Colts GM Ryan Grigson

BradyManny said:

If it doesn't look bad for the Pats, the media deems it uninteresting.

The question needs to be answered - why did the Colts GM think the Patriots were under-inflating balls. Whether the Patriots tampered or not largely dictates the answer to that question, and in either case, the answer is very interesting. Considering I do not believe the Patriots tampered & that nature provides a reasonable explanation - I'd be surprised if the answer doesn't become a lot more interesting, and end up reflecting poorly on the Colts, the NFL and/or another team.

A lot of this gets explained by the likely fact that the people involved simply did not understand what happens to a ball inflated in one environment and taken to another. Considering a ball has never been gauged mid-game, this becomes very believable.

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I don't know if we're going to get an answer to that question. If you recall in the league's investigation of the Ray Rice elevator video, the scope of the investigation was limited to answering, I believe, two questions. It wasn't to comprehensively address every facet of the Rice case. (As an aside, the league said that Mueller will have access to NFL email and phone records as part of his investigation. In the final report, there were no emails from Roger Goodell included. Not even a "What's the latest on this?" message to anyone on his staff. This has nothing to do with the Wells investigation, but I hadn't seen it mentioned on the board.)

I don't remember exactly what the objectives of the Wells investigation are or if those were ever publicized. If it is to determine if the footballs were tampered with or if there is a natural explanation for the lower PSI, he could provide that answer without addressing Grigson's involvement. I believe the league would like to clear this up without it boomeranging back on the Colts.

If that happens, I hope Kraft doesn't let it slide and either addresses it publicly or points someone in the media in the right direction. If Grigson engineered this as some sort of scheme to embarrass the Patriots and distract them from the Super Bowl, then he deserves everything negative coming his way.

Boots Electric said:

You know what's odd? Bob Kravitz, the slimeball that he is (I would use stronger language but I don't want to get infracted), was the one who broke this story. He broke it; he should have his hands around this thing. Is he honestly going to let other people take away what is a potential scandal in the NFL? He has virtually disappeared. A reporter is honestly not going to want the glory of this story?

No, he backed off because the further he dug, the more he realized things are not what they seem. He thought he had the story of a lifetime, until he realized that it would sink the team he roots for.

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My guess is that his sources are inside the Colts organization, not the NFL league office. A Colts employee must have tipped him off soon after the game, and in the process spun it to sound more serious than it was and also minimize the Colts' role in starting the investigation. That is why an Indy reporter was able to scoop this before any national media got hold of it, and also why that same reporter does not have any special insights about the actual NFL investigation that is now going on.

I suspect that the NFL league office was caught off guard by both the initial complaint and the leak, and that a lot of the initial framing of the event in the media came from leaks by Colts employees. The NFL has obviously run with the same framing since then, but it's likely that if the Colts had not made the initial leaks and the NFL PR team had been given the opportunity to choose how to frame it from the start, this would have been handled internally and without the media circus.

smurfalarm said:

My guess is that his sources are inside the Colts organization, not the NFL league office. A Colts employee must have tipped him off soon after the game, and in the process spun it to sound more serious than it was and also minimize the Colts' role in starting the investigation. That is why an Indy reporter was able to scoop this before any national media got hold of it, and also why that same reporter does not have any special insights about the actual NFL investigation that is now going on.

I suspect that the NFL league office was caught off guard by both the initial complaint and the leak, and that a lot of the initial framing of the event in the media came from leaks by Colts employees. The NFL has obviously run with the same framing since then, but it's likely that if the Colts had not made the initial leaks and the NFL PR team had been given the opportunity to choose how to frame it from the start, this would have been handled internally and without the media circus.

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I beg to differ. The finger prints of the league office is there from the beginning starting with Kensil on site handling the ball. As from Kravitz, all the leaks are from the league including Goodell's favorite leak, Glazer.

flasox27 said:

I beg to differ. The finger prints of the league office is there from the beginning starting with Kensil on site handling the ball. As from Kravitz, all the leaks are from the league including Goodell's favorite leak, Glazer.

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Maybe. But I don't think there needs to be a top-down conspiracy from the NFL league office to destroy the reputation of one of their most valuable teams for the vice president of game operations, who happens to live a four hour drive away from the stadium, to be on the sideline for the AFC Championship game. While Kensil's individual motivations might make sense, this whole thing has made Goodell look terrible and has brought a perception of more scandal to the NFL. I really doubt Goodell planned this from the get go.

But don't get me wrong, the NFL league office has clearly been leaking like a sieve, and I am furious with the way Goodell and his subordinates have handled this. I just don't think Bob Kravitz would be the first media mouth piece the league would go to if they were deliberately leaking information from the beginning. Keep in mind that the game was in New England and the league office is in New York. As someone who works for a sports league (not the NFL), I just don't see why a league office leaking information to the beat reporter for a visiting team. We tend to prefer working with either our own reporters, media local to the league office, or national media. It would have made more sense for the initial leak to come through Schefter or Mort (like the later leaks that actually did probably come from the league office) or someone like that if the league office was behind it.

flasox27 said:

I beg to differ. The finger prints of the league office is there from the beginning starting with Kensil on site handling the ball. As from Kravitz, all the leaks are from the league including Goodell's favorite leak, Glazer.

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Agreed . Kensil and Grigson were the on-field facilitators, who probably ran to Irsay giggling about what they'd pulled off. Kravitz found out when he was partying with Irsay that night and couldn't wait to carry the tale to further the agenda of taking down the Pats.

What a tool. He should have said...let's worry about ourselves and our team. They were down 10 at half time and were blown out in the 2nd half.

Spend less time pointing fingers and more time building a SB roster. He was lucky with Suck for Luck but what then? Their 2ndary has two Pats castoffs playing significant roles.

Their D line can't stop the run and they traded a first rounder for Trent Richardson.

When you're outsmarted by the Browns you should shut the F up and revise some things internally rather than point fingers at the best organization in your league.

Shameful!

Tom Brady's dad says this was a sting. I think the Pats believe this was a sting. Kraft has stated that he wants an apology if the NFL does not find a smoking gun. I can almost guarantee that he won't pay any fine unless that happens. The NFL is probably trying to figure out how to get out of this without looking bad.

Apparently the nfl is hanging its hope of brady being suspended next season.I cant trust the nfl when it comes to an investigation.

Kraft should put pressure on the nfl to finish this as quickly as possible

I just watched the Vincent interview on 60 mins sports on Showtime.

Why would Vincent and the NFL rat out the Colts GM? Is this guy now a goat or he is he a hero within Nfl circles for ratting out on deflategate?

According to Vincent it was 1 ball that was called into question, assuming it was the 1 ball under the 2 psi.

They tested all balls at halftime.

Doesn't believe the Patriots are owed an apology. Feels vindication is enough.

Claims Goodell knows nothing about anything when it comes to the balls. Didn't know they were being checked at halftime.

This whole damn thing didnt make sense. As many pointed out Kravitz and Mort and Glazer, etc all went into witness protection. There's more to this story than meets the eye.

If it comes out that the Colts framed us and tampered with that ball. This will be huge.

BTW, if I worked for the Colts, I'd be praying it wasn't actually Grigson.

After all, it's not like Belichick holds a grudge or anything. . . .

The other thing is that Belichick, within the head coaching circles, has friends. People don't like rats and actions like this are not appreciated.

turkeyneck said:

Agreed . Kensil and Grigson were the on-field facilitators, who probably ran to Irsay giggling about what they'd pulled off. Kravitz found out when he was partying with Irsay that night and couldn't wait to carry the tale to further the agenda of taking down the Pats.

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Is it SOP for Kensil or someone similar to be at the game ? Was he at any other playoff games this year or at championship games in prior years ? Who was at GB/Sea game ? D Jackson already admitted it wasn't him - lets do the football test to the Colts equipment manager. Throw him 10 wet balls with 10.5 and 12.5 PSI - he should be able to guess the right one every time. I am sure Wells has done this though.

TeamFirst said:

I just watched the Vincent interview on 60 mins sports on Showtime.

Why would Vincent and the NFL rat out the Colts GM? Is this guy now a goat or he is he a hero within Nfl circles for ratting out on deflategate?

According to Vincent it was 1 ball that was called into question, assuming it was the 1 ball under the 2 psi.

They tested all balls at halftime.

Doesn't believe the Patriots are owed an apology. Feels vindication is enough.

Claims Goodell knows nothing about anything when it comes to the balls. Didn't know they were being checked at halftime.

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Hi, I missed the interview and wonder if you could provide a brief overview of the key things he said. For eg: did he confirm that rest of the balls were closer to the 12.5 psi? did he give any further information on the weight? And did he say that vindication is enough for the Pats (or is that your inference?)?

thanks!

NYCPatsFan said:

Hi, I missed the interview and wonder if you could provide a brief overview of the key things he said. For eg: did he confirm that rest of the balls were closer to the 12.5 psi? did he give any further information on the weight? And did he say that vindication is enough for the Pats (or is that your inference?)?

thanks!

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Said a few times ball. Not once said balls. No mention of psi/weight at all. He was asked straight up if the nfl would apologize to the Pats like Kraft asked: He said he feels that if the Patriots are found innocent than vindication is enough in his opinion.