Report: Goodell considers Brady's Deflategate role a serious violation

[Jet Fan RI]

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on...s-bradys-deflategate-role-a-serious-violation


In the days following the release of the Wells report, which concluded "that it is more probable than not that
[Tom] Brady was at least generally aware of the inappropriate activities" of two Patriots employees who were deflating footballs, one of the big questions was whether commissioner Roger Goodell would go easy on any punishments for Brady and the Pats because of his close ties to owner Robert Kraft.Not going to happen, according to the New York Daily News' Gary Myers, who writes that Goodell's decision is expected some time next week.

In conversations I've had with several key sources who always have a good sense of what goes on at 345 Park Ave., there is little doubt that Goodell considers Brady's role in DeflateGate a serious violation.

The NFL is convinced, according to sources, that connecting all the dots of the evidence supplied by Ted Wells leads to one conclusion:

Brady cheated.​

The Wells report provides enough information for Goodell to suspend Brady for his part in having footballs deflated as well as not cooperating with investigators, which the NFL views as conduct detrimental to the league.
How long Goodell would suspend Brady is another matter, with lengths ranging from a full season to a handful of games. Whatever the number, it's enough to have the Patriots worried; CSNNE.com's Mike Giardi reports that the Patriots are bracing for a suspension in the 6-8 games range.
And if that turns out to be the case, New England's schedule just got incredibly more difficult with the season opener against the Steelers followed by games with the Bills, Jaguars, Cowboys, Colts, Jets, Dolphins and Redskins -- all possibly coming with Brady on the sidelines in his civvies.

 

[ucrenegade]

Good Goodell better put on his big boy pants otherwise he could be forced out.

 

[Bronx]

A 6-8 game suspension would be ridiculous. Give him 4 games, and reduce it to two after the appeal. Just trying to be fair. I don't think they will ever cheat again after this. But you never know with them

 

[sg3]

A 6-8 game suspension would be ridiculous. Give him 4 games, and reduce it to two after the appeal. Just trying to be fair. I don't think they will ever cheat again after this. But you never know with them

With all due respect, we are talking about multiple serial cheating by a single team

Sean Payton, a first offender got a full season for less since IMO his offense didn't affect play on the field as much as Brady and Belichick deliberately ordering the game balls tampered with

8 games should be the minimum and it should not be reduced on appeal

Plus Belichick needs to be punished since he is responsible, as Payton was, for everything on the field

Kraft needs a big hit in his big fat wallet

And first round picks in 16 and 17 forfeited at a minimum

And a warning that any further offenses by the Patriots will be punished with the "death penalty" up to and including forfeits of games, lifetime bans and action to remove Kraft as an owner

 

[Mainejet]

A 6-8 game suspension would be ridiculous. Give him 4 games, and reduce it to two after the appeal. Just trying to be fair. I don't think they will ever cheat again after this. But you never know with them

What in the world are you talking about? That organization has now been caught MULTIPLE times cheating - red handed no less.

A person would have to be an idiot to believe that Tom Brady knew NOTHING about the Patsies recording the other teams signals. He knew damn well that it was 1) providing a benefit and 2) did NOT want to get caught. Or else WHY is the guy disguised? Or else WHY do it? Every NE fan will have some stupid sh*t to say in response, but all it shows is how f*cking dumb they are.

Deflategate is just the latest cheating that they are doing.

They will NEVER stop cheating whenever and wherever they can get away with it. Legal or illegal means nothing to these cheating a$$holes. The ONLY way they ever feel sorry is if they get CAUGHT.

So apparently, regardless of the punishment, they still believe that the scams are worth it. That's why this is happening time and time again.

For you to believe anything otherwise is so incredibly naïve it makes me wonder if you were born yesterday?

 

[Elias]

I agree with Bronx. As much as I think Brady should get suspended for a lot more I don't see this being bigger than 4 games. As much as we jets fans think this is a big deal there are a lot of others that don't see it that big because it didn't effect the game much as evidenced by the blowout continuing in the second half and the Pats playing well in the SB.

 

[ucrenegade]

I agree with Bronx. As much as I think Brady should get suspended for a lot more I don't see this being bigger than 4 games. As much as we jets fans think this is a big deal there are a lot of others that don't see it that big because it didn't effect the game much as evidenced by the blowout continuing in the second half and the Pats playing well in the SB.

I disagree i would do a year suspension goodell needs to send a message to the league and esp the pats

i would give a 1 year supension to brady and belli

 

[sg3]

I agree with Bronx. As much as I think Brady should get suspended for a lot more I don't see this being bigger than 4 games. As much as we jets fans think this is a big deal there are a lot of others that don't see it that big because it didn't effect the game much as evidenced by the blowout continuing in the second half and the Pats playing well in the SB.

I might agree if they were only cheating for that one game vs Indy

But the facts are they've been doing it for every game of every season since Brady, who else, got the league to each team control of their own game balls. Shockingly, since then, Pats running backs rarely if ever fumble and Pats receivers rarely if ever drop a pass.

Check out their running back, the law firm.....never fumbled in deflated balls land, became a fumbling machine in Cincinnati. Wes Welker, a meh wideout with questionable hands in Miami, a dominating wideout with super hands in Deflated Balls Land, back to meh with bad hands in Denver

The list goes on and on with the Cheating Scumbags and now the league spent 5 million to finally nail their cheating butts to the wall

Max punishment, no prisoners this time

 

[Old#15]

I disagree i would do a year suspension goodell needs to send a message to the league and esp the pats

i would give a 1 year supension to brady and belli

add Ernie Adams to the list of suspendees.

 

[ucrenegade]

add Ernie Adams to the list of suspendees.

i was thinking of doing that but with no evidence it would be hard.

brady obv handles balls all the time and beli like payton is the coach he knows damn well what goes on with his team.

adams without someone coming forward seems to be untouchable

 

[Jet Fan RI]

A 6-8 game suspension would be ridiculous. Give him 4 games, and reduce it to two after the appeal. Just trying to be fair. I don't think they will ever cheat again after this. But you never know with them

Why ridiculous? As someone on another board asked, why shouldn't the NFL consider a lifetime ban for the guy? I think he should go for a year. You want to fair to a guy who cheated? Why? If the Sharp fumble rate analysis is accurate, he's probably been deflating balls since 2007. I say throw the book at him.

 

[Old#15]

I was half serious about Adams, but he is the man behind the curtain.

 

[Old#15]

Why ridiculous? As someone on another board asked, why shouldn't the NFL consider a lifetime ban for the guy? I think he should go for a year. You want to fair to a guy who cheated? Why? If the Sharp fumble rate analysis is accurate, he's probably been deflating balls since 2007. I say throw the book at him.

I'm with you 100%, but think that BB should also be punished.

 

[Jet Fan RI]

I agree with Bronx. As much as I think Brady should get suspended for a lot more I don't see this being bigger than 4 games. As much as we jets fans think this is a big deal there are a lot of others that don't see it that big because it didn't effect the game much as evidenced by the blowout continuing in the second half and the Pats playing well in the SB.

But the texts between the equipment men are suggestive of deflation happening for the entire season. And the Ravens and Colts complained about deflated balls from previous games. And then there's the Sharp analysis, which suggests deflation since 2007. And there's Brady's failure to fully cooperate with the investigation, which warrants a penalty on its own. And let's not forget the organization has been found guilty of cheating before as well. This all adds up to really major punishment, in my judgment.

 

[Jet Fan RI]

I disagree i would do a year suspension goodell needs to send a message to the league and esp the pats

i would give a 1 year supension to brady and belli

I think we're in complete agreement. At least we are if you think the Pats should also lose draft picks, get a heavy fine, and the equipment guys get lifetime bans, too.

 

[Jet Fan RI]

I'm with you 100%, but think that BB should also be punished.

Absolutely. And for a year, at least, just like Sean Payton. And draft picks, fines, and decapitated equipment guys, too.

 

[Bronx]

Roger Goodell is NFL commissioner, not a Jets fan.

When they give the explanation for the suspension, if they mention Belichick lying , as part of the suspension , then I would favor a longer penalty. He clearly knew what was going on, and lied to the American public on national TV


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Green Jets & Ham]

http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2...nd-patriots/IGT3myWkYdZagI4FCzkHKJ/story.html

Boston Globe

A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall on Tom Brady and the Patriots

By Dan Shaughnessy

There is no middle.

There is Patriot world, where everything is awesome, Bob Kraft is Gandhi, Bill Belichick is a god, and Tom Brady would never do anything to disgrace the uniform or the game.


And there is the rest of the free-thinking world. Where reality lives.

In Patriot world, the NFL is out to get you. Everybody is out to get you. It’s a conspiracy. It’s a sting. The Wells Report is ridiculously flawed. There are factual errors. The league was OK playing half of the AFC Championship game with footballs that might have not been inflated properly. The other 31 franchises are insanely jealous of the Patriots’ success. A couple of New England’s adult ball boys maybe went off the reservation, but all the evidence against the Patriots is circumstantial. The league has nothing.

In the rest of the free-thinking world, the Patriots are liars and cheaters. They were caught red-handed in Spygate in 2007 and now the league has got them again. The Patriots intentionally and systematically deflated footballs, below legal limits, to accommodate Brady. They did it because they believed it gave them a competitive advantage (more completions, less fumbling, better play in bad weather — all Patriot trademarks). Brady knew about it, lied about it, then withheld information from the Wells investigators.

None of the above is going to change. Folks are going to align themselves with one side or the other. Even after the penalties are announced.

It feels like the sanctions are coming soon. And it’s pretty clear that the NFL has made up its mind about this.

Officially speaking, the NFL’s executive vice president, Troy Vincent, will hand out the punishment(s), but we all know this is commissioner Roger Goodell’s call. And it’s a huge one. I heard some “expert” on TV Friday say that Goodell’s ruling on Patriot sanctions would be a bigger deal than Kenesaw Mountain Landis’s decision to ban eight White Sox players for life after they conspired to throw the 1919 World Series.

Wow. Fallout from deflating footballs is now a bigger deal than fixing the World Series? We are certainly in uncharted waters.

The Patriots have done nothing to inspire mercy from Goodell since the report was released Wednesday. They have done what they always do. They have obstructed the investigation while they denied everything. They have pointed fingers and demanded apologies. They have tried to position themselves as victims. Brady’s suddenly available flyweight agent has been crying foul to every media outlet. Meanwhile, the Patriots’ formidable media cartel has been working overtime, poking holes in the report and defending the franchise against enemy forces.

None of it matters, of course. The Patriots are members of a club, and the judge and jury of this club is Goodell. And he has strong feelings on these kinds of transgressions.

Here’s what Goodell said at his pre-Super Bowl news conference Jan. 30:

“All of us want to make sure that the rules are being followed, and if we have any information where the potential is that those rules were violated, I have to pursue that and I have to pursue that aggressively . . . We are a league of rules . . . If there are rules that dictate the pressure in footballs . . . we’re going to enforce those rules . . . Whether a competitive advantage was actually gained or not is secondary in my mind as to whether that rule was violated. That’s the integrity of our game, and when those rules are violated, we will take that seriously.’’

Remember, this is what Goodell said before the Patriots lawyered up and made Jim McNally unavailable after the investigators got a look at McNally’s texts. As good as flipping off Wells feels (“Yeah, stick it to ’em Bob, tell ’em go take a hike, Bill!”), New England’s refusal to fully cooperate is likely to hurt the Patriots when the punishment is doled out. And let’s not forget the Patriots have a record of cheating. They have a prior.

Goodell has been part of an unholy alliance with Kraft and CBS boss Les “I love Patriot Place” Moonves, but now he must choose. Kraft threw down the gauntlet during Super Bowl week. Last week, when the report was finally released, Kraft issued a tantrum/statement, expressing his disappointment with the investigation and challenging the findings. Then, on Thursday night at Salem State, Brady rejected an opportunity to state his innocence.

This looks bad for Fanboy Nation. Patriots fans need to stop arguing about the science and the sting. Don’t convince yourself that “more probably than not’’ gives the Patriots a loophole. It doesn’t. In NFL-speak, “more probably than not’’ means the investigator has determined that Brady and the Patriots are guilty of knowingly breaking the rules of competition. It doesn’t matter that this might not hold up in a court of law. This is not a court of law.

For those who would question Wells’s integrity, here’s what Goodell said on Jan. 30:

“Ted Wells’s integrity is impeccable.’’

So, where’s the daylight for the Patriots? The commissioner said he will take rules violation seriously. He said his investigator is impeccable. And his investigator has determined that the Patriots are guilty.

Is it any wonder that folks in Foxborough are nervous?

Sorry. Time to parachute down from Planet Patriot and introduce yourself to reality. A hard rain’s a-gonna fall on Tom Brady and the Patriots.

 

[mydogisajetsfan]

The saddest part here is the equipment guys losing their jobs because they followed orders given the scumbag Brady. Brady doesn't need to earn another dime the rest of his life but these guys will be hurt. And all because King Tom thinks he's untouchable and doesn't give a schit about anyone but himself.

 

[Old#15]

I like this guy Shaughnessy.