Deflategate is Back!

[Coachmarkos]

Can't wait for Goodell's ruling on this.

"The offending footballs, and pumps will be destroyed, so we can move on from this matter."

[Highboltage]

Besides the fumbling aspect, I'd think they might get an extra completion or two. Better grip would improve accuracy and a softer ball has to be a little easier to catch.

[Stinky Wizzleteats+]

For me, it is not relevant weather the tampering provided any advantage or not. It only matters that rules were broken intentionally in order to provide an advantage or higher comfort level with the balls. It is breaking the rules that matter the attempt to cheat not weather the cheating was successful. If a baseball player corked his bat but struck out still would it be OK because he struck out with the corked bat before it was discovered? I think not.

[richpjr]

In the grand scheme of things its a huge deal in that a minimum of 3 people (allegedly) conspired to make this happen over some period of time. If deflating the balls wasn't a big deal, then there would have been no conspiracy to do just that. I concur that the lies make this even bigger, which adds credence to my first point. It obviously made a difference to Brady or the events wouldn't have taken place and he wouldn't have lied about it.

The stupid thing about this entire scandal is that tampering with a football before a game is a $25k fine. That's it. So like I said, if Brady had fessed up, he'd have gotten his wrist slapped and this entire thing would be long over by now. But the lies and covering up and all the other junk have landed him in this situation.

[Stinky Wizzleteats+]

Why no further investigation into how far back the text messages go back, for all I can see this was going for a long time before the scope of the texts uncovered.

I would like a further investigation into how long this was going on.

[sandiego17]

The stupid thing about this entire scandal is that tampering with a football before a game is a $25k fine. That's it. So like I said, if Brady had fessed up, he'd have gotten his wrist slapped and this entire thing would be long over by now. But the lies and covering up and all the other junk have landed him in this situation.

Brady felt he could get away with it. Why shouldn't he? Belicheat got away with spygate and the commissioner simply destroyed the evidence before not suspending him.

[Panamamike]

I think the impact on the fumbling aspect of this is overlooked.....from what I've seen as soon as teams were able control the balls ( 2007 ) the Patriots fumble rate tumbled.


http://www.sharpfootballanalysis.com...-proof-in-2007

Exactly. That is by far the biggest benefit, and often overlooked. They have been doing that for years. When backs leave, their fumble rate goes back to norms.

[captaind]

Why no further investigation into how far back the text messages go back, for all I can see this was going for a long time before the scope of the texts uncovered.

I would like a further investigation into how long this was going on.

Roger Goodell says those texts were set on fire & burned.

[bonehead]

Roger Goodell says those texts were set on fire & burned.

No he said the dog ate them

[KNSD]

Didn't the commish ban Sean Payton a year, not for the crime but for trying to cover it up.

BE CONSISTENT NFL!

[vinabolt]

As a Jimmy Garoppolo fan and one that turn off by some of Brady attitude in recent years I want to see him suspense for some games, so Garoppolo can show his skills. I think he'll be a stud in NE after TB retire. I just want to see Garo on the field to see what he can do.

Goodell will be intimidate by the pressure of the fans and media and will cave in. But, Brady will appeal and I think he'll win easily. In other cases, there are direct evidences of the wrongdoing, like video footages, direct witnesses etc. In this case, there is no prove, no witness. I look at the the reports but it's hard to find any evidence that have enough weight to lay down a disciplinary action or legal action. How can you discipline someone based on "more probable than not"?

All they really have is the text between the 2 guys who doesn't said clearly that Brady told them to deflate the ball below the league rule. Everyone has the right to deflate the ball, as long as it's within the limit. So, 1 of the guy call himself the "Deflator" doesn't hold much weight. Many QBs want the ball to be deflated so he can have a better grip on the ball.

This could get ugly. Let see if Brady family cave in for the sake of the team and Brady career (if he want to keep playing), or sue Goodell just to "sent a message". NE played well in the SB last year out of "us agaisnt the world" mindset. This, if anything, probably will help BB to "brainwash" his players with the same mantra again.

[Stinky Wizzleteats+]

Yee continues to spread misinformation about #DeflateGate

Posted by Mike Florio on May 8, 2015, 10:53 AM EDT

AP
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady hasn’t said anything substantial about the Ted Wells report. The man who represents him has said plenty. And plenty of it is misleading and incorrect.

On Thursday night, Yee offered up a flimsy explanation for Brady’s refusal to surrender his cell phone during an appearance on CNN. On Friday, Yee provided an inaccurate interpretation of the potential penalties for tampering with a football during an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show.

At one point, in an obvious effort to downplay the violation, Yee said that the penalty for tampering with footballs is only a fine of $25,000. And that’s just false.

“I believe that the rule book has a fine for tampering with footballs, and the fine amount is $25,000,” Yee told Dan Patrick. “Which in today’s NFL is fairly small, relative to some of the other fines that have been given out.”

Here’s the exact language of the rule, as quoted at page 35 of the Wells report: “Once the balls have left the locker room, no one, including players, equipment managers and coaches are allowed to alter the footballs in any way. If any individual alters the footballs, or if a non-approved ball is used in the game, the person responsible and, if appropriate, the head coach or other club personnel will be subject to discipline, including but not limited to, a fine of $25,000.”

The key words are “including but not limited to.” That’s a very common phrase that appears in thousands of statutes and rules and regulations. It means that the punishment can be greater than a $25,000 fine. And Yee, a graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law, surely knows that.

Yee also tried to downplay the findings by focusing on the “more probable than not” language contained in the report, calling the findings of the report “essentially a coin flip.” But those words — “more probable than not” — represent the NFL’s legal standard for finding a violation of the rules regarding the integrity of the game. It doesn’t mean that Wells flipped a coin or threw a dart. It means that the evidence satisfied the legal standard that the NFL has put in place to determine whether a violation happened.

That’s the same legal standard that applies in most civil lawsuits: Preponderance of the evidence, which means more probable than not. Over the years, billions of dollars have changed hands via the court system based on that standard.

The good news for Yee is that he chose to steer clear of the basis for Brady’s decision to not surrender his cell phone. While that continues to be the most important question for Brady, it’s better not to explain it at all than to explain it poorly.