Brady 4 Game Suspension Upheld

[pbmax]

The above article is a must read. Here is the story of testing what would become Paul Brown and the NFL's first radio system:

The inventors carefully mounted the receiver in a Cleveland helmet and tested it in a secluded area behind Campbell's home. Sarles would wander into the woods wearing the helmet, and Campbell would try to keep contact with him. They found the signal got weak very quickly and, once, Campbell searched all over for Sarles before spotting him talking to a police officer who had located the signal. The officer was a Brown fan, according to a Pro Football Hall of Fame account of the story, and promised not to reveal the radio secret to anyone.

This article features Bum Phillips, Marv Levy and Ditka being a dope, yet succeeding. It has everything.

[pbmax]

So the NFL is not releasing results from game testing of ball pressure during 2015, thereby ruining the chance for football to confirm the Ideal Gas Law.

New England is incensed and it looks a LOT like the NFL did not want to bolster Brady's case against their appeal of the Federal ruling last fall. I am pretty stunned that Brady's team did not raise a bigger stink.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...-air-pressure/

[Rutnstrut]

So the NFL is not releasing results from game testing of ball pressure during 2015, thereby ruining the chance for football to confirm the Ideal Gas Law.

New England is incensed and it looks a LOT like the NFL did not want to bolster Brady's case against their appeal of the Federal ruling last fall. I am pretty stunned that Brady's team did not raise a bigger stink.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...-air-pressure/

Makes sense since it was a witch hunt from the start.

[mraynrand]

Makes sense since it was a witch hunt from the start.

Nah. They knew he was screwing with his balls, but they just didn't catch him with his pants down, and nobody got knocked up, so it didn't matter.

[pbmax]

Nah. They knew he was screwing with his balls, but they just didn't catch him with his pants down, and nobody got knocked up, so it didn't matter.

Perhaps, but they aren't going to win their appeal if those numbers back up the idea that the balls weren't under-inflated at the start of the game.

I'd still bet the scheme was to keep the balls at 12.5, or a tick lower, no matter what the officials did. Still circumvention, but not exactly the same thing.

[mraynrand]

Perhaps, but they aren't going to win their appeal if those numbers back up the idea that the balls weren't under-inflated at the start of the game.

I'd still bet the scheme was to keep the balls at 12.5, or a tick lower, no matter what the officials did. Still circumvention, but not exactly the same thing.

you know and I know that they futzed with their balls. But nobody really cares because 1) they can't prove they did it 2) they can't prove it couldn't or wouldn't happen naturally 3) it didn't affect the game and 4) If anyone cares at all, they mostly side with Brady because of 1-3 or oppose Brady/Belicheat because of how they perceived them before this 'scandal'

[pbmax]

you know and I know that they futzed with their balls. But nobody really cares because 1) they can't prove they did it 2) they can't prove it couldn't or wouldn't happen naturally 3) it didn't affect the game and 4) If anyone cares at all, they mostly side with Brady because of 1-3 or oppose Brady/Belicheat because of how they perceived them before this 'scandal'

I don't care what we "know" because we are way past that having any effect. I care that the NFL loses this appeal. I hope the NFLPA or the judge orders those numbers entered into the court record.

[mraynrand]

I don't care what we "know" because we are way past that having any effect. I care that the NFL loses this appeal. I hope the NFLPA or the judge orders those numbers entered into the court record.

interesting

[pbmax]

I find it odd that the ball were removed from the officials room. But I find it almost as odd as there is no evidence that it had happened before. Because the cell phone thing made it sound like a regular event.

There has to be a way to square those two things and I think a scheme to not let the officials re-inflate the balls might fit the bill.

But as I said, that doesn't matter much now. I just want the bar for NFL investigations to be raised higher.

[mraynrand]

I just want the bar for NFL investigations to be raised higher.

I figured that's where you're coming from. The NFL obviously doesn't want to have to admit that there's no difference in the balls, regardless, that is, that all can be explained by normal variation. In hindsight (and maybe some foresight we didn't have at the time) they picked really weak soil on which to plant their flag.

[pbmax]

Well this settles it. According the my careful calibrated Bayesian slider adjustments, there is an 82% chance the Patriots are guilty.

https://hatch113.shinyapps.io/bayesian_net_calc/

[pbmax]

NFL wins the Brady appeal on a 2-1 Federal Appeals court vote. He's out four games.

Its either an en banc appeal or request for the Supreme Court to review. Neither is common.

https://t.co/egW0bhtPtb

[Guiness]

And he's suspended again

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...nsion-back-on/

and it looks like the blocked some of the paths for an appeal

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...pension-again/

Lastly, this may have played out roughly the way the Pats wanted it to - he's suspended for the first four games of the season, which I can't help but think are less critical than late season ones, and Brady restructured his deal to lower his base salary to $1M.

edit: two nationally televised (meh) but two divisional games and two against playoff teams from last year has to hurt

[Joemailman]

If they appeal this to the U.S. Supreme Court, things will have gotten totally ridiculous.

[Guiness]

If they appeal this to the U.S. Supreme Court, things will have gotten totally ridiculous.

Would that be the next step in the process?

I wouldn't doubt Brady has the ego to do that, and the Supreme Court might relish the idea of sticking their nose into the NFL's business.

[mraynrand]

If a supreme court justice is on record saying "I want to look at your inflated balls" this will have all been worth it.

[pbmax]

If a supreme court justice is on record saying "I want to look at your inflated balls" this will have all been worth it.

They will know it when they see it.

[Teamcheez1]

Even if it was appealed to the Supreme Court, there is no guarantee they would even agree to hear it. They may simply let the appeals court ruling stand and move on.

[mraynrand]

the Supreme Court might relish the idea of sticking their nose into the NFL's business.

probably would rather it be on something more substantial, like concussions, but that's pretty unlikely. The latest settlement looks like it will stand.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/19/sp...suit.html?_r=0

[pbmax]

Well, for this iteration of the Sanctioning of Tom Brady, the Original Post title makes sense.