2/18/2015: Schefter Blows Up ESPN's Earlier Story

Fencer said:

Reiss et al. are clearing McNally's name.

The media never get into trouble if the "only" things wrong in what they do are:

• Honest errors.
• Failure to give corrections the same visibility as the original errors.

Click to expand...

I think your definition of honest error is different than most people. This is like if you bought some groceries and it was reported

"Investigators have found Fencer ducking away from the store with goods and he is being investigated for theft. It's not known Fencer is also the Son of Sam killer. Oh and by the way here's Fencer's name and hometown so feel free to harass him."

It all true because you did leave the store, I don't know if your the son of sam killer and I did hear a rumor so I'm reporting what I heard. No, they probably won't get in trouble but outside of some small and bizarre ethical bubble few will understand how what ESPN did isn't unethical, lazy, irresponsible journalism. They deserve the criticism they got, along with Naqi.

reflexblue said:

AHH a Super Bowl win and BSPN and Goodells boys look like Chumps. Does it get any better?

Click to expand...

Imagine if the Pats had LOST the Superbowl with all of the distraction and then this hits the news.

Marinlik said:

It wasn't a ref. Just an employee that, from all info we've gotten, would have absolutely no way to fix a game.

Click to expand...

There are no NFL employees handling game balls except the game officials and backup officials, who work the sidelines (chains, balls, etc.) and step in if one of the officials gets injured. The person fired for stealing game balls was either an NFL referee/official or Kensil, the VP of Operations.

The Pats know who it is because they turned over the video of him tampering with game balls to the NFL investigation.

Marinlik said:

It wasn't a ref. Just an employee that, from all info we've gotten, would have absolutely no way to fix a game.

Spreading miss information, like you are trying to do in the opposite direction from deflate gate, isn't exactly helping the big problem that people report anything they hear without any fact checking.

Click to expand...

Totally disagree. NFL hires a crook who has the ability to influence a game. What makes you think this entire deflategate was not planned to screw the Patriots in the Superbowl? This seems like an NFL inside job to me. We hear it was a sting by the Ex Jet Patriots hater Mike Kinsel, Then we hear the Colts tipped Mike Kinsel off, then we hear that the NFL officials noticed the stolen ball so Mike Kinsel personally measured the PSI of each Patriots ball. How can you not think this could be a set up by someone in the NFL and this is no different than taking a $100k bribe. Remember how Brady looked at his press conference and after, Belichick talking about all the time he had to put into it, this was bringing the Patriots down and they only got some relief after Kraft told the NFL to F off. We didn't expect that.

Bobsyouruncle said:

I think your definition of honest error is different than most people. This is like if you bought some groceries and it was reported

"Investigators have found Fencer ducking away from the store with goods and he is being investigated for theft. It's not known Fencer is also the Son of Sam killer. Oh and by the way here's Fencer's name and hometown so feel free to harass him."

It all true because you did leave the store, I don't know if your the son of sam killer and I did hear a rumor so I'm reporting what I heard. No, they probably won't get in trouble but outside of some small and bizarre ethical bubble few will understand how what ESPN did isn't unethical, lazy, irresponsible journalism. They deserve the criticism they got, along with Naqi.

Click to expand...

One of the worst headlines I saw on Naqi's report was "Patriots sideline attendant caught sneaking unapproved balls into AFCCG."

Sneaking. Yes, what an unbiased, fair way to report this! The media makes me absolutely sick.

Brady_to_Moss said:

I am HAMMERING Kravitz on twitter

Click to expand...

You're doing God's work.

fgssand said:

Here is how kravitz reports the latest developments -- says one thing has nothing to do with the other -- wow, just wow.

http://www.wthr.com/story/28138278/kravitz-blog-the-latest-on-deflategate-raises-more-questions

Click to expand...

My favorite part was 'Who do you believe - - Kelly Naqi or Adam Schefter'?

That was hilarious!

Bella*chick said:

One of the worst headlines I saw on Naqi's report was "Patriots sideline attendant caught sneaking unapproved balls into AFCCG."

Sneaking. Yes, what an unbiased, fair way to report this! The media makes me absolutely sick.

Click to expand...

The whole thing reeked of bias. One line was something like "It's not known if McNally was the same person caught on tape ducking into the bathroom with the balls." Because caught on tape "ducking" into a bathroom is a totally objective way to report he went into the bathroom.

hwc said:

There are no NFL employees handling game balls except the game officials and backup officials, who work the sidelines (chains, balls, etc.) and step in if one of the officials gets injured. The person fired for stealing game balls was either an NFL referee/official or Kensil, the VP of Operations.

Click to expand...

But this wasn't a ball that was heading onto the field (or back onto the field), it had been removed from play and was being set aside for charity. Mike Reiss referred to the NFL employee in question as "the man in charge of collecting balls for charity" -- not at all clear at this point that we're talking about a game official.

If it WAS a game official, I totally agree that would be a huge scandal and game-integrity issue.

patchick said:

But this wasn't a ball that was heading onto the field (or back onto the field), it had been removed from play and was being set aside for charity. Mike Reiss referred to the NFL employee in question as "the man in charge of collecting balls for charity" -- not at all clear at this point that we're talking about a game official.

If it WAS a game official, I totally agree that would be a huge scandal and game-integrity issue.

Click to expand...

They don't remove balls from play until the game is over. They need the game balls to, uh, play the game! Especially in the pouring rain.

If you listen to Shefter's report (which I linked in the Debate-gate forum), he says that Official 1 snuck the ball out of the rotation. Official 2 noticed that a ball (or balls) was missing and tried to put a substitute ball into the rotation (because they needed them). At that point, Official 1 (the thief), seeing that suspicion had been raised, tried to put a stolen ball back into the game.

The only thing that would make this year any better and would put icing on the cake is for Kraft to sue for absolutely justifiable defamation and win big.

THAT would be the sweetest!

BTW, if the "integrity of the game" is so important to Roger Goodell as he stated in his State of the League address, shouldn't Mike Kensil be suspended for this NFL official trying to insert an unapproved ball into the game? As the VP of Football Operations, he is responsible for everything that happens during the game from a league standpoint and he had a guy with a history of stealing game balls and selling for profit controlling the kicking balls during one of the AFCCG.

I am sure that the league will hold Belichick accountable if they find that one of his staff or players did purposely deflate footballs. Why not hold Kensil responsible for one of his employees for purposely attempting to insert an illegal ball into the game?

Rob0729 said:

BTW, if the "integrity of the game" is so important to Roger Goodell as he stated in his State of the League address, shouldn't Mike Kensil be suspended for this NFL official trying to insert an unapproved ball into the game? As the VP of Football Operations, he is responsible for everything that happens during the game from a league standpoint and he had a guy with a history of stealing game balls and selling for profit controlling the kicking balls during one of the AFCCG.

I am sure that the Pats will hold Belichick accountable if they find that one of his staff or players did purposely deflate footballs. Why not hold Kensil responsible for one of his employees for purposely attempting to insert an illegal ball into the game?

Click to expand...

Shot out of a cannon into a wall would be a more appropriate case of punishment fitting the alleged crime.

hwc said:

They don't remove balls from play until the game is over. They need the game balls to, uh, play the game! Especially in the pouring rain.

If you listen to Shefter's report (which I linked in the Debate-gate forum), he says that Official 1 snuck the ball out of the rotation. Official 2 noticed that a ball (or balls) was missing and tried to put a substitute ball into the rotation (because they needed them). At that point, Official 1 (the thief), seeing that suspicion had been raised, tried to put a stolen ball back into the game.

Click to expand...

You may well be right, it just wasn't that clear to me. If they really caught an official who was appointed to one of the "all-star" playoff crews illegally profiting off games and tried to hush it up...wow.

He had a history of doing this and Kensil decides he needs to work in the AFCCG? Good going, there.

Froob said:

This is the biggest **** up since Peter Griffin chose the mystery box over the boat.

Click to expand...

Hey, that box could have had a boat in it.

patchick said:

You may well be right, it just wasn't that clear to me. If they really caught an official who was appointed to one of the "all-star" playoff crews illegally profiting off games and tried to hush it up...wow.

Click to expand...

I think it was one of the "backup officials" crew. These are NFL officials, not assigned to work the field during a game, but assigned to manage the first down sticks, the balls, etc. on the sidelines and to be available should an injury replacement ref be needed.

We'll know soon enough. If the NFL doesn't come clean pretty soon, the Pats will just give the video to Schefter. Belichick is twisting the knife in Goodell slowly.

shmessy said:

best NFL D since the '85 Bears.

Click to expand...

This is not true in the slightest.

The Gr8est said:

Imagine if the Pats had LOST the Superbowl with all of the distraction and then this hits the news.

Click to expand...

Let's pretend that scenario never would have happened. Fate had always determined that Malcolm was gonna pick that ****.

Rusty Coupe said:

A half time show at the 2015 home opener with a public apology from Goodell to Mr Kraft, Bill Belichick, Tom Brady, and the Patriots and their fans, leading up to the finale of the public firing of Kensil at mid field, all carried on live ESPN with Brunell and Bettis hosting and being mocked by 70,000 rabid Patriots fans would be in order.

Click to expand...

Tasteful. Thank you.