Deflate-Gate: Here We Go Again

[Delicate Genius]

Reading twitter feeds...did some reporter say to brady "look in the camera" ?

Yes. One of those idiots told him to look in the camera and apologize.

 

[Ring 6]

I wont be so sure. They will punish them somehow. They are good at responding to witchhunts.

Everything is moving in the direction of a thorough investigation that uncovered no wrongdoing.
NFL gets rep points for being tough investigators, and gets out of stupidity of leaking what will turn out to be twisted information by exonerating the Patriots, and turning attention to a controversy free SB.
I actually even kind of expect the NFL to go out of their way to be effusive in clearing the Pats of any wrongdoing. Just my gut instinct at this point.

 

[OhExaulted1]

Yes. One of those idiots told him to look in the camera and apologize.

Yup. A guy who's never played football besides on his Play Station I'm sure.

 

[supafly]

That question was asked...and he said: "I don't believe so". You (evidently) didn't think that response was strong enough, thereby implicating him as a guilty party (again, evidently).

I'm not as sure that shmessy necessarily is suggesting guilt as much as just speaking matter of factly on the subject of Brady not handling things as well as maybe he could have. For a guy who's been so well versed in the game of PR/PC and the handling of questions, today was probably not his best work.

That's what I took from the comments, anyway. Apologies if there have been other examples which suggest shmessy's disgust with Brady or suggestion of his guilt. I may have missed those.

 

[Patriots1364life]

Can the nfl make a damn decision over this? Its getting frustrating watching the lynch mob on tv and everywhere

 

[rainmaker]

I'm wearing a t-shirt with this at the Super Bowl. Screw the haters!

 

[SVN]

Yes. One of those idiots told him to look in the camera and apologize.

apologize ????? really ??

 

[KDPPatsfan85]

I love how Tom Brady said, "This isn't ISIS" LMFAO! He is awesome!

 

[ChesBay]

I've been reading every report out there trying to piece together what happened. Here's my two cents that seems to fit all of the actual reported facts:

• I think that the Pats submitted balls under 12.5 psi pregame for inspection. THIS is NOT a violation: a team could submit completely deflated balls and the only thing you could accuse them of is wasting the ref's time as the refs properly fill them.

• They refs are supposed to use a gauge to check the psi, but it's already been reported by an ex ball attendant on NBC News (here) that in his experience the refs rarely used the gauges and just squeezed the balls to make sure they were okay. Using this "procedure" last Sunday night, the refs incorrectly approved the (under inflated) balls and sent them back to the Pats (again not a violation or any misdoing on the Pat's part)

• Why did the Pats submit under inflated balls? Who knows, maybe the equipment guys says "Screw it. Why should I waste time and worry about the psi since the refs will make sure they meet the regs by adding or remove air anyway" (see A. Rodgers comment that the refs often alter the balls pregame). Or maybe he says the same thing that the NBC ball attendant said in the article referenced above which was "Let's get the balls exactly the way we want them, and if the refs reject one or two before the game, no big deal. But there's no harm giving them our ideal balls and hoping they make it through inspection." (again no NFL rules violation)

• Once the issue came up on field, the refs had no choice but to use the gauges to check the balls at halftime and found them to be under inflated (Of course they were! They'd been submitted that way and not corrected by the refs pregame)

I don’t believe any of the above translates to a rules violation by the Patriots as it was the refs who failed to do their job pregame.

In my mind, this scenario most logically fits all the actual facts and it answers the biggest question people are asking: How did the Pats deflate that many balls so precisely without anyone noticing? Answer: They didn't, the balls were already low when they got them back from the official after the pregame inspection.

It also explains the Colts accusations that the Pats balls felt lighter when they played at Lucas Oil Stadium in November. They WERE lighter....because the refs approved them pregame without measuring with a gauge!

Finally, it satisfies the " most logical answer is usually the correct one" rule. It wasn’t a big, multi-level conspiracy, it was simple human error made by refs trying to get things done quickly and move on to the big game (why waste time with pregame ball checks that have never been considered a big deal anyway...before Sunday).

I think that the NFL knows the refs messed up pregame, but they've already "leaked" a report that the refs did the proper procedure pregame. The league has gotten so much heat about the poor quality of the refs this year that it would be a bigger scandal for them to say "Our refs lied. They really didn't do their job pregame".

If this is true, then my guess is that Goodell is struggling to find a way that saves face for the NFL. Unfortunately the easiest way to save face and satisfy mob rule is to blame the mystery on the Pats.

It's all really a shame cause all the NFL had to say early on was "We made a procedural mistake but the refs caught it at halftime and corrected it with no adverse effect on the outcome of the game.”

OR maybe I'm an idiot ... just as likely!

This exactly how I've seen it for a couple of days now. But it doesn't constitute sufficient "red meat" for the media to fuel their day-to-day crisis ratings. The 24 hour news cycle will ultimately abate when this brushfire burns out a little more....and I believe the NFL is waiting for just such a moment. As many have said, the issue of inflation of footballs pales in comparison to the NFL's #1 objective to make money. They don't want people boycotting the actual game or the TV event. They need all the good PR they can get right now, during their seminal event of the year.

 

[supafly]

Everything is moving in the direction of a thorough investigation that uncovered no wrongdoing.
NFL gets rep points for being tough investigators, and gets out of stupidity of leaking what will turn out to be twisted information by exonerating the Patriots, and turning attention to a controversy free SB.
I actually even kind of expect the NFL to go out of their way to be effusive in clearing the Pats of any wrongdoing. Just my gut instinct at this point.

I hope you're right just as much as I hope for a SB victory next Sunday.

This has taken away the focus of the entire postseason for me, as ashamed as I am to admit that. The AFCCG victory just doesn't seem the same so far.

 

[Haley]

Its rough being on top. The Seahawks can only hope they lose the game to us. If they win 2 in a row, well, they are looking at their future.

 

[supafly]

apologize ????? really ??

Thank God he didn't fall for that, in all seriousness.

 

[nowayback]

When an innocent young man is told to walk into a room where how many reporters...100? are waiting to ask him questions and you know they all think you are cheating, and want to hang you. I don't care how innocent you are,,, you will be a bit nervous and uneasy.

 

[SVN]

Thank God he didn't fall for that, in all seriousness.

Thats just horrible. Not hard to get rattled...No wonder rich eisen posted

Rich Eisen @richeisen · 1h1 hour ago
Brady standing tall in this pocket, not dodging a single thing. And not running off podium either.

 

[Kdo5]

When an innocent young man is told to walk into a room where how many reporters...100? are waiting to ask him questions and you know they all think you are cheating, and want to hang you. I don't care how innocent you are,,, you will be a bit nervous and uneasy.

I tend to agree. Most anyone would be a bit shaken by that. He seemingly did fine considering the circumstances.

 

[Double TE]

Any media people on the side of the Pats? Where is Simmons?

 

[KDPPatsfan85]

Any media people on the side of the Pats? Where is Simmons?

Sounds like Shefter is defending the Patriots.

Was watching NFL Live after Brady's press conference. They were tearing him a new one. Brunnel, who lost to Pats in 1996 AFC Championship. Bettis, lost to Patriots twice in AFC Championship, Dawkins who lost to pats in superbowl. Hmmm, I wonder why they are talking smack, they are all butthurt bc they lost to us!!

 

[SVN]

http://www.reddit.com/r/nfl/comments/2tbuhu/watch_live_patriots_quarterback_tom_brady_holds/

reddit opinion from fans of other teams is very +ve..

 

[shmessy]

Sounds like Shefter is defending the Patriots.

Was watching NFL Live after Brady's press conference. They were tearing him a new one. Brunnel, who lost to Pats in 1996 AFC Championship. Bettis, lost to Patriots twice in AFC Championship, Dawkins who lost to pats in superbowl. Hmmm, I wonder why they are talking smack, they are all butthurt bc they lost to us!!

\
Seriously, God Bless Shefter. He is actively backing the Patriots in this.

What's great is he doesn't always, so his credibility is far greater as a result.

He is very respected and has great contacts with the league so that is a ray of optimism right there.

Shefter is what Jay Glazer wishes he was.

 

[OhExaulted1]

I already provided a video clip. Any player who cannot hit that question out of the ballpark........

Did you watch the press conference?

It was Stacey James' job to prep him. There was no reason for him to come out there looking like a deer in the headlights. I don't blame Tom for that. He was not well prepared at all.

He can only say so much until the league responds. In a court of law the prosecution has to present evidence first. This is a akin to making the defense answer to allegations that have not been specifically laid out in a cohesive and understandable manner. Basically the NFL has allowed media hysteria to present their case while hiding in the shadows.

Brady and Belichick have stood forth and taken accountability while there accusers have manipulated there stance behind the scenes. What the NFL office has done is unconscionable and inexusable. They have shown neither good faith nor stood by their convictions.

The silent accuser hides behind the curtains while allowing rumors and innuendo to swirl out of control.

Roger Goodell-You are The Emporer and The Emporer has no clothes.