What punishment would make you boycott the NFL for good?

At worst, a warning from the NFL. In the off season, a memo sent out to all teams warning of serious punishments if balls are tampered with. Either that or they change the rules on the PSI. Also a statement from the NFL that this had gave the Pats no advantage at all. The second half of the game had proper footballs and the Pats score 28-0.

No single action would be responsible. Losing interest would be due the totality of the nonsense (this-gate, that-gate, rule changes, expanding playoffs, validating Ron Borges face on TV too much, Patriot stories from the Boston Globe read out loud, arbitrary league rulings on players such as a Lion's player admitting trying to injure someone and not punished -- to name a few).
I wouldn't quit the NFL, I'd start fading from it like I do a TV show that changes from unimportant entertaining to a show sending a message/changing its format.

The game itself is great, however, Brady and especially BB keep me extra diehard. When they/he is gone the Patriots I have known for the last decade+ is likely to be gone forever. While that may be a tough pill to swallow, it's hard to imagine not following the Patriots provided the NFL offices don't change the format and try to start sending a message.

Kdo5 said:

As much of a bummer this all is, I have to say this Super Bowl is going to be so entertaining. Can't imagine there has been a better matchup, better storylines than this game.

And if the Pats win? Break out your popcorn and be ready for a melt down. That would be fun.

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Admittedly I have my tin foil hat on....but I see now way the NFL "lets" them win a close game....so blow em out or else...

Any punishment more than a minor fine absent evidence and an explanation, and I'm out.

I put this in the other thread, but it seems appropriate here:


And the piling on goes elsewhere...

http://webcache.googleusercontent.c...://www.sharpfootballanalysis.com/blog/?p=2932

So now the Patriots CANNOT POSSIBLY have as few fumbles as they do...

So I looked...in the years since 2007, the Patriots have been 1st in fewest fumbles only once. They were usually in the top 5. Last year, 2013, they were 24th.

But this guy has graphs and stuff to show that their lack of fumbling is statistically impossible. I swear, this is out of hand to the nth absurdity. and could simply end my football fandom.

I'm done with BSPN already.

I am very likely done when BB/Brady are gone. I just do not really care for what the league has turned into and I'm sick and tired of the public hysteria surrounding what is, in essence, a bunch of dudes in tight pants chasing around after a ball.

BradyManny said:

I'm tired of the NFL. Before this incident, I felt their handling of the domestic violence & player safety stuff was such I thought they had 10 years of relevancy left before going the way of the NBA. I'll probably bow out once Brady/Belichick retire. It's a beautiful sport, but the league is ****, and there are things I am more interested in in my life. I spend too much time on this ******** as it is.

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Quoted for truth. I said as much to a friend of mine on Facebook--a reasonable Cowboys fan, who also believes this entire debacle is utter ********. I wish Troy Aikman would repent of his rectal-cranial inversion and embrace my pal's mind set.

Rossmci90 said:

I'm done with BSPN already.

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Likewise.

Any UNLESS it was coupled with kraft being forced to sell the team.. I'm sick of his pacifist ******** because for some unknown reason he wants to be goodells little buddy.

I hope that the patriots boycott the superbowl if they are innocent and yet are punished.

Anything above a fine. Pushing the limits of the rules is a part of al sports. Anyone who says any different has either, never played or coached or is full of ****. My not so humble opinion.

If any punishment is handed out, I am done with the NFL. The SB will be the last game I watch. I would not be surprised if BB retires after this season with all the crap he has had to put up with. Even the owner doesn't support him publicly !! I lost a lot of respect for Kraft today. This evidence is circumstantial at best
I wish Brady would sue ESPN for defamation of character but it won't happen.

Observer said:

I hope that the patriots boycott the superbowl if they are innocent and yet are punished.

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Well, it's not exactly fair to the players, who have worked long and hard for this, so I'll have to disagree.

But as long as we're fantasizing, I'd love to see Brady organize with Lynch and get both teams to agree to a "fire Goodell" wildcat strike. Just picture it -- the announcers go to introduce the teams and no one comes out of the tunnels. Simultaneously a couple of starters on each team have their staff tweet a statement. It would be glorious. (Note: in 1964 the NBA All-Star players successfully used a threat to not play the game to win recognition of the player's union).

Alternatively, I'd love to see the Pats show up and just mock the game. Like take as many consecutive delay of game penalties as they can get before the refs start threatening ejections. Or just standing there on the kickoff and letting Seattle recover the live ball and score. Again and again and again and again. Or taking the snap, putting the ball on the ground, and walking away.

Again, you don't have to tell me why none of this will never happen. I'm not stupid. But it would be awesome.

Personally, I hope that the team is fined $200K or so. Then, all the whiners can move on to Wrestling or Hockey.

I've watched the NFL since the 50's. I'm not about to stop and shift sports because my team is punished by the league. To me, that makes no sense.

I am one of those that will watch the NFL as long as it is the best sport experience out there. IMHO, there is absolutely no contest from any other sports, with the possible exception of some Olympic sports during an Olympic year.

With regard to the bandwagoners, there is little to do. You guys are here because Belichick and Beady are winning. When you leave, we won't notice.

Just BTW, I find most of the few comments I've read here on the subject (I've ignored most) to be as unreasonable as the comments by those in the media.

Any suspension would be a MAJOR downer and i'll probably watch a whole lot less or not at all

any draft pick above 3rd round or higher would make me very mad but maybe not boycott level

Observer said:

I hope that the patriots boycott the superbowl if they are innocent and yet are punished.

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I can't see that as that would be too much of a punishment to players who may be in their first SB and may never get another chance.

You play the superbowl for glory but the glory has already been taken away.

mgteich said:

With regard to the bandwagoners, there is little to do. You guys are here because Belichick and Beady are winning. When you leave, we won't notice.

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I've been rooting for this team since 1976 and (before we had a kid) tried to make at least a couple of games a year, even in the 1-15 days and am definitely a laundry rooter (I'll boo Vinatraitor every chance I get). But at this point I'm just about done with the head-up-its-ass modern NFL.

To use a TV analogy, I'm in the middle of the Brady-Belichick arc and want to see how the arc is wrapped up. But the show has gotten so crappy I don't know that I'm interested in bothering to watch the next arc.

50-yard-line said:

Any punishment more than a minor fine absent evidence and an explanation, and I'm out.

I put this in the other thread, but it seems appropriate here:


And the piling on goes elsewhere...

http://webcache.googleusercontent.c...://www.sharpfootballanalysis.com/blog/?p=2932

So now the Patriots CANNOT POSSIBLY have as few fumbles as they do...

So I looked...in the years since 2007, the Patriots have been 1st in fewest fumbles only once. They were usually in the top 5. Last year, 2013, they were 24th.

But this guy has graphs and stuff to show that their lack of fumbling is statistically impossible. I swear, this is out of hand to the nth absurdity. and could simply end my football fandom.

Click to expand...

Sometimes it's really what they don't show you isn't it. Let's graph offensive plays per fumble, as opposed to run plays per fumble? Obviously that distribution is going to be a big factor. How about the interception rate, also statistically impossible but a flat ball should make it higher.

Then this:
"Based on the assumption that fumbles per play follow a normal distribution"

Why would anyone assume that?