Sports: Deflate-Gate

[TAX GUY]

Except that the HC is responsible for what takes place within the organization. Remember that the HC for New Orleans was suspended for the actions that members of his organization performed. Since this isn't the Patriots first time at the rodeo, the NFL must punish.

But Payton is the one who ordered the hits on other players. He was suspended for initiating the incentives for hard hits...

 

[undertheradar]

So BB, who everybody knows studies the rule book to manipulate every little thing, honestly didn't know the rule about football inflation? Not buying it!

 

[TAX GUY]

So BB, who everybody knows studies the rule book to manipulate every little thing, honestly didn't know the rule about football inflation? Not buying it!

Not what I'm saying. I'm saying I don't think he had any idea about at what PSI levels the game balls were (or weren't) inflated to.

 

[GrnMtnMan]

But then doesn't it become a he said/she said? I still stand by my previous stated opinion, I'm sure Brady's preference was/is well known and as an unwritten rule, the equipment better be close or else the next guy will be sure t is. I don't think there was any instruction/order handed down by Brady or Belichick but rather a "Tom likes the footballs on the softer side". And I honestly think Belichick had ZERO knowledge of all of this.

The independent investigation concluded that Brady more-probably-than-not knew that McNally was altering the balls to be outside of the rules.

 

[undertheradar]

Not what I'm saying. I'm saying I don't think he had any idea about at what PSI levels the game balls were (or weren't) inflated to.

He wears the title of HC, that makes him responsible. Him claiming to have no knowledge does not absolve him of responsibility.

 

[GrnMtnMan]

He wears the title of HC, that makes him responsible. Him claiming to have no knowledge does not absolve him of responsibility.

I agree in principle, and I have my suspicions, but he might not be punished because the investigation absolves him:

 

[TAX GUY]

I can only say what I feel, and that's that I don't see how the league could fine or suspend either Brady or Belichick based on what was presented in the report. Full disclosure, I didn't read the entire report, only that parts that read "probable" and "more likely..."

 

[JanaDee]

He wears the title of HC, that makes him responsible. Him claiming to have no knowledge does not absolve him of responsibility.

He was cleared in the investigation.

 

[GrnMtnMan]

Full disclosure, I didn't read the entire report, only that parts that read "probable" and "more likely..."

I get your frustration, but those words have a particular legal meaning. NBC Sports wrote about it in the context of this report.

“More probable than not” equates to a “preponderance of the evidence,”​

 

[Stitchypoo626]

Some so called NFL media expert said Brady could possibly get a 6 game suspension. I think that is too much.

 

[ICF]

Some so called NFL media expert said Brady could possibly get a 6 game suspension. I think that is too much.

I hate Brady and the Pats as much as anyone, but 6 games seems like a lot to me.

I'd guess at most it will be 2....then likely reduced to 1 on appeal.

And there is no way in the world, that BB didn't know what was going on. He might have been "cleared", but as much of a control freak as he is -- he knew exactly what they were doing. He's never met a rule he didn't think he could bend or even break if he thought it would help his team.

 

[bcla]

This morning I was listening to local sports talk radio. Every week one show has (for whatever reason) Kevin Youkilis as a call-in baseball analyst. The hosts started with a harshly worded slam at Brady (a lame attempt at humor though) and what Youk though of the situation. Youk is Brady's brother in law, and he initially sounded like he was about ready to hang up and cancel any further shows. Another host got a little less flip about, but sounded like he was going for a more serious response about cheating. Then Youkilis went on that he wasn't there to talk about football and they moved on quickly to baseball. Still - it was awkward air for about a minute.

 

[GAN]

He'll be suspended during the pre-season games. And if you think the NFL has issues now -wait until "The Hunting Ground" hits the screen ....their Number 1 pick is not going to look very good(not that he looked good to begin with).

 

[Disney Ron]

The NFL has to suspend Brady. Since the report already clears the HC, the obvious culprit is Brady. Isn't it odd that Brady refused requests for his communications? So just as everyone suspected, the lowest guys in the pecking order will take the fall for what was an obvious rules violation.

So far you have denial from Brady's agent, Dad, when does his wife go on the attack? The greatest defense is to go on the offensive. Exactly the playbook that Brady is using.

If you were being investigated for something would you turn over your personal cellphone? They were talking about this today on a talk show I was listening to and each person said absolutely not. Too many very private personal things on ones cell.

 

[undertheradar]

If you were being investigated for something would you turn over your personal cellphone? They were talking about this today on a talk show I was listening to and each person said absolutely not. Too many very private personal things on ones cell.

Yet communications from the 2 Patriot locker room employees were text messages? If Brady is clean and the Patriot organization so transparent, why didn't Brady just comply and put an end to the added scrutiny? To anyone outside of Patriot Land, this sketchy action adds to what looks like another of the many Patriot rule abuses. I get that people are homers, what is the point of defending a franchise that has repeatedly broken NFL rules?

 

[undertheradar]

If you were being investigated for something would you turn over your personal cellphone? They were talking about this today on a talk show I was listening to and each person said absolutely not. Too many very private personal things on ones cell.

Yet communications from the 2 Patriot locker room employees were text messages? If Brady is clean and the Patriot organization so transparent, why didn't Brady just comply and put an end to the added scrutiny? To anyone outside of Patriot Land, this sketchy action adds to what looks like another of the many Patriot rule abuses. I get that people are homers, what is the point of defending a franchise that has repeatedly broken NFL rules?

 

[bcla]

If you were being investigated for something would you turn over your personal cellphone? They were talking about this today on a talk show I was listening to and each person said absolutely not. Too many very private personal things on ones cell.

However, there are rules to playing in the NFL or even being the employee of a team. They don't require a criminal standard for obtaining information. Certainly failure to cooperate can result in penalties greater than for the actual act. That's the big weapon the NFL has.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...ns-bradys-refusal-to-provide-texts-and-email/

Regardless of whether the NFL presumed guilt or not, cooperation is mandatory. Failure to cooperate constitutes conduct detrimental to the league. And if Brady were indeed innocent (as Yee reiterated), why not do everything possible to prove it?

Also, it’s misleading for Yee to rely on the lack of subpoena power. The NFL has absolute employment power over all players. Whatever it requests as part of its investigation, the NFL gets. If the NFL doesn’t get it, a separate basis for discipline arises.

The “dangerous precedent” to which Yee refers already has been set on countless occasions, when players facing discipline traveled to Manhattan to meet with the Commissioner despite the fact that the Commissioner lacks the subpoena power to force them to show up.

 

[pat fan]

I get that people are homers, what is the point of defending a franchise that has repeatedly broken NFL rules?

People do know that just about every team has broken a rule and been fined, suspended or whatever, right? Not defending rule breaking, just finding it a little old that everyone talks like the Patriots are the black sheep of the league.

 

[Disney Ron]

Yet communications from the 2 Patriot locker room employees were text messages? If Brady is clean and the Patriot organization so transparent, why didn't Brady just comply and put an end to the added scrutiny? To anyone outside of Patriot Land, this sketchy action adds to what looks like another of the many Patriot rule abuses. I get that people are homers, what is the point of defending a franchise that has repeatedly broken NFL rules?

The 2 phones that the Pats turned over from their employees were team phones NOT their personal phones. Nobody in their right mind would ever voluntarily turn over their personal phones.

 

[Disney Ron]

People do know that just about every team has broken a rule and been fined, suspended or whatever, right? Not defending rule breaking, just finding it a little old that everyone talks like the Patriots are the black sheep of the league.

A reporter on Fox Sports 1 said today that if the Pats were caught turning up crowd noise on recordings at home like the Falcons or were caught texting coaches during games like the Browns then the entire country would be up in arms when hardly anything was heard when the Falcons and Browns were fined. He said the reason is because the Pats are successful while the Falcons and Browns are not. Just what I've been saying. But it's not jealousy or anything.