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Drop the hammer? Doubt it. Some sort of fine or suspension seems likely though
I see a light to no punishment. The locker room assistant and equipment manager will get strung out to dry though.
Considering 11 out of 12 balls feel short of regulation, something tells me there were more than just Brady and those two involved.
I think this is a classic situation of someone who got smashed and is crying foul over a practice that although technically against the rules, isn't exactly enforced heavily. It's like driving the speed limit, just don't do it blatantly in front of the cop and you are fine. This is the same thing to me. Yes, they don't need to do it and shouldn't be doing it but generally successful teams will push the edge as much as they can from week to week to get an advantage. Having each team supply the footballs is asking for an advantage to be pressed, and now that I've read the email from the Colts GM it sounds to me like people all knew about this and then suddenly, as they were playing them in the playoffs with little chance of winning, they blew the whistle on them. It strikes me that this isn't an uncommon practice around the league.
Patriots cheat: it's okay, everyone does it, it's not even that bad.
Seahawks/Saints/etc cheat: off with their heads!
Gonna go out on a limb and assume the face of the league, reigning champion and future first ballot no brainer is going to be fine...
No suspension- maybe a fine- Patriots are NFL Royalty and TB12 is the golden boy. If anything, someone will fall on the sword and call it a day. Its a non-story anyway.
Coming from a Pats fan: I think the circumstantial evidence in this case is actually stronger than I expected (the text messages, weird behavior by McNally, etc), but should be placed in the context of what rule was allegedly trying to be skirted - the PSI of game balls.
I think either a large fine of a 1 game suspension for Brady is appropriate given that he likely did know that SOMETHING fishy was going on to make sure the game balls were to his liking...
Seriously though, if the PSI of game balls are so critical to the "integrity of the game", why not just have the officials set the game balls to 13.0 PSI and force both teams to use the same set like any other sport? The rule that each team gets to present their own balls (based on what their specific QB likes - Rogers says they OVER inflate his) is just plain stupid and should have never been allowed in the first place.
In the grand scheme of things, this was blown way out of proportion because the Patriots have been so good for so long. I can almost guarantee next year (even with the loss of Revis), Brady and this team will unleash a fury on the league not seen since 2007...with a PSI well within the legal range. Bring it!
And, God willing, it'll end the same way as it did in 2007.
"In the grand scheme of things, this was blown way out of proportion because the Patriots have been so good for so long."
It was made into a big deal because it took attention from players beating the shit out of their wives/children/people. Well that and everyone hates a constant winner. Little Column A Little Column B
cue mbavsmfin
I think the whole thing is blown out of proportion. I was surprised by the amount of circumstantial evidence and expected there to be much less. In the end, I think this really doesn't make or break their championship run. Brady will probably get a 1 game suspension at worst and they'll take it out on the two locker room staffers that actually deflated the balls.
Giselle confirmed back on the market...
So I guess I was wrong, 4 Game Suspension.
This is INSANE. 4 game suspension PLUS 1st rounder PLUS 4th rounder PLUS $1 million fine?!?!
Looks like posturing by the NFL knowing that it is going to get appealed and reduced. Pretty crazy...how do we get from a $25,000 fine to THIS?!
Pretty insane. The only equivalent violations in recent times were when the Vikings were caught warming up the ball on a really cold day. They got a slap on the wrist, a warning. The Falcons blasted fan noise into games for a couple of years, something that I would bet alters the game far more than 2 psi. I think they got fined a few hundred grand and lost a 5/6th rounder. I see Kraft going after Goodell's head over the next few years. He's been one of his big supporters but Goodell decided to come down hard on this instead of the dozens of other issues involving real felons, repeated PED violations (Seahawks anyone?), and not really doing anything about proven debilitating brain injuries?
The spying issue and the ball inflation level (I refuse to say anything-gate. Watergate is a hotel, not a suffix) are such minor things that every team did. I know a few guys involved in the NFL at various levels and most of them will say they don't like the Pats for many reasons, but have said that these things were just sour grapes from people who were pouting like little girls and that every team does them. Reminds me of one of my favorite movies of all time:
My favorite is Ray Lewis' outrage: he was involved in an f'ing murder and was fined. Murder is Ten Commandment type of shit Ray, 2 psi is Skittles.
And I'm an Eagles fan.
On one side, I feel Goodell is this tyrannical figure who picks his punishments out of a hat. Yes, the balls were altered. Yes, the Patriots tried to cover it up. But does this really have that big of an impact on the game? This isn't close to Spy-Gate and past QBs have commented that everyone changes the PSI to their own liking. Maybe this is the straw that broke the camel's back. The Pats organization has a history of walking up to the line of what is and isn't legal in the NFL, maybe the other owners have had it.
Other than anything about Kim Kardashian, this is the dumbest non-story I've ever encountered. From what I understand, most NFL QBs inflate/deflate their balls in a way that they favor (probably has to do with different hand sizes). As we saw in the playoffs, the ball deflation/inflation had virtually nothing to do with the outcome of the games. Sooooo much important news out there that is not getting headlines as front pages of newspapers run "Deflategate" stories. It's a f*cking embarrassment for our culture.
Fuck all of this. College football only for me now.
Who gives a shit about ball pressure? It's not like the guy knocked out his wife in a hotel elevator or beat his 4 year old with a stick.
Definitely a case of punishment not fitting the crime. Brady fucked up by not being forthright from the beginning, but every QB messes with the ball, and it has no impact on the outcome of the game. The colts were being whiny bitches and begged Goodell to drop the hammer. Ultimately though, this was about resentment and envy and teaching the Patriots a lesson.
Not to mention how it compares to, you know, domestic violence punishments. 2 games for Ray...4 for Tom...
I think it's so egregious that it really makes it look like even more of a sting operation (I'm not one to back conspiracy theories though)...in what world is this fair punishment??
I think it will be VERY interesting to watch Garrapolo (actually looking fwd to it) for 2-4 games and prove to everyone that the Patriots are a great TEAM. You can't even hurt them if you suspend their best player for 25% of the season and the Jets tamper and sign our best defensive player (what a JOKE that fine was...$100k for the BEST defensive player in the league and NO DRAFT PICKS?!?! on a CLEAR AS DAY TAMPERING).
The NFL is just in the process of giving The Patriots all the motivation they need to repeat as SB champs...
When is the investigation / report into Rodgers / Green Bay? has anyone heard?
The NFL is pissed that the patriots have done so well despite limited weapons. I mean Tom Brady was a sixth-round pick who managed to win 4 rings despite a constantly changing and less than stellar offensive roster. Aside from Randy Moss, he never had a truly elite wide receiver who could present a deep threat to opponents. His offensive line has been inconsistent although it's gotten better this year. And the Patriots have never had a strong running game. The Patriots' success are an affront to other teams, who remain angry and bitter about being outplayed and outcoached. Goodell is a savvy businessman, so the last thing he wants is to piss off the entire league. He had to come down hard on the Patriots and Brady despite the laughable insignificance of this "offense." It would be truly delicious revenge if the Patriots repeat next year.
There is a zero percent chance this is the reason.
I probably supported Goodell longer than anyone in their right mind should have, but this just seems silly to me. Maybe it's because I have a strong aversion to all media and social media hysteria these days, but I thought it was a non-issue when I first heard it, thought it was stupid throughout the entire process, and still don't understand what the big deal is nor why the NFL took a dump on his and the Patriot's collective chests. It's not that I'm outraged...I'm more confused than anything.
Personally, I think the punishment was strictly a political play by Goodell. He wanted to send a message that the league doesn't play favorites. At the same time, he knows that the punishment is so over the top that it will be substantially reduced in the appeals process. The NFL saves face and the Patriots end up serving a significantly reduced sentence.
Brady in response to the eligible receiver against the Ravens: "Maybe those guys gotta study the rule book and figure it out. We obviously knew what we were doing and we made some pretty important plays. It was a real good weapon for us. Maybe we’ll have something in store next week"
Lol, good one Brady...
The Gaytriots always get their way. The punishment wasn't enough in the first place and now they're going to get it reduced in the appeal process once again.
...because some balls were marginally deflated?
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