Captain Caveman Posted May 9, 2015 Share Posted May 9, 2015 Lying to the NFL and refusing to comply with an investigation is a serious offense...much more so than the deflation of footballs, especially when the evidence they already had was enough to say with a greater than 50% certainty he was involved. He obviously is hiding something that would be serious...perhaps showing involvement of Belichick and/or Kraft... I'm not saying what he did wasn't serious. Give him the chair. I just don't see what Ray Farmer's punishment really has to do with any of this, it's apples and potatoes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Turk Posted May 9, 2015 Share Posted May 9, 2015 (edited) The cynical person says losing Brady loses the league money, while losing Farmer loses the league nothing. But long term the league could lose much more by not throwing the book at him. Any time a player doesn't feel like complying with an investigation they could refuse and point to Brady getting a slap on the wrist. If it was a black player and they got a lengthy suspension for not complying, they could claim discrimination because they aren't white. Or that because they aren't Tom Brady, they are getting a much longer suspension than they should. The NFLPA would have a field day in the future against the NFL in similar instances if they don't throw the book at Brady. And word around the league is that Goodell is fuming about Brady thinking he is above reproach... Edited May 9, 2015 by matter2003 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dorkington Posted May 9, 2015 Share Posted May 9, 2015 But long term the league could lose much more by not throwing the book at him. Any time a player doesn't feel like complying with an investigation they could refuse and point to Brady getting a slap on the wrist. If it was a black player and they got a lengthy suspension for not complying, they could claim discrimination because they aren't white. Or that because they aren't Tom Brady, they are getting a much longer suspension than they should. The NFLPA would have a field day in the future against the NFL in similar instances if they don't throw the book at Brady. And word around the league is that Goodell is fuming about Brady thinking he is above reproach... That's probably what they are debating. They probably don't give a damn about "the integrity of the game" or the results really... its all about the bottom line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Caveman Posted May 9, 2015 Share Posted May 9, 2015 http://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/05/tom-brady-suspension-deflategate-four-games-return-dallas-indianapolis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikemac2001 Posted May 9, 2015 Share Posted May 9, 2015 You have no idea what's in his phone. There are very good reasons why someone wouldn't hand over his phone regardless of whether it implicated him in the immediate investigation. He only has to give up info regarding the matter nothing else So if he has stuff incriminating he wouldn't hand it over If he doesn't he would hand it over Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave mcbride Posted May 9, 2015 Share Posted May 9, 2015 (edited) No but home games in the rain or snow especially big games or playoff games--you bet they would. That forecast for the Colts game is likely why they did it. This was not the first or only time. There is too much from spygate (worse then we know IMO) to allegations of headset tampering to this. Their home record in the era of parity, constant roster turnover, constant coaching changes, and Matt Cassels only really good year is enough for me to believe something was going on there and the league knew.....this was a freaking sting. Why? Why embarrass the league's poster boy like that? You have to really tick off the league and other teams for that to happen. Institutionalized cheating. Cassel's good year for the chiefs was very good (27 tds / 7 ints), and better than his year with the Pats. I agree. The act of what he did was cheating. I don't think it had anything to do with winning games. But that is just because he is great with or without cheating. He wouldn't have done it though if he didn't think himself it gave him a slight advantage. It's not like he didn't understand the rules. If he cooperated I'm not sure he should even be suspended. It's such a small thing. But the fact he basically spit in the face of the investigation is not a small thing. The integrity of the league is not a small thing. The fact this was a championship game is not a small thing. 8 game suspension is a serious penalty to him and his team. 4 games seems about right. What, to me, is not right would be to suspend him for eight games and then reduce it to four. There is no basis for appeal. That would reek of some kind of nefarious desired outcome for how it looks rather than a legitimate punishment for a violation. Agreed. At the end of the day, I'm a huge baseball fan, and this doesn't seem any different to me than a corked bat or Pineda's use of pine tar last year (although I believe pitchers should be able to use pine tar in cold weather -- hitters can, and it makes for a better game). I also don't think it's really any different than stickum, and we laugh about that. Edited May 9, 2015 by dave mcbride Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattM Posted May 9, 2015 Share Posted May 9, 2015 (edited) He only has to give up info regarding the matter nothing else So if he has stuff incriminating he wouldn't hand it over If he doesn't he would hand it over This^ People keep mistakenly saying he needed to turn over his phone. He didn't. All he needed to do was turn over texts and communications relating to this matter and with certain folks (the two schlubs, for ex.). He and his lawyers could do the searching and turn it over. If he's worried about his lawyers seeing it, he could simply allow one senior partner there access to his phone to do the searching. If there is a leak of non-related info he would know pretty clearly who's responsible and that lawyer would face disbarment, a major civil suit and probably never work again. Pretty simple really. Personally, I suspect there was lots on that phone relating both to this matter and quite possibly other cheating. Remember, for ex, that his "best friend", a trainer with a degree from some Eastern medicine school in LA's correspondence school you've never heard of, supposedly keeps him in better shape than modern medicine can as per the recent NYT profile of him. Perhaps his "regimen" details are in that phone. Remember, too, that in the Anthony Galea (a doctor convicted of administering HGH and steroids to pro athletes) trial the good doctor visited Boston twice in August the year after Brady suffered his knee injury and administered treatment on Aug 10 and Aug 28 or so to an unnamed Boston athlete. I don't believe that athlete was ever identified. All solely for potential examples' sake, and not saying anyone knows for sure that Brady or other Pats* cheated in other ways, but who knows what's on that phone? We just know that Brady wanted absolutely no one to see it. Edited May 9, 2015 by MattM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted May 9, 2015 Share Posted May 9, 2015 43% reduction without even doing it weekly... You must think the difference between the two levels is HUGE It very well could be. But a 43% reduction is still pretty HUGE in its own right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eball Posted May 9, 2015 Share Posted May 9, 2015 Let's see, what are Brady's* grounds for appeal? (and yes, Brady* now gets the permanent asterisk on this board) -- no proof he was involved? Won't win there; it's a preponderance of the evidence standard and the circumstantial proof is overwhelming that he knew/directed what was going on. -- unfair punishment? Look at penalties handed out for Bountygate, where there was less circumstantial proof. -- no due process/opportunity to clear his name? Refused to cooperate beyond one interview, and made public statements completely contradictory to what other evidence shows. -- one of the most damning things for Brady* is the fact he specifically lobbied the NFL to change the rules regarding pressure of balls for road teams, but then, after this scandal broke, claimed to have no idea what the pressurization standard was. Brady* is screwed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Over 29 years of fanhood Posted May 9, 2015 Share Posted May 9, 2015 (edited) I'm sort of surprised about those who are indifferent about the offense itself. How many games come down to one play in the NFL. If an under inflated ball leads to a few more accurate passes and a few fewer fumbles, which it absolutely should, then this act could have made the difference between an average season and a Super Bowl run. Now aggregate that over up to 7 seasons... And obviously one could say it doesn't effect the game much, well then why take the risk of doing it at all? I mean if you generally just don't care about the sport then I can see it, but as the fan of a team that has been owed by the cheaters including several very close losses it's clearly irritating. Edited May 9, 2015 by over 20 years of fanhood Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corp000085 Posted May 9, 2015 Share Posted May 9, 2015 I'm more interested in any organization suspensions for the pats. I.elossof draft picks, BB suspended for "lack of institutional control", monetary damages, Kraft being suspended. It's a foregone conclusion that Brady is done for at least a couple games... I want to know about the top of the Patriots food pyramid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Turk Posted May 9, 2015 Share Posted May 9, 2015 What if Brady refused to turn over his phone because it would have implicated Belichick and/or Kraft? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corp000085 Posted May 9, 2015 Share Posted May 9, 2015 What if Brady refused to turn over his phone because it would have implicated Belichick and/or Kraft? and that's what interests me the most. Yes, Brady is the best QB in today's game, so his loss will sting... But, that entire organization has been running a sham for over 15 years now. If the league comes down on the entire organization, and they are actually a middle of the road team when run on the up and up, Belichik's and Kraft's legacies will forever be tarnished. Think Lance Armstrong, or the 1919 Black Sox, or the Steroids Era sluggers. In the context of "sport", I can deal with the Ray Rices, OJ Simpsons, and Gregg Williams of the word. Rotten human beings, but for the pure sports aspect, I could care less. I cannot stand when the sport is compromised, which is why I can't stand guys like Pete Rose, that NBA ref guy, and the Patriots organization. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LB3 Posted May 9, 2015 Share Posted May 9, 2015 thats the best crow you can eat...you and all the other pats bills fans on tbd that love to defend brady the fem and kiss the ring and s@#k the c5ck of the most dishonest coach in the history of organized sports ( you know who you are), will appreciate lame patriots getting caught cheating yet again. I hope you all stop making whining about excuses seem reasonable. Please go to their board if you are defending them . it is sickening to make them seem good, except at cheating and being weak. Their lame owner that poisons my food with toxins like bht and.is as dishonorable of a man in business as he is a weak and lame cheat who couldnt win a fair fight with girl in a hospital bed dying of kidney failure from his lies....... .....hopefully you will all pick a side during the season by making this scum dread it everytime he sets foot inside of the city limits so the players never mention cheating (they expect the fans to have the teams' back on such petty but important matters and will let rex take the high road) and pelt bellicheat and kraft the pedophile with tapes and cds and let him know that we are watching him and we have one of his whistleblowers , the overated but good at foolowing directions cassel, and we will make his cheating asz look as bad as the teams who have figured out his rings are only from smoke and mirrors like the rest of this lame rigged world (like kc last year).. go pegula, go bills, and all those who dont encourage miltant acts to compensate for years of fake wins and stealing our signals by videotape at halftime arent fans of the buffalo bills and the city of Buffalo.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattM Posted May 9, 2015 Share Posted May 9, 2015 What if Brady refused to turn over his phone because it would have implicated Belichick and/or Kraft? Either on this scandal or perhaps other currently unknown ones. I also wonder if the request was phrased broadly enough to cover "any and all violations of NFL rules" or some variant. If so, that might go a long way towards explaining why he didn't agree to turn over his records--it may have opened even bigger cans of worms for him and his team*. Hey, anyone seen WEO lately? Do we need a post topic on that? Funny how our resident Pats* and Brady* fan hasn't seemed to wade into any of this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ko12010 Posted May 9, 2015 Share Posted May 9, 2015 Is there an asterisk on Carolina's Stanley Cup since they beat a Sabres team with an AHL defense thanks to injury? Don't forget a redhot Timmy Connolly was lost to a cheapshot to the head in the Ottawa series. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eball Posted May 9, 2015 Share Posted May 9, 2015 Pats** first four games are PIT, @BUF, JAX, @DAL -- looks like a 1-3 start to me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vincec Posted May 9, 2015 Share Posted May 9, 2015 (edited) I just don't see how his lying and not cooperating deserves less than Anthony Hargrove for Bountygate. Hargrove apparently didn't have any involvement in that other than knowing about it, lying to the NFL, and not cooperating with the investigation. He got a year long suspension, I believe. Why should Brady, as a player on a team that is a repeat offender, not get the same or worse? It should one year Because Brady is much more valuable to the league and league revenue that Hargrove. Also, they need to walk a fine line between appearing to be tough on cheaters but not making the deflating appear to be such a serious violation that it decided the outcome of games. They aren't vacating the win over Indy or the Super Bowl after all. I expect 4 games. Edited May 9, 2015 by vincec Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry Jabber Posted May 9, 2015 Share Posted May 9, 2015 Pretty much no chance of that. Ray Farmer was suspended 4 games for inconsequential texts. So Brady only gets 2? http://www.wgr550.com/REPORT-Brady-to-be-suspended-next-week/21489432 Great point! IMO, Brady should be suspended at least for eight games: four for trying to gain an illegal advantage with deflated balls and four for no cooperating with investigators. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
/dev/null Posted May 9, 2015 Share Posted May 9, 2015 http://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/05/tom-brady-suspension-deflategate-four-games-return-dallas-indianapolis The Pats have an early bye this year (Week 4). And except for that Pittsburgh game, no one’s really going to miss Brady when he plays the dregs of the AFC in Buffalo and against Jacksonville. That quote from your link deserves the return of the fyou smiley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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