Brady suspended 4 games

[Tom Kessenich]

Ray Rice - 2 games
Greg Hardy - 10 games
Ben Roethlisberger - 4 games (after appeal)

Yup, what Brady did was definitely on par with those transgressions. This makes perfect sense.

[Greg Ambrosius]

It's excessive and will be appealed by Brady, the Patriots and the NFLPA. What is the NFL's record again when going up against an independent arbitrator? I think the odds are strong the punishment gets reduced.

From Peter King's Monday Morning QB article yesterday:

6. Officials used two gauges at halftime of the AFC Championship Game to measure the air pressure in 11 New England footballs and four Indianapolis footballs. On page 113 of the Wells report, after a description of the scientific Ideal Gas Law (eyes glaze over), Wells says the Patriots footballs should have measured between 11.32 psi and 11.52 psi. The average of one gauge for the 11 balls was 11.49 psi, on the upper range of what the balls should measure. The average of the other gauge was 11.11 psi, clearly lower than what the balls should have measured. Average all 22 readings, and you get 11.30 … two-one-hundredths lower what the Ideal Gas Law would have allowed for balls that started the day at 12.5 psi. You’re going to suspend someone—never mind a franchise quarterback, never mind without a smoking gun—for an air-pressure measurement of 11.30 when the allowable measurement would have been 11.32?

I understand that Brady didn't hand over his phone to Ted Wells, but tough shit? He probably has some nice photos of Giselle on that phone!! The talking heads say that the punishments of four games was mainly because he was arrogant enough not to fully cooperate. And the Patriots got the severe punishment because of Spygate and all the rest. Ridiculous.

The ESPN talking heads wanted a season-long suspension or at least 8 games. More ridiculous. I think a fine was in order for Brady and the Patriots and little more than that. They certainly didn't punish the Vikings the same way for a similar offense last year? This is crazy, stupid. The NFL brought this on themselves by allowing each team to have their own footballs so that each quarterback got a ball he liked. They opened this can of worms and were too stupid not to enforce this rule better. They are as much at fault in this as the teams who manipulated the rule. They should have been more protective of the footballs then.

It will get reduced to 2 games and if the NFL is lucky the independent arbitrator will allow any games at all. I have a feeling a good lawyer (which Brady and the Pats can afford) will poke a million holes in this report. Get the popcorn out because this could be one helluva fight. Should be fun to watch.

[Tom Kessenich]

Can someone please explain to me why, if this was such a serious transgression, that the ref who touches the ball after EVERY SINGLE PLAY never noticed any issues at all with the balls during the game?

[Coach JP]

Can someone please explain to me why, if this was such a serious transgression, that the ref who touches the ball after EVERY SINGLE PLAY never noticed any issues at all with the balls during the game?

Because the balls are never severely under deflated. The NFL botched this entire thing and have no idea what the measurements were. Jackson intercepts the ball and even is on record of saying it felt fine.

Considering the NFL doesn't even measure the ball when they pump it up in pre-game (as the 16 psi text shows), this rule was never enforced and was never cared for.

That said, it's still a dumb thing to do to deflate the balls on your own post inspection. They deserve a slight hit for this, but most people are just getting years of anger out with this one.

[Coach JP]

But this is twice the NE has intentionally cheated and I can't think of any other team that has been caught cheating these past few years.

Really?

-Browns texting
-Falcons noise
-Tomlin interfering with special teams play
-Jets tripping dolphins player
-Chargers using stick em on a towel
-Cowboys and Redskins cap violations
-Tampering
-PED's

Or is it only cheating when it's New England? I'm not saying New England is in the right but it's hilarious how every other teams' ways get ignored.

[Tom Kessenich]

Can someone please explain to me why, if this was such a serious transgression, that the ref who touches the ball after EVERY SINGLE PLAY never noticed any issues at all with the balls during the game?

Because the balls are never severely under deflated. The NFL botched this entire thing and have no idea what the measurements were. Jackson intercepts the ball and even is on record of saying it felt fine.

Considering the NFL doesn't even measure the ball when they pump it up in pre-game (as the 16 psi text shows), this rule was never enforced and was never cared for.

That said, it's still a dumb thing to do to deflate the balls on your own post inspection. They deserve a slight hit for this, but most people are just getting years of anger out with this one.

I agree they need to be punished for this unbelievably trivial rules violation. They should get the same punishment the Panthers and Vikings got when they were caught on live TV illegal tampering with footballs during their game last season.

[Coach JP]

Hey as a Pats' fan I side with your reasoning

[Tom Kessenich]

Hey as a Pats' fan I side with your reasoning

I'm not a Pats' fan but I loathe Goodell's consistent abuse of power and the inconsistent approach he utilizes toward player punishment. The idea that any of this can remotely compare to abuse or sexual assault completely boggles the mind. But based on the number of games Brady has been suspended for that is exactly what Goodell and the league is saying.

This is a great game. I really love the NFL. But I've said many times that when they screw something up they do it in a really big way. This is yet another example of that.

[The Franchise]

I think this is a different issue than off the field behavior because while a lot of that is in excusable, it's not done with any intent to change the results of a game. It's just somebody being boneheaded and showing lousy judgement.

So in my mind it's not about deflating footballs, it's about the intent to try and alter the rules to gain an advantage and knowing that what they were doing is 100% illegal. And I would say the same thing if it were the Colts that did this.


Wayne

Wayne were you drinking when you wrote this? So Ray Rice punching his fiance in the face is not as bad as Brady because it wasn't intended to change the outcome of a game??? No it was done with the intent to change the outcome of her face!

So what Brady did (which by the way is what? He didn't deflate the balls himself. OK so he ordered the code red, let's just go with that) You consider this to be 100% illegal and Brady knew it, but with Ray Rice we chalk it up to being boneheaded or lousy judgement???

Sorry bud, but I see one offense being much more severe and inexcusable. No comparison and therefore should not require a harsher penalty or double the suspension than that pussy Ray Rice got.

[The Franchise]

Nelson, it is only the Patriots fans that I have seen get overly worked up about the punishment. It's almost a New England mentality that Brady and the franchise cannot do any wrong.

Most objective observers agree that the Patriots and Brady knew what they were going was wrong. In and of itself, to me this deflation of the balls is not a gross violation of the rules, but it certainly is a violation and they knew it was wrong. New England still would have crushed the Colts that day, but they cheated and they knew it. It's similar to when you and I are speeding by 15 mph over the limit. We knew the rules, but do it anyway. If I get caught, I need to shut up, accept my responsibility and take my punishment.

4 games is excessive, but it most definitely is worse in my mind when he refused to cooperate. If his agent gave him that advice, he ought to be fired. It is a basic Dale Carnegie principle - admit when you are wrong and people get less defensive.

Jack if you read the report and then listen to Wells' comments the only thing Brady didn't cooperate with was letting them see his phone. And of all people you should know it's his right to not given them his phone. I'm not even sure why the heck they wanted his phone for. To look at texts? If he was sending texts or calling McNally and Jastremski about deflating the footballs wouldn't the investigators be able to see that on their phones, if in fact that was the case? No reason to need Brady's phone they had access to those other guys phones.