Deflategate

[DJofSD]

Has there been any hard facts published? This entire incident started more or less as a rumor by ESPN and I do not believe it has been anything but a rumor.

[Marshall Bennett]

Nick Anderson cartoon this morning shows Brady going out to his car and finding his tires all flat.

[Stillriledup]

Originally Posted by mountainman

A large ego precludes envy?? Are you serious, Sigmund? Quite to the contrary, lots of ex-ballers now doing commentary strike me as contemptuous of Brady. Here's a can of worms that should stimulate brisk response: How many black commentators hastened to bury him earlier this season and remain oddly muffled about giving the man his due???

And, please, don't fly in with examples of white commentators that have knocked Brady, or black ones that have supported him. All I'm saying is that a racial component-that cuts BOTH ways- does exist in nfl commentary. And the golden boy is a prime target of racially motivated enmity. After all, they don't COME more caucasian than Tom Brady.

And, by the way, I detest Tom Brady for his sneering arrogance and fake public persona. And I think he had the balls doctored. I just find it a crime of miniscule proportion.

NOW the fun should begin......

What does this have to do with race? I don't remember talking about that.

[JustRalph]

[tucker6]

Originally Posted by DJofSD

Has there been any hard facts published? This entire incident started more or less as a rumor by ESPN and I do not believe it has been anything but a rumor.

Not a rumor any more ...


"While the evidence thus far supports the conclusion that footballs that were underinflated were used by the Patriots in the first half, the footballs were properly inflated for the second half and confirmed at the conclusion of the game to have remained properly inflated," the NFL's statement read.

"The goals of the investigation will be to determine the explanation for why footballs used in the game were not in compliance with the playing rules and specifically whether any noncompliance was the result of deliberate action. We have not made any judgments on these points and will not do so until we have concluded our investigation and considered all of the relevant evidence."

The investigation centers on Playing Rule 2, Section 1, which requires that the balls be inflated to between 12.5 and 13.5 pounds per square inch.

"Prior to the game, the game officials inspect the footballs to be used by each team and confirm that this standard is satisfied, which was done before last Sunday's game," the statement read.

"The playing rules are intended to protect the fairness and integrity of our games. We take seriously claims that those rules have been violated and will fully investigate this matter without compromise or delay. The investigation is ongoing, will be thorough and objective, and is being pursued expeditiously. In the coming days, we expect to conduct numerous additional interviews, examine video and other forensic evidence, as well as relevant physical evidence.

"Our investigation will seek information from any and all relevant sources, and we expect full cooperation from other clubs as well. As we develop more information and are in a position to reach conclusions, we will share them publicly."

http://espn.go.com/boston/nfl/story/...ated-footballs

The NFL is putting a lot of manpower into this issue, including an independent investigation. Sounds like they want answers. If those answers point toward Belichick in a systemic deflating of balls, look out. He'll make Sean Payton's and the Saints penalties look mild. Multiple draft pick loss, salary cap hit, and Belichick gone for a year. Not to mention Bill's HOF legacy and the Patriots legacy the last 15 years. It would absolutely tarnish all those trophies, and any who thinks differently isn't seeing reality. This issue, while not necessarily important to the AFC title game, is extremely important to the integrity of the game. The essence of football is the football. You mess with that, you have nothing left.

[mountainman]

Originally Posted by Stillriledup

What does this have to do with race? I don't remember talking about that.

You brought in ex-ballers. So I brought in race, which I think is germane to some of their attitudes toward Brady.

[tucker6]

I saw on another website that the Patriots have an amazing fumbling record.

http://pjmedia.com/lifestyle/2015/01...fumble-record/

Looking at the graph, and since 2010, the Patriots fumble every 187 run plays. The next closest is the Texans at 140 plays per fumble, and coached by a Belichick disciple. As you can see, most teams fumble every 80-110 runs. Either amazingly good luck by the Pats, or they have habitually used a DEFLATED ball.

[Ocala Mike]

Originally Posted by JustRalph

Not much of a cartoonist, and this one might be a little off-color, but I would do a cartoon of Brady and his supermodel wife in bed together with her looking under the sheets with a disappointed look on her face saying something like, "Did they have to let the air out of EVERYTHING?"

[Clocker]

Contrary to reports in the media, Indianapolis Colts linebacker D'Qwell Jackson said he noticed nothing wrong with the football he intercepted against New England in last week's AFC championship game.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/colts-j...5753--nfl.html

In another story I read earlier, one of the players said that there was some kind of screw up and late in the first half the Patriots were on offense using Colt balls.

So it is still not clear that there are any known facts about what happened, except that the NFL wants it all to go away, at least until after the season.

[tucker6]

Originally Posted by Clocker

So it is still not clear that there are any known facts about what happened, except that the NFL wants it all to go away, at least until after the season.

They won't wrap things up until after the season. To think that they would or could was a little naive, including on my part. However, the NFL from the statement released this afternoon is certainly putting high powered manpower toward settling the issue. Whether that's an expensive smokescreen is another matter, but it doesn't sound so.

[Stillriledup]

Originally Posted by mountainman

You brought in ex-ballers. So I brought in race, which I think is germane to some of their attitudes toward Brady.

Why would you think that?

[Stillriledup]

Originally Posted by Ocala Mike

Not much of a cartoonist, and this one might be a little off-color, but I would do a cartoon of Brady and his supermodel wife in bed together with her looking under the sheets with a disappointed look on her face saying something like, "Did they have to let the air out of EVERYTHING?"

I would have went one step further....instead of just having the flat tires, i would have had asterisks sticking out of the tires for the 3 Super Bowls he "won". Only people in New England honor those wins, most of the country knows they were ill gotten, at least half of us were born at night, just not last night.

[Clocker]

Originally Posted by Stillriledup

Why would you think that?

Tom Brady, The Patriots and White Privilege


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtDVNhyqS28

[Stillriledup]

Originally Posted by Clocker

Tom Brady, The Patriots and White Privilege


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtDVNhyqS28

I agree that this happens in the NFL, but talking about white privilege that's non NFL specific is a different matter altogether.

[tucker6]

Originally Posted by tucker6

I saw on another website that the Patriots have an amazing fumbling record.

http://pjmedia.com/lifestyle/2015/01...fumble-record/

Looking at the graph, and since 2010, the Patriots fumble every 187 run plays. The next closest is the Texans at 140 plays per fumble, and coached by a Belichick disciple. As you can see, most teams fumble every 80-110 runs. Either amazingly good luck by the Pats, or they have habitually used a DEFLATED ball.

Further to this post, the Patriots experienced a drastic decline in fumbles beginning in 2007 which was the first year that teams were allowed to supply all their own game balls at both home and on the road. In fact, in the five year period from 2010 to 2014 their fumble ratio is so much better than any other team over the past 25 years that it is a highly improbable statistical anomaly, especially for a cold weather, non-dome team.

This data suggests they've been deflating their footballs for years and have gained a decided competitive advantage because of it. If that turns out to be the case then the NFL needs to bring a sledgehammer down on the whole organization.