A point Golic made this morning, "Is this any different than Jerry Rice spraying illegal Stick-um on his gloves?"

 

On the surface I don't see much of a difference except that I don't think Rice got caught. But I do look at Rice differently after he basically laughed off the fact that he cheated and got away with it.

 

There are players bending/breaking the rules on every team each week in the NFL. I suppose it's possible that this deflategate scenario could possibly alter a game more so than other methods of skirting the rules, but it's really just conjecture.

If the investigators had the cell phones of the other two people involved, why do they need Tom Brady's phone?

 

I was thinking the same thing.

The people calling for a half year or year suspension crack me up. If this was ANY other team except the Pats, this would barely have gotten any attention at all. My guess is that Brady was involved and that this happens in the league pretty often. So if you get caught abusing your partner, first time suspension is now 6 games. Deflate a few footballs, more than that? What? This isn't worse than players using stick-um or spraying Pam on your shirt. Goodell may be forced to suspend Brady for a game or two because of the media storm but only because of that...

If I were the NFL and Goodell (someone on here owes me a hot fudge sundae since he was not fired back with the elevator tape) I would be very careful about any game suspension for a player who the report cannot even prove had anything directly to do with the balls. That would bring the NFLPA into the fray and that's a battle the NFL does not want to start. Fine the Patriots for $$ amount for lack of institutional control and call it a day.

I find this whole thing super stupid and such an unbelievable non issue

Really, really overblown on what probably is a practice that is more common than we will really ever know.

 

Jim Miller former Bear, Steeler, Pat, and of few other teams hosts a show on NFL Sirius Monday-Friday.

 

Here is the process he shared.

 

The home team receives dozens and dozens of new balls sent by the league to the facility. The quarterbacks sit down and actually inspect the balls and try them on for size, so to speak. They throw out the balls they don't like.

 

They then use the footballs they have chosen in practice Wednesday-Friday and choose the 19-20 they will use. He said no two footballs are alike, therefore the laces, leather, bladder inside the football are all different and if you have played enough you know the difference.

 

They then turn the footballs over to the equipment guys and they never see them again until Sunday. On Sunday, the ball boy or whomever, gives the footballs to inspect, it is the officials job to do that. This is kinda like umpires inspecting the baseballs during the game and tossing them out.

 

I doubt much is done in this case simply because:

 

1) There is no proof whatever that Brady knew.

2) This is probably a more common practice than most will ever admit. How come no other QB is commenting on this and claiming how wrong it is? I think we know the answer. Is Brady going to take the hit for the QB fraternity?

3) The officials are somewhat culpable in this. They should have done their job and known. Another reason I believe it was common practice.

4) Again no proof, I can't believe there should be a punishment.

For those stating all teams cheat or get an edge so no punishment is needed, that point is irrelevant. It doesn't matter how many teams cheat , all that matters is who gets caught.

 

I don't think this a major scandal. But this regime in New England seem to get caught to much. Repeat offenders of crossing the line of gettingredients a competitive advantage need to be punished.

I agree with a punishment. The question is what? Fine the team a half a million and take away a pick...something like that would suffice for me.

I can't agree with a punishment because not one person can tell me that they purposely set out to deflate the balls lower than the allowed limit.

I can't agree with a punishment because not one person can tell me that they purposely set out to deflate the balls lower than the allowed limit.

 

That's another point that is not garnering any attention. No where in the report does it state that anyone purposely deflated the footballs to a below legal PSI. If Brady told the equipment managers he liked a lighter ball, and to take a little air out, that's a far cry from plotting and scheming to take the PSI levels below the required minimum.

That's another point that is not garnering any attention. No where in the report does it state that anyone purposely deflated the footballs to a below legal PSI. If Brady told the equipment managers he liked a lighter ball, and to take a little air out, that's a far cry from plotting and scheming to take the PSI levels below the required minimum.

Your defense of it is getting more and more comical. Was it a violation of the rule regardless if the foul texting deflator had a psi guage or not? Come on,

Your defense of it is getting more and more comical. Was it a violation of the rule regardless if the foul texting deflator had a psi guage or not? Come on,

 

I'm not defending anything. The report is an absolute joke though. It took them three months to tell us absolutely nothing that wasn't already known. They found no definite proof of anything. No cold hard facts that Brady was involved. Was he? Most likely, yes. They didn't find any proof of anything though.

 

I mean seriously, it took them 3 months to tell us that it was more probable than not done intentionally, and more probable than not that Brady at least had an idea it was going on. Well, no crap! That was pretty much what was thought/known 3 months ago.

 

Do I think he should be suspended? Nope, but my opinion doesn't matter. If he's suspended, he's suspended. Complete confidence that Garoppolo will hold down the fort and continue the winning ways until he's back. It's the Patriot way.

I'm not defending anything. The report is an absolute joke though. It took them three months to tell us absolutely nothing that wasn't already known. They found no definite proof of anything. No cold hard facts that Brady was involved. Was he? Most likely, yes. They didn't find any proof of anything though.

 

I mean seriously, it took them 3 months to tell us that it was more probable than not done intentionally, and more probable than not that Brady at least had an idea it was going on. Well, no crap! That was pretty much what was thought/known 3 months ago.

 

Do I think he should be suspended? Nope, but my opinion doesn't matter. If he's suspended, he's suspended. Complete confidence that Garoppolo will hold down the fort and continue the winning ways until he's back. It's the Patriot way.

But you're continually deflecting. PSI? Colts did it too? Come on. Your guy did it, lied about it and that's that. And that, my friend, is the Patriot way. Wouldn't you be a bit prouder of your team if there wasn't this cloud of impropriety looming over them, all the time? Just line up and do it without skirting the rules and there's never this discussion. Perhaps defense was the wrong word to use. Apologist might be better. I'd love to say that I respect the Pats from top to bottom but I don't. And for me as an NFL fan, that's a shame.

But you're continually deflecting. PSI? Colts did it too? Come on. Your guy did it, lied about it and that's that. And that, my friend, is the Patriot way. Wouldn't you be a bit prouder of your team if there wasn't this cloud of inpropriety looming over them, all the time? Just line up and do it without skirting the rules and there's never this discussion. Perhaps defense was the wrong word to use. Apologist might be better. I'd love to say that I respect the Pats from top to bottom but I don't. And for me as an NFL fan, that's a shame.

 

I'm a Patriots fan, regardless of what they do. If that makes me an apologist, than I'll gladly be one. Did they do it? More than likely they did. Whether it was intentional or not, who knows, probably doesn't matter. If Brady gets suspended, cool. Not gonna lose sleep over it, and they'll still most likely get a 1st round bye at the end of the day. They won the Super Bowl, so regardless of the punishment, as a fan, it was well worth the risk of getting caught.

 

As far as being proud, I'm proud of my wife for going back to school after taking time off after high school, and while it's been a bit of a struggle, sticking with it all while working full-time. I'm proud of my younger brother for graduating with 3 degrees in 4 years and for getting his pick of the most elite schools in the country for continuing his education. I'm proud of my accomplishments. Proud about a sports team? Please, I've never been proud of a professional sports team and I don't intend to start anytime soon.

 

As a fan of the Patriots, I don't care whether you, or anyone else respects them. As I said, every sport needs a villain, and the Pats are glad to play that role. They've done well in it.

 

It is interesting that you picked me to single out when other posters have pretty much said the exact same things I have. Interesting indeed.

Semantics.