OT - Patriots Deflate Report

[bcbgcbrcb]

Pretty fair penalty handed out by the NFL, now it has to stick to remain meaningful. Brady's suspension can't get reduced to two games instead of four, otherwise not enough incentive to prevent some other form of cheating by another team in the future. I won't mind seeing the Pats have to forfeit that playoff win but that would leave the NFL in a shambles as to the 2014-2015 playoffs outcome.........No Champion?............What would they do?

[wolf441]

Patriots sign undrafted free agent....

[packs]

I still don't think you can turn back time so they are the champs to me. But I hope that moving forward they will be under the most intense of scrutiny and be embarrassed every weekend when a ref stops play to test the inflation of their footballs.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by packs

I still don't think you can turn back time so they are the champs to me. But I hope that moving forward they will be under the most intense of scrutiny and be embarrassed every weekend when a ref stops play to test the inflation of their footballs.

The same refs who must have handled the balls dozens of times during the game and not noticed anything amiss?

[packs]

Yes, those refs. Maybe some new ones. I don't know what the NFL's turnover is like.

[steve B]

Having read the excerpts from the letters sent to the team and Brady I think the punishment is just about right. Maybe a bit less so for the team. I'll go with the coach and management not knowing, since the NFL investigation says no. But I'm not sure I believe that. Brady trying to cover stuff up is probably at least two of the four games.

Brady certainly was acting like a guy with something to hide.
But..............He must have some "interesting" stuff on his phone, maybe some pictures he was sent? yeah, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't hand over the phone either I can't imagine Giselle being mad as a good thing.

I do have a few questions though.

My phone shows both sides of the text conversation. But it's windows. Do the other two hide the incoming side after a time? And if not why would they even need Bradys phone after getting the other two?

The next two are partly sarcastic/kidding, partly not.

Two of the Colts balls were also underinflated at halftime. Since we have to believe the refs checked ALL the balls, then the Colts must have deflated a couple too. When is the report on that and the announcement of fines/suspensions ? Or do they claim the pats staff also deflated a couple for the other team? Or just maybe - The refs didn't check all of them?

One of the texts references the refs overinflating some balls to 16 Psi for an earlier game. Can I assume that either 1) They were sort of covering for deflation by overinflating. OR 2) The refs were altering the ball by overinflating and we'll see some fallout from that soon.
Either way those refs were either adversely affecting the team deliberately, or were attempting to cover up cheating with some other cheating.
Neither is acceptable, but I'd be willing to bet there won't be any punishment.

All in all the rule and it's oversight is very poor. But it won't get rewritten, and the equipment used won't get any better.

Steve B

[packs]

The released texts were between equipment managers. I'd imagine Brady doesn't want to release his texts because his texts are between himself and their supervisors, who probably were the ones to filter down the directions. That would also further implicate the team and not just an individual.