Belicheat, Brady claim ignorance; NFL Statement Post #434

[DWhite Fan]

 

[links18]

There are a few unanswered questions here. Just how underinflated were the balls? A half a pound? Two pounds? A fraction of a pound? Also, were all 11 balls under inflated to the same psi? If so that would go a long way to establishing that it was intentional.

 

[tyke1doe]

And yet it is black and white when it comes to the rules. The rules pertaining to the ball is very detailed yet simple to follow. So a team is willing to violate a rule to gain a minimal advantage? That is still called cheating.
We can go to the dictionary and get what the definition of cheating is “Cheating" act dishonestly or unfairly in order to gain an advantage, especially in a game or examination.

There are two parallel arguments being conducted:

1. Was it against the rules?
2. Did the Patriots get a huge or minimal advantage by deflating the balls?

Those two questions aren't mutually inclusive. Be that as it may, I've already said if they violated the rules, then the Pats should be punished. But that doesn't mean Belichick knew what was going on. Nor does it mean that the Patriots gained a major advantage by deflating the ball. As has been already reported, the balls had been reinflated after halftime, and the Pats scored more points with a properly inflated ball than they did with a deflated ball.

 

[Phoenix]

Turns out Brady was telling the truth. He didn't feel anything different in the footballs last week. Of course not.

BECAUSE HE'S BEEN THROWING ILLEGAL BALLS FOR YEARS.

 

[tyke1doe]

Well actually:

http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/deflat...d-november-inflated-england/story?id=28365105

Spin it anyway you want it. They cheated and they had their reasons. Among them, they probably didn't want to risk fumbling the ball in rainy weather, unless you think the two situations have to be mutually exclusive.

Fair enough.

However, I found this sentence interesting in light of the reaction.

The minimum disciplinary action for tampering of a football is a fine of $25,000, according to the NFL’s game operations manual.

So with all this talk about punishment, the league manual spells out the fine. And the manual says $25,000. Seems like a small price to pay.
Those getting up in arms about this may be disappointed when the punishment is handed out, assuming the league gets to the bottom of this.

 

[WPBCowboysFan]

Belicheat & Brady been watching some Hogans Heroes it seems

 

[LandryFan]

Fair enough.

However, I found this sentence interesting in light of the reaction.



So with all this talk about punishment, the league manual spells out the fine. And the manual says $25,000. Seems like a small price to pay.
Those getting up in arms about this may be disappointed when the punishment is handed out, assuming the league gets to the bottom of this.

If I read correctly, it said the MINIMUM punishment is $25K, implying that the punishment can be greater.

 

[YosemiteSam]

There are a few unanswered questions here. Just how underinflated were the balls? A half a pound? Two pounds? A fraction of a pound? Also, were all 11 balls under inflated to the same psi? If so that would go a long way to establishing that it was intentional.

I believe they said they were under-inflated by 2lbs. They should be I believe 12.5lbs and their balls were 10.5lbs. That comes out to 16% less pressure.

The fact that 11 of the 12 balls were only inflated to 10.5lbs, (not other values) it's clear that the Patriots (especially Brady) knew exactly what was happening. His *** (and Belicheat) should be suspended for the Super Bowl.

 

[skinsscalper]

Someone is guilty in the organization....and by default, I suppose the already known cheater, Belichick, is too.
But I actually don't think he was involved in this one.
I won't hold a grudge if you wish to call me naïve.

So, let me get this straight:

1. Belicheck and Brady have been in eachothers hip pocket for roughly a decade and a half.

2. Belicheck is notorious for being meticulous about every detail of his team and it's game preparation.

3. The Pats organization has been found guilty once and suspected of cheating several times up to and including manipulating radio signals on both their own and opponents sidelines.

Yet, considering all of that, Belicheck has no idea how Tom Brady likes the condition of the football he uses and has no idea how the team prepares those footballs pre-game or during the game? That's not naive, bro. That's ostrich level sticking your head in the sand. No offense intended.

 

[T-RO]

1. As Aikman said...no way...no way at all this happens without Brady knowing.
2. As Aikman said...penalty should be as high (or higher) than what Saints faced (coach suspended for year)
3. Was it cheating? If anyone is even asking that question they aren't the sharpest tool in the shed.
4. With all crimes and offenses...penalties increase with repetition. The Patriots have lots of prior blemishes on their record.
5. Under-inflation of balls is a huge advantage. Former NFL qbs have said they can throw it 10 yards further and more accurately. NFL receivers say it's much easier to catch. NFL RBs say it's less of a problem with fumbling. HUGE. ADVANTAGE.
6. The Patriots wouldn't have tried these shenanigans if they were worried the refs would catch it and penalize it. The refs are handling those balls and it was easy for them to notice. They could have called unsportsmanlike conduct and made Patriots inflate their 12 balls. The refs could have stopped it before the game started! Yet once again...exhibit #10,429...The referees and the league are permitting all kind of cheating and engaging in it themselves with the way games are officiated.
7. The Patriots in the Super Bowl equals more money to the league than Indy in the Super Bowl. What a coincidence!
8. There is no way this happens without some consent by the league.

 

[Staubacher]

D'Qwell Jackson, the Colts linebacker who intercepted the famous low-pressure ball from Brady, said he didn't notice anything wrong with the ball and all he wanted was to keep it as a souvenir.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/colts-jackson-says-noticed-nothing-wrong-football-215645753--nfl.html

So? He is not a QB and he said he wouldn't know if a ball was deflated.

The balls have been proven deflated, that is not even being disputed by the proven cheaters on the Patriots.

 

[EST_1986]

1. As Aikman said...no way...no way at all this happens without Brady knowing.
2. As Aikman said...penalty should be as high (or higher) than what Saints faced (coach suspended for year)
3. Was it cheating? If anyone is even asking that question they aren't the sharpest tool in the shed.
4. With all crimes and offenses...penalties increase with repetition. The Patriots have lots of prior blemishes on their record.
5. Under-inflation of balls is a huge advantage. Former NFL qbs have said they can throw it 10 yards further and more accurately. NFL receivers say it's much easier to catch. NFL RBs say it's less of a problem with fumbling. HUGE. ADVANTAGE.
6. The Patriots wouldn't have tried these shenanigans if they were worried the refs would catch it and penalize it. The refs are handling those balls and it was easy for them to notice. They could have called unsportsmanlike conduct and made Patriots inflate their 12 balls. The refs could have stopped it before the game started! Yet once again...exhibit #10,429...The referees and the league are permitting all kind of cheating and engaging in it themselves with the way games are officiated.
7. The Patriots in the Super Bowl equals more money to the league than Indy in the Super Bowl. What a coincidence!
8. There is no way this happens without some consent by the league.

I was with you until the conspiracy theories.

 

[Staubacher]

Gooddell and Kraft had dinner in Kraft's house the day before the game. Somehow that isn't relevant but Blandino on Jerry's bus in the offseason and having no input on the Detroit call is relevant.

1. As Aikman said...no way...no way at all this happens without Brady knowing.
2. As Aikman said...penalty should be as high (or higher) than what Saints faced (coach suspended for year)
3. Was it cheating? If anyone is even asking that question they aren't the sharpest tool in the shed.
4. With all crimes and offenses...penalties increase with repetition. The Patriots have lots of prior blemishes on their record.
5. Under-inflation of balls is a huge advantage. Former NFL qbs have said they can throw it 10 yards further and more accurately. NFL receivers say it's much easier to catch. NFL RBs say it's less of a problem with fumbling. HUGE. ADVANTAGE.
6. The Patriots wouldn't have tried these shenanigans if they were worried the refs would catch it and penalize it. The refs are handling those balls and it was easy for them to notice. They could have called unsportsmanlike conduct and made Patriots inflate their 12 balls. The refs could have stopped it before the game started! Yet once again...exhibit #10,429...The referees and the league are permitting all kind of cheating and engaging in it themselves with the way games are officiated.
7. The Patriots in the Super Bowl equals more money to the league than Indy in the Super Bowl. What a coincidence!
8. There is no way this happens without some consent by the league.

 

[T-RO]

I was with you until the conspiracy theories.

In a broadcast the other day 3 NFL players were asked to handle balls that were similarly under-inflated. All 3 of them almost jumped out of their chair when touching the balls. To each of them...as they said...the difference between that and a normally inflated ball was radically obvious and radically unfair.

Multiple referees are handling those balls between every play. Explain to me how they don't notice and act when rules are obviously and wildly being broken?

 

[T-RO]

Gooddell and Kraft had dinner in Kraft's house the day before the game. Somehow that isn't relevant but Blandino on Jerry's bus in the offseason and having no input on the Detroit call is relevant.

I suspect sleaze in both instances.

 

[tyke1doe]

If I read correctly, it said the MINIMUM punishment is $25K, implying that the punishment can be greater.

Money isn't going to be that much of a deterrent. I wonder if the league can take away draft picks.

 

[joseephuss]

Fair enough.

However, I found this sentence interesting in light of the reaction.



So with all this talk about punishment, the league manual spells out the fine. And the manual says $25,000. Seems like a small price to pay.
Those getting up in arms about this may be disappointed when the punishment is handed out, assuming the league gets to the bottom of this.

That said tampering of a football. There were 11 footballs tampered. Eleven times $25K makes a minimum fine of $275,000 for all 11 footballs. I could see that amount maybe doubled or tripled by the league and them being done with the matter.

 

[T-RO]

Money isn't going to be that much of a deterrent. I wonder if the league can take away draft picks.

The question is: what penalty should the league fact for interfering with game outcomes.

About 10 years ago I started to see extremely bizarre situations with NBA games where, for instance, one team would suddenly shoot 15 free throws in the last two minutes of the game while the other team wouldn't shoot one. I told others in chat forums that league was fraudulent. That was confirmed beyond any measure of doubt with the FBI investigation and exposé book written by one of the NBA lead referees, Tim Donaghy.

If you think it can't happen...when tens of millions...hundreds of millions of dollars are involved with the NFL... you are living in denial.

 

[Deep_South]

So? He is not a QB and he said he wouldn't know if a ball was deflated.

The balls have been proven deflated, that is not even being disputed by the proven cheaters on the Patriots.

Perhaps I should have been more clear. It has been reported that Jackson noticed the ball wasn't right and pointed it out on the sidelines. He said he didn't notice anything and just wanted to keep the ball.

 

[T-RO]

That said tampering of a football. There were 11 footballs tampered. Eleven times $25K makes a minimum fine of $275,000 for all 11 footballs. I could see that amount maybe doubled or tripled by the league and them being done with the matter.

That's not even a deterrent. You think a team is going to even blink at a fine of 275k if it helps them get to the Super Bowl? To NFL tycoons that kind of money is a night on the town.