Deflategate: Brady suspended, Pats lose draft picks & fined

[Jordysghost]

Intent is the difference for me. On one hand, you have a team that planned to cheat beforehand, and lied and withheld evidence after the fact. On the other, you have ball boys from both teams heating balls on the sideline during a game due to extremely cold weather. One intended to gain an unfair advantage while the other was just reacting to inclement weather. Black and white

And also, one team has been caught and known as cheaters for the past 8 years anyways.

[VikingLord]

It's kind of the deception tactic thrown right back at the Pats too, which is poetic in a sense....

EXACTLY what went through my mind when I read about the Wells report... If the Pats can find ways to skirt the rules to gain advantage, why can't the league do the same to catch them?

And for those who take the position of Brady's agent, how exactly is the NFL supposed to catch Brady cheating if they tell him they're going to try to catch him cheating? That's like the cops announcing they're going to be trying to catch speeders on such-and-such street at such-and-such time. The NFL is completely within its purview to proceed as it wishes when it comes to rule enforcement I would guess. While I'm sure the Patriots would want to characterize it as unfair, that claim coming from them is laughable. They have proven themselves to be one of the main reminders of why rule enforcement is necessary.

[Pseudo Everything]

If it wasn't for their previous cheating scandal, people wouldn't be so hard on their second cheating scandal? Well, duh.

If this were in a court of law any references to Spygate would be disallowed. The reason: the effect would be more prejudicial than probative. In other words it would have the potential to cloud the judgement of jury. You look like Exhibit A as to why this legal principle is in place.

[Pseudo Everything]

And for those who take the position of Brady's agent, how exactly is the NFL supposed to catch Brady cheating if they tell him they're going to try to catch him cheating? That's like the cops announcing they're going to be trying to catch speeders on such-and-such street at such-and-such time. The NFL is completely within its purview to proceed as it wishes when it comes to rule enforcement I would guess. While I'm sure the Patriots would want to characterize it as unfair, that claim coming from them is laughable. They have proven themselves to be one of the main reminders of why rule enforcement is necessary.

Maintaining the integrity of the game should be more important than catching someone cheating. The league had plenty of time to take steps to make sure all the game balls were at the correct PSI before the AFC Championship game yet they made no changes at all to their protocol. If 1 PSI is enough to give the Pats and Brady an unfair advantage (debatable), then you can make the argument that the league knowingly put the integrity of the AFCCG at risk.

[Jordysghost]

If this were in a court of law any references to Spygate would be disallowed. The reason: the effect would be more prejudicial than probative. In other words it would have the potential to cloud the judgement of jury. You look like Exhibit A as to why this legal principle is in place.

And you look like exhibit A as to why that rule is complete nonsense in this situation. Ok, maybe not nonsense, but I think your taking what I said out of context.

They have been caught and accused of cheating several times, this in no way invalidates the claims against them. I never said they were guilty simply because of their previous cheating scandal, I wish everybody and everything a fair and unbiased trial, but being constantly caught and accused of cheating on a regular basis raises some questions.

I also dont get the whole "bias against the Patriots" thing, seriously? In history, has anyone in professional American sports been completely caught red handed cheating, simply for the league and media to try there hardest to sweep it under the rug?

People are realizing what the Patriots are, a good consistent team, but one that is absolutely incapable of winning the big one without some sort of cheating scandal. They have never done it, that is a fact.

[Jordysghost]

I wish the Colts, Ravens, Steelers, you know, REAL contenders who are in the thick of it most years, and actually WON SBs without cheating scandals, got to tape other teams hand signals and deflate footballs, id be really interested to see how many more runs they would have been able to make.

[Mothman]

Maintaining the integrity of the game should be more important than catching someone cheating. The league had plenty of time to take steps to make sure all the game balls were at the correct PSI before the AFC Championship game yet they made no changes at all to their protocol. If 1 PSI is enough to give the Pats and Brady an unfair advantage (debatable), then you can make the argument that the league knowingly put the integrity of the AFCCG at risk.

Exactly. They undermined the very significance of the integrity they were supposedly out to preserve.

I think this whole thing is an absurd dog and pony show.

[Pseudo Everything]

And you look like exhibit A as to why that rule is complete nonsense in this situation. Ok, maybe not nonsense, but I think your taking what I said out of context.

They have been caught and accused of cheating several times, this in no way invalidates the claims against them. I never said they were guilty simply because of their previous cheating scandal, I wish everybody and everything a fair and unbiased trial, but being constantly caught and accused of cheating on a regular basis raises some questions.

I also dont get the whole "bias against the Patriots" thing, seriously? In history, has anyone in professional American sports been completely caught red handed cheating, simply for the league and media to try there hardest to sweep it under the rug?

People are realizing what the Patriots are, a good consistent team, but one that is absolutely incapable of winning the big one without some sort of cheating scandal. They have never done it, that is a fact.

"constantly caught and accused of cheating on a regular basis"

Setting aside the redundancy (and hyperbole) in that statement ... aside from Spygate when have the Patriots been caught cheating? I can only remember the snowplow incident from eons ago and that is so trivial that it can't possibly be what you're alluding to.

No offense but your comments read like you have a pretty significant bias against the Patriots and yet you say you don't get the whole bias against the Patriots thing. I can see why.

[Jordysghost]

"constantly caught and accused of cheating on a regular basis"

Setting aside the redundancy (and hyperbole) in that statement ... aside from Spygate when have the Patriots been caught cheating? I can only remember the snowplow incident from eons ago and that is so trivial that it can't possibly be what you're alluding to.

No offense but your comments read like you have a pretty significant bias against the Patriots and yet you say you don't get the whole bias against the Patriots thing. I can see why.

Did you seriously just ask me when the Patriots have been caught cheating outside of spygate?? Really? I'll give you a hint, it is in the title of the thread.

Snow plow, tuck rule, spygate, deflategate, they were also suspicions that they were spying on teams sideline communications.

That is a staggering amount of sketchy crap, dont you think? How many times do they need to be caught?

I have nothing against the Patriots save for the cold, hard fact that they have never captured a championship without a cheating scandal. Just, hasn't happened. Lets not act like they are a real dynasty, you know, one that can win championships without unprecedented cheating scandals.

[Mothman]

This is an excellent read:

Hurley: Wells Report Doesn’t Have Enough Information To Condemn Tom Brady

At some point, I'll have to find the time to actually read the report.

[dead_poet]

Report: Tom Brady could be suspended for up to one year

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/25177527

[dead_poet]

This is an excellent read:

Hurley: Wells Report Doesn’t Have Enough Information To Condemn Tom Brady

At some point, I'll have to find the time to actually read the report.

Great read. Thanks for posting. Very reasonable synopsis.

[The Breeze]

Obviously there are all kinds of ways to slice and dice this issue.

It comes back to integrity, which is what Belichek made his topic during his presser about all of this.

The NFL has a giant integrity problem both in it's inner sanctum and with the players conduct.

Considering how they handled AD and made an example out of him, which he earned to the larger degree, I would be fine with them snow plowing Brady over this, just to send a message to the rest of the league that it's way past time to clean up the crap in the NFL.

I don't agree much at all with how the league has dealt with most things in the past....but I'm all in favor of treating the superstars just like everyone else when it comes to transgressions and even holding them to a higher standard when it comes to issues of integrity.

Sorry it didn't happen with a guy like Ray Lewis and others who may have received preferential treatment.

Can they nail Brady for this? I don't know....and I'm not going to read that report....but if they do, I sure hope they make an effort to point that crooked critical finger into the mirror a little more often going forward, just as a basic practice what you preach example.

color me dubious


edit to add:

after reading that article Jim just posted, I'm pretty sure I'm sick of the NFL commissioner's office. Dog and pony show is far too kind.

[Pseudo Everything]

Did you seriously just ask me when the Patriots have been caught cheating outside of spygate?? Really? I'll give you a hint, it is in the title of the thread.

The title of this thread is: "Deflategate report is in: Brady "generally aware"

Snow plow, tuck rule, spygate, deflategate, they were also suspicions that they were spying on teams sideline communications.

I already brought up the snow plow game in a my prior post. It was 33 years ago. So what else have you got? The truck rule and suspicions. How can the Patriots be blamed for cheating because an official called the Tuck Rule? Please explain that and when you do be sure to include that the Patriots were on the wrong side of that call in a prior game. So what's left. Suspicions about spying on sideline communications. Before editing your post you said something about radio wave frequencies. Suspicions? Radio waves? Really? Suspicions. Suspicions. Suspicions.

is a staggering amount of sketchy crap, dont you think? How many times do they need to be caught?

I asked when they were caught cheating aside from Spygate. I guess you don't have anything.

I have nothing against the Patriots save for the cold, hard fact that they have never captured a championship without a cheating scandal. Just, hasn't happened. Lets not act like they are a real dynasty, you know, one that can win championships without unprecedented cheating scandals.

So the Pats four Super Bowl championships were all the result of unprecedented cheating scandals. Got it. I see you're going to stick to that line no matter what. Obviously the Pats would have never beat the Colts 45-7 had it not been for that 1 PSI difference in the footballs.

[DK Sweets]

You'll like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vB9JgxhXW5w

Haha, thank you! My feelings exactly.