Deflategate came at the wrong time and got way way way too much attention for something that is so minor. The mainstream media (and basically non-football people) really put a damper on the couple of weeks leading up to the Super Bowl. Had this happened during the season it would have been a flash in the pan by comparison.

 

In short, the issue is with the NFL and the leadership of the NFL.

 

In my opinion the NFL needs new leadership and they need to quit majoring in the minors and minoring in the majors.

 

I put a lot of blame on ESPN for deflate-gate. They ran the story 24-7 because it was good for business. What really ticked me off is when they pulled the "Sports Science" segment that showed how meaningless the deflated footballs were from a scientific standpoint, that the weather could have caused the deflation, and that in some ways, it would actually hurt the Pats by having them. That showed me that ESPN definitely had an agenda here. They hire a thug like Ray Lewis and treat him like the deity and go nuts over a few deflated footballs...ugh...

If the Pats cheated, punish them, but the point we all need to understand is cheating is rampant in the NFL.

 

I don't see it that way, I see someone accurately pointing out the hypocrisy.

Pardon me, but this sounds like a brat who got caught cheating trying to rat out his buddies and trying to excuse his own actions.

 

The Patriots have a history of cheating and getting caught. People seem to forget that spygate wasn't just video of the Jets and their signs etc. They had video of every team they were playing and their signs.

 

Deflated balls have, as some have said, have been done by the Patriots since 2006. They should have gotten crushed when they got caught cheating in the playoff game and there was no reason to wait until after the SB. If anyone thinks it was just that 1 playoff game then I have some swamp land I will sell you.

 

To try and deflect the Patriots cheating scandals as being ok because you say everyone does it. Well then let us know when everyone else gets caught.

 

There isn't hypocrisy unless it's the hypocrisy of the Saints HC being suspended for a year while Belichick gets to coach the SB.

 

If people are going to point to salary cap as the same as cheating on the field and during games as the same then that is sad.

Pardon me, but this sounds like a brat who got caught cheating trying to rat out his buddies and trying to excuse his own actions.

 

The Patriots have a history of cheating and getting caught. People seem to forget that spygate wasn't just video of the Jets and their signs etc. They had video of every team they were playing and their signs.

 

Deflated balls have, as some have said, have been done by the Patriots since 2006. They should have gotten crushed when they got caught cheating in the playoff game and there was no reason to wait until after the SB. If anyone thinks it was just that 1 playoff game then I have some swamp land I will sell you.

 

To try and deflect the Patriots cheating scandals as being ok because you say everyone does it. Well then let us know when everyone else gets caught.

 

There isn't hypocrisy unless it's the hypocrisy of the Saints HC being suspended for a year while Belichick gets to coach the SB.

 

So because "some have said" that means they have been cheating since 2006? Really??? BTW, I do agree that the punishment given the Saints was TOTALLY out of line. To not have Belichick coach the Super Bowl when nothing has been proven yet on deflate-gate would have been frankly, crazy...

If the Pats cheated, punish them, but the point we all need to understand is cheating is rampant in the NFL.

 

I agree.

 

To me, and obviously I'm biased, that's a far more egregious infraction than deflating a couple footballs or video-taping a practice. :idunno:

So something that takes place with salary is more egregious than deliberately cheating during a game to give your team a clear advantage. Sorry, but that isn't even close to as bad as what the Patriots have done time and time again.

 

I agree with one thing, there is hypocrisy and it is because the NFL didn't suspend Brady/Belichick or even the entre team from the SB but they crush the Saints for something not even considered cheating and threaten Marshawn Lynch with suspension from the NFCCG and SB if he didn't change the color of his cleats, which also wasn't cheating.

 

That is the hypocrisy.

If the Pats cheated, punish them, but the point we all need to understand is cheating is rampant in the NFL.

 

So because "some have said" that means they have been cheating since 2006? Really??? BTW, I do agree that the punishment given the Saints was TOTALLY out of line. To not have Belichick coach the Super Bowl when nothing has been proven yet on deflate-gate would have been frankly, crazy...

 

How can you say "Nothing has been proven"????? Every single one of the Pats footballs were under deflated and 11 of the 12 were more than 2 pounds under inflated yet none, and I repeat none of the Colts footballs were under inflated.

 

As far as being proven, it was never proven that Sean Payton knew anything about the bounties.

So something that takes place with salary is more egregious than deliberately cheating during a game to give your team a clear advantage. Sorry, but that isn't even close to as bad as what the Patriots have done time and time again.

 

I agree with one thing, there is hypocrisy and it is because the NFL didn't suspend Brady/Belichick or even the entre team from the SB but they crush the Saints for something not even considered cheating and threaten Marshawn Lynch with suspension from the NFCCG and SB if he didn't change the color of his cleats, which also wasn't cheating.

 

That is the hypocrisy.

 

Yes, bending the salary cap to be able to keep your best players is much more important than a couple of PSI of the footballs. By the way, there are reports coming out now that only one of the 12 footballs was under by 2 PSI instead of 11 as previously reported. Everyone is taking the initial reports on this as gospel. Why? Let's see what the NFL investigation says before just assuming that Belichick and Brady cheated.

 

I totally agree with you on the Saints punishment...

Yes, bending the salary cap to be able to keep your best players is much more important than a couple of PSI of the footballs. By the way, there are reports coming out now that only one of the 12 footballs was under by 2 PSI instead of 11 as previously reported. Everyone is taking the initial reports on this as gospel. Why? Let's see what the NFL investigation says before just assuming that Belichick and Brady cheated.

 

I totally agree with you on the Saints punishment...

 

Everyone knows that the QB's are the ones who select and then tell the equipment guys how they want the footballs prepared and feel etc. To act as if Brady had no say in it is simply being naïve. Belichick is the HC and is overall the responsible party. That is why they both should have been punished.

 

I never saw anything saying only 1 ball was deflated. I also don't trust the commissioner as far as I can throw him. He has a bias for Patriots and the owner which has already been shown so a slap on the wrist is all I see happening, no forfeiting of game etc. will ever happen.

 

When you say bending the salary cap to be able to keep your best players is worse than cheating during a game? I don't think so, but if you want to go that route then a deferral of salary isn't much different than restructuring your contract so the team can keep some of it's big time players or go out and get some in free agency, which by the way is what Brady has done.

If Guru is so upset at the cheating that apparently Jeff Blake claimed to do (Even though the teams didn't supply their own footballs back then) then I am happy with the NFL forfeiting every game that Jeff Blake played in. Do the same for Brady too

Everyone knows that the QB's are the ones who select and then tell the equipment guys how they want the footballs prepared and feel etc. To act as if Brady had no say in it is simply being naïve. Belichick is the HC and is overall the responsible party. That is why they both should have been punished.

 

I never saw anything saying only 1 ball was deflated. I also don't trust the commissioner as far as I can throw him. He has a bias for Patriots and the owner which has already been shown so a slap on the wrist is all I see happening, no forfeiting of game etc. will ever happen.

 

When you say bending the salary cap to be able to keep your best players is worse than cheating during a game? I don't think so, but if you want to go that route then a deferral of salary isn't much different than restructuring your contract so the team can keep some of it's big time players or go out and get some in free agency, which by the way is what Brady has done.

 

I am not being naïve at all. I am open to the fact that Brady and Belichick may have known something (more likely Brady did than Belichick) but would like to see the investigation completed first before being judge, jury and executioner. If it is found that they were involved, hammer them. But do you really think they should forfeit a game for this? Really? Has an NFL game ever been forfeited before for anything?? I can understand that you hate the Pats...get in line as you are not alone. However, it is funny how many people hear the initial reports and just want to crucify the Pats before getting the whole story.

 

Breaking the rules on the salary cap is a big deal. Teams have been given large fines and lost draft picks for breaking these rules. In this era, it is very hard to keep good teams together. Being able to keep even one great player (eg: Terrell Davis or John Elway) by cheating the salary cap is MUCH more important than any tiny advantage the Pats got if the balls were deflated. Keep in mind, the Pats outscored the Colts 28-0 in the second half when the balls were supposedly OK.

I am not being naïve at all. I am open to the fact that Brady and Belichick may have known something (more likely Brady did than Belichick) but would like to see the investigation completed first before being judge, jury and executioner. If it is found that they were involved, hammer them. But do you really think they should forfeit a game for this? Really? Has an NFL game ever been forfeited before for anything?? I can understand that you hate the Pats...get in line as you are not alone. However, it is funny how many people hear the initial reports and just want to crucify the Pats before getting the whole story.

 

Breaking the rules on the salary cap is a big deal. Teams have been given large fines and lost draft picks for breaking these rules. In this era, it is very hard to keep good teams together. Being able to keep even one great player (eg: Terrell Davis or John Elway) by cheating the salary cap is MUCH more important than any tiny advantage the Pats got if the balls were deflated. Keep in mind, the Pats outscored the Colts 28-0 in the second half when the balls were supposedly OK.

 

Keep in mind, the Pats barely beat the Ravens, If you aren't naïve you would know that the deflated balls surely just didn't happen that one game.

 

Restructuring contracts as Brady has done is very similar to deferring payments. Both options serve the same purpose.

 

As far as forfeiting games, I have no problem with that at all. Should have been done as soon as the illegal footballs were discovered.

Keep in mind, the Pats barely beat the Ravens, If you aren't naïve you would know that the deflated balls surely just didn't happen that one game.

 

Restructuring contracts as Brady has done is very similar to deferring payments. Both options serve the same purpose.

As far as forfeiting games, I have no problem with that at all. Should have been done as soon as the illegal footballs were discovered.

 

Restructuring contracts is common place throughout the league - not illegal. What the Broncos did was not legal. Sorry you don't see the difference. Based on your standards, the Broncos should have been forced to forfeit a bunch of games over two or three seasons. Also, you would have had the Colts in the Super Bowl this year after getting beat 45-7 on the field in the AFC Championship game. Yeah...that makes sense. We will just have to agree to disagree about forfeiting games for every infraction...even before it is thoroughly investigated by the league.

Pardon me, but this sounds like a brat who got caught cheating trying to rat out his buddies and trying to excuse his own actions.

 

The Patriots have a history of cheating and getting caught. People seem to forget that spygate wasn't just video of the Jets and their signs etc. They had video of every team they were playing and their signs.

 

Deflated balls have, as some have said, have been done by the Patriots since 2006. They should have gotten crushed when they got caught cheating in the playoff game and there was no reason to wait until after the SB. If anyone thinks it was just that 1 playoff game then I have some swamp land I will sell you.

 

To try and deflect the Patriots cheating scandals as being ok because you say everyone does it. Well then let us know when everyone else gets caught.

 

There isn't hypocrisy unless it's the hypocrisy of the Saints HC being suspended for a year while Belichick gets to coach the SB.

 

If people are going to point to salary cap as the same as cheating on the field and during games as the same then that is sad.

 

How do you account for the retired NFL QBs that say everyone deflates the balls? Why would they lie about it?

 

And I said, if the Pats cheated, punish them but let's not lose sight of the bigger issue and that is a corrupt NFL.

So something that takes place with salary is more egregious than deliberately cheating during a game to give your team a clear advantage. Sorry, but that isn't even close to as bad as what the Patriots have done time and time again.

 

I agree with one thing, there is hypocrisy and it is because the NFL didn't suspend Brady/Belichick or even the entre team from the SB but they crush the Saints for something not even considered cheating and threaten Marshawn Lynch with suspension from the NFCCG and SB if he didn't change the color of his cleats, which also wasn't cheating.

 

That is the hypocrisy.

 

Assuming UK's quote is correct 29 million in extra Cap space is much much much much much much worse than a slightly under inflated football.

How can you say "Nothing has been proven"????? Every single one of the Pats footballs were under deflated and 11 of the 12 were more than 2 pounds under inflated yet none, and I repeat none of the Colts footballs were under inflated.

 

As far as being proven, it was never proven that Sean Payton knew anything about the bounties.

 

Why did you quote me on this one?

If Guru is so upset at the cheating that apparently Jeff Blake claimed to do (Even though the teams didn't supply their own footballs back then) then I am happy with the NFL forfeiting every game that Jeff Blake played in. Do the same for Brady too

 

I am not upset at all. The point is Blake is breaking the silence, just like Matt Leinart, and telling us all EVERY TEAM TAMPERS WITH FOOTBALLS. Add Rich Gannon too.

 

Ex-Cardinals QB Matt Leinart: Every team tampers with footballs - CBSSports.com