I am not sure I would relinquish my phone and I have nothing to hide. I don't like the over reach of government, employers, the school system, or nosy people. But I would also admit it if I did something that was outside the rules. Especially if it effected two other people who were doing what they were told to do and stuck their neck out for me. And even more so if I make millions and they make thousands. Don't get me wrong, the equipment guys are also at fault for breaking the rules but the QB and the Pat's organization are far more culpable than those two employees whose jobs depended on doing what the team wanted them to do.

 

Can anyone tell me if the two equipment guys were interviewed and what they said happened?

 

BTW, if i was telling someone to cheat, I sure as heck wouldn't put it in a text or an email. I'd tell them personally and without anyone else in the room and tell them to keep it quiet. If a cheater is smart, there is no smoking gun so those who require that kind of evidence raise the bar impossibly high. Does anyone actually think the two equipment guys did this on their own? Does anyone actually think that they came up with this plan? Does anyone think they weren't ordered to do it by someone on the team? Does anyone believe the preference for having the balls deflated came from anyone but the QB?

 

That's the chain of logic that makes Brady look like a first class, um, jerk.

Hardly stupid. People hack computers all the time to get personal/incriminating information/pictures/videos all the time. If I was a professional athlete, or anyone famous, I would 100% not hand over my phone or computer without being forced too by law enforcement.

 

I don't have anything to hide at all on mine, but if you think for a second that any information from his phone wouldn't make it to TMZ, Tabloids, Internet blogs, and etc. then you are naïve.

 

Could even just be personal pictures of him and his kids, or his wife. Nothing inappropriate, but there's no doubt in my mind his personal info would no longer remain personal. Magazines pay out millions of dollars a year for those types of things.

 

Yep, money corrupts lots of people, including quarterbacks, coaches, team owners, equipment managers, and journalists.

The NFL/Goodell were in a no win situation with this one. Serious question, how could they have come up with a good decision?

 

The NFL was asked to look in to this, it was not a random witch hunt. They had to investigate it.

 

People are clamoring from a verbal reprimand up to a forfeiture of games.

 

I agree. Goodell and the NFL were in a no win situation. Come down hard on them and you get people ripping Goodell like we have seen on here. If Goodell didn't impose a suspension on the player and stiff consequences on the team the criticism of Goodell would have been just as harsh saying that he is soft on the Pats and their golden boy, and that the NFL allows cheating and the integrity of the game would begin to be compared to professional boxing.

 

He did the hard thing for him personally in the situation, coming down on a franchise such as the Pats and an owner who is a friend, and probably the best thing for the NFL in the long run.

There isn't a team in the NFL that isn't doing something to try to gain a competitive edge, and there are lots of cases throughout the history of the league. I would say many of us have done something at some point along the same lines, even if it meant bending the rules a little, or just taking advantage of a favorable situation, or loophole. I'm certainly not in a position to take a "holier than thou" attitude concerning the Patriots. I think the real problem here isn't the "crime". It's the cover up and not being forthcoming. If they "owned" this, and been more cooperative, no way do they get hit this hard by the league. As far as the crime, there's no smoking gun...it's all conjecture and a bunch of stuff that "doesn't look good".

They got his texts and emails to the equipment guys. Why did they need his phone?

 

I believe that you're being a little myopic. There may additional evidence that would be even more damning, over a more prolonged period of time, or to other people. To exaggerate the point: What if there was a text to one of his receivers saying "It's going to be cold on Sunday, but my boys will be taking care of the balls for us again on Sunday". or "It all started because Welker had stone hands, he couldn't catch it unless it was flat". or "BJGE didn't drop the rock once in 3 years with a flat ball, he's a fumble machine in Cincy".

There isn't a team in the NFL that isn't doing something to try to gain a competitive edge, and there are lots of cases throughout the history of the league. I would say many of us have done something at some point along the same lines, even if it meant bending the rules a little, or just taking advantage of a favorable situation, or loophole. I'm certainly not in a position to take a "holier than thou" attitude concerning the Patriots. I think the real problem here isn't the "crime". It's the cover up and not being forthcoming. If they "owned" this, and been more cooperative, no way do they get hit this hard by the league. As far as the crime, there's no smoking gun...it's all conjecture and a bunch of stuff that "doesn't look good".

Again, show us proof that any other team has delfated footballs AFTER the referee's inspect them before the game.

 

People are brushing this under the carpet like it is no big deal when actually it is a huge deal. What was done was purposely cheating. It's one thing if they deflated the balls before inspection hoping they would miss them, it's an entirely different thing to deflate them AFTER the league inspects them and gives them the OK.

 

One thing to try and gain an advantage, totally different thing to PURPOSELY CHEAT after the inspection.

Again, show us proof that any other team has delfated footballs AFTER the referee's inspect them before the game.

 

People are brushing this under the carpet like it is no big deal when actually it is a huge deal. What was done was purposely cheating. It's one thing if they deflated the balls before inspection hoping they would miss them, it's an entirely different thing to deflate them AFTER the league inspects them and gives them the OK.

 

One thing to try and gain an advantage, totally different thing to PURPOSELY CHEAT after the inspection.

 

I'm not sweeping it under the rug. I'm just saying I'm sure other (if not almost all) teams are doing some shady/borderline stuff too. I'm not all that hung up on the balls being deflated, and I'm not all that sure they gained a competitive advantage from doing it. No one knows the answer to that. We just know that Tom likes his footballs with a little less air. Yes it's against the rules, but besides making him a little more comfortable, I don't think it makes him better, like say PED's. That being said, it's absolutely against the rules. And teams and players have been skirting rules as long as the game has existed, whether it's PED's, pumping in crowd noise, watering the field when playing a fast team, etc. I have a much bigger issue with the cover up. And I think if Tom and the Patriots had owned this instead of circling the wagons, they would have gotten off much easier. I've got no problems with the penalty, and believe the NFL had to bring the hammer down, especially given the Patriots history. I don't hate the Patriots or Brady though. And I don't think the "cheating they've done" fundamentally changes the game. They still have to perform and execute and beat the other team. They still had to be a really good team. But, they broke the rules, they tried to cover it up and stymie the investigation, and now they have to live with the consequences.

I have nothing to hide, but short of a court order there is no way in hell I'd ever give anyone my cell phone. Talk about an invasion of privacy.

Plus, they got all the phone records and text messages between Brady and the equipment guys without it, so there was absolutely no need to give it to them.

I only saw text between the equipment guys in the report...did I miss the Brady Text messages? If so where are they in the report, I'd like to read those also.

I'm not sweeping it under the rug. I'm just saying I'm sure other (if not almost all) teams are doing some shady/borderline stuff too. I'm not all that hung up on the balls being deflated, and I'm not all that sure they gained a competitive advantage from doing it. No one knows the answer to that. We just know that Tom likes his footballs with a little less air. Yes it's against the rules, but besides making him a little more comfortable, I don't think it makes him better, like say PED's. That being said, it's absolutely against the rules. And teams and players have been skirting rules as long as the game has existed, whether it's PED's, pumping in crowd noise, watering the field when playing a fast team, etc. I have a much bigger issue with the cover up. And I think if Tom and the Patriots had owned this instead of circling the wagons, they would have gotten off much easier. I've got no problems with the penalty, and believe the NFL had to bring the hammer down, especially given the Patriots history. I don't hate the Patriots or Brady though. And I don't think the "cheating they've done" fundamentally changes the game. They still have to perform and execute and beat the other team. They still had to be a really good team. But, they broke the rules, they tried to cover it up and stymie the investigation, and now they have to live with the consequences.

 

This

Again, show us proof that any other team has delfated footballs AFTER the referee's inspect them before the game.

 

I thought that I read where 75% of the Colts' balls were also under inflated when checked at halftime of the same game.

I thought that I read where 75% of the Colts' balls were also under inflated when checked at halftime of the same game.

 

3 of 4 of the Colts' balls tested under on one gauge and in the allowable range on the second gauge. A ball is not considered illegal unless it tests under on both gauges (something the Patriots balls did).

I thought that I read where 75% of the Colts' balls were also under inflated when checked at halftime of the same game.

 

Colts balls were all fine.

 

Pretty sure there is a lot more to this than just the one game.

3 of 4 of the Colts' balls tested under on one gauge and in the allowable range on the second gauge. A ball is not considered illegal unless it tests under on both gauges (something the Patriots balls did).

 

Colts balls were all fine.

 

Pretty sure there is a lot more to this than just the one game.

 

So which is it?

So which is it?

 

nku's explanation is correct.

I thought that I read where 75% of the Colts' balls were also under inflated when checked at halftime of the same game.

They showed where both teams balls were measured using 2 gauges. 1 gauge showed all their balls within the limits. That se gauge showed all pats balls under the limits. The 2nd gauge showed 4 of the colts balls just under the limits but that same

guage showed all

of the pats balls way under the limit. So basically the 2 gauges were showing a disparity of say .8 lbs but even taking that into account ALL the pats balls were well under the limit with both gauges. Only 1 of

the gauges showed any colts under

and barely under.