Inflationgate

[msj]

At the height of inflation gate. Micheal Strahan brought two balls to their morning show. One properly inflated and the other to the pressure found in the NE balls. Everyone on the show who handled the balls could immediately tell which ball was under inflated, including Kelly Ripa. You would think the officials could to.

Unless it is a blind test using 10 balls at various levels of PSI I'm not going to buy it.

Let's wait for the results of the investigation and let's hope the NFL will figure out how to move on from this trivial event.

[Wilber]

Unless it is a blind test using 10 balls at various levels of PSI I'm not going to buy it.

Let's wait for the results of the investigation and let's hope the NFL will figure out how to move on from this trivial event.

Why do you need a blind test? Give the person two balls and ask which is the softest. I agree that we need to wait for the results of the investigation, I'm just pointing out that non football players had no trouble determining which ball had the least amount of air.

As far as Aaron Rodgers goes, if he is playing with an over inflated ball, he is breaking the rules. I don't see what the issue is, the rules specifically state the pressure range. Numbers are precise and either they are within limits or they are not.

[msj]

So charge Brady, and perhaps Rodgers, $25,000 and move on.

BFD.

[Boges]

TOM BRADY IS A CHEATER!!!!!!! HE SHOULD BE SUSPENDED THIS SEASON!!!!!! THIS SUPER BOWL SHOULD BE VACATED!!!!!!!!

http://www.nj.com/giants/index.ssf/2015/05/wells_report_reaction.html

Ted Wells' Deflategate report is out, and there seems to be a lot of finger pointing directed towards New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.

As the report revealed, Brady was "generally aware" of deliberate ball tampering by Patriots personnel.

Here's how Twitter reacted to the news:

It's soooo Tom Brady that he gave out Uggs to Equipment managers that "pleased" him.

Edited May 6, 2015 by Boges

[Boges]

It came out late Friday that Tom Brady will face some sort of suspension due to Inflategate.

GOOD!!!!

[sharkman]

Recently the Patriots were invited to the White House. Brady didn't go because the White House Press secretary had poked a little fun at Brady and inflationgate earlier. This guy holds grudges, I'm sure he took note of any local sports journalist who did the same and next year will find themselves shut out of the locker.

[Mighty AC]

It came out late Friday that Tom Brady will face some sort of suspension due to Inflategate.

GOOD!!!!

Four games is fair.

[sharkman]

I just saw a headline that says Brady gets a 4 game suspension for bad balls. That's disgusting!

Edited May 11, 2015 by sharkman

[Hal 9000]

To me, this is the same as Brodeur and Roy making their jerseys bigger with underarms that acted like nets for snagging pucks. Big deal! Fine him, change the system and move along.

[Boges]

Today is a good day. The Pats also get 2 draft picks taken away.

Same penalty as smoking weed BTW.

Edited May 12, 2015 by Boges

[Boges]

This got interesting.

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/07/29/427371646/tom-brady-calls-nfls-4-game-suspension-unfair

Tom Brady issued an impassioned defense of his actions this morning after NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell decided to uphold a four-game suspension over his role in "deflategate."

The New England Patriots quarterback called the suspension "unfair" and said he was "disappointed" that Goodell dismissed his "hours of testimony."

The bottom line, Brady said: "I did nothing wrong, and no one in the Patriots organization did either."

That was, of course, not the conclusion Goodell came to, and it was not the conclusion that attorney Ted Wells came to after a significant investigation.

As we reported:

"The Wells Report identified two Patriots employees — equipment assistant John Jastremski and officials locker room attendant Jim McNally — as playing pivotal roles in deflating footballs to make them easier to grip.

"Transcripts of messages between the two workers referred to Brady by name, and spoke of both meeting with and receiving gifts from him."

In his decision Tuesday, Goodell specifically said that he found Brady was aware of and supported the deflation of footballs. Not only that, Goodell said, but Brady also tried to get rid of potentially incriminating evidence by asking an assistant to destroy his cellphone and SIM card.

Tom Brady is being a whiney bitch. You destroyed evidence you cheated. Take your punishment like a man you cheater!

[Big Guy]

I would like to see this issue go to court. It has always been a contentious issue of just how much power an athletic (entertainment) organization has over the livelihood of athletes. This decision impacts greatly on the earnings of Brady. He is being accused of something he says he did not do. Would the evidence hold up in court? Does it matter?

There are labor laws that govern how any business can treat its employees. It will be interesting if labor laws supersede organizational by-laws or vice versa.

I think Brady has a right to his day in court - and set a precedent for what kind of financial penalties can be applied to professional athletes by its umbrella corporation.

Is the NFL a "trade association" a corporation or ... ? What labor laws does it have to adhere to?

Edited July 29, 2015 by Big Guy

[blueblood]

I would like to see this issue go to court. It has always been a contentious issue of just how much power an athletic (entertainment) organization has over the livelihood of athletes. This decision impacts greatly on the earnings of Brady. He is being accused of something he says he did not do. Would the evidence hold up in court? Does it matter?

There are labor laws that govern how any business can treat its employees. It will be interesting if labor laws supersede organizational by-laws or vice versa.

I think Brady has a right to his day in court - and set a precedent for what kind of financial penalties can be applied to professional athletes by its umbrella corporation.

Is the NFL a "trade association" a corporation or ... ? What labor laws does it have to adhere to?

Yes lets waste tax money on something non criminal...

Hes in the court of goodell. His house, his rules. Ask the nflpa whenever they go against him what happens...

[Big Guy]

Any time professional sports is taken to court they get very nervous and most often lose the case.

These professional athletes are not slaves - they are employees.

Personally I see this as a labour issue. Can an employer suspend an employee at will? How much "evidence" is required for the employer to have the right to "discipline" an employee? Are these athletes "entertainers" each with their own contract with the employer?

I would like to see the answers resolved by an impartial court of law.

[Boges]

Any time professional sports is taken to court they get very nervous and most often lose the case.

These professional athletes are not slaves - they are employees.

Personally I see this as a labour issue. Can an employer suspend an employee at will? How much "evidence" is required for the employer to have the right to "discipline" an employee? Are these athletes "entertainers" each with their own contract with the employer?

I would like to see the answers resolved by an impartial court of law.

The NFL collective bargaining agreement allows for the Goodell to rule on appeals. At this point it's not about the deflated footballs, it's about Brady destroying a phone that may have evidence that he cheated.

The cover-up is always worse than the crime.

[Boges]

Stupid Brady got his Stupid Suspension overturned by a Stupid Judge.

Stupid!

[Black Dog]

Stupid Brady got his Stupid Suspension overturned by a Stupid Judge.

Stupid!

What, you don't like it when the scrappy underdog triumphs over the big evil corporation?

[cybercoma]

Balls.

[Boges]

What, you don't like it when the scrappy underdog triumphs over the big evil corporation?

Calling Tom Brady a "Scrappy Underdog" is beyond hilarious.

[Mighty AC]

If it wasn't for the history of cheating in New England, this whole thing would be a non-issue. However, since they do have that history and are run by a miserable A-hole that avoids the handshake after losses, I wanted Brady to go done too.

[Boges]

Judge reverses the prior ruling and Brady has to serve a 4 game suspension.

Good news for people who aren't fans of evil.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/15353950/tom-brady-new-england-patriots-four-game-suspension-deflategate-reinstated-appeals-court

A federal appeals court has ruled that New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady must serve a four-game Deflategate suspension imposed by the NFL, overturning a lower judge and siding with the league in a battle with the NFL Players Association.

"We hold that the Commissioner properly exercised his broad discretion under the collective bargaining agreement and that his procedural rulings were properly grounded in that agreement and did not deprive Brady of fundamental fairness," the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Monday in a 2-1 decision in New York.

The decision by a three-judge panel may end the legal debate over the scandal that led to months of football fans arguing over air pressure and the reputation of one of the league's top teams. It is also likely to fuel a fresh round of debate over what role, if any, the quarterback and top NFL star played in using underinflated footballs in the AFC Championship Game in January 2015. The Patriots won the contest over the Indianapolis Colts and then won the Super Bowl.

[The_Squid]

It seems pretty silly that the Commissioner wasn't allowed to punish cheating in the sport... This ruling makes more sense.

[msj]

I find the comments in this thread quite interesting: http://www.footballoutsiders.com/extra-points/2016/federal-appeals-court-reinstates-brady-suspension

Will Allen's seem well informed about the law.

Didn't realize the suspension relates to Brady not agreeing to turn his phone over (or agreeing to a process to allow the NFL access to the relevant parts of his phone) rather than whether he deflated the balls or not.