Vegas Rumour: No Punishment For Patriots

[BradyManny]

Again, the refs could have screwed up, but there is no evidence of it. We don't want the league to punish the Pats with no evidence and then saying that the refs are the reason the this whole mess happened with even less evidence of that.

You're missing the point. Nobody should be punished without evidence, refs or Pats. But as long as there is no evidence the Patriots tampered, and there are plausible explanations out there that don't involve Patriot tampering, the accusations hold no weight.

 

[Bobsyouruncle]

However, and ominously, the Official League Mouthpiece has a piece up on MMQB this morning saying that "all 24 balls" were tested and were OK before the game, 11 of 12 NE balls were low at halftime, and "all 24" balls were fine after the game.

I interpret the "all 24" balls fine after the game to be referring to the 12 Colts primary balls and the 12 NE backup balls (since the 12 NE primary balls were taken out of the game at halftime). That is bad. Why? Because it means:

1. Colts balls ok before, ok after.
2. NE primary balls ok before, bad at halftime.
3. NE backup balls ok before, ok at halftime (they were reportedly tested again), ok after.

If true, this blows away the "refs didn't check" theory and it also blows away the weather theory (because NE primary and backup balls were both in cold and rain for half the game and primaries deflated while backups did not).

It would if the ref actually checked all the balls with a guage before the game. But we already have sources willing to use their name who say that isn't always, or even usually the case. So now that leaves us to either take the refs at face value, who have every reason to lie so they aren't fired, or for someone to backup that story. I'm skeptical. And without proof, like a log, or something of ball pressures the simplest explanation should still reign.

 

[upstater1]

Again, the refs could have screwed up, but there is no evidence of it. We don't want the league to punish the Pats with no evidence and then saying that the refs are the reason the this whole mess happened with even less evidence of that.

Huh? We're saying it could have been the refs. heck, I happen to think it's not a screw up. The refs have 36 balls to get through, and it's not just PSI they are checking out but laces and tack and many other things. they also have a set of K balls. I don't blame them for cursory checks of 50 different balls.

That the refs aren't anal is not a criticism, but simply a possibility.

 

[BradyManny]

I am saying this is going to be a PR nightmare of epic proportions that will make the Ray Rice thing look tame.

Tough **** for the league.

 

[Ivan]

Again, the refs could have screwed up, but there is no evidence of it. We don't want the league to punish the Pats with no evidence and then saying that the refs are the reason the this whole mess happened with even less evidence of that.

It was overtuned by an arbitrator, not Goodell. Doesn't change the fact the that Goodell doesn't use public pressure to control his rulings. And the Ray Rice case was overturned because of double jeopardy and not because of the abitrator felt that the punishment was not justified for the act.

Fact is that it was overturned, and if the NFL wanted to hang the patriots over deflation without further evidence they could have already done so. There's a reason this is taking longer and imo it is because they have no proof of the balls being regulation prior to the game and no,proof anyone screwed with them. Absent either and with precedent already set by warnings to two teams that's really what they are left with, the balls were under, we don't know why, we are changing league protocol for the future. The Patriots have received the same warning as the other teams.

 

[Rob0729]

You're missing the point. Nobody should be punished without evidence, refs or Pats. But as long as there is no evidence the Patriots tampered, and there are plausible explanations out there that don't involve Patriot tampering, the accusations hold no weight.

You are missing the point. What should be the case and what will be the case are two different things. No Goodell shouldn't punish the Pats without evidence, but he most likely will. Goodell shouldn't let public pressure determine his rulings on things like this, but most likely will.

What should happen in the name of fairness and what probably will happen in the name of the NFL saving face on this matter are two different things.

 

[Rob0729]

Tough **** for the league.

Unfortunately, it is more likely tough **** for the Patriots, Brady, and/or Belichick.

 

[upstater1]

If Kraft accepts a punishment without evidence and without fighting it, he will have totally lost me

 

[BradyManny]

You are missing the point. What should be the case and what will be the case are two different things. No Goodell shouldn't punish the Pats without evidence, but he most likely will. Goodell shouldn't let public pressure determine his rulings on things like this, but most likely will.

What should happen in the name of fairness and what probably will happen in the name of the NFL saving face on this matter are two different things.

Fair enough. I can't argue with that until we see how Goodell acts. The guy is a buffoon and we can't predict his erratic behavior.

 

[Rob0729]

Fact is that it was overturned, and if the NFL wanted to hang the patriots over deflation without further evidence they could have already done so. There's a reason this is taking longer and imo it is because they have no proof of the balls being regulation prior to the game and no,proof anyone screwed with them. Absent either and with precedent already set by warnings to two teams that's really what they are left with, the balls were under, we don't know why, we are changing league protocol for the future. The Patriots have received the same warning as the other teams.

It is taking this long because the league wants to make the public believe no matter what their ruling is that they did an in depth investigation and left no stone unturned so it doesn't look like the Ray Rice case where they never aggressively tried to get information or the video from the police.

 

[BradyManny]

Unfortunately, it is more likely tough **** for the Patriots, Brady, and/or Belichick.

Then the Pats have to fight it. I hold Kraft in high regard, but if he takes one for the league and hangs the QB that has been a huge part of his success out to dry, my respect for him will decrease significantly. I would doubt Kraft would do that, just as I would doubt Brady would risk his entire reputation and lie yesterday. All evidence suggests these guys aren't A-Holes (unlike on the NFL side of things).

 

[TomPatriot]

BTW, you are wrong about how they check balls. They do check with a pressure gauge. MMQB.com followed a ref crew around in 2013. And they filmed them checking the pressure.

http://mmqb.si.com/2015/01/22/deflategate-video-how-nfl-officials-check-game-ball-pressure/

If a you know a film crew is following you around you may do you're job differently than if you were not being filmed. And just because it was being done once in 2013 does not mean it is usually or always done.

 

[Rob0729]

Then the Pats have to fight it. I hold Kraft in high regard, but if he takes one for the league and hangs the QB that has been a huge part of his success out to dry, my respect for him will decrease significantly. I would doubt Kraft would do that, just as I would doubt Brady would risk his entire reputation and lie yesterday. All evidence suggests these guys aren't A-Holes (unlike on the NFL side of things).

If Brady and/or Belichick are punished individually, they might fight this. I still don't see Kraft fighting this especially after supporting Goodell publicly in the Ray Rice case. I just don't see it happening. Kraft is fighting now behind the scenes, but I doubt he will ever do it publicly.

 

[Big-T]

You know things have gone too far when even Rob has jumped the Shark.

 

[Rob0729]

If a you know a film crew is following you around you may do you're job differently than if you were not being filmed. And just because it was being done once in 2013 does not mean it is usually or always done.

Whatever the case is. Right now there is zero evidence that the refs did anything but what they were supposed to in inspecting the balls. In fact, there isn't even a rumor to suggest otherwise. I hope we find out it was the officials failed to properly inspect the balls, but I ain't holding out hope of that.

 

[Fixit]

For the record, I think the most the punishment will be is a fine. I also think that the tampering charges against the Jets will magically be dropped.

 

[Galeb]

Whatever the case is. Right now there is zero evidence that the refs did anything but what they were supposed to in inspecting the balls. In fact, there isn't even a rumor to suggest otherwise. I hope we find out it was the officials failed to properly inspect the balls, but I ain't holding out hope of that.

Witness testimony that balls usually aren't checked with a pressure gauge is a helluva lot more evidence than what the NFL has on the Pats.

 

[TomPatriot]

Whatever the case is. Right now there is zero evidence that the refs did anything but what they were supposed to in inspecting the balls. In fact, there isn't even a rumor to suggest otherwise. I hope we find out it was the officials failed to properly inspect the balls, but I ain't holding out hope of that.

I agree. But there is also zero evidence of anything, except the public statements by Jackson, BB and TB. The rest is nothing but hearsay.

 

[Rob0729]

You know things have gone too far when even Rob has jumped the Shark.

How did I jump the shark? I am just being a realist. I am not going to get excited about some random Tweets from a source that to my knowledge has never broken an NFL story.

I am just looking at the facts. This is a media crap storm. Goodell is swayed by public pressure and is already under a microscope for the Ray Rice scandal. The public wants blood.

People are waiting for a sense of fairness from a guy who crapped on the Pats with Spygate, totally blew the Bounty Gate thing, and blew the Ray Rice thing even more. I am just wondering when Roger Goodell was replaced by another guy named Roger Goodell who uses good judgement and puts a sense of fairness over the image of the league?

 

[BradyManny]

If Brady and/or Belichick are punished individually, they might fight this. I still don't see Kraft fighting this especially after supporting Goodell publicly in the Ray Rice case. I just don't see it happening. Kraft is fighting now behind the scenes, but I doubt he will ever do it publicly.

I'd be very disappointed in Kraft if that were the case. This is not like Spygate where we willingly broke an NFL rule. This is a very nebulous situation.