Roger Goodell says Deflategate report should be released 'soon'...***updated 5/6: REPORT RELEASED*** (starts page 8)

[Integrity28]

Battista doesn't **** around. If she's writing it, it means that's the perception at the highest levels of the league.

 

Could you point to what she wrote that you're referring to? I haven't kept up with the thread. Thanks.

[EM31]

Can we dispense with the whole "exonerated" thing?  They found no evidence linking Belichick to having knowledge of this practice but does anyone on the planet think that a control freak like he is would not make his business to know about everything material to the outcome of football games? 

 

Mr detail?  Mr no stone left unturned?

 

Of course Belichick knew, just like he knew about the relationship between ball pressure and rates of fumbling.

 

Big Paulie did not take phone calls personally but does anyone doubt that he knew about what was going on?  

[Klecko73isGod]

Brady's agent just won't STFU. 

 

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/05/08/yee-continues-to-spread-misinformation-about-deflategate/

 

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady hasn’t said anything substantial about the Ted Wells report.  The man who represents him has said plenty.  And plenty of it is misleading and incorrect.

On Thursday night, Yee offered up a flimsy explanation for Brady’s refusal to surrender his cell phone during an appearance on CNN. On Friday, Yee provided an inaccurate interpretation of the potential penalties for tampering with a football during an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show.

At one point, in an obvious effort to downplay the violation, Yee said that the penalty for tampering with footballs is only a fine of $25,000.  And that’s just false.

“I believe that the rule book has a fine for tampering with footballs, and the fine amount is $25,000,” Yee told Dan Patrick. “Which in today’s NFL is fairly small, relative to some of the other fines that have been given out.”

Here’s the exact language of the rule, as quoted at page 35 of the Wells report: “Once the balls have left the locker room, no one, including players, equipment managers and coaches are allowed to alter the footballs in any way. If any individual alters the footballs, or if a non-approved ball is used in the game, the person responsible and, if appropriate, the head coach or other club personnel will be subject to discipline, including but not limited to, a fine of $25,000.”

The key words are “including but not limited to.” That’s a very common phrase that appears in thousands of statutes and rules and regulations. It means that the punishment can be greater than a $25,000 fine. And Yee, a graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law, surely knows that.

Yee also tried to downplay the findings by focusing on the “more probable than not” language contained in the report, calling the findings of the report “essentially a coin flip.” But those words — “more probable than not” — represent the NFL’s legal standard for finding a violation of the rules regarding the integrity of the game. It doesn’t mean that Wells flipped a coin or threw a dart. It means that the evidence satisfied the legal standard that the NFL has put in place to determine whether a violation happened.

That’s the same legal standard that applies in most civil lawsuits: Preponderance of the evidence, which means more probable than not. Over the years, billions of dollars have changed hands via the court system based on that standard.

The good news for Yee is that he chose to steer clear of the basis for Brady’s decision to not surrender his cell phone. While that continues to be the most important question for Brady, it’s better not to explain it at all than to explain it poorly.

[FidelioJet]

I've been following the topic and maybe it's because i'm european but i can´t get my head around this. Why isn't anyone asking for the title? In football (soccer), Juventus lost two titles when they got caught cheating. A relegation as well if  my mind isn't mistaken. Relegation is not an option here but why should they keep a title they won when they cheated on their way to it? It´s crazy.

 

Brady should sit a year and be fined maximum amount. He´s a lying bitch and the comparison to Lance Armstrong is not farfetched.

Bellicheat should get a similar penalty. The guy has done it several times.

Draft picks, minimum next years 1st.

Kraft can do the walk of shame. Money is not enough, he must apologize to the league, the owners and to the fans.

 

For me, this is what kills the love for the game. Or for any sport. Cheaters are the worst. 

 

That would be great....I would love to see them make Kraft walk from end zone to end zone  just before the start of a Jet home game vs. the Pats...

[The Crusher]

One thing I completely disagree with in Battista's column:

 

 

 

 

Nobody? I don't think a single win of theirs is legitimate. We can all argue til we are blue in the face about how much impact any of their cheating methods had. The reality is that none of them, not Bob Kraft, not Bill Belichick, not Tom Brady, knew what the outcome of the games would be when they decided to knowingly break the rules in order to give themselves an unfair advantage. 

 

Impact is a red herring. 

 

Intent is what matters. Their intent was to unlevel the playing field. They wouldn't have done it otherwise. 

 

 

"you CHEAT to win the game"  #patriotway

[EM31]

Patriots fans and Don Yee seem to argue that preponderance of the evidence could mean it is a 51-49 call.  But it could also mean that it was a 99-1 call as well.

 

Does anyone think that if it really was 51-49 call that Roger Goodell would have allowed this report to come out the way it did?  Anyone outside New England that is?

[CM28]

That would be great....I would love to see them make Kraft walk from end zone to end zone  just before the start of a Jet home game vs. the Pats...

 

I want the title. Not as a Jet fan, but as a football fan. 

 

A formal, televised apology would be enough for me. He is the owner of a company who cheat their way to success. In the real business world that would be heavy sh*t.

[AFCEastFan]

Patriots fans and Don Yee seem to argue that preponderance of the evidence could mean it is a 51-49 call.  But it could also mean that it was a 99-1 call as well.

 

Does anyone think that if it really was 51-49 call that Roger Goodell would have allowed this report to come out the way it did?  Anyone outside New England that is?

 

The lawyer in me overrides the Patriots fan in me on this one.  This particular spin annoys me and you are absolutely right.  

[AFCEastFan]

Can we dispense with the whole "exonerated" thing?  They found no evidence linking Belichick to having knowledge of this practice but does anyone on the planet think that a control freak like he is would not make his business to know about everything material to the outcome of football games? 

 

Mr detail?  Mr no stone left unturned?

 

Of course Belichick knew, just like he knew about the relationship between ball pressure and rates of fumbling.

 

Big Paulie did not take phone calls personally but does anyone doubt that he knew about what was going on?  

 

This, on the other hand, is absurd.  As much as you all would like to think Belichick is some sort of omniscient video-game crime lord, this is all on Brady.  Unless you think there should be vicarious liability for all head coaches.  That's fine, but that also means Rex should have been suspended for trip-gate, Pete Carroll for the many PED violations of his players, etc., etc. 

[Jetlife33]

Teddy Bruschi on ESPN "I don't think there should be a suspension because I do not accept the report" 

 

LMFAO  

[JetsFanInDenver]

I tend to agree, and I think the Pats -despite their public protestations- are not only resigned to the fact, but signed off on it. This report completely exonerated Belichick without investigating him at all. They failed to get Brady's phone, and never asked for Bill's. I can't imagine anyone who's followed Bill Belichicks career at all believes for a second that he didn't know about Tom's soft balls, or even had a hand in executing the whole thing. If they'd gotten Bill, the whole organization would've been tainted much, much worse. It's a big enough deal that they're letting Brady be the fall guy to protect the franchise. And they'll accept the penalty because they don't want any further investigation. There's no doubt that Belichick is involved.

 

That's what's baffling about this investigation. Bill has been given a free pass. Why didn't they want at the very least to look at Belicheat's phone specially since the league has sanctioned him for cheating before. This defies common sense.

 

It's like a known bank robber who went to jail for it was seen very very close to another bank robbery. I am sure the cops would want to dig deep into whether he was involved or not.

 

In this case Beli was let off the hook.

[AFJF]

Teddy Bruschi on ESPN "I don't think there should be a suspension because I do not accept the report" 

 

LMFAO  

 

That's cool...maybe Aaron Hernandez should refuse to accept his verdict so he can be free again.

[EM31]

This, on the other hand, is absurd.  As much as you all would like to think Belichick is some sort of omniscient video-game crime lord, this is all on Brady.  Unless you think there should be vicarious liability for all head coaches.  That's fine, but that also means Rex should have been suspended for trip-gate, Pete Carroll for the many PED violations of his players, etc., etc. 

Actually I think your take is 100% incorrect here.  I think all of this has very little to do with Tom Brady and his "ball preferences" at all and everything to do with fumbling statistics related to low ball pressure.

 

As a "no stone left unturned" guy I think Bill Belichick became aware of this correlation very early on, probably before many of the other coaches in the league and he realized that there was an opportunity to gain significant competitive advantage at minimal to no risk to the organization.  In other words an opportunity to juicy to pass up.

 

(I) People are probably never going to find out anyway and (II) even if they do find out we will pass it off as a QB ball preference thing... everyone does it, blah, blah, blah, everyone does it and so on and so forth.  The results are a matter of record.

[CTM]

I really wish they didn't draft Garoppolo last year

[Jet Fan RI]

Yee (Brady's agent) may have made things worse for Brady. Maybe.

Should have said nothing, as Brady did this time, or instead just merely highlight the lack of direct (smoking gun, video/audio, Brady's own sent text/email) evidence implicating Brady, as Kraft did. Instead what Yee did, as Brady's representative, is he implicated the commissioner and an investigative firm the league (i.e. Goodall) hired, in a conspiracy to get Brady. Whether out of Brady's mouth or not, I doubt Goodell is going to be enamored by such a suggestion.

Beyond all the phrasing, like "more probable than not" and such, is the obvious underlying conclusion any reasonable person will draw: these 2 shmos ain't doctoring the Patriots' footballs without Tom Brady's knowledge, and possibly (if not likely) Belichick's as well. While it's technically possible Belichick didn't know about this until the rest of us did, it is not possible this was done behind Brady's back. Not merely his knowledge/awareness, but rather at his outright request.

Where on earth would these guys get the idea of sneaking around to do this unless they were under direct orders to do so? The obvious answer, of course, is they wouldn't. And equally obvious is that Brady told them to do it.

 

Just want to point out once again that I really hate the way the media have been twisting that phrase. Again, that is the exact phrase from the rules themselves establishing that the rules were in fact broken. So when the report states it is "more probable than not" that Brady knew about the deflation activities of the equipment men, it is using the exact wording from the rules themselves to state that he did know. Not maybe, but he definitely knew, at least as far as what is required to be established, to prove the rules were definitely violated.

[Integrity28]

Teddy Bruschi on ESPN "I don't think there should be a suspension because I do not accept the report" 

 

LMFAO  

 

That moron should be taken off the air. Him, Heath Evans, and the rest of the ex-Patriots, none of them approach their job in an unbiased manner at all. Shameful.

 

I really wish they didn't draft Garoppolo last year

 

Totally agreed at the time, but now I'm looking at it as maybe our defense, the Bills defense and maybe even the Dolphins defense could contribute this season to making sure this kid never develops into anything other than a basket case that runs for his life.

[#27TheDominator]

They should try the Isiah Thomas defense.  The report "found no findings!"

[Jet Fan RI]

So in essence Brady didn't turn over his phone with nothing on it which would prove his innocence because he was protecting the players union!!!! Right Tom Brady is a union guy who is protecting the other players in the league.

This is his defense??? This is a joke!!!

I am embarrassed that his counsel would choose such a defense.

Oh and I will say it again nowhere in this stream of nonsense does he say that the phone calls or lack thereof prove that Brady didn't do it!!!

 

Plus the rules themselves state that failure to fully cooperate with an investigation is a basis for disciplinary action. And so that would be on top of any disciplinary action for the actual cheating.

[FidelioJet]

Teddy Bruschi on ESPN "I don't think there should be a suspension because I do not accept the report" 

 

LMFAO  

Well if Teddy Bruschi doesn't accept the report - then it should be retracted...

 

These guys are all making fools of themselves protecting a cheater and losing all credibility (although he had none to begin with)

 

The more of these people that makes fools of themselves protecting Tom the more of an A-hole Tom becomes.  Really starting to feel more like Armstrong that I would have ever thought.

[Jet Fan RI]

I would love to see the look on Brady's face when he finds out that he is being suspended. 

 

Let's hope he takes legal action against it. Then his phone can be subpoenaed.

[AFCEastFan]

Actually I think your take is 100% incorrect here.  I think all of this has very little to do with Tom Brady and his "ball preferences" at all and everything to do with fumbling statistics related to low ball pressure.

 

As a "no stone left unturned" guy I think Bill Belichick became aware of this correlation very early on, probably before many of the other coaches in the league and he realized that there was an opportunity to gain significant competitive advantage at minimal to no risk to the organization.  In other words an opportunity to juicy to pass up.

 

(I) People are probably never going to find out anyway and (II) even if they do find out we will pass it off as a QB ball preference thing... everyone does it, blah, blah, blah, everyone does it and so on and so forth.  The results are a matter of record.

 

Remind me how that correlation works?  According to the Wells report, the Patriots used balls inflated to 16 psi against the Jets.  They had no turnovers in that game. 

 

As much as I would prefer that this all be pinned on Belichick rather than Brady, it simply strains credulity to think that Belichick would dictate the details of the ball used by his franchise QB on game days. 

[Jet Fan RI]

Yeah, I think there's no doubt it's on Vincent's (I'll just go with a last name this time) mainly for optics - but I think the penalties will be severe enough that we, as Jet fans, won't be pissed...

 

We'll def. want more than they're going to give but I'm already way ahead of what I expected the outcome would be just two days ago...

 

I mean, seriously...Tom Brady is about to suspended for cheating!!!! Just think about that (when all's said and done it really doesn't matter how long) He will be a convicted cheater...it's just awesome....the damage is done.

 

But what if he is suspended for just 1 game, as I have heard suggested? I would be pissed.

[Rexorcism]

1)Bellecheck has been exonerated of this whole thing. He will not be fined. unlike the Sean Payton scenario in New Orleans, the Wells r eport clearly noted that he was not involved in this

Payton wasn't directly involved in His DC's bounty system and he got a year...Belichick and Brady deserve at least a year especially when you consider they are repeat offenders of the NFL rulebook...Goodell better be consistent with how he penalized the Saints.

[BaumerJet]

I would love to see the look on Brady's face when he finds out that he is being suspended.

Heck with him, it`s Gizelle`s that I`m waiting on...

...She can be mean and has gone off on fans in the past

[EM31]

Remind me how that correlation works?  According to the Wells report, the Patriots used balls inflated to 16 psi against the Jets.  They had no turnovers in that game. 

 

As much as I would prefer that this all be pinned on Belichick rather than Brady, it simply strains credulity to think that Belichick would dictate the details of the ball used by his franchise QB on game days. 

 

<edited to add> Come now. This is not about one game.  It was never about one game.  Statistical averages and trends are about more than one game.  You know that, I know that and I know that you know that so let's please dispense with that kind of BS argument.  It is insulting<end of insert> 

 

Running backs and receivers have indicated a commonly held belief that lower ball pressures (particularly in cold weather conditions) make the football easier to tuck away and correspondingly harder for defenders to strip out.  Moreover, if a fumble is induced then the loose football tends to bounce around less if it has a lower pressure and therefore more would likely to be recovered by the fumbling team.

 

All perfectly reasonable and pretty plausible.  Frankly something which seems so obvious once it has been pointed out that it almost seems as if such a correlation does not even need to be proven.

 

Now we add into the mix a QB who likes a "grippier", lower-pressured ball to begin with and a league rules change in 2006-2007 which allowed teams to prepare balls for their own offense according to how their own QB likes it.  We also know for a fact that fumble statistics for the New England Patriots changed dramatically at the time this rules change went into effect.  They went from being one of a group of teams who were among the best in the league at taking care of the football to a team who were so far above everyone else it would be like a MLB hitter suddenly going from .320 to hitting .450 over night.  Barry Bonds on juice if you will.

 

Every team preaches and teaches ball security.  Every single team.

 

The obvious conclusion is that after the 2006-2007 rules change there began to be pretty compelling evidence that lower ball pressures had a marked impact on fumble rates for both receivers and running backs and the obvious conclusion being that if a team could only find a way to lower the ball pressure even further then they could expect to enjoy an even bigger turnover advantage as a result.

 

And that is what happened.

 

What I am suggesting is the Bill Belichick, the mad professor of football theory, the man who works harder at knowing more than any other coach and finding advantage in more obscure places than anyone else did not simply have this happen to his team as a happy accident one day.  I don't think the Pats feel even remotely sorry about doing it and I think they are slightly miffed that this competitive advantage may no longer be available to them.

 

Brady may end up taking one for the team here but people a missing the point.  This is about the fumbling not about the kind of ball Brady likes to throw.

[SoFlaJets]

Payton wasn't directly involved in His DC's bounty system and he got a year...Belichick and Brady deserve at least a year especially when you consider they are repeat offenders of the NFL rulebook...Goodell better be consistent with how he penalized the Saints.

Now that's funny, Goodell is nothing more than a Kraft stooge, he does whatever his boss tells him to do. 

[SoFlaJets]

Report: DeflateGate punishment could come this afternoon

Posted by Darin Gantt on May 8, 2015, 12:16 PM EDT

Getty Images

Well, it is Friday.

With the Ted Wells report on the DeflateGate investigation in, the next step is for the league to decide on any possible punishments, and that could be coming soon.

According to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald, a source close to the investigation thinks the disciplinary ruling “could be made as soon as this afternoon.”

While it would be tempting for the league to sit on bad news until the Friday before Memorial Day weekend — and a possible suspensionof a star the magnitude of Tom Brady would qualify for such treatment — it might not last that long.

While nothing has apparently been relayed to the Patriots, the fact word is leaking out now indicates that the pressure could be rising around Gillette Stadium soon.

And it’s more probable than not that they’re not going to be happy.

[jgb]

Big ass money fine. No games suspended. My prediction.

[Jetsfan80]

Of course.  Punish on a Friday so the outcry one way or the other can be safely ignored until Monday.  This league is so damn predictable these days.

[SoFlaJets]

Of course.  Punish on a Friday so the outcry one way or the other can be safely ignored until Monday.  This league is so damn predictable these days.

Friday is the typical news dump day in all politics, the reading of this to me means one thing, ruling in favor of Tom Brady and the Pats MAYBE a 2 game suspension and some BS fine that is pocket change to these scumbags.

[Jetsfan80]

Friday is the typical news dump day in all politics, the reading of this to me means one thing, ruling in favor of Tom Brady and the Pats MAYBE a 2 game suspension and some BS fine that is pocket change to these scumbags.

 

Yep.  They'd rather punish lightly and just put their fingers in their ears and go "La la la la la" to all the abuse they'll take for it than over-punish Brady, one of the NFL's golden boys who can do no wrong.

[Vinny16]

This is, of course, typical of Roger Goodell.  We knew all along that he wouldn't have the backbone to punish his assistant commissioner and the golden boy.

[PFSIKH]

Why would he give up his phone?

 

Simple to PROVE his innocence.

 

The turning over of the phone could totally have exonerated Brady, that is why you give over the phone.

 

Now the texts in question can be put in a different context if you know what you are doing.  IMO the key in a defense is the framing of the story. Brady could by simply turning over his phone could have gotten in front of the story and framed it in a way that was advantageous to his overall defense.  But Brady literally refused multiple requests to do this basic defensive strategy. 

 

Instead Brady basically is saying hey "I did X,Y and Z.  I had nothing to do with any deflation of any balls and I know nothing about that stuff... but you can't look at my phone which would PROVE in part what I am saying"  Does this make sense to you??????

 

This line of defense to any competent litigator is preposterous.

 

Honest folks don't act like this especially ones who are not subject to criminal prosecution.  The truth is innocent people act outraged by the mere hint that they are a suspect (and here is the key part) and they will do all they can to volunteer suggestions or evidence (the phone) they believe will help in the investigation not stonewall as Brady and the Pats did in this case.

 

Brady did the exact opposite of above.... He stonewalled the investigation (no phone) and even had the audacity to enroll his father, agent and even Kraft in to this theatre of the absurd.  

 

With this as the backdrop why include more of his testimony? 

 

Brady said he didn't do it so what can he add through more testimony exposition?  Answer... Nothing!!  

 

He wants to talk about how he helps the blind to see and the lame to walk let him do it on his own dime not in the confines of the investigation.

 

This wasn't reality TV, the only thing that should be included is evidence which tends to either prove or disprove the conclusions. How Brady feels, or his view of why this case is being brought is simply not relevant.  This is why Brady's agent didn't say Brady offered testimony that would exculpate him.  Rather they have been arguing the totally meaningless point that more of Brady's (self-serving) statements should have been included

 

IMO Brady lied and the professional litigators know he lied and now it is up to the NFL to levy the appropriate and reasonable punishment.

 

How is he going to be able to show his innocence?  Here is a text of me saying not to do it.  Again, they had the texts from that one guys phone showing the communication, which I am sure was cherry picked, but I digress.

 

I am not saying he is innocent.  I fully believe they acted upon his behest.

 

The reason you include his testimony, because they had no problem using the Ski and Jim's words against themselves and shooting down excuses like with the season ticket selling.

 

You do not include his testimony when you think it might muddle things up more.  Wells is paid by the NFL who hired a company that argued second hand smoke does not cause cancer.

 

Brady is not innocent, but it was not an impartial investigation.

[EM31]

None of this changes until the other 31 owners finally get tired of the Patriots organization stealing from out of their pockets.

[Jet Fan RI]

Report: DeflateGate punishment could come this afternoon

Posted by Darin Gantt on May 8, 2015, 12:16 PM EDT

Getty Images

Well, it is Friday.

With the Ted Wells report on the DeflateGate investigation in, the next step is for the league to decide on any possible punishments, and that could be coming soon.

According to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald, a source close to the investigation thinks the disciplinary ruling “could be made as soon as this afternoon.”

While it would be tempting for the league to sit on bad news until the Friday before Memorial Day weekend — and a possible suspensionof a star the magnitude of Tom Brady would qualify for such treatment — it might not last that long.

While nothing has apparently been relayed to the Patriots, the fact word is leaking out now indicates that the pressure could be rising around Gillette Stadium soon.

And it’s more probable than not that they’re not going to be happy.

 

 

 

More probable than not? I love it!