Brady 4 Game Suspension Upheld

[pbmax]

Stradley:

The way the NFL deals with addiction issues, domestic violence, equipment violations, whatever is like it is a personal affront to Roger Goodell. It's not about him. People are imperfect human beings with their own life histories and capacity to deal with things. Seems like so many of the things are recklessly hammered in an entire process that has little regard to the collateral impact to the players, staff, families, crime victims.

Whole thing, and it is long, worth a read.

http://www.stradleylaw.com/legal-implications-judge-berman-ruling/

[pbmax]

Collateral damage in Goodell/Wells investigations:

http://boston.cbslocal.com/2015/09/04/fired-dolphins-trainer-claims-ted-wells-acted-improperly-during-richie-incognito-investigation/

Dinged by Wells for not cooperating (investigators would not produce HIPPA docs that would allow release of medical info) and later fired for role in Bullygate.

[pbmax]

And again from Baab's story, my favorite hobby horse:

The league office under Goodell seems to favor an approach taken from a political campaign playbook: taking the temperature of ideas through media leaks, extensive polling and third-party data gathering. Crises often become endurance tests waged in the public sphere.

[MadtownPacker]

I shocked that so many honkies are shocked that another honkie got away with something.

[smuggler]

You read the WaPost, pb?

[pbmax]

You read the WaPost, pb?

Wonkblog yes. News/sports, occasionally, mostly when a link takes me there from elsewhere as it did with the Jenkins piece.

[pbmax]

I shocked that so many honkies are shocked that another honkie got away with something.

Not as shocked as the honkies who let him get away.

[Rastak]

Stradley:



Whole thing, and it is long, worth a read.
http://www.stradleylaw.com/legal-imp...berman-ruling/

Thanks PB.

[NewsBruin]

Wonkblog yes. News/sports, occasionally, mostly when a link takes me there from elsewhere as it did with the Jenkins piece.

No shame, PB. A WaPo online subscription was my one big Christmas present this year (I'm too cheap to ask for NYT), and I've gotten more use from it than anything else in the last 5 years.

[smuggler]

I find myself disagreeing with some of Ms. Stradley's conclusions. I see different patterns than most people, though, which isn't always useful.

[Bossman641]

http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/13533995/split-nfl-new-england-patriots-apart

ESPN with a rather lengthy investigation back into Spygate. I dunno why this is just now coming out, feels like ESPN is attempting to cover up and spin for the NFL. Still, the allegations from 2002-2007 are interesting and prove just how far the Patriots went to cheat.

[Cheesehead Craig]

http://espn.go.com/boston/nfl/story/_/id/13607502/roger-goodell-open-changing-role-nfl-player-discipline-discusses-deflategate-ruling

Goodell is "open to changing my role (in player discipline)," he said. "It's become extremely time-consuming, and I have to be focused on other issues. I've discussed this with owners."

It's not quite as honest as "I suck at this and am tired of being raked over the coals due to my incompetence", but it's a start.

[pbmax]

http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/...patriots-apart

ESPN with a rather lengthy investigation back into Spygate. I dunno why this is just now coming out, feels like ESPN is attempting to cover up and spin for the NFL. Still, the allegations from 2002-2007 are interesting and prove just how far the Patriots went to cheat.

Just reading it now. The scope hasn't changed, but the details are much better in this version of the story. Clearly, the anti-Patriots contingent, bolstered by Brady escaping a suspension, have decided to speak. And it appears the Patriots aren't exactly holding back either. Goodell is caught in the crossfire.

One detail I did not remember, and might be new, is the scouting done at the Rams Super Bowl walk through before the Rams/Pats game. Originally, the Boston Herald reported, wrongly as it turned out, that the Pats videotaped it. However in this version, Matt Walsh says he and two other Pats employees were present while setting up video equipment for the game while the Rams did their walkthrough.

They witnessed the Rams putting Marshall Faulk back on KO return and the Rams red zone package. Walsh says he communicated these things to Brian Daboll an assistant coach, who asked him to diagram what he saw.

The Pats kicked into a corner when Faulk went back for a KO in the 2nd quarter. And when the Rams ran one new red zone play, 3 Patriots were around Faulk.

[pbmax]

http://espn.go.com/boston/nfl/story/...ategate-ruling

Goodell is "open to changing my role (in player discipline)," he said. "It's become extremely time-consuming, and I have to be focused on other issues. I've discussed this with owners."

It's not quite as honest as "I suck at this and am tired of being raked over the coals due to my incompetence", but it's a start.

If he had a clue, this would have been the approach all along. Whoever put it in his head that HE had to have all the responsibility should be duct taped to a goal post.

[pbmax]

Back to Deflategate, same article as Bossman's attractive avatar points to, a reminder about the specific complaint forwarded to the League Office about deflated footballs.

"It is well known around the league that after the Patriots game balls are checked by the officials and brought out for game usage, the ball boys for the Patriots will let out some air with a ball needle because their quarterback likes a smaller football so he can grip it better."

Even the original complaint said this happened after the balls were delivered to the field under the auspices of the refs. So what was the explanation offered by the dude in the bathroom with 12 footballs? It seems highly unlikely it had happened before, because the refs would notice. But what was he doing in there?