Brady 4 Game Suspension Upheld

[pbmax]

Not true. The conspiracy usually occurs before any acts are performed.

Also "no indication" is giving a pretty favorable reading of the text messages. If all they had to do was set the ball to the minimum - per the rules- they could have done that without all the hoopla - or veiled threats (I mean jokes) about going to ESPN. Why the hell would ESPN care about setting ball pressure on the low end of the scale? Please explain how that is "no indication."

I have joked that I plan to report my employer for Geneva Convention violations for keeping me late for a useless meeting.

But more likely, Brady is being an asshole to underlings about 12.5. In fact, I find this the most likely scenario, that if they were planning something extra-legal (or even the legal version of this), they were looking to deflate balls that were adjusted by refs above 12.5. However, even with that reading, they have no evidence it actually happened. The physical evidence isn't compelling.

That is why Commish's appeal ruling letter specified a new cause for the suspension, the lack of cooperation on the cell phone. He broad brushed the Wells Report shortcomings and even went beyond them, stating the evidence there-in was clear and convincing. A level of certainty that even Wells wasn't comfortable with. And that does not begin to deal with the info presented after the decision, before the appeal, which compromised 99% of what Wells was asking for. Roger rejected it as not practical.

[sharpe1027]

I agree that they probably planned to deflate the balls after the refs inspected them, and that is exactly what they are being accused of doing. It violates the rules which require the referees to inspect the balls. Whether the balls got below 12.5 or not does not matter at that point, they already went outside the rules. They do have evidence, both the camera and the text messages are evidence.

As for Tom merely being an asshole, why was he offering a big signing day? You are being the reverse of a conspiracy theorist.

*edited for typo

[pbmax]

I agree that they probably planned to deflate the balls after the refs inspected them, and that is exactly what they are being accused of doing. It violates the rules which require the referees to inspect the balls. Whether the balls got below 12.5 or not does not matter at that point, they already went outside the rules. They do have evidence, both the camera and the text messages are evidence.

As for Tom merely being an asshole, why was he offering a big signing day? You are being the reverse of a conspiracy theorist.

*edited for typo

I like evidence for my conspiracies. Just because I believe that the Pats might have been prepared to deflate after inspection, it doesn't seem likely in this case (90 seconds is long enough to deflate, but not long enough to deflate and measure). And there is no physical evidence it occurred. Without that, the punishment for phone shenanigans (which is obviously not paramount or Goodell would have used the info eventually provided by Brady) is ludicrous.

[Guiness]

I like evidence for my conspiracies. Just because I believe that the Pats might have been prepared to deflate after inspection, it doesn't seem likely in this case (90 seconds is long enough to deflate, but not long enough to deflate and measure). And there is no physical evidence it occurred. Without that, the punishment for phone shenanigans (which is obviously not paramount or Goodell would have used the info eventually provided by Brady) is ludicrous.

The way things have gone, I wonder how Kraft feels about accepting the punishment of $1M (inconsequential to him, unless it counts against the cap) and the two draft picks?

[Bretsky]

My wife, who hates Tom Brady and the greatest coach in the NFL named Hoody Genius.....has a theory I had not thought of.

NFL apparently offered Bready one game but Brady insisted on locking down his cell phone texts and Brady said no way

My wife, the Brady hater, is convinced he's cheating on his hot model wife and cell phone texts would implicate him

Who knows anymore............hmmmmmmmmmmmm

[sharpe1027]

I like evidence for my conspiracies. Just because I believe that the Pats might have been prepared to deflate after inspection, it doesn't seem likely in this case (90 seconds is long enough to deflate, but not long enough to deflate and measure). And there is no physical evidence it occurred. Without that, the punishment for phone shenanigans (which is obviously not paramount or Goodell would have used the info eventually provided by Brady) is ludicrous.

You don't need physical evidence. Some guy stole the balls when the referees weren't looking and took them straight to an area without a camera. Under review they found really suspicious text messages implicating the player that stood to gain the most. Absent someone breaking down the bathroom door, you'll not get a much better case.

I submit that you are focused on the wrong facts. Just because the original evidence was suspect, that doesn't dimimsh what remains.

[pbmax]

The employee being released I understand. Connection with Brady is all inference. Which, as you say, is enough in some cases with other evidence. However, the two employees they interviewed denied a scheme under oath, despite losing their jobs. Brady has denied it under oath.

And they do not have compelling evidence of the underlying crime. Natural physical forces could produce the pressure drop they measured.

To draw any other conclusion would require far more stringent procedures that the NFL did not possess (including a log of the original inflation pressure) at the time. This process is ludicrous.

[sharpe1027]

Why release the employees if they have no evidence against them?

[sharpe1027]

Why was one employee threatening to go to ESPN?
Why was Brady giving perks to the employee for something related the the ball pressure?
Why did the employee speak about needles?
Why did the employee take the ball from the referees without them knowing?
Why did Brady destroy the relevant phone?
Ect.
The simplest answer answers all of these questions.

[Guiness]

Why was one employee threatening to go to ESPN?
Why was Brady giving perks to the employee for something related the the ball pressure?
Why did the employee speak about needles?
Why did the employee take the ball from the referees without them knowing?
Why did Brady destroy the relevant phone?
Ect.
The simplest answer answers all of these questions.

I'd think the first question is the most interesting of all. He was apparently threatening to go to ESPN, and they fired his ass. Why didn't he go to ESPN, and/or why aren't they running his story? I've heard nothing of him getting any hush money.

[pbmax]

I have not heard threatening to go to ESPN in anything except a joke format in one of the text messages.

Its a very good question why one of the employees was terminated. However the other, the one who absconded with the balls away from the ref, gave them cause to fire them. That is not supposed to happen for any reason.

But if you want to play the "what answers all the outstanding questions" you should add these two:

Why did the Patriots fire an employee who could blow the whistle on them?
Why does anyone believe any air was release from the balls after the ref inspection?

[Patler]

Why did the Patriots fire an employee who could blow the whistle on them?

Maybe they took care of that in his severance package.

[pbmax]

Speaking of being generally aware, PFT gives us Jay Feely:

On the surface, free-agent kicker Jay Feely attended Monday’s settlement conference in his capacity as a member of the NFL Players Association’s Executive Committee....

As noted last month, the NFLPA’s initial court filing challenging the Brady suspension pointed out that the NFL suspended a Jets equipment employee in 2009, after an attempt “to use unapproved equipment to prep the K[icking] Balls” in a game against (you guessed it) the Patriots. The NFL did not investigate or discipline the Jets kicker for “general awareness” or specific involvement in the attempted violation of the rules, even though the Jets kicker was the player most likely to benefit from the behavior and, in turn, the player most likely to be aware of the conduct.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/08/31/feelys-presence-may-have-been-a-useful-coincidence-for-brady-nflpa/

[sharpe1027]

I'd think the first question is the most interesting of all. He was apparently threatening to go to ESPN, and they fired his ass. Why didn't he go to ESPN, and/or why aren't they running his story? I've heard nothing of him getting any hush money.

You will not hear about hush money unless they are extremely stupid about it.

[sharpe1027]

I have not heard threatening to go to ESPN in anything except a joke format in one of the text messages.

Its a very good question why one of the employees was terminated. However the other, the one who absconded with the balls away from the ref, gave them cause to fire them. That is not supposed to happen for any reason.

But if you want to play the "what answers all the outstanding questions" you should add these two:

Why did the Patriots fire an employee who could blow the whistle on them?
Why does anyone believe any air was release from the balls after the ref inspection?

If you believe Brady was willing to bribe the guy just to do his job, you must be willing to believe Brady would give his first born son to keep him quiet about something that would really put him in a bind.