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Patriots under investigation

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http://www.indystar.com/story/sport...el-brady-patriots-got-away-cheating/27146629/

philly%20brady.jpg


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Playoffs said:
Paul Schwartz @NYPost_Schwartz
Since Deflategate, Eli Manning has experimented with a slightly deflated football. "There is a noticeable difference," he said.
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To be honest, with the info that you and Brisco posted about a deflated ball being better for ball handling, I'm wondering if Brady is falling on the sword here for his head coach.

Many QBs are saying the same as Eli that it does not make a lot of difference with throwing the ball. And let's face it, Brady obviously does not need it when you see his last six quarters of football, when we know the balls were confirmed to be inflated to the right psi.

There is no smoking gun in any of this, but when you start talking about ball handling, it goes well beyond QB preference. And I can see Brady's loyalty to Belichick and Kraft causing him to protect their interests and be the fall guy.

Just food for thought. We will never know the full story.
 
Double Barrel said:
To be honest, with the info that you and Brisco posted about a deflated ball being better for ball handling, I'm wondering if Brady is falling on the sword here for his head coach.

Many QBs are saying the same as Eli that it does not make a lot of difference with throwing the ball. And let's face it, Brady obviously does not need it when you see his last six quarters of football, when we know the balls were confirmed to be inflated to the right psi.

There is no smoking gun in any of this, but when you start talking about ball handling, it goes well beyond QB preference. And I can see Brady's loyalty to Belichick and Kraft causing him to protect their interests and be the fall guy.

Just food for thought. We will never know the full story.
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I was thinking the same thing. Isn't that fumbling stat worth more to Bill than Brady? I can see Brady taking the blame for his cheating coach. :kitten:
 
Double Barrel said:
To be honest, with the info that you and Brisco posted about a deflated ball being better for ball handling, I'm wondering if Brady is falling on the sword here for his head coach.

Many QBs are saying the same as Eli that it does not make a lot of difference with throwing the ball. And let's face it, Brady obviously does not need it when you see his last six quarters of football, when we know the balls were confirmed to be inflated to the right psi.

There is no smoking gun in any of this, but when you start talking about ball handling, it goes well beyond QB preference. And I can see Brady's loyalty to Belichick and Kraft causing him to protect their interests and be the fall guy.

Just food for thought. We will never know the full story.
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I agree that the fumbling issue is being overlooked, and it goes further than just the QB, but as far a Eli goes, what I've seen him say is it makes a "noticeable difference".
 
Adam Schefter @AdamSchefter
Not many guarantees in life but here's one: Patriots will not go quietly in night. League had its say; Patriots will have theirs.
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Will Kraft go outside of the league???

25p4chc.jpg
 
ChampionTexan said:
I agree that the fumbling issue is being overlooked, and it goes further than just the QB, but as far a Eli goes, what I've seen him say is it makes a "noticeable difference".
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Oh yeah, you're right about Eli. I read it wrong. d'oh!

But, regardless of what other QBs think, the fact is that Brady did not need it when you see his performance in the Super Bowl against the league's best defense. Dude is the first QB in NFL history to throw 50+ passes in a SB and win the game. Heck, it was the Patriot's strategy going into it to put the ball in Brady's hands. And we know those balls were properly inflated.

I'm not trying to diminish Brady's role in any of this, but it would not surprise me if the rabbit hole is deeper than we know.
 
Double Barrel said:
Oh yeah, you're right about Eli. I read it wrong. d'oh!

But, regardless of what other QBs think, the fact is that Brady did not need it when you see his performance in the Super Bowl against the league's best defense. Dude is the first QB in NFL history to throw 50+ passes in a SB and win the game. Heck, it was the Patriot's strategy going into it to put the ball in Brady's hands. And we know those balls were properly inflated.

I'm not trying to diminish Brady's role in any of this, but it would not surprise me if the rabbit hole is deeper than we know.
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Yeah, and Robert Kraft is already on record as it relates to his view on cheating when it's not necessary:
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft told Myers a story of confronting Bill Belichick about taping the New York Jets' signals when the controversy arose.

"How much did this help us on a scale of 1 to 100?" Kraft asked Belichick in an excerpt from the Boston Globe.

"One," Belichick responded.

"Then you're a real schmuck," Kraft said he told Belichick.
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Link
 
Double Barrel said:
Oh yeah, you're right about Eli. I read it wrong. d'oh!

But, regardless of what other QBs think, the fact is that Brady did not need it when you see his performance in the Super Bowl against the league's best defense. Dude is the first QB in NFL history to throw 50+ passes in a SB and win the game. Heck, it was the Patriot's strategy going into it to put the ball in Brady's hands. And we know those balls were properly inflated.

I'm not trying to diminish Brady's role in any of this, but it would not surprise me if the rabbit hole is deeper than we know.
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I posted it before, maybe in this thread, but the one aspect everyone seems to be ignoring is the psychological advantage. Defense these days is all about knocking the QB out of his comfort zone. Teams focus on pressure, disguising coverages, last second line shifts, etc. QBs are creatures of comfort. When they get everything going their way, they are unstoppable. The greatest are damn near unstoppable anyway, which includes Brady, of course. But if the ball did not give him any advantage, he wouldn't have the preference. I'm not saying his preference is the difference in a 30-point blowout, of course, but it's one less factor he has to deal with.

I do agree about the rabbit hole and the fumble stats, though. How much of it is one or the other, who knows? But I feel like Brady wanted the balls at a certain inflation level and it made a difference to him.
 
Double Barrel said:
...it would not surprise me if the rabbit hole is deeper than we know.
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Personal opinion, there's zero chance Belichick didn't know about this. Bill and Earnie Adams' attention to detail is second to none. No way Earnie hadn't noticed the fumbles difference, either. That is what he does.
 
"In my mind, the NFL, based on my view of the world, certainly wasn't hoping that I would come back with a report that would find that something had been wrong with the Patriots or Tom Brady. They wanted me to get to the bottom of the facts."

And all of this discussion that somewhere people at the league office wanted to put some kind of hit on the most iconic, popular player in the league, the real face of the league, it just doesn't really make any sense. It's really a ridiculous allegation."
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Ted Wells conference call notes...
  • Ted Wells mentioned during Tuesday’s conference call that no one from the Patriots, Robert Kraft, or Tom Brady’s camp raised any issue with his impartiality.
  • Wells responded to responding to Brady’s agent, Don Yee, about his report being impartial saying: “I think it’s wrong to question my independence because you don’t like my findings.”
  • Regarding the term “more probable than not” Wells said: “I believe the conclusions have been proven. I used the words “more probable than not” because that is what’s in the rules.”
  • According to Wells, “Patriots were all over me from Day 1 on why the NFL did not warn them of the complaint, and alleging it was a sting operation.”
  • In regards to the Patriots’ cooperation Wells mentioned: “The Patriots provided me in my opinion with substantial cooperation except in one critical and crucial area.”
  • The area that the Patriots weren’t will cooperate with was a second interview with the Jim McNally after the text conversations were discovered.
  • Wells said Brady was “totally cooperative” during their Q&A session, but he did not cooperate in regards to their request for electronic data.
  • Wells told Brady that he only wanted printouts from his phone and wouldn’t even hold the device, but Tom refused.
  • Regarding the importance of the communications between Brady and McNally, Wells said: “That is not circumstantial evidence. That is two participants in the scheme discussing what is taking place.“
  • Wells explained his disappointment with the Patriots not fully cooperating in regards to some of the most important information: “Disappointing on one hand to say they are cooperating and then on other (refuse to share) most fruitful area of evidence is inconsistent.“
  • Wells would welcome Brady’s agent Don Yee posting his “copious notes” regarding Brady’s interview.
  • On the belief that the NFL specifically targeted Brady: “That people at the league office wanted to put a hit on the most popular player, the face of the league, doesn’t make sense.”

NFL Investigator Says He Found Direct Evidence Against Brady
The lawyer who investigated the New England Patriots insisted Tuesday that he found direct, not just circumstantial, evidence to show quarterback Tom Brady knew team employees were deflating footballs.

Miffed by criticism from Brady's agent, Ted Wells decided to take the unusual step of holding a conference call with reporters, a day after the NFL suspended the Super Bowl MVP for the season's first four games based on the report.

Wells said his findings would have been strong enough to convince a jury under the "preponderance of evidence" standard, which is used in many civil cases.
...

His voice frequently rising Tuesday, Wells testily rebutted assertions from Don Yee, Brady's agent, questioning Wells' independence because his firm does other business with the NFL.

"What drove the decision in this report is one thing: It was the evidence," Wells said. "I could not ethically ignore the import and relevancy of those text messages and the other evidence."

Wells specifically mentioned two series of text exchanges between officials' locker room attendant Jim McNally and equipment assistant John Jastremski. In one, McNally referred to himself as "the Deflator" and joked about going to ESPN. In another, Jastremski mentioned speaking to Brady the previous night, saying the quarterback knew McNally was stressed out by needing to deflate the balls.

"That is not circumstantial evidence," Wells said. "That is two of the participants in a scheme discussing what has taken place."

On Thursday, Yee had called Wells' report "a significant and terrible disappointment," suggesting that it "reached a conclusion first, and then determined so-called facts later."

Along with denying any bias, Wells derided the idea that the NFL wanted the investigation to implicate a quarterback he described as "one of the most popular, iconic players in the league."

"That does not make sense," Wells said. "It's a ridiculous allegation."

...To Yee's assertion that he omitted key statements from Brady, Wells challenged the agent to release his full transcript of the interview.

"Nothing, I guarantee you, in his notes would make any difference in my decision," he said.

He also disputed Yee's characterization of the investigation as a "sting," noting that NFL officials initially didn't take the Colts' complaints seriously during January's AFC Championship game.
...

Wells said the Patriots were cooperative, with two major exceptions: declining a request for a second interview with McNally, and Brady's refusal to turn over phone records. Wells said he had told Brady and Yee he did not need to see his phone and would have accepted a list of communications.

Wells, who said he bills by the hour, wouldn't estimate how much his investigation cost the NFL but said "no question it's in the millions of dollars."
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Lisa Kraus Edwards ‏@LAKEdwards
Patriots protesters have handcuffed themselves together in lobby of @NFL offices. Expecting police arrival.

Tom-Brady-Barstool-NFL-protest.jpg
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Chanting "Tawm, Tawm, Tawm... free Tawm!"


Annnnddd, arrested...

pats-protest2.jpg
 
Pressure gauge discrepancies undermine Wells report

When the NFL dusted off the Ted Wells bat signal in January for an investigation regarding the question of whether the Patriots tampered with footballs used in the AFC championship game, it was believed that the raw measurements of air pressure inside the footballs taken at halftime would point clearly to tampering. Lost in the text messages between Larry and Curly and the question of whether Tom Brady was the Moe Howard periodically clunking their heads together to ensure that the footballs were suited to his preferences is the possibility that the raw measurements don’t point to tampering.

Full article
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I have not followed this story that closely and did not realize that two gauges were used during that game.

But, it is interesting that the NFL is not sure which gauge was used before the game, and both gave different psi measurements because one of them was basically broken.

You'd think a multi-billion dollar league would use better equipment for such a hugely crucial and unbelievably important aspect of the fundamental integrity of the game itself.

Wells Report: More Probable Than Not Colts Played With Under-Inflated Footballs

Regardless, here's the story you don't hear: officials found both at halftime and after the AFC title clash that, to steal a weak phrase, "it's more more probable than not" that the Colts played the entire game with under-inflated footballs.

That's not OUR interpretation. Those findings of likely under-inflation are straight from the report.

Full article
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*GASP!!* Do wha....? :shocked
 
:thinking:

So, if playing football with a slightly under inflated ball makes for better football, why they hell aren't they changing the rules?
 
I find it odd that nobody is outraged that the Colts broke the rules too. Nope just the Pats. It was in the Wells report that the Colts footballs were also under-inflated yet nobody in the media is talking about it. Aaron Rodgers admitted that he tampers with his footballs every game, but nobody cares.

I'm not going to defend the Patriots here, but there was a clear bias against them from the start.
 
The culture of pushing the envelope / cheating pervades that whole organization from Robert Kraft to the water boy. So while i don't think Brady explicitly told anyone to go deflate balls, i do think that he was aware that those guys were routinely messing with the pressure on the balls to get them to his liking before games. In their minds those guys were just doing their part to make sure their guy was comfortable & Brady nor Belichick was gonna say anything about it.

What's really irritating though is the self righteous indignation of Kraft and Brady/Patriots fans and just boston in general. Yeah sure, on the surface it looks a little heavy handed, especially for something that i'm sure at least a few other qbs do all over the league. But with their prior history of cheating, Brady not really cooperating...you can see why the punishment is what it is.

However Kraft and Brady/Patriots fans are acting all outraged.....like this is on par with what happened to the saints during Bountygate which by the way I don't recall Kraft saying 1 word about that when that travesty happened..

Bottom line is you cheated, you got caught, go home, and deal with it..Hell, you ultimately got out of it what you wanted anyway, another Lombardi trophy.
 
WolverineFan said:
I find it odd that nobody is outraged that the Colts broke the rules too. Nope just the Pats. It was in the Wells report that the Colts footballs were also under-inflated yet nobody in the media is talking about it. Aaron Rodgers admitted that he tampers with his footballs every game, but nobody cares.

I'm not going to defend the Patriots here, but there was a clear bias against them from the start.
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Some (less than half iirc), of the Colts balls were under but there was no indication it was intentional.

I thought Rodgers only said he likes them hard (unusual among QBs):

"I have a major problem with the way it goes down, to be honest with you," Rodgers said Tuesday on his ESPN Milwaukee radio show. "The majority of the time, they take air out of the football. I think that, for me, is a disadvantage."

Rodgers said he likes the ball to be inflated because of his strong grip pressure and large hand size but doesn't believe that's the norm.

"The majority of quarterbacks, I would say more than half, are maybe on the other end of the spectrum and like it on the flatter side," he said on his show. "My belief is that there should be a minimum air-pressure requirement but not a maximum. There's no advantage, in my opinion -- we're not kicking the football -- there's no advantage in having a pumped-up football.

"There is, if you don't have strong grip pressure or smaller hands, an advantage to having a flat football, though, because that is easier to throw. So I think that is something they need to look at. There should be a minimum on the air pressure but not a maximum. Every game they're taking air out of the footballs I'm throwing, and I think that's a disadvantage for the way that I like them prepped."
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Link

Nothing about him having in game balls out of spec.
 
Double Barrel said:
I have not followed this story that closely and did not realize that two gauges were used during that game.

But, it is interesting that the NFL is not sure which gauge was used before the game, and both gave different psi measurements because one of them was basically broken.

You'd think a multi-billion dollar league would use better equipment for such a hugely crucial and unbelievably important aspect of the fundamental integrity of the game itself.



*GASP!!* Do wha....? :shocked
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That article is sensational hot garbage. Written by an idiot based on his tweets alone - Link

HIGHEST pressure of any Patriots ball = 12.30. Lowest Colts ball is 12.15, with one more at 12.30 Pretty easy to see that the Pats balls are a full pound under the Colts ones. Link

Farley recorded the halftime pressure measurements taken by the game officials as follows:

Patriots Ball
Blakeman
Prioleau
1
11.50
11.80
2
10.85
11.20
3
11.15
11.50
4
10.70
11.00
5
11.10
11.45
6
11.60
11.95
7
11.85
12.30
8
11.10
11.55
9
10.95
11.35
10
10.50
10.90
11
10.90
11.35

Colts Ball
Blakeman
Prioleau
1
12.70
12.35
2
12.75
12.30
3
12.50
12.95
4
12.55
12.15

The four Colts balls tested were not inflated because they measured within the permissible range on at least one of the gauges used at halftime.
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This guy has a hard-on for the Colts ball testing, but evidently lacks my 6-yr old's reading comprehension.
 
WolverineFan said:
I find it odd that nobody is outraged that the Colts broke the rules too. Nope just the Pats. It was in the Wells report that the Colts footballs were also under-inflated yet nobody in the media is talking about it. Aaron Rodgers admitted that he tampers with his footballs every game, but nobody cares.

I'm not going to defend the Patriots here, but there was a clear bias against them from the start.
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Not remotely the same:

1. Colt balls may have been underinflated due to a bad guage and/or weather.

2. Aaron Rodgers overinflates the ball BEFORE handing them to the officials for certification and is pissed they usually let air out of them.

3. There was clear, deliberate manipulation by the Patriots AFTER the balls had been certified.
 
WolverineFan said:
I find it odd that nobody is outraged that the Colts broke the rules too. Nope just the Pats. It was in the Wells report that the Colts footballs were also under-inflated yet nobody in the media is talking about it. Aaron Rodgers admitted that he tampers with his footballs every game, but nobody cares.

I'm not going to defend the Patriots here, but there was a clear bias against them from the start.
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Surely you can't be talking about the whiter than white Indianapolis Colts?

yourteamcheats.com/IND

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Thorn said:
:thinking:

So, if playing football with a slightly under inflated ball makes for better football, why they hell aren't they changing the rules?
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I've wondered the same thing since the beginning of this story.

What I do not understand about this particular rule is the NFL already allows variances in ball pressure. The ball must be inflated to an air pressure between 12.5 and 13.5 psi. Why these specific numbers and why 1 psi difference between high and low? It seems very arbitrary to me.

I have never watched a game and thought about the ball pressure. I could not care any less what the psi is in any given ball and would never care if they eliminated the rule completely. Honestly I think it's moronic. Let the guys play with whatever is more comfortable to them. Quit regulating the crap out of every minute detail. What next, each blade of grass must be between 1" and 1.5" in length?

On an unrelated note; Anyone wonder if Tom did not fully cooperate because maybe him and Giselle like to send dirty pics to each other? Even if under the "protection" of his lawyer, maybe Brady doesn't want anyone seeing whatever is on his phone. I know I'd feel that way if married to a hot supermodel that sends me nude shots.
 
Thorn said:
...why they hell aren't they changing the rules?
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Not every QB wants a smaller ball. Aaron Rodgers prefers a fatter ball. They have a range/middle-ground to stay within.

JB said:
Do under inflated footballs make the laces stand out more?
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Makes ball smaller, easier to grasp/hold.

How sensitive are NFL QBs to the balls? In 2012 preseason, Wilson experimented with synthetic laces...
A number of active, Pro Bowl-caliber quarterbacks...lodged complaints about the newer balls, claiming they cause micro-cuts and alter a passer's throwing motion.
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Seriously?
laugh-1.gif
So the "any ol' football is okay" argument falls flat.

TD said:
There was clear, deliberate manipulation by the Patriots AFTER the balls had been certified.
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Bingo.


Most interesting thing to me in all of this is how the vast majority of Patriots media are very publicly and openly falling all over themselves to decry/distract/deny the Wells outcome. I'm told if you don't fall in line, you're locked out of access to covering the team... and they are watching, taking note.
jaunevif29.gif
 
Double Barrel said:
What I do not understand about this particular rule is the NFL already allows variances in ball pressure. The ball must be inflated to an air pressure between 12.5 and 13.5 psi. Why these specific numbers and why 1 psi difference between high and low? It seems very arbitrary to me.
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Every sport around has uniformity rules. Not sure why football would be any different.

Plus I bet the teams would hate it - who gets to decide? - the QB, the RB, the WR, a dick measuring contest?
 
"More probable than not" is an indication of the standard of proof required for a finding in a civil matter and in this case, a finding by the NFL.

Comparisons to a criminal procedure and a different standard of proof are not valid.
 
infantrycak said:
Every sport around has uniformity rules. Not sure why football would be any different.

Plus I bet the teams would hate it - who gets to decide? - the QB, the RB, the WR, a dick measuring contest?
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All standards have tolerances. Some are narrow and others are not. This is probably a standard set up with consideration for the various inflation devices, gauges and conditions anticipated at the time it was incorporated into the rules.
 
Double Barrel said:
I have not followed this story that closely and did not realize that two gauges were used during that game.

But, it is interesting that the NFL is not sure which gauge was used before the game, and both gave different psi measurements because one of them was basically broken.

You'd think a multi-billion dollar league would use better equipment for such a hugely crucial and unbelievably important aspect of the fundamental integrity of the game itself.



*GASP!!* Do wha....? :shocked
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This would be an interesting subject if you didn't have the texts by deflator and a side trip into a restroom by the Patriot AGENT after the measurement by the officials. As it is, it just looks like an imaginative narrative by those who prefer to believe the lie that the Patriots are innocent or worse, trying to double down on what they know is a lie.
 
Andrew Brandt @adbrandt
The NFL's legal nemesis is on the case. Jeffrey Kessler added to Tom Brady legal team, would expect he will handle appeal.

Kessler recently won Adrian Peterson appeal in federal court, suggesting Brady v. NFL may end up there if appeal goes for the NFL.
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Playoffs said:
Andrew Brandt @adbrandt
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I doubt this will end up in Federal Court, though I do expect the Brady team to try to get it there. Primarily because Brady could end his career before the Federal Courts get around to ruling that they do not have jurisdiction in this matter.
 
infantrycak said:
Every sport around has uniformity rules. Not sure why football would be any different.

Plus I bet the teams would hate it - who gets to decide? - the QB, the RB, the WR, a dick measuring contest?
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I get uniformity rules, but I also understand governing bodies often go overboard with it, as well.

As far as who decides, each team brings its own balls for offense like they do in little league and high school. Internally, that can be something the teams figure out. As a football fan, I do not care. They already swap out different balls for kickers, so it's not like they use the same ball for the entire game.

Where is the clamoring about "even playing field" when each team can prepare its home turf? Some let the grass grow longer as an impediment to visiting teams that have fast receivers. Others let the field get soggy to slow the running game. There is nothing uniform other than the dimensions.

"Integrity" is one of those buzz words with the league that is solely about perception as it pertains to image. This league of denial has revealed this much to us over the years.

Marshall said:
This would be an interesting subject if you didn't have the texts by deflator and a side trip into a restroom by the Patriot AGENT after the measurement by the officials. As it is, it just looks like an imaginative narrative by those who prefer to believe the lie that the Patriots are innocent or worse, trying to double down on what they know is a lie.
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I'm not defending the Pats. They got caught and have to deal with the consequences. I'm just reading the "integrity" BS from the league, though, as nothing but lip service and hot air. It's only a big deal because the media and the Patriots. This would barely be a blip on the scroller at the bottom of the screen if it was someone like the Bengals. Makes me start to lose interest in all of it over time.
 
Marshall said:
I doubt this will end up in Federal Court, though I do expect the Brady team to try to get it there. Primarily because Brady could end his career before the Federal Courts get around to ruling that they do not have jurisdiction in this matter.
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Except they do as demonstrated by the Peterson and Williams cases. In the Williams' case the court enjoined the NFL from enforcing their 4 game suspensions for 2.5 years.
 
Double Barrel said:
I get uniformity rules, but I also understand governing bodies often go overboard with it, as well.

As far as who decides, each team brings its own balls for offense like they do in little league and high school. Internally, that can be something the teams figure out. As a football fan, I do not care. They already swap out different balls for kickers, so it's not like they use the same ball for the entire game.

Where is the clamoring about "even playing field" when each team can prepare its home turf? Some let the grass grow longer as an impediment to visiting teams that have fast receivers. Others let the field get soggy to slow the running game. There is nothing uniform other than the dimensions.

"Integrity" is one of those buzz words with the league that is solely about perception as it pertains to image. This league of denial has revealed this much to us over the years.



I'm not defending the Pats. They got caught and have to deal with the consequences. I'm just reading the "integrity" BS from the league, though, as nothing but lip service and hot air. It's only a big deal because the media and the Patriots. This would barely be a blip on the scroller at the bottom of the screen if it was someone like the Bengals. Makes me start to lose interest in all of it over time.
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Interesting that you mentioned field preparation advantages. I believe there was a Patriot home game in the snow where a snow plow just happened to sweep the location of a kick. That wouldn't be just another example of an illegal advantage, would it?

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-netwo...8bba/Top-Ten-Weather-Games-The-Snow-Plow-Game
 
Marshall said:
Interesting that you mentioned field preparation advantages. I believe there was a Patriot home game in the snow where a snow plow just happened to sweep the location of a kick. That wouldn't be just another example of an illegal advantage, would it?

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-netwo...8bba/Top-Ten-Weather-Games-The-Snow-Plow-Game
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Was it flagged? Was there a pre-existing rule that prevented such action?

The answer is no. They implemented a rule against it the next year.

Interesting trivia: On the following drive by the Dolphins, the use of a snowplow to clear a spot for the Dolphins to kick was offered, but Don Shula refused because he was certain his protest of the game would be upheld. Source
 
WolverineFan said:
I find it odd that nobody is outraged that the Colts broke the rules too. Nope just the Pats. It was in the Wells report that the Colts footballs were also under-inflated yet nobody in the media is talking about it. Aaron Rodgers admitted that he tampers with his footballs every game, but nobody cares.

I'm not going to defend the Patriots here, but there was a clear bias against them from the start.
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No the Colts are so clean. Just ask their owner. Oh wait...

http://inkonindy.com/2014/03/27/colts-owner-jim-irsays-arrest-record-released/

The irony of this league's decisions and its owners/commissioner are simply hilarious.
 
Pats fans have started a gofundme page to raise the $1 mil to pay the fine....



Patriots fans trying to raise $1M to support rich, cheating NFL team


The Patriots were fined $1 million for their role in DeflateGate and lying to the NFL in its ensuing investigation. Fans are now trying to raise that money on their own to help the team pay the fine.

It's at this point you either think this is awesome or the dumbest thing ever. Your reaction is entirely based on whether you're a Patriots fan or not. GoFundMe is a service designed to crowd-fund civic works, help pay people's medical bills or get families back on their feet after a tragedy. Instead of helping one of those needy causes, 63 people have donated a total of $1,542 to give a billionaire one of his millions back.

Here's the mission statement from the page:

We obviously know we won't reach One Million Dollars, however we do believe the fine is bulls**t and want to help anyway we can. So whatever is donated will be donated to the New England Patriots in help with the fine!
As we venture with this, we will do frequent updates to show progression of this! If enough is made to make the travel, we will fly down there (on our own expenses) and deliver a check in person!



http://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2015...llion-dollars-go-fund-me-nfl-fine-deflategate
 
toronto said:
No the Colts are so clean. Just ask their owner. Oh wait...

http://inkonindy.com/2014/03/27/colts-owner-jim-irsays-arrest-record-released/

The irony of this league's decisions and its owners/commissioner are simply hilarious.
Click to expand...

The Panthers and Vikings were both caught on camera tampering with game balls during games this season....neither team was punished.

The Wells Report cleared the Pats organization of any wrongdoing and placed the blame at "probably" the feet of Tom Brady and the two equipment guys. The NFL then gave out the harshest team punishment in recent memory to an organization its investigation team had just cleared.

The NFL also stated that the Pats impeded the investigation and did not fully cooperate...which is completely false as stated by the Wells Report. They fully complied with the investigation and the only thing they refused was a fifth follow-up interview for one of the equipment guys.

The NFL also suspended Brady despite zero evidence that he took part in the acts. In all probability is not evidence of guilt. Brady got a bigger suspension for being linked to this controversy than Ray Rice got for KO'ing his wife on camera.

There was a clear agenda in this case against the Patriots and the league is punishing the Pats organization for not bending over and taking one for the team.
 
maybe they use auto industry tire pressure technology to automatically let one of the refs know when the pressure is out of limits. The ref handles the ball every play - he has to spot it, right? So he wears a little watch thingie that reads the pressure indicator inside the ball. Then the signal is transmitted to the replay official up in the booth. A little indicator light could appear on the screen of the replay official's monitor when football pressure was wrong. He could then radio down to the umpire and let him know the ball was not within regulations and needed to be swapped out.

See, we can make any simple little thing entirely too complicated. We have the technology.
You're welcome.
:fostering:
 
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