Deflategate -- Patriots Busted

[DaRadniz29]

I think this whole thing is being made into a bigger deal than it should be because Goodell can't figure out how to run the league. I'm not saying I could run the league, but there must be someone better.

My main concern with the punishments handed down is that the HC got absolutely nothing. Sure losing draft picks will hurt him, but it's really not a punishment to the Coach.

I have a hard time believing that if they said Brady knew about it that Belichick didn't know anything. Sure it's not impossible, but I find it curious that the league went pretty much out of their way to specifically say Belichick exonerated of any wrongdoing. Not to mention, I thought the HC is responsible for your players actions (within the football context). Apparently he's not. It's kind of like in MLB if a (Starting?)Pitcher is ejected - the manager is automatically ejected with him.

What I gather from all of this - what Goodell says is irrelevant to the actions he takes.

Why would Brady ever let Belichick know the balls were deflated after the approvals? Deflation of footballs isn't something your brag about in the uber-masculine world of the NFL.

I think it's pretty certain that Belichick was not aware, or if he ever was told, he didn't care enough to remember. Why is it curious that the league went out of its way to protect the coach?

I'm not saying Brady would tell him, I'm saying I have a hard time believing Belichick knew nothing. The primary reason he isn't being punished is because his name wasn't in Wells report. That could be saying that Belichick really didn't know anything or it could be saying that Belichick was able to cover his track so it didn't lead back to him.

I think it's stupid - not that the Patriots, Brady cheated but the whole conclusion of the findings.

I really think Wells needs/needed. more information than "more probable than not" and "generally aware" which is very much circumstantial evidence rather than concrete proof.

While he got 4 games I think Brady really got two games for general knowledge of the situation and two games for failure to cooperate with league investigation.

[WSU151]

It's bogus. If they gonna give Brady 4 games cause he "probably knew" about the balls why not the center and others? It's just a witch hunt. There's no auctual proof he knew about the balls, this just sets a big precedent. This better get dropped in appeals it's such a joke.

Do you understand circumstantial evidence? This is exactly what circumstantial evidence is. The reason Brady is being punished and not the others is because he's in direct control of the balls the Patriots use when on offense. He's likely being suspended for 4 games not only because he cheated, but also because he was *snipped* [uncooperative] with the NFL in terms of giving them [his phone records}.

Leave everything else out of the equation for a second, and key on that one part right there--that's the one piece many seem to be missing.

If ol' boy was innocent of any wrongdoing (or in this case "wrongknowing"), he would not have had a single issue giving the league officials his phone records and whatnot upon request--after all, he wouldn't have had nothing to hide. But he didn't do that; by many reports he refused to give up the info--from which one could infer he had something to hide, or in this case lose.

*some pieces edited for clarity

Given the pre-Super Bowl media leaks, Brady had a legitimate concern that something personal from his phone might be leaked out. If I was Brady's counsel, even if he had nothing to hide, I would tell him not to give up the phone. A lot of outside risk. An NFL "investigator" doesn't have the same rights as law enforcement.

What, has he been cheating on Giselle?

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You know, if the NFL really wanted to punish the Pats, they'd take away the 2nd round pick. That's typically the round where Belichick cleans up.

Probably a full library of awkward photos in Uggs.

[LAWeaver]

As a Pats fan who has been on the fence about this whole thing, all I will say is that I'm on to Pittsburgh. I'm over the entire situation, wondering how Garapollo will play, and focusing on that Week 1 game.

[Billy B]

It's bogus. If they gonna give Brady 4 games cause he "probably knew" about the balls why not the center and others? It's just a witch hunt. There's no auctual proof he knew about the balls, this just sets a big precedent. This better get dropped in appeals it's such a joke.

Do you understand circumstantial evidence? This is exactly what circumstantial evidence is. The reason Brady is being punished and not the others is because he's in direct control of the balls the Patriots use when on offense. He's likely being suspended for 4 games not only because he cheated, but also because he was completely, arrogantly, non-compliant with the NFL in terms of giving them evidence.

How does the center NOT have control of the football before the snap?? He would know just as much as brady. That's my point. Not even a fine. It's obvious that this was to tarnish brady and not anybody else. It's baused of probable stuff not proof. If punishment in the court is baised off of proof why should any other business differentiate?

The center doesn't have a reason to request the balls be deflated. If the balls were deflated intentionally, which it sure seems like they were, it would be because that's how Brady wants/likes them.

With that said, a one game suspension would be excessive... four games? This is insane.

But the center can hide something in the gloves to deflate a new ball, I've heard storys about them doing that. thats my issue here.

LOL. That assertion is beyond ridiculous. It is more probable than not that the center doesn't pay any attention or even realize what the psi levels are in the footballs. Compared to the QB, the center has his hands on the football for a fraction of the time any QB does.

I'd be surprised if the center didn't notice. I played center and I could easily tell the difference between a normally inflated ball and one that didn't have as much air in it. But I don't see why that matters because 1) most centers don't wear gloves and 2) it's ridiculous to suggest that an offensive lineman is keeping a pin to deflate the ball in a glove, deflating it in-game with nobody noticing, and not poking himself or someone else during the play.

[WSU151]

Real cheating used to get you a $20,000 fine and a warning...ahh, the good old days of three seasons ago.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000091683/article/san-diego-chargers-fined-20k-by-nfl-in-towel-case

[Lights Out]

Real cheating used to get you a $20,000 fine and a warning...ahh, the good old days of three seasons ago.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000091683/article/san-diego-chargers-fined-20k-by-nfl-in-towel-case

The Chargers appealed, won (because they were innocent), and didn't have to pay a fine. If this is what Patriots apologists are clinging to, you've got nothing.

[The_Admiral]

One day Patriots fans will realize how odious it is to act like a martyr while you're running up the score.

[WSU151]

Real cheating used to get you a $20,000 fine and a warning...ahh, the good old days of three seasons ago.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000091683/article/san-diego-chargers-fined-20k-by-nfl-in-towel-case

The Chargers appealed, won (because they were innocent), and didn't have to pay a fine. If this is what Patriots apologists are clinging to, you've got nothing.

So making a football easier to throw and catch isn't a big deal after the refs approve the game balls. Got it.

Clearly the Chargers cooperated with the league and the refs by hiding the towels.

[Lights Out]

Real cheating used to get you a $20,000 fine and a warning...ahh, the good old days of three seasons ago.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000091683/article/san-diego-chargers-fined-20k-by-nfl-in-towel-case

The Chargers appealed, won (because they were innocent), and didn't have to pay a fine. If this is what Patriots apologists are clinging to, you've got nothing.

So making a football easier to throw and catch isn't a big deal after the refs approve the game balls. Got it.

Clearly the Chargers cooperated with the league and the refs by hiding the towels.

"So the Chargers ultimately paid nothing. And they ultimately were found to be not guilty of any violation of the rules, since the fine came not from the use of the towel but from the failure to produce the towel quickly enough once suspicion arose."

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/02/04/chargers-ultimately-prevailed-in-appeal-of-towel-fine/

Again, you're going to have to try harder to deflect the Patriots' latest cheating scandal.

[WSU151]

One day Patriots fans will realize how odious it is to act like a martyr while you're running up the score.

This is the ultimate strawman. "The Patriots don't quit scoring, so they have to be punished."

Real cheating used to get you a $20,000 fine and a warning...ahh, the good old days of three seasons ago.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000091683/article/san-diego-chargers-fined-20k-by-nfl-in-towel-case

The Chargers appealed, won (because they were innocent), and didn't have to pay a fine. If this is what Patriots apologists are clinging to, you've got nothing.

So making a football easier to throw and catch isn't a big deal after the refs approve the game balls. Got it.

Clearly the Chargers cooperated with the league and the refs by hiding the towels.

"So the Chargers ultimately paid nothing. And they ultimately were found to be not guilty of any violation of the rules, since the fine came not from the use of the towel but from the failure to produce the towel quickly enough once suspicion arose."

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/02/04/chargers-ultimately-prevailed-in-appeal-of-towel-fine/

Again, you're going to have to try harder to deflect the Patriots' latest cheating scandal.

What's the last sentence of that report?

[The_Admiral]

I meant "running up the score" metaphorically, though it worked literally for 2007.

[Lights Out]

"That doesn’t change the fact that cheating happens a lot in the NFL."

And it usually involves the Patriots.

[WSU151]

"That doesn’t change the fact that cheating happens a lot in the NFL."

And it usually involves the Patriots.

Well, Spygate wasn't really cheating, because it's still legal to do what they did, just in different locations in the stadium.

And Deflategate has yet to produce any hard evidence or real advantage.

So...

[Lights Out]

Spygate was cheating. And Deflategate produced over 200 pages of evidence.

The Pats got caught red-handed again, their legacy has another huge asterisk next to it... deal with it.

[WSU151]

Spygate was cheating. And Deflategate produced over 200 pages of evidence.

The Pats got caught red-handed again, their legacy has another huge asterisk next to it... deal with it.

Spygate was cheating because...?? If you know Spygate at all, you realize the Pats broke the NFL's guidance by filming from the sidelines instead of an approved location. Videotaping coaches signals wasn't why they were fined.

If teams didn't videotape coaches, no coach would cover his mouth.

And 200 pages of evidence in Deflategate? Based on texts that the ballboys were inflating the footballs to 16 pounds? That kind of evidence?

[NJTank]

The Patriots are pond scum

[Brass]

The Patriots are pond scum

"Dynamite drop in!"

[Hat Boy]

There really seems to be no middle ground on this--either the Patriots have committed the greatest crime in the history of football and all their accomplishments are forever tainted or this is some kind of frame-up by the NFL to appease the jealousy of the other 31 teams.

[Nyk33]

As a non-football I must say that the way NFL doles out punishment seems really weird and arbitrary. It seems like this decision was made to appease the press and the masses. Why else would someone that is a supposedly a prolific cheater get suspended for less games than someone that smoke marijuana one too many times but more games than a guy who knocked his fiance out?

[JayMac]

A lot of people think he shouldn't get the 4 games because they think that the punishment is over the footballs being deflated. It is because he had the chance to come clean, and he chose not to do so. Also, why is this being compared to the Ray Rice issue? Two completely separate issues. This one actually has to do with the product on-field, whereas the other was a criminal issue.