Brady suspended 4 games

[TR]

NFL made the right decision in coming down hard on Brady and the Pats...I was surprised as I figured they would get another slap on the wrist like in Spygate. Cases decided all the time on circumstantial evidence...not much different here...Pats clearly were caught breaking the rules. All the more hilarious hearing Robert Kraft's defiant press conference demanding apology from Goodell...the audacity after Goodell burned those Spygate tapes for him

[TR]

I thought the op-ed on the deflation controversy by former baseball commissioner Fay Vincent, in the New York Daily News, was interesting because of his faith in the investigation. In part, Vincent wrote:

“It was the right call. Sports is a huge business. The NFL is projecting revenues of more than $12 billion this year alone. Baseball, basketball and hockey are also in the multibillionaire club. All that success depends entirely on fans caring about the outcome of games. We the fans can’t be invested in the outcome unless we firmly believe the rules are being obeyed. We all have to trust we are watching real athletic contests where the winners succeed because of the skills they demonstrate in accordance with the applicable standards. If we let the games drift away from that, organized sports will wind up like professional wrestling.

“It’s unfortunate that the lengthy investigation into Deflategate could only reach the limp conclusion that game balls were ‘more probably [sic] than not’ deflated to accommodate Brady. It is equally unfortunate that the investigation reverted to lawyerspeak to state its conclusion, leaving the NFL with a flimsy peg on which to hang its sanctions. But the findings are what they are, and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was correct to hand down a firm punishment against Brady and the Patriots.

“ … The NFL stood firmly for the rules. That is what truly matters.”

[chriseibl]

I've only read bits and pieces and am usually quick to judge, but nothing in the texts jumped out at me as being implausible with regards to Brady just being really strict about wanting 12.5 PSI. While it's obvious that Brady demanded his footballs a certain way, it seems a bit of a jump to me to conclude that he wanted them at an illegal level. The fact that there appears to be a scientific argument backing Brady makes it seem difficult for me to believe this should be a punishable infraction of the rules. Of course, if there's a scientific counter argument, I'd be curious what that was.

The only thing that really has me leaning towards guilty is the fact that the suspensions of the equipment guys haven't been explained or addressed by the Patriots.

[TR]

REVIS KNOWS...

Speaking to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, Revis said the Patriots' history of breaking the rules is something that can't be hidden for this particular situation:

“
Everybody's blowing it up because it is Tom Brady. I understand that. But if (the NFL) feels he did the crime or he did something and they want to penalize them, then that's that. (The Patriots) have a history of doing stuff. You can't hide that.… Tom was there when they did that stuff in the past.
”
Revis added, "Stuff repeatedly happens [with the Patriots], then that's it." He brought up how the Patriots "got Spygate, you got this and that and everything else. Obviously in those situations in the past, they had the evidence."

In one of the most interesting comments, since it goes against the grain of what players often say, Revis said NFL commissioner Roger Goodell's power as "judge, jury and executioner" isn't something players should complain about because it's a collectively bargained arrangement between the union and owners.

"Everybody signed off on it…. Why didn't we stand up when it was time to stand up?" Revis said. "You can talk about it after the fact, but we all agreed to it. So [the union's] got to point the finger back at [the union]."

[Greg Ambrosius]

I think it's interesting that a lot of media talking heads and even players are pointing the finger back at the union for agreeing to a CBA that allowed Roger Goodell to be the cop, jury and executioner. If you remember the lockout of 2011, the players were crying loudly that this was a major sticking point of any agreement and the owners wouldn't back down. Did we really want to lose the entire 2011 NFL season over this point? No.

But the players were right and now all of America can see what happens when you let a small town sheriff with fewer morales than Andy Griffith have all the power. This isn't right and I think most NFL fans would back the players on this one in the next CBA. But NOBODY wanted to lose any part of the 2011 NFL season over this sticking point. It didn't seem worth it.

Now it does. Don't point the finger at the NFLPA; instead point it at the NFL and at Roger Goodell. Heck, he can't even let another person hear Brady's appeal after HE SUSPENDED BRADY FOUR GAMES and paid Ted Wells' law firm approximately $5 million to write up the report. C'mon, you don't see a conflict of interest here?

Thanks for not ending the 2011 NFL season over this guys, but best of luck to the NFLPA going forward on this issue.

[RiFF]

REVIS KNOWS...

Speaking to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, Revis said the Patriots' history of breaking the rules is something that can't be hidden for this particular situation:

“
Everybody's blowing it up because it is Tom Brady. I understand that. But if (the NFL) feels he did the crime or he did something and they want to penalize them, then that's that. (The Patriots) have a history of doing stuff. You can't hide that.… Tom was there when they did that stuff in the past.
”
Revis added, "Stuff repeatedly happens [with the Patriots], then that's it." He brought up how the Patriots "got Spygate, you got this and that and everything else. Obviously in those situations in the past, they had the evidence."

In one of the most interesting comments, since it goes against the grain of what players often say, Revis said NFL commissioner Roger Goodell's power as "judge, jury and executioner" isn't something players should complain about because it's a collectively bargained arrangement between the union and owners.

"Everybody signed off on it…. Why didn't we stand up when it was time to stand up?" Revis said. "You can talk about it after the fact, but we all agreed to it. So [the union's] got to point the finger back at [the union]."

LOL....who could have seen this coming

The "hired gun" leaves NE to return to NY for more money then bad mouths the Patriots....speaking only in vague generalities and offering nothing specific. I wonder if he realizes that IF NE did break the rules he was part of it. Does this mean he's going to refuse the ring and forfeit his claim to being part of a super bowl winner?

No denying this guys talent...also no denying his only loyalty is to the Revi$ team.