Another Patriot Scandal??

[KYPack]

it also “mysteriously happened to the lions at foxboro in 2006 on two drives with the lions were moving the ball well, also jack del rio said it happened to the jags in 2005 and in 2007 marvin lewis said the same thing happened to the bengals. all at foxboro

add those to the dansby complaint, and you have what really looks like another pattern of "trying to get an extra edge by bending the rules"

man, the whole franchise just looks like a giant bunch of cheats at this point


http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...fore/#comments

I live in the Cincy area and know some media guys and ex-players. The incident with the Bengals happened. After that game, Marvin Lewis was sputtering mad and made comments privately that this incident was going to the league office and would not be swept under the rug.

By Tuesday, it was swept under the rug & Lewis refused to discuss it with any of his buddies in the media or anybody.

Teams like the Bengals, Jags (& Cardinals?) don't have the juice to oppose Kraft and his little gang.

[pbmax]

This guy makes Bud Selig seem ready for primetime.

Schefter, via PFT: Report: NFL, Patriots working to resolve #DeflateGate

[pbmax]

ProFootballTalk ‏@ProFootballTalk 46s46 seconds ago
Report: Goodell, Kraft have spoken, hugged recently http://wp.me/p14QSB-9M8z

Words fail me.

[ThunderDan]

pb-

If either of these stories are true I am going to puke.

[pbmax]

pb-

If either of these stories are true I am going to puke.

I wonder what the common ground here is. While the League is probably not eager to have another lawsuit claiming that Roger as appeals court judge is not consistent with due process*, I have to believe their first concern is litigation from the member Team against the League. To reach a deal there, the obvious path is to leave Brady hanging in the wind (lessen team sanctions, leave Brady out for 3 or 4 games). But Kraft's public comments make that seem an unlikely stance for him; he wants a win and some kind of retraction.

Which leaves it to Roger to back off on BOTH New England and Tommy Boy. But even for Captain PR, that is going to be hard to swallow.


* There is a construct of due process that IS applied in private contracts separate from, less structured than and more forgiving than the Due Process clause in the Bill of Rights (5th Amendment!) that States and the Feb must abide by. It probably has a name but its escaping me at the moment.

[pbmax]

The NFL asked the Patriots to fire discipline the two equipment guys before the report was released.

What a colossal screw up. The original story is Schefter here: https://www.facebook.com/AdamSchefte...57919684260673

but Deadspin has a summary with some conjecture here: http://deadspin.com/the-nfl-asked-th...uil-1705470790

ESPN’s Adam Schefter has an answer:

For those asking why Patriots suspended two employees if those two did nothing wrong, as New England claims: NFL asked Pats to suspend them prior to discipline being handed down, per a league source in New York. New England obliged with the NFL’s request.
This just raises a whole bunch of questions. Why would the NFL request an immediate suspension for these two rather than wait the five days until it sorted through and issued official punishments? (Was the league worried they would sneak into Gillette and deflate a bunch of balls?) And why on earth would the Patriots sign off on it?

The only way things make sense is if everyone had already decided that McNally and Jastremski (“turn in your badge and gun!”) would be useful patsies here, and take the fall for anyone of consequence. Perhaps the NFL believed shitcanning the two of them would show how seriously it took this case, and the Patriots believed this sign of cooperation would result in a slap on the wrist. Scapegoating peons is the American way, after all.

I have another explanation for the bold: canning the two equipment guys was a PR move designed to lessen the impact of the report (which the League had obviously read five days before its public release). When it didn't take and everyone was still screaming for heads to roll, Roger acted.

Admittedly, this theory is my pet belief about this clown. But I haven't seen another explanation that makes more sense.

[mraynrand]

I'll say it again: unless they vacate the SB win, it's all sound and fury.

[pbmax]

I'll say it again: unless they vacate the SB win, it's all sound and fury.

Agreed. Its like the debate about elite QBs; its a signal there really isn't anything to talk about. Its about polishing your CV.

[Freak Out]

Ballghazi.......lol. That alone has made all this BS worth it. What an absolute cluster fuck of an embarrassment.

[pbmax]

Roger wins a round:

Ian Rapoport ‏@RapSheet 3m3 minutes ago
Robert Kraft voices support for Roger Goodell, says he supports his role in discipline. Will this affect Tom Brady’s appeal?

NFLPA says the appeal is still going forward. No word on what placated Kraft.

Michael Tanier ‏@MikeTanier 17m17 minutes ago
Now, Nostra-Tanier predicts the Brady suspension will be reduced on appeal to 2 games.

[ThunderDan]

Roger wins a round:

Ian Rapoport ‏@RapSheet 3m3 minutes ago
Robert Kraft voices support for Roger Goodell, says he supports his role in discipline. Will this affect Tom Brady’s appeal?

NFLPA says the appeal is still going forward. No word on what placated Kraft.

Michael Tanier ‏@MikeTanier 17m17 minutes ago
Now, Nostra-Tanier predicts the Brady suspension will be reduced on appeal to 2 games.

Well that is nothing like what Scheftard reported regarding Kraft and working out a deal. I wonder if Kraft talked to some of his owner friends and they said shut up and take the fine?

[pbmax]

Well that is nothing like what Scheftard reported regarding Kraft and working out a deal. I wonder if Kraft talked to some of his owner friends and they said shut up and take the fine?

Well, there is still the Brady appeal. PFT is suggesting the phone records might make a surprise appearance.

There could have been an assurance that the suspension will be lessened.

Or, in the extreme win case, Roger might agree to step aside, which I doubt he will do.

But the main question remains, will Brady sue or will he accept the decision? This whole deal makes no sense unless the entire thing goes away.

[pbmax]

Ian Rapoport ‏@RapSheet 3m3 minutes ago
Expect Roger Goodell’s response to the NFLPA’s request to not include a change. He wants to look Tom Brady in the eye, hear his story.

Well it certainly worked with Ray Rice and his finance, so why not repeat the process?

[George Cumby]

I'll say it again: unless they vacate the SB win, it's all sound and fury.

+1

[Fritz]

I'll say it again: unless they vacate the SB win, it's all sound and fury.

I don't think suspending Brady for three or four games and taking away a first round pick is only sound and fury.

But I do agree that the whole thing has become an ass clown circus - stupid in the first place, for as Ras has pointed out Brady seemed to do better with the not-deflated footballs, and stupider yet for all this posturing and backtracking that seems to be going on.

Goodell could not do better at making himself look incompetent if he tried. But then again, maybe that's because if he tried to do that he'd fail because he's incompetent...

[sharpe1027]

The question they have to be asking themselves in New England is whether a handful of Super Bowl wins are worth a few draft picks, a million dollars, and a few games without your starting QB? Really tough call there.

While one could argue that they would have won their SBs regardless, the cheaters must have thought it was going to help them, or else why bother?

How about no playoff eligibility for a couple years as a punishment?

[red]

The question they have to be asking themselves in New England is whether a handful of Super Bowl wins are worth a few draft picks, a million dollars, and a few games without your starting QB? Really tough call there.

While one could argue that they would have won their SBs regardless, the cheaters must have thought it was going to help them, or else why bother?

How about no playoff eligibility for a couple years as a punishment?

everyone knows about the broncos and their super bowls, hardly anyone knows or even cares that they cheated to win, and got busted

fining a team a million bucks and taking away a pick or two isn't gonna stop anyone. you got to hit them harder like you said, maybe even take away wins and super bowls

[Rastak]

Man, keep it in perspective people. The Colts footballs were also down a similar amount of air. The NFL was, as usual, a bunch of witch hunting morons making a mountain out of a molehill.

They are just as at fault that it even came to this given the lax security and lack of league control around footballs.


Anyway, just another reason why Goodell the knucklehead should probably be booted. I am no Pats fan but after giving way to much thought than it deserves, the NFL screwed the pooch here.

[mraynrand]

Man, keep it in perspective people. The Colts footballs were also down a similar amount of air. The NFL was, as usual, a bunch of witch hunting morons making a mountain out of a molehill.

They are just as at fault that it even came to this given the lax security and lack of league control around footballs.


Anyway, just another reason why Goodell the knucklehead should probably be booted. I am no Pats fan but after giving way to much thought than it deserves, the NFL screwed the pooch here.

The issue is whether Brady and the Patriots intentionally cheated. The issues of scale and pressure levels are categorically different. If you don't care that they cheated, so be it, but I think it's a huge deal, especially since they have shown a repeated willingness to cheat.

[Rastak]

The issue is whether Brady and the Patriots intentionally cheated. The issues of scale and pressure levels are categorically different. If you don't care that they cheated, so be it, but I think it's a huge deal, especially since they have shown a repeated willingness to cheat.

I could probably fill 1000 pages with examples, but I don't have the time.

Not the same sport I know but I wasn't filled with outrage.....I don't watch baseball anymore, ever since 1994 but when the ole corked bat gets discovered I do not lose my mind.