NFL 2015/16

[Kinnikinnick]

Its all really just a series of unfortunate and oddly suspicious coincidences.

I mean first the fact that the balls naturally deflate at the same time that the Colts have complained before the fact and after the fact that the Patriots are deflating.

Poor McNally has to go piss at the same time that he's (against the rules) taking the balls that have just been checked by the refs.

Boom the laws of physics just happen to mean the balls deflate during the 1st half and on top of that deflate more than the Colts balls!!! What weird luck.

He just happens to call himself the "Deflator" due to his need to lose weight just as a football deflation witchhunt is about to go on.

McNally happens to joke about going to ESPN about something not worth of a scandal (free shoes) and boom it just happens to seem like he's referring to deflating the balls around the same time he has been sarcastically saying he'll inflate the balls to get back at Brady.

What a series of ill timed coincidences!!!

[GeezerSteve]

if the glove does not fit you must acquit! witch hunt! race card! smear campaign! leave Tom Brady alone!

[shafty85]

Kind of shocking, imo, that the league that imposed a penalty is able to be arbitrator in its appeal. Harks back to the days of the guillotine and Caesar.

Hmmm... will Goodell find his own ruling correct?

Agreed, this will only prolong the battle when it is taken to court, keep the NFL in the news non-stop. Even the president of your country apparently doesn't have anything more important to do than have people prepare statements re: 'deflate gate'

[GeezerSteve]

Kind of shocking, imo, that the league that imposed a penalty is able to be arbitrator in its appeal

It'd be shocking if it were true, but it's not true so you need not be shocked. First step is Goodell, but then the rules call for a 3-member arbitration panel, one seat held by NFL commissioner or delegate, one held by arbitrator of player's choice, one neutral. The neutral almost always breaks the tie.

[Mofro261]

Poor McNally has to go piss at the same time that he's (against the rules) taking the balls that have just been checked by the refs.

He just happens to call himself the "Deflator" due to his need to lose weight just as a football deflation witchhunt is about to go on.

Calling himself the Deflator was really just an attempt to change the nickname everyone else was calling him- "Needle Dick".

[Adolf Allerbush]

Whenever defendant's counsel claims that his client is a victim of a witch hunt everybody knows his client is guilty as hell. See, e.g., Lance Armstrong, O. J. Simpson

http://www.history.com/topics/salem-witch-trials I don't know about guilty as hell but I'll take your word for it.

Yeah, well, um, it doesn't work like that. And TB does not want an impartial arbitrator. He wants a pro-union/anti-league arbitrator.

How do you know what he wants? Are you TB?

[shafty85]

It'd be shocking if it were true, but it's not true so you need not be shocked. First step is Goodell, but then the rules call for a 3-member arbitration panel, one seat held by NFL commissioner or delegate, one held by arbitrator of player's choice, one neutral. The neutral almost always breaks the tie.

Ah, that makes more sense. Though, why bother with the Goodell step between the 3-member panel and initial ruling?

Calling himself the Deflator was really just an attempt to change the nickname everyone else was calling him- "Needle Dick".

That made me laugh.

[Adolf Allerbush]

Kind of shocking, imo, that the league that imposed a penalty is able to be arbitrator in its appeal. Harks back to the days of the guillotine and Caesar.

Hmmm... will Goodell find his own ruling correct?

Agreed, this will only prolong the battle when it is taken to court, keep the NFL in the news non-stop. Even the president of your country apparently doesn't have anything more important to do than have people prepare statements re: 'deflate gate'

Watch it, you're going to get into a circular argument with the JDs here. I know what you mean, it's odd that Goodell is allowed to validate his own ruling, well it wasn't his ruling it was that other dude's that is his employee...but yeah. Sounds like the NLFPA figured out that calling him as a witness makes his ruling over the appeal not possible.

[Adolf Allerbush]

Calling himself the Deflator was really just an attempt to change the nickname everyone else was calling him- "Needle Dick".

Queef?

[GeezerSteve]

why bother with the Goodell step between the 3-member panel and initial ruling?

Good question. It's likely the product of negotiation between the NFL and the NFLPA. The intermediate step can often favor the player because it allows the league and the union to negotiate a compromise under the radar before the matter goes to arbitration, where the parties lose control of the outcome by turning it over the arbitration panel.

[TahoeJ]

Yeah, almost every suspension it seems like goes to appeal and then gets reduced by Goodell. So he does change his (or his staff's) initial ruling quite frequently. That way the NFL gets to look tough with the initial headline and then quietly reduce it with the appeal. So it makes some sense that they have it.

[Kinnikinnick]

Yeah, almost every suspension it seems like goes to appeal and then gets reduced by Goodell. So he does change his (or his staff's) initial ruling quite frequently. That way the NFL gets to look tough with the initial headline and then quietly reduce it with the appeal. So it makes some sense that they have it.

Yeah probably. It will end up being halved with a 2 game suspension, $300K fine, and loss of the 4th round pick.

All for sad coincidences. Poor Patriots, who could imagine such bad luck.

[Adolf Allerbush]

Yeah probably. It will end up being halved with a 2 game suspension, $300K fine, and loss of the 4th round pick.

All for sad coincidences. Poor Patriots, who could imagine such bad luck.

So knock out your sig other or maybe sorta have some equipment dude take a psi or two out of a football and you get the same punishment? I don't see TB or the Pats taking a 2 game suspension without a fight...they'll take the NFL to court if that happens IMO.

[BaNosser]

Except none of the texts matter if they assume the ref used the gauge he said he did, as atmospheric conditions would explain all of the change.

He also used the term deflate in direct reference to losing weight in another text string around the same time. How is it that unbelievable?

Regardless, none of this is happening if it's any team other than the Pats. It's been a witch hunt and smear campaign from the start.

The case rests upon dismissing the refs recall of which gauge he used and one text months earlier where a guy calls himself the deflator...

this is usually exactly how witch hunts start...

[I've seen black diamonds!]

First:


Second:
Don't think Goodell will survive into the next CBA. Regardless of Brady's guilt, what this controversy has proved conclusively is the commissioner's incompetence. He's alienated one of his biggest supporters in Bob Kraft. The players hate the man. He's a liar. He's inconsistent. His failure to comply with the CBA gives ammunition to his opponents:

"Troy Vincent was appointed by Goodell to issue punishment to Brady. Per the CBA, only the commissioner has authority to do so, and there is no clause that allows this specific role to be delegated to another party. Therefore, the penalty and suspension is invalid."

There is some compelling evidence in the Wells reports. If it drew mainly upon the text messages, and if Goodell handed out a fine and perhaps even a 1 games suspension, the issue would likely be fading into the past while Brady and Pats fans grumbled. This would be a reasonable response in the name of protecting the leagues image.

But the claims of the Patriots lack of cooperation are incomplete to the point of being dishonest. I believe this is what caused Kraft to change his mind about accepting what he believed to be an incorrect judgement.

Furthermore, the selective interpretation of the physical evidence can only be interpreted as bias. Rather than strengthening the commissioners case, it makes it clear that Well's role was to act as prosecutor, not independent investigator.

Then there is this. When the Panthers were caught on video tampering with balls, they received a warning.

I used to think the owners would keep Goodell around as a convenient scapegoat for the NFL's various embarrassments (with head injuries being #1). But his inevitable sacrifice may come sooner than expected.

[Sirshredalot]

if the glove does not fit you must acquit! witch hunt! race card! smear campaign! leave Tom Brady alone!

I thought by your reasoning, oj is innocent? That's what the courts decided and that's reality to you, right?

[Adolf Allerbush]

First:


Second:
Don't think Goodell will survive into the next CBA. Regardless of Brady's guilt, what this controversy has proved conclusively is the commissioner's incompetence. He's alienated one of his biggest supporters in Bob Kraft. The players hate the man. He's a liar. He's inconsistent. His failure to comply with the CBA gives ammunition to his opponents:

"Troy Vincent was appointed by Goodell to issue punishment to Brady. Per the CBA, only the commissioner has authority to do so, and there is no clause that allows this specific role to be delegated to another party. Therefore, the penalty and suspension is invalid."

There is some compelling evidence in the Wells reports. If it drew mainly upon the text messages, and if Goodell handed out a fine and perhaps even a 1 games suspension, the issue would likely be fading into the past while Brady and Pats fans grumbled. This would be a reasonable response in the name of protecting the leagues image.

But the claims of the Patriots lack of cooperation are incomplete to the point of being dishonest. I believe this is what caused Kraft to change his mind about accepting what he believed to be an incorrect judgement.

Furthermore, the selective interpretation of the physical evidence can only be interpreted as bias. Rather than strengthening the commissioners case, it makes it clear that Well's role was to act as prosecutor, not independent investigator.

Then there is this. When the Panthers were caught on video tampering with balls, they received a warning.

I used to think the owners would keep Goodell around as a convenient scapegoat for the NFL's various embarrassments (with head injuries being #1). But his inevitable sacrifice may come sooner than expected.

But Wells is an experienced attorney! Don't tell Bug Steve that some attorneys are paid to promote their clients case. No way that happened here..

[GeezerSteve]

I thought by your reasoning, oj is innocent? That's what the courts decided and that's reality to you, right?

O.J. was found liable in Goldman family's wrongful death action. It was in all the newspapers. How did you miss it?

[GeezerSteve]

Furthermore, the selective interpretation of the physical evidence can only be interpreted as bias. Rather than strengthening the commissioners case, it makes it clear that Well's role was to act as prosecutor, not independent investigator.

Pats fanboi, eh? Wells was charged with the task to make reasonable inferences from the evidence and that's what he did. You'd know that if you made an objective reading of the report. I have no dog in this fight.

[Sirshredalot]

O.J. was found liable in Goldman family's wrongful death action. It was in all the newspapers. How did you miss it?

I was a young child, you fat old fuck.

[GeezerSteve]

It's apparent that you still are a young child in terms of intellect. Good luck with that.

[Danno]

Second:
Don't think Goodell will survive into the next CBA. Regardless of Brady's guilt, what this controversy has proved conclusively is the commissioner's incompetence. He's alienated one of his biggest supporters in Bob Kraft. The players hate the man. He's a liar. He's inconsistent. His failure to comply with the CBA gives ammunition to his opponents:

There is some compelling evidence in the Wells reports. If it drew mainly upon the text messages, and if Goodell handed out a fine and perhaps even a 1 games suspension, the issue would likely be fading into the past while Brady and Pats fans grumbled. This would be a reasonable response in the name of protecting the leagues image.

But the claims of the Patriots lack of cooperation are incomplete to the point of being dishonest. I believe this is what caused Kraft to change his mind about accepting what he believed to be an incorrect judgement.

I agree re Goodell. The man is incompetent, and we'll all benefit from his departure.

Good for you for admitting that there is some compelling evidence, few Pats fans seem to go that far (though I highly doubt the Pats would have quietly accepted even a 1 game suspension). I am curious though, what makes you say that the claims of lack of cooperation are dishonest? Because it seems to me that is a real sticking point here.

[Adolf Allerbush]

I have no dog in this fight.

Says the Seahawks fan from Seattle.

If you're a fan of the NFL you have a dog in this fight...
1. It shows why the NFL needs to have a uniform penalty/fine/suspension when one breaks a given rule.
2. This sort of thing could happen to any team...that is if you agree that every team has broken the rules in some way shape or form.

[Tuckerman]

OK this comment on deadspin is a good one.

This is so misleading, as usual. “Kill you” is just how Aaron Hernandez refers to losing weight.

[GeezerSteve]

No, I don't give a rats ass how this turns out. Just interested in the process and dishing shit those playing Boy Attorney on TGR