Belicheat, Brady claim ignorance; NFL Statement Post #434

[khiladi]

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.

This is MINIMUM. In the context of Spygate and so forth, it's big.

 

[Kevinicus]

Simple way to prevent this would be to allow the teams to do what they do to get the balls ready. Then test them to make sure they are still within spec prior to the game. Then keep them in the league's possession from that point on, until the game is over.

 

[khiladi]

The problem with the whole issue is, the NFL is most likely not legally liable even if they fixed games. This is evident in how the court ruled in regards to the lawsuit between the Jets fans and NFL regarding Spygate and the cover-up. The NFL is essentially considered entertainment and the courts said it's purely the discretion of the NFL to determine punishment. They even referenced Goodell's nonsensical judgment of the fines for Spygate as proof of handling the issue. They said that one can protest by not watching games or buying merchandise.

That's the core sum of the argument.

So the NFL can do whatever they want in this matter, cover it up and nothing will happen. For them, it's just a publicity hit they will take for a few weeks and we will all start going back to watching like normal.

 

[WoodysGirl]

 

[Staubacher]

I'm surprised they even let Brady up there to lie through his perfect teeth.

 

[erod]

So we are looking at 10-7?

Maybe not that low, but I could see a low score if both teams play to form.

 

[erod]

Every team that lost a close game to New England this season is ticked right now.

I'm more concerned about that pattern of behavior.

 

[daveferr33]

This is the problem with some fans. Their organization can do no wrong. Some call it homerism, some call it loyalty, I call it a lack of integrity.

 

[Staubacher]

This is the problem with some fans. Their organization can do no wrong. Some call it homerism, some call it loyalty, I call it a lack of integrity.

"For a city with so many colleges, there sure are a lot of stupid people" - Family Guy describing Boston

 

[burmafrd]

The problem with the whole issue is, the NFL is most likely not legally liable even if they fixed games. This is evident in how the court ruled in regards to the lawsuit between the Jets fans and NFL regarding Spygate and the cover-up. The NFL is essentially considered entertainment and the courts said it's purely the discretion of the NFL to determine punishment. They even referenced Goodell's nonsensical judgment of the fines for Spygate as proof of handling the issue. They said that one can protest by not watching games or buying merchandise.

That's the core sum of the argument.

So the NFL can do whatever they want in this matter, cover it up and nothing will happen. For them, it's just a publicity hit they will take for a few weeks and we will all start going back to watching like normal.

I think you are really not looking- this is BUILDING not going away

 

[LandryFan]

Don't the air valves have about 1/4 to maybe 1/2 inch of needle travel before the seal?

What if they kept the process the same and after the official approves the ball they use a syringe to file the hole in the air valve with epoxy?

Now you can't put a needle in the ball to tamper with the psi. Hell, jam a bb in there and if someone inserts a needle the bb gets shoved inside (if it can) and rattles around inside signifying that someone tried adjusting the air pressure.

After the game the balls get sent to Wilson for a new valve.

You provided a good solution, IMO. Maybe a better way to block the needle hole would be for the officials to apply a small holographic-type sticker over the hole that if removed, would tear. Don't know how realistic that is, but it wouldn't destroy the valve on the ball.

 

[Blackspider214]

How can anyone be so naive that neither of them knew about this? You honestly believe the equipment manager did this on his own?

 

[khiladi]

I think you are really not looking- this is BUILDING not going away

Oh I hope so. The NFL wants it to die down though, which is why NFL.com was quick to try and obfuscate the issues with articles about how QBs like different types of balls.

The irony is we got to hear all day how the refs followed the alleged rules on the Dez catch, but suddenly with the Patriots, everybody violates the rules.

Spy-gate was a billion times worse than this and it was declared resolved after a four day investigation. I hope it all pops up again.

 

[LandryFan]

Oh I hope so. The NFL wants it to die down though, which is why NFL.com was quick to try and obfuscate the issues with articles about how QBs like different types of balls.

The irony is we got to hear all day how the refs followed the alleged rules on the Dez catch, but suddenly with the Patriots, everybody violates the rules.

Spy-gate was a billion times worse than this and it was declared resolved after a four day investigation. I hope it all pops up again.

The NFL Network and NFL.Com are owned by the NFL. Therefore, Eisen and others on the show and writers on NFL.Com are employed by the NFL. I expect them to "protect the shield". Are they biased in everything they do? No. But when it comes to an NFL integrity issue, I don't give their opinions any credibility. The NFL itself controls what is produced.

 

[Doomsay]

Oh I hope so. The NFL wants it to die down though, which is why NFL.com was quick to try and obfuscate the issues with articles about how QBs like different types of balls.

The irony is we got to hear all day how the refs followed the alleged rules on the Dez catch, but suddenly with the Patriots, everybody violates the rules.

Spy-gate was a billion times worse than this and it was declared resolved after a four say investigation. I hope it all pops up again.

I noticed that as well - I also noticed that the Detroit non-call was the lead at the top of the hour almost every hour for 3 days straight. That was at a point where there had just been 12 teams in the playoffs, leading into a weekend with another 4 divisional games. We are in an off week with just 2 teams left and they are trying to bury a fairly controversial story while nothing else is really happening.

I was in an airport when the Goodell "exoneration" came out, the sound was off in the lounge, but they showed 20 clips, over and over again, of Goodell introducing non-controversial eventual stars at the draft and being patted on the back by various GM's and coaches, - I knew that the whitewash was on at that point.

 

[Mountaineerfan]

Anyone else think it is sad that we as a nation expect more accountability out of the NFL, than our own Government?

 

[TellerMorrow34]

I just read Peter King's article about Deflategate and learned a couple of details I did not know about. Here is the timeline before, during and after the game

• The 12 footballs used in the first half for New England, and the 12 footballs used by the Colts, all left the officials’ locker room before the game at the prescribed pressure level of between 12.5 pounds per square inch and 13.5 PSI.

• All 24 footballs were checked by pressure gauge at halftime. I am told either 11 or 12 of New England’s footballs (ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported it was 11, and I hear it could have been all 12) had at least two pounds less pressure in them. All 12 Indianapolis footballs were at the prescribed level.

• All 24 footballs were checked by pressure gauge after the game. All 24 checked at the correct pressure—which is one of the last pieces of the puzzle the league needed to determine with certainty that something fishy happened with the Patriots footballs, because the Colts’ balls stayed correctly inflated for the nearly four hours. There had been reports quoting atmospheric experts that cold weather could deflate footballs. But if the Patriots’ balls were all low, and the Colts’ balls all legit, that quashes that theorem.

Of all the things Belichick said in his meeting with the media Thursday, the most surprising was that he didn’t know—even after the second half was delayed to bring in a new football when the NFL is so anal about times of games and the trains running on time—the footballs from both teams were inspected by the officials for air pressure at halftime.

http://mmqb.si.com/2015/01/23/deflategate-patriots-super-bowl-xlix/


All the balls were fine before kickoff. All the balls were weighed at halftime and 11 of 12, maybe even all 12 Pats balls weighed at least 2 psi less.
This is one of the parts I did not know, but all the balls were weighed again after the game and all the balls weighed within the proper range.

BB said the first he knew of any problem was Monday morning, but he had to know there was an issue at the end of halftime, when the game was delayed momentarily to start the half.


I didn't see this in the article or any where else, but what are the official's responsibility in that situation? Once they found all those under inflated balls did the officials order to have them brought up to league specs? The article states the delay was due to checking the balls and replacing a football (singular). The way it reads is that the officials, even after they found the irregularity allowed the Pats to continue to use those deflated balls in the 2nd half. If that's the case then the league is guilty as well for allowing it to continue. Surely the officials would have taken corrective measures and I am just missing that info, right?

This right here sums it up pretty good for me.

All these footballs are always tested before the game, at halftime, and at the end of games.

Obviously the Patriots balls were tampered with during the first half of the football game.

So someone, and group of people, decided to mess with the footballs in the first half.

Now rather it gave them an advantage in the first half or not I don't know. It was a ten point game at the half. The Colts were still in the game.

Second half with apparently, from what is reported, correct regulation footballs was 28-0 New England.

So this is a two part thing for me.

#1: There is no doubt that the Colts did not lose due to this. They don't belong in the Superbowl. They got crushed. Plain and simple.

#2: The Patriots deserve to have the hammer laid on them for this. I don't know what the exact stuff should be but I know if I was making the call I would start with, at the very least, a year suspension for Bill. A 500k fine, or more if allowable, of the organization, and the loss of multiple high round draft picks. I don't know exactly how many but I'd have to have at least 2 firsts taken away, minimum, along with other picks.

They need to send a very clear message about this.

 

[LandryFan]

Because Brady is a perfectionist and can't help himself. It's really that simple. He doesn't want to cheat per se, he wants everything to be "just right" so he can kick your ***. And yeah, there is a difference. Cheaters cheat because they don't think they can win without doing so. I can say with great confidence that doesn't apply to Brady. Brady thinks he can beat anyone at any time, under any circumstances. He just thinks he can beat you by more if the conditions are perfect. LOL.

Sometimes cheaters cheat not because they don't think they can win without cheating, but because they're insecure. Kind of like the kid in class who makes all A's, scores extremely high on tests, but cheats anyways because he wants to leave nothing to chance on getting a high score. I think that's what applies here.

 

[CCBoy]

Just a reminder, that the behind-the-scenes 'unknowns' included Aaron Hernandez, who's murder trial is set to begin Tuesday.

 

[joseephuss]

No. The officials should be in custody and control of the balls. All balls should have the same spec requirements.

The only spec requirement that I am concerned with is that it is a regulation NFL football. I wouldn't want one team using a Nerf football for an extreme example. The pressure doesn't mean that much to me, but that doesn't mean I condone cheating. Just let each team have the pressure they want.