission.  That's just about it.  Of course you can't get that, particularly when Brady can't be forced to turn over the evidence.

Really, I urge you all to read the report.  There's a mountain of evidence.

Perhaps he just didn't want to relinquish his rights?

Funny, but completely different.  Brady was free to hide the evidence, and chose to do so.  But when you're not talking about throwing a person in jail, its fair to draw negative inferences when a party refuses to provide relevant information.

I'll remind you that when asked ONLY for texts and emails related to inflating/deflating footballs, he did not say he didn't have any.  He said no.