Boston Ram
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They are not from Boston, we don't wear winter hats in May or bandana's. They look like western Ma type folks lol.
Tom Brady suspended 4 games
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They are not from Boston, we don't wear winter hats in May or bandana's. They look like western Ma type folks lol.
Boston Ram
Hall of Fame
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I hear you, but disagree. If it wasn't a big deal Brady and Manning would not of pushed QB's getting the balls before the game to rub up. Also when the rule was passed, McNally who is a 32 year Patriot employee was reassigned in his role with the Patriots by Bill. I think you can guess what his new role was.....yes ball control. BB knows everything detail of everything. He knew what was going on, this is a guy who prides himself in addressing every last detail.
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That's what I've always read about him... he's into every little detail.
He got lucky on this one.
StevenG-BR
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With our luck he'd turn out to be the best GM in NFL history and spark a 25-year dynasty.
They'd then build a 50 foot statue of a chiseled Spags outside Gillette. With a plaque and quote that reads "Proper sock folding is the cornerstone of every great dynasty."
rams2050
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Read between the lines-- Eli is GLAD Brady got suspended. Thinks he's a royal cheat, "Yes, there is a NOTICEABLE differenc,." he said.
As if every QB in the league doesn't already KNOW what an under-inflated football feels like and how much easier it is to catch and to carry.
But Eli is playing it cool, as if he FEELS for poor ol' Tom.
Ha, ha, and double ha again!
As if every QB in the league doesn't already KNOW what an under-inflated football feels like and how much easier it is to catch and to carry.
But Eli is playing it cool, as if he FEELS for poor ol' Tom.
Ha, ha, and double ha again!
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Memento
Your (Somewhat) Friendly Neighborhood Authoress.
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Yeah, those guys are awesome. For the record, they're the ones who auto-tune the politicians and media.
Unnecessary Censorship could - and should - have a field day with this.
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http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...rseys-available-for-creative-personalization/
Brady jerseys available for creative personalization
Posted by Mike Florio on May 12, 2015
Eight years ago, after Mike Vick was indicted for dog fighting, it was impossible to buy a Vick jersey with creative names on it (like “Ron Mexico”), or with his own name on it.
Now, in the immediate aftermath of the four-game suspension of Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, his jersey can still be purchased, both in his name and others.
Via SportsBusiness Daily, Patriots jerseys with No. 12 on the back can be purchased with “Deflator,” “Cheater,” “Scammer,” “Con Artist,” and “Flat Balls” in the name plate at NFLShop.com. “Fraud” was not available.
Presumably, that will change, soon. So if you want to get a jersey with one of those terms on the back, move quickly.
Brady jerseys available for creative personalization
Posted by Mike Florio on May 12, 2015
Eight years ago, after Mike Vick was indicted for dog fighting, it was impossible to buy a Vick jersey with creative names on it (like “Ron Mexico”), or with his own name on it.
Now, in the immediate aftermath of the four-game suspension of Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, his jersey can still be purchased, both in his name and others.
Via SportsBusiness Daily, Patriots jerseys with No. 12 on the back can be purchased with “Deflator,” “Cheater,” “Scammer,” “Con Artist,” and “Flat Balls” in the name plate at NFLShop.com. “Fraud” was not available.
Presumably, that will change, soon. So if you want to get a jersey with one of those terms on the back, move quickly.
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- #229
http://mmqb.si.com/2015/05/12/tom-brady-deflategate-questions/
Brad Horrigan/Hartford Courant/TNS via Getty Images
Ten Questions for Tom
Seemingly everyone in America has spoken out regarding the Deflategate punishment—except Tom Brady himself. Time for the Pats QB to stand up and state his case. Here’s what I’d ask him
By Peter King
Time to hear from Tom Brady. Though I doubt we will anytime soon.
As many have pointed out in the last few hours (and weeks), Brady has had a strange reaction since the story broke that the Patriots may have doctored the footballs before the AFC Championship Game in January. Brady’s response has been more bemusement than outrage, more pleasantly dismissive than feisty and defensive. Why?
Actually, there are a lot of questions Brady needs to answer if America—and not just the six New England states—is to begin to believe that he’s innocent of the charges from the NFL, charges that resulted in a four-game suspension for him and a $1 million fine for the organization and the lost of first- and fourth-round draft picks.
If I have a chance to talk to Brady, these are the 10 questions I’d ask, for starters:
1. Why have you not taken any of the chances to more strongly proclaim your innocence, if you’re innocent?
There was the post-AFC title game press conference, the Bob Costas NBC interview, the Jim Gray interview at Salem State. For someone on whom Patriots owner Robert Kraft has staked his personal and professional reputation, Brady’s been a monk on this topic, leaving everyone to wonder: Why doesn’t an innocent man, if he’s innocent, proclaim his innocence?
2. Are you a cheater?
Peter Alexander of NBC News asked this question in that January press conference, and Brady had a most curious response: “I don’t think so.” It’s a simple yes or no question.
3. Did you ever tell Patriots employees John Jastremski or Jim McNally, directly or through an intermediary, to deflate game footballs to your liking?
This is the crux of the case, really. If I had one question, this would be it. Of course, I’ve suspected that if Brady were involved in tampering with the balls, it might not be in a direct way that leaves his fingerprints on the process. So …
4. The text exchanges between Jastremski and McNally certainly make it sound as if they were illegally and deliberately deflating footballs. What reason would they have to do that? How else would you explain those texts?
One of the things that goes through my mind is that Brady would be loath to give direct orders to low-on-the-totem-pole people who later could spill the beans on him if charges of football-deflation ever came to light. Could the two handlers, knowing Brady’s preference for footballs at the lower end of the inflation scale, have acted on their own, despite never have been told to so directly?
5. Some of those texts came across as pretty disrespectful to you. Why do you think that is?
On October 16 of last season, according to the Wells report, Jastremski texted McNally, “Tom is acting crazy about balls.” The next day McNally texted Jastremski: “Tom sucks…i’m going to make that next ball a f—— balloon.” On several other occasions in the following days, McNally texted Jastremski, “F— Tom” and seemed to suggest that he was purposely going to overinflate the balls to get back at the quarterback for something. What reason would these two low-level employees have for talking about Brady in such terms?
6. Do you think other teams’ quarterbacks tamper with the ball, either underinflating or overinflating it beyond the regulation pressure?
7. What are your biggest problems with the Wells Report?
We’ve been hearing from the Brady and Patriots camp that significant aspects of their responses to investigators were not in the Wells report. Now would be the time to provide details of what they claim was left out.
8. Why not give up your cell phone for forensic examination if you have nothing to hide?
In hindsight, should Brady have been more cooperative with the investigation? Particularly with so much on the line, if you’re innocent and know there could be severe consequences for not submitting the cell phone to be examined, it would seem the logical thing to do. And particularly given that the Wells team said Brady could have a lawyer or agent present so that only football-relevant texts or emails would be examined.
9. How does it feel for an NFL investigation to conclude that “more probable than not” you were aware of activities that were against the rules?
Or, more simply, what is it like for you to know the NFL has bashed your integrity and character? To have Brady’s honor besmirched, forever, has to be life-rattling for someone who was previously such a golden child.
10. Does it hurt to know that, forever, a significant portion of American football fans will look at Tom Brady and associate the word “cheater” with you?
Bonus question: If you had a chance to ask Roger Goodell one question right now, or to say one thing to him, what would it be?
Brady often is professionally evasive with his answers. If he doesn’t want to answer a question, rather than saying, “No comment,’’ he usually veers off in a different direction and says something, but not an answer to what you really want to know. Not sure I’d do a great job keeping him on track, but I’d try.
At some point, Brady’s got a lot to answer for. I can’t wait to hear it.
Brad Horrigan/Hartford Courant/TNS via Getty Images
Ten Questions for Tom
Seemingly everyone in America has spoken out regarding the Deflategate punishment—except Tom Brady himself. Time for the Pats QB to stand up and state his case. Here’s what I’d ask him
By Peter King
Time to hear from Tom Brady. Though I doubt we will anytime soon.
As many have pointed out in the last few hours (and weeks), Brady has had a strange reaction since the story broke that the Patriots may have doctored the footballs before the AFC Championship Game in January. Brady’s response has been more bemusement than outrage, more pleasantly dismissive than feisty and defensive. Why?
Actually, there are a lot of questions Brady needs to answer if America—and not just the six New England states—is to begin to believe that he’s innocent of the charges from the NFL, charges that resulted in a four-game suspension for him and a $1 million fine for the organization and the lost of first- and fourth-round draft picks.
If I have a chance to talk to Brady, these are the 10 questions I’d ask, for starters:
1. Why have you not taken any of the chances to more strongly proclaim your innocence, if you’re innocent?
There was the post-AFC title game press conference, the Bob Costas NBC interview, the Jim Gray interview at Salem State. For someone on whom Patriots owner Robert Kraft has staked his personal and professional reputation, Brady’s been a monk on this topic, leaving everyone to wonder: Why doesn’t an innocent man, if he’s innocent, proclaim his innocence?
2. Are you a cheater?
Peter Alexander of NBC News asked this question in that January press conference, and Brady had a most curious response: “I don’t think so.” It’s a simple yes or no question.
3. Did you ever tell Patriots employees John Jastremski or Jim McNally, directly or through an intermediary, to deflate game footballs to your liking?
This is the crux of the case, really. If I had one question, this would be it. Of course, I’ve suspected that if Brady were involved in tampering with the balls, it might not be in a direct way that leaves his fingerprints on the process. So …
4. The text exchanges between Jastremski and McNally certainly make it sound as if they were illegally and deliberately deflating footballs. What reason would they have to do that? How else would you explain those texts?
One of the things that goes through my mind is that Brady would be loath to give direct orders to low-on-the-totem-pole people who later could spill the beans on him if charges of football-deflation ever came to light. Could the two handlers, knowing Brady’s preference for footballs at the lower end of the inflation scale, have acted on their own, despite never have been told to so directly?
5. Some of those texts came across as pretty disrespectful to you. Why do you think that is?
On October 16 of last season, according to the Wells report, Jastremski texted McNally, “Tom is acting crazy about balls.” The next day McNally texted Jastremski: “Tom sucks…i’m going to make that next ball a f—— balloon.” On several other occasions in the following days, McNally texted Jastremski, “F— Tom” and seemed to suggest that he was purposely going to overinflate the balls to get back at the quarterback for something. What reason would these two low-level employees have for talking about Brady in such terms?
6. Do you think other teams’ quarterbacks tamper with the ball, either underinflating or overinflating it beyond the regulation pressure?
7. What are your biggest problems with the Wells Report?
We’ve been hearing from the Brady and Patriots camp that significant aspects of their responses to investigators were not in the Wells report. Now would be the time to provide details of what they claim was left out.
8. Why not give up your cell phone for forensic examination if you have nothing to hide?
In hindsight, should Brady have been more cooperative with the investigation? Particularly with so much on the line, if you’re innocent and know there could be severe consequences for not submitting the cell phone to be examined, it would seem the logical thing to do. And particularly given that the Wells team said Brady could have a lawyer or agent present so that only football-relevant texts or emails would be examined.
9. How does it feel for an NFL investigation to conclude that “more probable than not” you were aware of activities that were against the rules?
Or, more simply, what is it like for you to know the NFL has bashed your integrity and character? To have Brady’s honor besmirched, forever, has to be life-rattling for someone who was previously such a golden child.
10. Does it hurt to know that, forever, a significant portion of American football fans will look at Tom Brady and associate the word “cheater” with you?
Bonus question: If you had a chance to ask Roger Goodell one question right now, or to say one thing to him, what would it be?
Brady often is professionally evasive with his answers. If he doesn’t want to answer a question, rather than saying, “No comment,’’ he usually veers off in a different direction and says something, but not an answer to what you really want to know. Not sure I’d do a great job keeping him on track, but I’d try.
At some point, Brady’s got a lot to answer for. I can’t wait to hear it.
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Here's an example of excusing one's own bad behavior by pointing out the bad behavior of others. As if that makes the cheater somehow less guilty. And no, the Rams didn't make it into this Patriots forum thread.
*****************************************
http://www.patsfans.com/new-england-patriots/messageboard/threads/nfl-cheaters-master-list.1115773/
NFL Cheaters master list
Miami
Cheated to sign former coach Don Shula by tampering with the then Baltimore Colts employee. Found guilty of tampering and stripped of a first round pick.
The organization’s public unwillingness to follow tampering rules was the impetus for free agent reform. In 2008 the Phins signed guard Justin Smiley, contract written, detailed, printed and signed just 17 minutes after midnight.
1985 an Assistant was accused of radioing conversations from other teams. Letter of reprimand issued from the league.
Caught illegally taping the Patriots offensive calls on the LOS in their first meeting and then used that info to beat them in the second game.
New York Jets:
Assistant coach intentionally injured an opposing gunner. Cowardly Mike Westoff, instead of taking responsibility for their malicious actions, blamed the Patriots instead.
Tampered with then New England Coach Bill Parcells.
Contacted illegally Patriot assistants after they hired Mangini in an attempt to pry them away.
Broke memo of not to tape signals from the field, just a week or two before they ratted on the Pats
Former kicker Jay Feeley admitted the team had been faking injuries for years.
While playing for the Jets Favre also gave out inside secrets and strategy tips on the Packers in a 40 minute phone conversation with Matt Millen and the Lions coaching staff, actively sabotaging the team he’ll one day enter the Hall of Fame as a member of. The story was successfully covered up by an ESPN “Do Not Report” order but was unearthed by Profootballtalk. Favre was never disciplined, fined, or help accountable for lying about the incident for weeks.
Tampered with New England CB Darell Revis
Buffalo Bills:
Intentionally injured cancer victim Eric Berry
Fined $20,000 for failing to report a wrist injury to Mario Williams.
Baltimore Ravens:
Gave fiance-puncher Ray Rice the most minimal punishment possible for punching said fiance, hoping the whole thing would go away. Only cut the despicable RB when the video of the domestic violence incident went viral and essentially forced the team’s hand.
Employs repeat domestic abuser Terrell Suggs with little to no repercussions.
Accidentally let it slip that the team used bounties, specifically with Steelers WR Hines Ward.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1513154-supe r-b...
Ray Lewis using a banned substance to come back from injury sooner and lead his team to a Super Bowl.
“According to Sports Illustrated, Lewis contacted a company to obtain a deer-antler velvet extract after tearing his triceps in October. Mitch Ross of S.W.A.T.S reportedly videotaped the phone call from Lewis. “Spray on my elbow every two hours?” Lewis asked Ross regarding the extract, via Philly.com “No,” Ross said. “Under your tongue.” Later, Lewis asked Ross to “just pile me up and just send me everything you got, because I got to get back on this this week.” The problem for Lewis is that the extract contains IGF-1, which is on the NFL’s list of banned substances.
Pittsburgh Steelers:
Team Doctor Implicated in illegal use/dispensing of PED’s.
Cheated the Salary Cap
Rampant cheating with illegal steroid use "What I did (steroid use) was wrong" - Terry Bradshaw
Former coach Bill Cower admitted to stealing opposing teams signals (sounds smart if you ask me).“We didn't lose the game because of any Spygate, because of them having any additional things,” Cowher said, referring to the 41-27 loss to New England that ended the Steelers' season following a 15-1 regular season. “I think if they're guilty of anything, they're guilty of arrogance because they were told not to do something. But it was something that everybody does.”
The Spygate scandal didn't break until almost three years later, after the Patriots were caught taping the New York Jets coaches' defensive signals during a September 2007 game. The NFL fined Belichick $500,000 — the largest fine given a coach — and the Patriots $250,000 and took away New England's first-round pick in the 2008 draft.
Former Patriots video assistant Matt Walsh later provided the league with eight tapes of opposing teams' defensive signals during the 2000-02 seasons, but the league did not discipline the Patriots further.
“The only thing they got caught (was) doing it with a camera,” Cowher told the radio station. “We had people that always tried to steal signals. Stealing someone's signals was a part of the game, and everyone attempted to do that.”
Cowher said “part of the things we had (were) wristbands that we were using to do it,” attempting to identify opposing teams' verbal signals that were being yelled to the players on the field.”
Current coach Mike Tomlin was fined $100,000 for cheating in-game, stepping onto the field to deliberately alter the path of kick returner Jacoby Jones.
Cleveland Browns:
Currently under NFL investigation for texting opposing play calls to the Browns sideline from the press booth.
Indy Colts:
Accused repeatedly throughout the years of using artificial crowd noise, manipulating dome temperatures, and tampering with opposing teams in-helmet communication units.
Used coach Tony Dungy’s influence on the competition committee to advance defensive contact rules specifically tailored to their own agenda. The Colts won a Super Bowl with the new rules in place, yet somehow the rest of the world is still under the impression that Tom Brady lobbied for and created these rules.
Intentionally lost games in order to get the top drat pick - "Sucking for Luck"
Denver Broncos:
Got caught taping a SanFrancisco walk through.
Caught cheating by way of manipulating the salary cap multiples times: a feat that won the franchise back to back Super Bowl titles.
Coach Mike Shanahan admitted to using similar video taping practices as Belichick during his Super Bowl years, and was investigated for spying on a Chargers practice in 2008.
San Diego Chargers:
Caught cheating in 2012 by illegal use of towels with a hidden adhesive substance. The league fined the team $20,000 ruling that the club failed to turn over the towels when directed, and attempted to conceal them. As a testimony to just how little ball tampering matters, the Chargers were 3-3 before the scandal and finished 7-9 missing the playoffs.
Kansas City:
Jimmy Johnson named Chief’s coach Marty Schottenheimer as one of the many coaches in the league that videotaped opposing teams signals identical to what the Patriots were found guilty of.
Chiefs coach Todd Haley accused the team of bugging rooms in the Arrowhead facilities, and even wiretapping their own head coach’s phone.
In 2012 the Chiefs administration was busted for misappropriating millions in tax payer money. The report outlined that of the almost $30 million in tax payer funds it received for stadium maintenance, they used only about 30% of the money on the stadium. The rest, illegally, went elsewhere.
Dallas:
Legendary coach Jimmy Johnson one of the few people with the courage to admit that he used video taping practices identical to the Patriots’ to steal signals, as did a number of other coaches. It was integral to their success in building a dynasty
Caught cheating and stripped of over $10 million in salary cap space for illegally tampering with their salary cap 2010.
Washington:
Caught cheating and nailed for over $31 million in salary cap space for running the same salary scam as the Cowboys in 2010.
Accused of cheating by the Cowboys in 2011 by way of “disconcerting signals.”
New York Giants:
Caught cheating and epitomized the fake injury scandal by accidentally having two players fake injuries at the same time to gain extra timeouts.
Philly:
Caught cheating in 1989 as head coach Buddy Ryan promoted a bounty system against the division rival Dallas Cowboys, coaching his players to purposely injure key opponents.
Tampa:
Accused of cheating in 2012 by way of tampering with visiting teams’ in-helmet communication systems, and were still somehow 2-5 at home that year.
Recently admitted to cheating by bribing ball attendants ($7500) to tamper with game balls. In yet another demonstration of how little minor tampering of game balls matter, this is the same Super Bowl mentioned above that the Raiders allegedly lost on purpose.
Carolina:
Three members of the 2004 Panthers tested positive for steroids after LOSING Super Bowl XXXVIII to the New England Patriots. An investigation showed all 3 players had prescriptions for the banned substance filled within two weeks of the Super Bowl suggesting that they were definitely on steroids during the game… AND STILL LOST.
Caught cheating in 2014 by tampering with game balls, heating them on the sidelines. Received only a warning from the NFL
New Orleans:
Bounty Gate
Chicago:
Former Bears LB Brian Urlacher admitted his defense regularly used fake injuries to slow down opposing offenses.
Recent admission of former ballboy of trying to sneak balls through the inspection.
Minny:
Caught cheating in 2014 by tampering with game balls, heating them on the sidelines. Received only a warning from the NFL
Green Bay
Aaron Rogers has admitted he wants his footballs overinflated for games. Gets angry when they take air out.
Arizona:
Former Cardinals QB Matt Leinart admits to tampering with game balls, and further more correctly admits that almost every NFL quarterback does it too.
Seattle:
Multiple violations of offseason practice rules leading to the team being stripped of mini-camp days and both the organization and coach Pete Carroll being fined a combined $300,000.
Alleged PED use by 7 players
49ers
Cheated the Salary Cap
----------
You're missing some more:
NY Jets
Tampering with Patriots WR Deion Branch, 2006 (source)
Tampering with Packers QB Brett Favre, 2008 (source)
Tampering with Broncos WR Brandon Marshall, 2009 (source)
Tampering with 49ers rookie WR Michael Crabtree, 2009 (source)
Tampering with Raiders CB Nnamdi Asomugha, 2010 (source)
Headset sabotage on Cowboys HC Jason Garrett, 2011 (source)
via NE QB Drew Bledsoe :eek: - HC Bill Parcells obtaining/sharing information about injuries from other teams, Patriots WR Terry Glenn, 1998 (source)
Miami Dolphins
Tampering with Chargers WR Vincent Jackson, 2010 (source)
Richie Incognito - Jonathan Martin bullying scandal, 2013 (source)
Philadelphia Eagles
Tampering with Oregon QB Marcus Mariota, 2015 (source)
Tennessee Titans
Bounty program, early 2000 (source)
KC Chiefs
via Colts CB Vontae Davis - Tampering with Dolphins CB Sean Smith, 2013 (source)
Washington Redskins
Tampering with Titans DL Albert Haynesworth, 2009 (source)
SF 49ers
Tampering with Bears LB Lance Briggs, 2008 (source)
TB Buccaneers
Headset sabotage on Redskins QB RG3, 2012 (source)
(general)
Tampering with Browns WR Josh Cribbs, 2013 (source)
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This is why people don't like Patriots fans.
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No it isn't. They don't like Patriots fans because the Patriots are perennial winners.
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I know right, as if beating their asses on a regular basis wasn`t enough to make ther blood boil, on average, our IQ`s are clearly much higher as well. They comment with 5th grade level smack and make accusations that have yet to be proven true, and we provide REAL facts...oh well, sucks to be them....... thats for damn sure.
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Can't leave out one of the original "gate" scandals... Shouldergate. John Clayton busted the Steelers in 1978 practicing with pads when it was in violation of league rules. Probably had about the same effect on games as a ball off by one psi, but they did it KNOWING it was illegal. Chuck Noll went as far as saying he didn't care about that rule and did it anyway. Local fans directed their hate towards Clayton, even though their coach was clearly cheating the rules.
People (especially Steeler fans) conveniently forget about this controversy which led Rozelle to strip the Steelers of a 3rd round pick. The Steelers won the super bowl this year. Should there be an asterisk?
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They already have 4 tainteD SB's in the 70's for illegal steroid use.
And if anyone says what the Steelers did was legal they are absolutely wrong.
Legal back then: Prescribed steroids for a valid medical reason with a valid prescription from a physician.
Was never legal: Abusing steroids to enhance athletic performance. As if we're supposed to believe everyone on the Steeler team had a medical condition that required steroid prescriptions. Abusing any prescription drug (which steroids were) was never legal in this country.
Most damning of all, Terry Bradshaw said what he did (his steroid use) was wrong. Anyone actually think he'd say such a thing if it was legal?
And no "everyone" was not doing it. The Steelers have had more players die from heart and other steroid related health problems than any other team in the NFL by far. Why do you suppose that is.
They cheated. 4*
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Everybody else does it defense? My integrity is not based on the lesser integrity of others. Own it.
*****************************************
http://www.patsfans.com/new-england-patriots/messageboard/threads/nfl-cheaters-master-list.1115773/
NFL Cheaters master list
Miami
Cheated to sign former coach Don Shula by tampering with the then Baltimore Colts employee. Found guilty of tampering and stripped of a first round pick.
The organization’s public unwillingness to follow tampering rules was the impetus for free agent reform. In 2008 the Phins signed guard Justin Smiley, contract written, detailed, printed and signed just 17 minutes after midnight.
1985 an Assistant was accused of radioing conversations from other teams. Letter of reprimand issued from the league.
Caught illegally taping the Patriots offensive calls on the LOS in their first meeting and then used that info to beat them in the second game.
New York Jets:
Assistant coach intentionally injured an opposing gunner. Cowardly Mike Westoff, instead of taking responsibility for their malicious actions, blamed the Patriots instead.
Tampered with then New England Coach Bill Parcells.
Contacted illegally Patriot assistants after they hired Mangini in an attempt to pry them away.
Broke memo of not to tape signals from the field, just a week or two before they ratted on the Pats
Former kicker Jay Feeley admitted the team had been faking injuries for years.
While playing for the Jets Favre also gave out inside secrets and strategy tips on the Packers in a 40 minute phone conversation with Matt Millen and the Lions coaching staff, actively sabotaging the team he’ll one day enter the Hall of Fame as a member of. The story was successfully covered up by an ESPN “Do Not Report” order but was unearthed by Profootballtalk. Favre was never disciplined, fined, or help accountable for lying about the incident for weeks.
Tampered with New England CB Darell Revis
Buffalo Bills:
Intentionally injured cancer victim Eric Berry
Fined $20,000 for failing to report a wrist injury to Mario Williams.
Baltimore Ravens:
Gave fiance-puncher Ray Rice the most minimal punishment possible for punching said fiance, hoping the whole thing would go away. Only cut the despicable RB when the video of the domestic violence incident went viral and essentially forced the team’s hand.
Employs repeat domestic abuser Terrell Suggs with little to no repercussions.
Accidentally let it slip that the team used bounties, specifically with Steelers WR Hines Ward.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1513154-supe r-b...
Ray Lewis using a banned substance to come back from injury sooner and lead his team to a Super Bowl.
“According to Sports Illustrated, Lewis contacted a company to obtain a deer-antler velvet extract after tearing his triceps in October. Mitch Ross of S.W.A.T.S reportedly videotaped the phone call from Lewis. “Spray on my elbow every two hours?” Lewis asked Ross regarding the extract, via Philly.com “No,” Ross said. “Under your tongue.” Later, Lewis asked Ross to “just pile me up and just send me everything you got, because I got to get back on this this week.” The problem for Lewis is that the extract contains IGF-1, which is on the NFL’s list of banned substances.
Pittsburgh Steelers:
Team Doctor Implicated in illegal use/dispensing of PED’s.
Cheated the Salary Cap
Rampant cheating with illegal steroid use "What I did (steroid use) was wrong" - Terry Bradshaw
Former coach Bill Cower admitted to stealing opposing teams signals (sounds smart if you ask me).“We didn't lose the game because of any Spygate, because of them having any additional things,” Cowher said, referring to the 41-27 loss to New England that ended the Steelers' season following a 15-1 regular season. “I think if they're guilty of anything, they're guilty of arrogance because they were told not to do something. But it was something that everybody does.”
The Spygate scandal didn't break until almost three years later, after the Patriots were caught taping the New York Jets coaches' defensive signals during a September 2007 game. The NFL fined Belichick $500,000 — the largest fine given a coach — and the Patriots $250,000 and took away New England's first-round pick in the 2008 draft.
Former Patriots video assistant Matt Walsh later provided the league with eight tapes of opposing teams' defensive signals during the 2000-02 seasons, but the league did not discipline the Patriots further.
“The only thing they got caught (was) doing it with a camera,” Cowher told the radio station. “We had people that always tried to steal signals. Stealing someone's signals was a part of the game, and everyone attempted to do that.”
Cowher said “part of the things we had (were) wristbands that we were using to do it,” attempting to identify opposing teams' verbal signals that were being yelled to the players on the field.”
Current coach Mike Tomlin was fined $100,000 for cheating in-game, stepping onto the field to deliberately alter the path of kick returner Jacoby Jones.
Cleveland Browns:
Currently under NFL investigation for texting opposing play calls to the Browns sideline from the press booth.
Indy Colts:
Accused repeatedly throughout the years of using artificial crowd noise, manipulating dome temperatures, and tampering with opposing teams in-helmet communication units.
Used coach Tony Dungy’s influence on the competition committee to advance defensive contact rules specifically tailored to their own agenda. The Colts won a Super Bowl with the new rules in place, yet somehow the rest of the world is still under the impression that Tom Brady lobbied for and created these rules.
Intentionally lost games in order to get the top drat pick - "Sucking for Luck"
Denver Broncos:
Got caught taping a SanFrancisco walk through.
Caught cheating by way of manipulating the salary cap multiples times: a feat that won the franchise back to back Super Bowl titles.
Coach Mike Shanahan admitted to using similar video taping practices as Belichick during his Super Bowl years, and was investigated for spying on a Chargers practice in 2008.
San Diego Chargers:
Caught cheating in 2012 by illegal use of towels with a hidden adhesive substance. The league fined the team $20,000 ruling that the club failed to turn over the towels when directed, and attempted to conceal them. As a testimony to just how little ball tampering matters, the Chargers were 3-3 before the scandal and finished 7-9 missing the playoffs.
Kansas City:
Jimmy Johnson named Chief’s coach Marty Schottenheimer as one of the many coaches in the league that videotaped opposing teams signals identical to what the Patriots were found guilty of.
Chiefs coach Todd Haley accused the team of bugging rooms in the Arrowhead facilities, and even wiretapping their own head coach’s phone.
In 2012 the Chiefs administration was busted for misappropriating millions in tax payer money. The report outlined that of the almost $30 million in tax payer funds it received for stadium maintenance, they used only about 30% of the money on the stadium. The rest, illegally, went elsewhere.
Dallas:
Legendary coach Jimmy Johnson one of the few people with the courage to admit that he used video taping practices identical to the Patriots’ to steal signals, as did a number of other coaches. It was integral to their success in building a dynasty
Caught cheating and stripped of over $10 million in salary cap space for illegally tampering with their salary cap 2010.
Washington:
Caught cheating and nailed for over $31 million in salary cap space for running the same salary scam as the Cowboys in 2010.
Accused of cheating by the Cowboys in 2011 by way of “disconcerting signals.”
New York Giants:
Caught cheating and epitomized the fake injury scandal by accidentally having two players fake injuries at the same time to gain extra timeouts.
Philly:
Caught cheating in 1989 as head coach Buddy Ryan promoted a bounty system against the division rival Dallas Cowboys, coaching his players to purposely injure key opponents.
Tampa:
Accused of cheating in 2012 by way of tampering with visiting teams’ in-helmet communication systems, and were still somehow 2-5 at home that year.
Recently admitted to cheating by bribing ball attendants ($7500) to tamper with game balls. In yet another demonstration of how little minor tampering of game balls matter, this is the same Super Bowl mentioned above that the Raiders allegedly lost on purpose.
Carolina:
Three members of the 2004 Panthers tested positive for steroids after LOSING Super Bowl XXXVIII to the New England Patriots. An investigation showed all 3 players had prescriptions for the banned substance filled within two weeks of the Super Bowl suggesting that they were definitely on steroids during the game… AND STILL LOST.
Caught cheating in 2014 by tampering with game balls, heating them on the sidelines. Received only a warning from the NFL
New Orleans:
Bounty Gate
Chicago:
Former Bears LB Brian Urlacher admitted his defense regularly used fake injuries to slow down opposing offenses.
Recent admission of former ballboy of trying to sneak balls through the inspection.
Minny:
Caught cheating in 2014 by tampering with game balls, heating them on the sidelines. Received only a warning from the NFL
Green Bay
Aaron Rogers has admitted he wants his footballs overinflated for games. Gets angry when they take air out.
Arizona:
Former Cardinals QB Matt Leinart admits to tampering with game balls, and further more correctly admits that almost every NFL quarterback does it too.
Seattle:
Multiple violations of offseason practice rules leading to the team being stripped of mini-camp days and both the organization and coach Pete Carroll being fined a combined $300,000.
Alleged PED use by 7 players
49ers
Cheated the Salary Cap
----------
You're missing some more:
NY Jets
Tampering with Patriots WR Deion Branch, 2006 (source)
Tampering with Packers QB Brett Favre, 2008 (source)
Tampering with Broncos WR Brandon Marshall, 2009 (source)
Tampering with 49ers rookie WR Michael Crabtree, 2009 (source)
Tampering with Raiders CB Nnamdi Asomugha, 2010 (source)
Headset sabotage on Cowboys HC Jason Garrett, 2011 (source)
via NE QB Drew Bledsoe :eek: - HC Bill Parcells obtaining/sharing information about injuries from other teams, Patriots WR Terry Glenn, 1998 (source)
Miami Dolphins
Tampering with Chargers WR Vincent Jackson, 2010 (source)
Richie Incognito - Jonathan Martin bullying scandal, 2013 (source)
Philadelphia Eagles
Tampering with Oregon QB Marcus Mariota, 2015 (source)
Tennessee Titans
Bounty program, early 2000 (source)
KC Chiefs
via Colts CB Vontae Davis - Tampering with Dolphins CB Sean Smith, 2013 (source)
Washington Redskins
Tampering with Titans DL Albert Haynesworth, 2009 (source)
SF 49ers
Tampering with Bears LB Lance Briggs, 2008 (source)
TB Buccaneers
Headset sabotage on Redskins QB RG3, 2012 (source)
(general)
Tampering with Browns WR Josh Cribbs, 2013 (source)
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This is why people don't like Patriots fans.
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No it isn't. They don't like Patriots fans because the Patriots are perennial winners.
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I know right, as if beating their asses on a regular basis wasn`t enough to make ther blood boil, on average, our IQ`s are clearly much higher as well. They comment with 5th grade level smack and make accusations that have yet to be proven true, and we provide REAL facts...oh well, sucks to be them....... thats for damn sure.
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Can't leave out one of the original "gate" scandals... Shouldergate. John Clayton busted the Steelers in 1978 practicing with pads when it was in violation of league rules. Probably had about the same effect on games as a ball off by one psi, but they did it KNOWING it was illegal. Chuck Noll went as far as saying he didn't care about that rule and did it anyway. Local fans directed their hate towards Clayton, even though their coach was clearly cheating the rules.
People (especially Steeler fans) conveniently forget about this controversy which led Rozelle to strip the Steelers of a 3rd round pick. The Steelers won the super bowl this year. Should there be an asterisk?
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They already have 4 tainteD SB's in the 70's for illegal steroid use.
And if anyone says what the Steelers did was legal they are absolutely wrong.
Legal back then: Prescribed steroids for a valid medical reason with a valid prescription from a physician.
Was never legal: Abusing steroids to enhance athletic performance. As if we're supposed to believe everyone on the Steeler team had a medical condition that required steroid prescriptions. Abusing any prescription drug (which steroids were) was never legal in this country.
Most damning of all, Terry Bradshaw said what he did (his steroid use) was wrong. Anyone actually think he'd say such a thing if it was legal?
And no "everyone" was not doing it. The Steelers have had more players die from heart and other steroid related health problems than any other team in the NFL by far. Why do you suppose that is.
They cheated. 4*
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Everybody else does it defense? My integrity is not based on the lesser integrity of others. Own it.
Memento
Your (Somewhat) Friendly Neighborhood Authoress.
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2010
- Messages
- 17,418
- Name
- Jemma
I just want to give KU fans an apology. You are not the most delusional fans in sports. I'm sorry for ever assuming that you were more delusional than Cheatriots fans. And it kills me to admit that because I hate everything that your school and state stands for, but I just hate the Cheatriots so much more.
- Joined
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- 10,827
- Name
- Scott
Also candidates for the Dumb Ass of the Day thread.http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...-internet-donate-money-to-much-richer-person/
Group of idiots on internet donate money to much richer person
Posted by Darin Gantt on May 12, 2015
Listen, we get it, people like football. And the liking of football is good for business, and pays a lot of mortgages.
But some of you people really need to take a peek in a mirror.
Some fan, aggrieved by the league’s fining the Patriots $1 million for their “more probable than not” role in deflating footballs, has decided to pass the hat.
A GoFundMe.com site has been set up, soliciting donations to help offset the league-imposed fine.
“We obviously know we won’t reach One Million Dollars, however we do believe the fine is bulls**t and want to help anyway we can,” the site reads. “So whatever is donated will be donated to the New England Patriots in help with the fine!”
Yeah, poor Robert Kraft, worth $4.3 billion (with a B) can use all the help he can get.
At the moment, 365 fans/suckers/trolls have made donations worth $5,430, ranging from $500 to $5. And to be honest, as a capitalist, part of me says “fine, have at it, whizz away your own money however you please.”
At the same time, there has to be a homeless dog somewhere in the cities where these people live, or something more worthy than making a quixotic — and very, very stupid — statement on behalf of a billionaire who believes he’s been wronged.
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/05/12/patriots-fans-stage-sit-in-at-nfl-headquarters/
Patriots fans stage sit-in at NFL headquarters
Posted by Josh Alper on May 12, 2015
Patriots fans are taking a page from Cosmo Kramer’s battle against Big Bagel’s refusal to recognize Festivus and taking their grievances to the street.
Four Patriots fans associated with Barstool Sports have parked themselves in the lobby of the NFL’s Park Avenue headquarters in New York to express their displeasure with the penalties handed down to quarterback Tom Brady and the Patriots on Tuesday. The four protestors, all of whom are wearing Brady jerseys, first paraded in front of the building with signs before moving inside the building to stage a sit-it while handcuffed together.
It remains to be seen if they also plan to move onto tampering with the steam pipes, but the New York Police Department may not give them the chance. Twitter user Lisa Kraus Edwards has been documenting the protest with pictures on Twitter, including the one on this page, and reports that police are on the scene to put an end to the scene at the behest of NFL security.
It seems doubtful that this protest sparks further uprisings, but if we’re wrong “No Brady, No Peace” may become the catchphrase of the summer.
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Awww, one for each game. Adorable.
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At least seated on the ground they’re safe from falling off the barstools referenced in their name. Something makes me suspect there’d be a very real danger of that happening.
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These are your people, Boston. Revel in the stupid…
Funny story.
Boston Ram
Hall of Fame
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- Mar 1, 2013
- Messages
- 3,565
I hear this all day. Everyone else does it or did it etc. they deny , they deny, then blame. It was a sting job, it's unreal. Don't cheat and there is no sting. It's everybody's fault except theirs. Classic Pats
Elmgrovegnome
Legend
- Joined
- Jan 23, 2013
- Messages
- 22,094
Did you ever read that article about how the Patriots fumbling rate dropped to impossibly low numbers in recent years? That article, backed up by the numbers convinced me that Belicheck not only knew about having less air in the ball but that it was originally his idea. Belicheck, like most football coaches, hates fumbling but unlike most coaches his hatred for it is common knowledge. Mysteriously the problem went away, almost completely.
Circumstantial? Yeah. But we are talking about a guy that openly and willingly cheated........repeatedly. Bill knows that in the end, when he is out of football he will be richer for all of the cheating he did and in a decade after he leaves most people will forget he ever cheated, or even if they remember it wont make a difference in the history books or more importantly his wallet. That is why Brady and Kraft are on board with it all. It is not about winning. It is about the extra money that winning leads to.
- Joined
- Jan 3, 2013
- Messages
- 23,201
I believe its all circumstantial and like when Mangini ratted out BB and the boys, they werent doing anything the rest of the league to a certain extent wasnt doing.
Jerry Rice, Aaron Rodgers, Peyton Manning, have all admitted to altering the environment to help. Cant wear stick em on the hands, but a QB can wear a glove, etc.
I hate the Pats as much as the next guy but IMO this is a bunch of whiners that cant beat the Pats on the field so they go the cheater route.
All the while Tom Brady is suspended for twice as long as Ray Rice. Stay classy NFL
- Joined
- Feb 9, 2014
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- Peter
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #238
http://mmqb.si.com/2015/05/13/deflategate-patriots-tom-brady-nfl-fan-reaction/
Boston Globe/Getty Images
DeflateGate, Digested
The Wells report has been out a week, and the NFL's punishment is two days old. Time to gather the thoughts of everyone from veteran NFL writers to fans and answer the question: Did the league come down too hard on New England?
By Peter King
Before I get to the real point of the column today—your comments, in depth, on the Tom Brady story—I wanted to spend a few paragraphs on four men who do not have a dog in the fight. I called four of my peers, longtime football writers who have won The Dick McCann Award, for long and meritorious service covering the pro game. I wanted voices of people who were not New Englanders or Hoosiers, or who could be accused of having any dog in the sordid fight that is the NFL’s punishment of Brady and the Patriots.
My questions: What do you think of the sanction imposed by the league? And what in this story most sticks out to you as important? Their anwers, in their words, are below.
Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazzette (2014 McCann winner)
I thought it was appropriate, considering Brady did not cooperate fully. As for the Patriots, those two employees represent the team and they conspired to alter the footballs. In light of the Patriots being convicted once before (for Spygate), it upped the ante, as far as I saw, and made this punishment the right thing.
I thought [coach Bill] Belichick should have been punished somehow. The man who supposedly knows everything under his watch knew nothing? I don’t get that. But I thought the Brady punishment was right.
Moving forward, I think the league has to change how the footballs are handled for games. I think the NFL ought to take control of all the footballs and everybody should have to throw the same ball. Have the league get some volunteers to get the sheen off and both sides play with the same ball. What other sport allows individual players to control the condition of the ball in play?
Vito Stellino, Florida Times Union (1989 McCann winner)
I don’t understand why Belichick wasn’t suspended. Ignorance is not supposed to be an excuse. Roger Goodell suspended Asshole Face, and he tossed Rich McKay off the competition committee for three months. I find it amazing Brady was doing this under his nose and Belichick had no idea. Belichick is accountable for his team. He wasn’t suspended for Spygate, and he skates here? I don’t understand that. With the culture of cheating in New England, did that let Brady think he could get away with it?
I probably would have gone six to eight games for Brady.
Another chapter in the nightmare year of the NFL.
As far as for Goodell, it was a good move.
They’ve got to do something about the balls in the future. Some league official is going to have to make sure nobody walks off with the balls between the time they’re tested and the game starts.
One other thing that bothers me. The Ted Wells report praised the ref, Walt Anderson, for his diligence. Wells praises Anderson and he lets the balls disappear before the game? That is puzzling. There’s a lot of puzzling things here.
John McClain, Houston Chronicle (2006 McCann winner)
I believe if Brady had come out and said he did it, and taken it all upon himself, it might have been one game. I still believe, after the appeal, he will not be suspended four games. It does not affect my opinion at all that he is one of the four greatest quarterbacks I have ever seen. And I will vote for him on the first ballot for the Hall of Fame. He deserves it.
I thought what the league gave them was harsh. This sets a precedent. Everybody wondered if Goodell would be tough on [Patriots owner Robert] Kraft. It reminded me when you’re a Little League parent, coaching your son, and he does something wrong and you’re going to be tougher on your son than you would be on the other players. Goodell with Kraft, that was like the Little League coach being tougher on his kid. The rest of the league saw it, and it sets a precedent.
Rick Gosselin, Dallas Morning News (2004 McCann winner)
I think Tom’s image has taken a hit. I don’t think it’ll keep him out of the Hall of Fame, but I do think it will jeopardize first ballot. You want the biggest names in the sport to come across as heroes. Tom came across as less than that. I expected four games. If [Cleveland GM] Ray Farmer got four for violating the integrity of the game for texting his coaches during games, Brady has to get four. You’ve got to be consistent. Farmer’s actions didn’t cross the white lines. Brady’s actions did.
I understand the big [sanction] against the team. It was the second offense. If there’s no Spygate, maybe this time it’d be a $100,000 fine and a fourth-round pick.
Now, I think the league will hire yet another person to work at the game, with a regulator to measure the pressure in the balls, and then measure the balls and walk them out to the field.
* * *
Now onto reader reactions on DeflateGate and the NFL’s punishment of Brady and the Pats…
PUT GOODELL UNDER MICROSCOPE.
I think that at the moment we are too focused on the trees—the evidence, the punishment, the crime, etc. But when the dust settles, we will get back to the larger issue: has the commissioner and the league office been doing a good job of running the league? This whole debacle could have easily been prevented by warning the teams and taking precautions. It is clear that was not done. So the whole league takes a hit. This is what all the owners should be furious about. None of this needed to happen, and the integrity of the game would have been protected and probably enhanced!
The owners need to take a long hard look at how the front office of the league is being run. It shouldn’t be done out of anger on the part of the Patriots, but simply an objective look at the question: Is the league well run? If a coach or GM had the same record of missteps and fumbles as the commissioner, he would have been fired by now. Roger Goodell has established a record of poor judgment. Good judgment is the fundamental criterion for being a league commissioner.
—Patrick M.
WHERE’S WALT?
I am a Patriots fan and do not have a big issue with the suspension of Brady and the penalties against the Patriots. The one thing that I don’t understand is why there is not a penalty of Walt Anderson. He did not maintain the integrity of the game by his lack of actions. He could have prevented this from ever being such a huge controversy but did nothing. He lost sight of the balls and did nothing. He could have delayed the start of the game, given the Patriots a bench penalty to start the contest, contacted the league office … but did nothing. He should be suspended for his inaction.
—Ed, Severna Park, Md.
THE DEFINITION OF CHEATING.
Punishment was completely appropriate. To the folks who say that there is no hard evidence, there was also no subpoena power. I’m curious about what relevant texts existed, if any, on Brady’s phone. He could have cleared that up right away, but chose not to. To the folks who say there was no measurable competitive advantage, I have to then wonder why it was done. If you agree to a rule and then use clandestine methods to not comply with it, that pretty much is the definition of cheating.
—Jerry, San Diego
MARK CUBAN WAS RIGHT.
All this Deflategate nonsense goes back to what Mark Cuban said about the NFL: “Pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered.” Regardless of what side you are on, this whole issue was blown way out of proportion because of how big and prevalent the NFL is in our lives. This was shown by the national media and social media outcry following … under-inflated footballs? If a similar scandal happened in another league, it would have been dead before it started.
—Justin R., Los Angeles
CHEATING STARTS IN YOUTH FOOTBALL.
What I feel is lost in this case is that cheating is the culture of football and it starts at the earliest stages. There has always been a badge of honor when you get away with something and it leads to victory on any given Friday/Saturday/Sunday. I played at the Pop Warner, high school and college level (D3) and have also coached for many years in our local Pop Warner program.
There are coaches who “bend” the rules to gain a competitive advantage and then stand tall and proud when their 8-year-olds win the division. It continues in high school, where coaches are required to share the most recent game films with the next opponent only to mistakenly send films that are a few years old. And lets not even discuss what happens at the college level. These are just some of the issues I have encountered and I am confident there are many more. It is depressing to see that the culture is alive and thriving at the highest level.
—Jack C.
THE EVIDENCE IS ENOUGH.
This is the problem with non-lawyers interpreting a document written by lawyers. First, more probable than not is the definition of preponderance of the evidence , and that IS the standard in civil litigation throughout the country. If it is good enough to win a civil case, it is good enough for this investigation. It is also the standard the players’ association agreed to. And, circumstantial evidence IS evidence and has always been.
—Robert D. Fox, Esq., Bala Cynwyd, Pa.
IT’S NOT ABOUT CRIME; IT’S ABOUT RESPECT.
I put an attendance policy in effect for my small business. All of my employees followed the rules of the new policy except one. He was considered my best employee. I called him into my office and he said he was only five minutes late and acted as if it was no big deal. No apology, no acceptance of blame. I suspended him two days without pay—not because of the crime, but rather the attitude and lack of respect.
Although he was not late after the suspension, his general lack of respect for the rules of the business and his constantly trying to push the limits affected the business as a whole. I let go my most productive employee after the next minor offense. It went much deeper than the offense committed and my company has never had higher moral.
Bottom line: Sometimes in business the punishment isn’t for the crime, it is for the actions that surround it. The Patriots feel like my employee and I think they deserve the penalty.
—Jay
GLASS HALF-FULL REACTION.
Reaction from an optimistic Patriots fan: 1) Permission to audition Jimmy Garoppolo, which would have been impossible otherwise. 2) A shift in the narrative towards “was this too much of a punishment?” which in a way helps Tom Brady’s legacy. 3) Us-against-the-world motivation, which could prevent post-Super Bowl lethargy. 4) Increased emphasis on strengthening defense rather than riding on offense’s coattails. 5) Increased emphasis on developing running game. 6) Preservation of Brady’s health with simultaneous fueling of his competitiveness. 7) Conclusion of the abstract speculation and the ability to move forward proactively and productively. Am I crazy for honestly thinking all these, or am I just displaying a chronic case of homer-ism?
—Marcus L., Fordyce, Ark.
MAKE THE PATRIOTS PAY.
All one has to do is read the Wells report. There is more then enough damning information there. It was a concerted effort by multiple parties to cheat, and then lie about it to cover it up. That’s why the NFL hammered Brady and the Patriots. Did it impact the game against the Colts? Certainly not, but rules are rules, and it’s time the Patriots are held accountable for pushing the limits. Just play the damn game right.
—George W.
SYMPATHY FROM JETS FAN.
I’m a Jets fan, and I find this punishment to be far too harsh. I completely understand that Goodell wants to set the precedent that tampering with equipment is unacceptable, but as many people have pointed out, there have been various other recent instances with ramifications nowhere near as harsh. To me, this all comes back to the Ray Rice situation. Goodell completely shanked it and he’s trying to be a tough disciplinarian from here on out.
—Matthew H.
HAPPY NEW YEA- … WHOOPS.
The NFL has to know that this destroys any positive feelings about the opening night of the new season. Everything else will take a back seat (and I mean back of the bus, not just one row back in a car) to Tom Brady’s suspension and the Pats punishment. After a tumultuous 2014 with Rice, Peterson, etc., 2015 will not be starting out on a positive note.
—Glenn
Boston Globe/Getty Images
DeflateGate, Digested
The Wells report has been out a week, and the NFL's punishment is two days old. Time to gather the thoughts of everyone from veteran NFL writers to fans and answer the question: Did the league come down too hard on New England?
By Peter King
Before I get to the real point of the column today—your comments, in depth, on the Tom Brady story—I wanted to spend a few paragraphs on four men who do not have a dog in the fight. I called four of my peers, longtime football writers who have won The Dick McCann Award, for long and meritorious service covering the pro game. I wanted voices of people who were not New Englanders or Hoosiers, or who could be accused of having any dog in the sordid fight that is the NFL’s punishment of Brady and the Patriots.
My questions: What do you think of the sanction imposed by the league? And what in this story most sticks out to you as important? Their anwers, in their words, are below.
Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazzette (2014 McCann winner)
I thought it was appropriate, considering Brady did not cooperate fully. As for the Patriots, those two employees represent the team and they conspired to alter the footballs. In light of the Patriots being convicted once before (for Spygate), it upped the ante, as far as I saw, and made this punishment the right thing.
I thought [coach Bill] Belichick should have been punished somehow. The man who supposedly knows everything under his watch knew nothing? I don’t get that. But I thought the Brady punishment was right.
Moving forward, I think the league has to change how the footballs are handled for games. I think the NFL ought to take control of all the footballs and everybody should have to throw the same ball. Have the league get some volunteers to get the sheen off and both sides play with the same ball. What other sport allows individual players to control the condition of the ball in play?
Vito Stellino, Florida Times Union (1989 McCann winner)
I don’t understand why Belichick wasn’t suspended. Ignorance is not supposed to be an excuse. Roger Goodell suspended Asshole Face, and he tossed Rich McKay off the competition committee for three months. I find it amazing Brady was doing this under his nose and Belichick had no idea. Belichick is accountable for his team. He wasn’t suspended for Spygate, and he skates here? I don’t understand that. With the culture of cheating in New England, did that let Brady think he could get away with it?
I probably would have gone six to eight games for Brady.
Another chapter in the nightmare year of the NFL.
As far as for Goodell, it was a good move.
They’ve got to do something about the balls in the future. Some league official is going to have to make sure nobody walks off with the balls between the time they’re tested and the game starts.
One other thing that bothers me. The Ted Wells report praised the ref, Walt Anderson, for his diligence. Wells praises Anderson and he lets the balls disappear before the game? That is puzzling. There’s a lot of puzzling things here.
John McClain, Houston Chronicle (2006 McCann winner)
I believe if Brady had come out and said he did it, and taken it all upon himself, it might have been one game. I still believe, after the appeal, he will not be suspended four games. It does not affect my opinion at all that he is one of the four greatest quarterbacks I have ever seen. And I will vote for him on the first ballot for the Hall of Fame. He deserves it.
I thought what the league gave them was harsh. This sets a precedent. Everybody wondered if Goodell would be tough on [Patriots owner Robert] Kraft. It reminded me when you’re a Little League parent, coaching your son, and he does something wrong and you’re going to be tougher on your son than you would be on the other players. Goodell with Kraft, that was like the Little League coach being tougher on his kid. The rest of the league saw it, and it sets a precedent.
Rick Gosselin, Dallas Morning News (2004 McCann winner)
I think Tom’s image has taken a hit. I don’t think it’ll keep him out of the Hall of Fame, but I do think it will jeopardize first ballot. You want the biggest names in the sport to come across as heroes. Tom came across as less than that. I expected four games. If [Cleveland GM] Ray Farmer got four for violating the integrity of the game for texting his coaches during games, Brady has to get four. You’ve got to be consistent. Farmer’s actions didn’t cross the white lines. Brady’s actions did.
I understand the big [sanction] against the team. It was the second offense. If there’s no Spygate, maybe this time it’d be a $100,000 fine and a fourth-round pick.
Now, I think the league will hire yet another person to work at the game, with a regulator to measure the pressure in the balls, and then measure the balls and walk them out to the field.
* * *
Now onto reader reactions on DeflateGate and the NFL’s punishment of Brady and the Pats…
PUT GOODELL UNDER MICROSCOPE.
I think that at the moment we are too focused on the trees—the evidence, the punishment, the crime, etc. But when the dust settles, we will get back to the larger issue: has the commissioner and the league office been doing a good job of running the league? This whole debacle could have easily been prevented by warning the teams and taking precautions. It is clear that was not done. So the whole league takes a hit. This is what all the owners should be furious about. None of this needed to happen, and the integrity of the game would have been protected and probably enhanced!
The owners need to take a long hard look at how the front office of the league is being run. It shouldn’t be done out of anger on the part of the Patriots, but simply an objective look at the question: Is the league well run? If a coach or GM had the same record of missteps and fumbles as the commissioner, he would have been fired by now. Roger Goodell has established a record of poor judgment. Good judgment is the fundamental criterion for being a league commissioner.
—Patrick M.
WHERE’S WALT?
I am a Patriots fan and do not have a big issue with the suspension of Brady and the penalties against the Patriots. The one thing that I don’t understand is why there is not a penalty of Walt Anderson. He did not maintain the integrity of the game by his lack of actions. He could have prevented this from ever being such a huge controversy but did nothing. He lost sight of the balls and did nothing. He could have delayed the start of the game, given the Patriots a bench penalty to start the contest, contacted the league office … but did nothing. He should be suspended for his inaction.
—Ed, Severna Park, Md.
THE DEFINITION OF CHEATING.
Punishment was completely appropriate. To the folks who say that there is no hard evidence, there was also no subpoena power. I’m curious about what relevant texts existed, if any, on Brady’s phone. He could have cleared that up right away, but chose not to. To the folks who say there was no measurable competitive advantage, I have to then wonder why it was done. If you agree to a rule and then use clandestine methods to not comply with it, that pretty much is the definition of cheating.
—Jerry, San Diego
MARK CUBAN WAS RIGHT.
All this Deflategate nonsense goes back to what Mark Cuban said about the NFL: “Pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered.” Regardless of what side you are on, this whole issue was blown way out of proportion because of how big and prevalent the NFL is in our lives. This was shown by the national media and social media outcry following … under-inflated footballs? If a similar scandal happened in another league, it would have been dead before it started.
—Justin R., Los Angeles
CHEATING STARTS IN YOUTH FOOTBALL.
What I feel is lost in this case is that cheating is the culture of football and it starts at the earliest stages. There has always been a badge of honor when you get away with something and it leads to victory on any given Friday/Saturday/Sunday. I played at the Pop Warner, high school and college level (D3) and have also coached for many years in our local Pop Warner program.
There are coaches who “bend” the rules to gain a competitive advantage and then stand tall and proud when their 8-year-olds win the division. It continues in high school, where coaches are required to share the most recent game films with the next opponent only to mistakenly send films that are a few years old. And lets not even discuss what happens at the college level. These are just some of the issues I have encountered and I am confident there are many more. It is depressing to see that the culture is alive and thriving at the highest level.
—Jack C.
THE EVIDENCE IS ENOUGH.
This is the problem with non-lawyers interpreting a document written by lawyers. First, more probable than not is the definition of preponderance of the evidence , and that IS the standard in civil litigation throughout the country. If it is good enough to win a civil case, it is good enough for this investigation. It is also the standard the players’ association agreed to. And, circumstantial evidence IS evidence and has always been.
—Robert D. Fox, Esq., Bala Cynwyd, Pa.
IT’S NOT ABOUT CRIME; IT’S ABOUT RESPECT.
I put an attendance policy in effect for my small business. All of my employees followed the rules of the new policy except one. He was considered my best employee. I called him into my office and he said he was only five minutes late and acted as if it was no big deal. No apology, no acceptance of blame. I suspended him two days without pay—not because of the crime, but rather the attitude and lack of respect.
Although he was not late after the suspension, his general lack of respect for the rules of the business and his constantly trying to push the limits affected the business as a whole. I let go my most productive employee after the next minor offense. It went much deeper than the offense committed and my company has never had higher moral.
Bottom line: Sometimes in business the punishment isn’t for the crime, it is for the actions that surround it. The Patriots feel like my employee and I think they deserve the penalty.
—Jay
GLASS HALF-FULL REACTION.
Reaction from an optimistic Patriots fan: 1) Permission to audition Jimmy Garoppolo, which would have been impossible otherwise. 2) A shift in the narrative towards “was this too much of a punishment?” which in a way helps Tom Brady’s legacy. 3) Us-against-the-world motivation, which could prevent post-Super Bowl lethargy. 4) Increased emphasis on strengthening defense rather than riding on offense’s coattails. 5) Increased emphasis on developing running game. 6) Preservation of Brady’s health with simultaneous fueling of his competitiveness. 7) Conclusion of the abstract speculation and the ability to move forward proactively and productively. Am I crazy for honestly thinking all these, or am I just displaying a chronic case of homer-ism?
—Marcus L., Fordyce, Ark.
MAKE THE PATRIOTS PAY.
All one has to do is read the Wells report. There is more then enough damning information there. It was a concerted effort by multiple parties to cheat, and then lie about it to cover it up. That’s why the NFL hammered Brady and the Patriots. Did it impact the game against the Colts? Certainly not, but rules are rules, and it’s time the Patriots are held accountable for pushing the limits. Just play the damn game right.
—George W.
SYMPATHY FROM JETS FAN.
I’m a Jets fan, and I find this punishment to be far too harsh. I completely understand that Goodell wants to set the precedent that tampering with equipment is unacceptable, but as many people have pointed out, there have been various other recent instances with ramifications nowhere near as harsh. To me, this all comes back to the Ray Rice situation. Goodell completely shanked it and he’s trying to be a tough disciplinarian from here on out.
—Matthew H.
HAPPY NEW YEA- … WHOOPS.
The NFL has to know that this destroys any positive feelings about the opening night of the new season. Everything else will take a back seat (and I mean back of the bus, not just one row back in a car) to Tom Brady’s suspension and the Pats punishment. After a tumultuous 2014 with Rice, Peterson, etc., 2015 will not be starting out on a positive note.
—Glenn
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http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...ys-peds-are-bigger-problems-than-deflategate/
Joe Namath says PEDs are bigger problems than DeflateGate
Posted by Darin Gantt on May 13, 2015
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While John Elway might think the NFL got it right with the Patriots’ DeflateGate punishments, another Hall of Fame quarterback isn’t so sure.
Jets legend Joe Namath said last night he wasn’t sure the deflating of footballs was that big of a deal, and that the suggestion it compared to PED use wasn’t legitimate.
“There are other sports where rules have been breached,” Namath said, via Seth Walder of the New York Daily News. “Performance-enhancing drugs, to me, is a far worse issue, than what we’re talking about with the ball being deflated a little bit. I don’t even know that it was, mother nature does it on her own, like an automobile tire.”
While Namath’s reference to the Ideal Gas Law might lack some of the scientific oomph that others might give it, it’s worth noting that he wouldn’t take the easy shot at the Jets’ division rivals.
Namath said a softer ball would be an obvious benefit to passers and receivers, but said nothing of the sort happened in his day.
Of course not. No one ever broke the rules back in the good old days.
Joe Namath says PEDs are bigger problems than DeflateGate
Posted by Darin Gantt on May 13, 2015
While John Elway might think the NFL got it right with the Patriots’ DeflateGate punishments, another Hall of Fame quarterback isn’t so sure.
Jets legend Joe Namath said last night he wasn’t sure the deflating of footballs was that big of a deal, and that the suggestion it compared to PED use wasn’t legitimate.
“There are other sports where rules have been breached,” Namath said, via Seth Walder of the New York Daily News. “Performance-enhancing drugs, to me, is a far worse issue, than what we’re talking about with the ball being deflated a little bit. I don’t even know that it was, mother nature does it on her own, like an automobile tire.”
While Namath’s reference to the Ideal Gas Law might lack some of the scientific oomph that others might give it, it’s worth noting that he wouldn’t take the easy shot at the Jets’ division rivals.
Namath said a softer ball would be an obvious benefit to passers and receivers, but said nothing of the sort happened in his day.
Of course not. No one ever broke the rules back in the good old days.
Elmgrovegnome
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I totally disagree with this statement. Ernie Adams has a photographic memory. If every team was stealing signals and had a guy on staff with a photographic memory and an extra mic going to their QBs helmets that enabled them to bypass the 20 second transmission rule, well then I would say it was the same as every other team. Belicheck takes everything to a level beyond what teams do everyday.
Wearing stickum is minor. You still have to run the routes and get open and make the catch. Rice didn't know the other teams plans before the snap.
The fumbling thing is not circumstantial. A caller on the Cowherd show who was a former runningback said that a less inflated ball is much easier to hold onto and thus less likely to be fumbled. Try it yourself.
What is absurd about this is that they are all duping the fans once again. Belicheck is the guy who wanted the balls deflated and Tom carried it out. Kraft and Goodell no longer being friends is a joke too. 1 million dollars is nothing to Kraft, a first round draft pick is nothing to the most unconventional drafter in the history of football. They all want us to think this is taken care of and that the Patriots got punished appropriately, but they got nothing. Brady was talking about retirement soon, and the Patriots want to get Garapolo some real playing time to see if he is really the successor. He played well enough to make them think they can win with him so it is low risk.
This whole thing was one big deflection because the true story of the deflated footballs was not how it helped Brady. It is how it helped the Patriots keep their fumbling rate down to historically impossible numbers for the last 7 seasons. Goodell does not want the fans to know the truth, so they are putting the focus on Brady and he is taking the blame. How does a deflated football really give Brady that much of an edge? Maybe he is less likely to fumble it but he still has to make accurate throws. The receivers still have to make good catches and get open. However, turnover margin decides games. Coaches focus on keeping turnovers down every year. Yet, you never hear about the Patriots having to focus on such things anymore because their turnovers are down well below league average. However before their fumble rates plummeted we heard about Bills displeasure with turnovers often. He mysteriously fixed the problem with a solution that no other team has been able to come up with since the game was invented.
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