Interesting Tidbit from Albert Breer about the Wells' Investigation Today (4/10)

1) Again...I think the most reasonable assumption is that Ted Wells is racking up billable hours, which is what attorneys are best at. I think the so-called "bullying" scandal that took 4+ months is a prime example of his most recent work.

Just about everyone here would make the same choice if they were making 1,000 dollars plus (per hour) from a major corporation such as the NFL. He took his sweet old time before in a BULLYING scandal that likely could have been solved in a week--tops. Good lord. What's not to understand? In this case, they are actually using forensic analysis/scientific evidence.

Some of these hypotheticals about Grigson, Kensil, etc are cracking me up. They may be guilty of wrongdoing, but it's very unlikely that they would cause a delay in the investigation. This isn't the Kennedy assassination for crying out loud.



2) It's also possible that there is some P.R. work at play here. The NFL has already decided not to dump a bunch of negative news all at once (I would have dumped everything on the same day, myself), by giving us news from ATL and CLE's penalties weeks ago.

Now they'll have the schedule release and the draft, which are positive P.R. events, and will draw attention to feel-good stories about upcoming prospects, specific matchups, newly shaped teams, and increase hope for the Jets, Titans, and Buccaneers of the world.

Once that's worn off a bit, they'll get back to their spacing of "negative" stuff, which is deflategate + any tampering that occurred. As @Fencer noted, the other penalties were for 2016, so we may not be getting any resolution in the next 2-3 weeks, and it may have been designed that way by penalizing the Falcons weeks ago into 2016.

The only reason picks would come into play would be for the tampering by the Jets. And I don't see why the league would consider that overly negative PR.

VectorPrime said:

The only reason picks would come into play would be for the tampering by the Jets. And I don't see why the league would consider that overly negative PR.

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How aren't "picks in play" for both the deflategate and tampering scenarios? Last I checked there were certainly punishments on the table for both cases, right/wrong.

And to answer your second question, when you have had a year like they have with Ray Rice, Peterson, Hardy, etc----AND then you have textgate, deflategate, noisegate, and tampergate, yes....it's not out of the realm of possibility to assume that they may wish to space out their negative news between some more positive (schedule release, draft).

For what it's worth, I think the more likely scenario is simply that Wells takes his sweet old time while racking up billable hrs at 1,000+ per hour plus, but I can certainly envision a scenario where the NFL may wish to space some of their negative attention.

supafly said:

For what it's worth, I think the more likely scenario is simply that Wells takes his sweet old time while racking up billable hrs at 1,000+ per hour plus, but I can certainly envision a scenario where the NFL may wish to space some of their negative attention.

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I tell my mechanic I only have a 1,000 to spend.

Goodell tells Wells, there's no rush.

My bill from the mechanic comes due at 998.23

I suppose its possible my mechanic is a swell guy and did what he could to bring my bill in under what I could afford.. and I suppose its possible Wells is just being damn thorough.

supafly said:

How aren't "picks in play" for both the deflategate and tampering scenarios? Last I checked there were certainly punishments on the table for both cases, right/wrong.

And to answer your second question, when you have had a year like they have with Ray Rice, Peterson, Hardy, etc----AND then you have textgate, deflategate, noisegate, and tampergate, yes....it's not out of the realm of possibility to assume that they may wish to space out their negative news between some more positive (schedule release, draft).

For what it's worth, I think the more likely scenario is simply that Wells takes his sweet old time while racking up billable hrs at 1,000+ per hour plus, but I can certainly envision a scenario where the NFL may wish to space some of their negative attention.

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Because even the most pessimistic opinions by media people at this point are that the Patriots get hit with some "equipment violation" fine, and I sincerely doubt even that will happen.

VectorPrime said:

Because even the most pessimistic opinions by media people at this point are that the Patriots get hit with some "equipment violation" fine, and I sincerely doubt even that will happen.

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I definitely agree with your overall point that we both think that a fine is the worst we're looking at, but I'm not sure that I'd agree with you that "even the most pessimistic opinion" via the media has just an equipment fine. There are still plenty out there who feel that we could lose a draft pick, and are patiently waiting with the rest of us to see how it plays out.

Either way, my whole point is that the whole deflategate issue has been a major black eye for the NFL, and it couldn't have come at a more unfortunate time. To take it one step further, it has the potential to be even worse for the league depending on the findings. I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility to feel that there's a chance that they may be taking some public relations stuff into account.

I've been thinking, the NFL can't wait until after the draft to level punishment on the Jets for their tampering. Either way the punishment will be for a 2016 pick but if the Jets have a good idea about what the NFL is going to do to them, like if they know their 1st round pick is safe but their 2nd or 3rd might be in danger, then they can trade next's years picks for ones this year. Suddenly they don't have a midround pick in next years draft so the worst the NFL can do is take away their 6th.

Patriots are in other teams heads. Raven intercept ball in a very cold game, measure it, see it is down, assume it is from tampering and Brady gives them a learn the rules dig. Ravens don’t measure their own balls because why would they, they know they didn’t let air out of their own balls. Ravens tell Pagano, Grigson tells NFL, Kensil sets up sting. Colt intercept ball, measure and it is down (perhaps they take another pound out to match the reading the Raven gave them from a much colder game). Colts tell Kinsel who is waiting to pounce. Kensil measures Patriots balls, sees they are down, takes this as absolute proof the Patriots must have doctored them, and Kinsel and the Colts blow the whistle to the press who go nuts. Patriots are caught flat footed because they have no idea this is coming and no idea how it happened. NFL leaks any damming story, says investigation will be over in 3 days because hey, the Patriots did it, how else did the pressure drop.

NFL finds no proof, then science shows the deflation must occur with the temp drop and balls being wet. Ah Oh NFL, you got some splaining to do. Wells is hired as Kensil and NFL botched this so badly and the press has been on a slandering, libelous feeding frenzy which will someday be the subject of teachings on what not to do.

Columbia, who play football on Kraft field provided by their billionaire alumni and supporter Robert Kraft, will have affirmed the deflation is due to science within a week of being given this to do. It is high school science and they will not botch this. Wells is looking into Colts, Ravens and the NFL sting and leaks plus the theft of a game ball by one official and another official substituting an unapproved ball for the stolen one. This is why it didn’t take 3 days but perhaps 3 months. This could take down the Jets shadow regime running the NFL.

VectorPrime said:

I've been thinking, the NFL can't wait until after the draft to level punishment on the Jets for their tampering. Either way the punishment will be for a 2016 pick but if the Jets have a good idea about what the NFL is going to do to them, like if they know their 1st round pick is safe but their 2nd or 3rd might be in danger, then they can trade next's years picks for ones this year. Suddenly they don't have a midround pick in next years draft so the worst the NFL can do is take away their 6th.

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What you say makes sense, but then the same logic may be able to be applied for the next calendar year as well. In other words, if they don't rule on it within the next 3 weeks, we may be looking towards a 2017 swapping of picks, no matter when the ruling happens (assuming May--April 2016).

One would've thought that this was addressed during the owner's meetings, but then the Jets' allegation came after the meetings had already occurred--so who knows?

Personally, I'm not going to expect much in the next 3 weeks, but I hope that we find a resolution soon, and that you're right about your hunch.

IMO Wells found nothing out of the ordinary, and they are sitting on the results waiting for a bigger news moment so this can get lost on page B 2. If anything Indy and Baltimore may be more culpable, and they do not want a bigger scandal right now.

Nothing makes sense in this investigation, it should have been completed mid Feb at the latest.. it is not that complicated of an investigation.

Whether the league acts on the Jets tampering by the draft or not I'm off the opinion that Belichick should send in the card at #6. If anyone asks what they think they are doing they can say that the Jets tampering was so obvious they just assumed it was their pick. Besides, it's the jets, they probably won't notice anyways.

The biggest issue IMO is how the league spins Kensil allowing 1/2 of the game to be played with non regulation balls on the patriot side. He (or someone in the league office) were told to be aware of the issue and did not have the refs check the balls prior to kickoff.

My guess is that it is going to be spun that Grigson told someone in the league office but not kensil, that guy did not tell Kensil, Kensil gets the game day call from the colts saying they had a deflated ball and then grigson investigates. Hey the Ray Rice video was in a desk and no one looked.

This is a huge mess for the league, Grigson Knows, Pagano doesn't, Kensil Knows, Blandino doesn't.

If Grigson has told the truth in that he notified the league office, Kensil needs to be fired for not telling Blandino, Why did Grigson tell the league but not his own coach, because the coach tells the refs what he wants them to look out for during the game. The refs would have checked the balls prior to the start.

Nobody in the media's hatred of BB comes close to that of Breer's. Breer traditionally puts the most negative spin possible on any Pats information that he reports. For him to "speculate" that the focus of the investigation has turned onto the Colts and league office is a strong indicator that not only will the Pats be exonerated, but others will be punished.

PS
**** Albert Breer.

Reminder: The NFL has much to be embarrassed about here OTHER than botching the investigation, including:

• A rule (ball pressure) for which there's no enforcement process in place ...
• ... and whose meaning they may truly not understand. (I.e., nobody relevant was thinking about the pressure swings due to weather.)
• The sting operation, presumably rogue.
• The coincidental ball-stealing official.

Between that and the failings in the early days after the story broke, Wells has a lot to investigate.

Ivan said:

Whether the league acts on the Jets tampering by the draft or not I'm off the opinion that Belichick should send in the card at #6. If anyone asks what they think they are doing they can say that the Jets tampering was so obvious they just assumed it was their pick. Besides, it's the jets, they probably won't notice anyways.

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Post of the Year!
Were this to happen I would be seeing a doctor 4 hours later.

PatsWickedPissah said:

Post of the Year!
Were this to happen I would be seeing a doctor 4 hours later.

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The poor guy's sight is already failing. No need to make him squint.

Sharks of Vegas ‏@SharksOfVegas
The media are the only ones that centered it around the Patriots.

Sharks of Vegas ‏@SharksOfVegas
The Wells Report will have almost nothing to do with the Patriots. It is an investigation into the officials and the Colts. #DeflateGate

For what (little) its worth, these guys are doubling down on this take.

Danger Zone said:

Sharks of Vegas ‏@SharksOfVegas
The media are the only ones that centered it around the Patriots.

Sharks of Vegas ‏@SharksOfVegas
The Wells Report will have almost nothing to do with the Patriots. It is an investigation into the officials and the Colts. #DeflateGate

For what (little) its worth, these guys are doubling down on this take.

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Still don't know if I believe this guy, but he has been banging this drum that it is about the officials before we found a lot of things like the league employee who was stealing the balls, the fact they didn't record the PSI either time, the fact that Kensil may have been out to get the Patriots, etc.

I still think the report will have a lot to do with the Patriots (although possibly exonerating them), but there is likely to be a large section about the league and Colts and how it was handled. We have already found out way too much for the Wells report to ignore this part of the story.

Rob0729 said:

Still don't know if I believe this guy, but he has been banging this drum that it is about the officials before we found a lot of things like the league employee who was stealing the balls, the fact they didn't record the PSI either time, the fact that Kensil may have been out to get the Patriots, etc.

I still think the report will have a lot to do with the Patriots (although possibly exonerating them), but there is likely to be a large section about the league and Colts and how it was handled. We have already found out way too much for the Wells report to ignore this part of the story.

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Me neither. I'm in cautiously optimistic/wait and see mode. He might be another Incarcerated Bob in the end, but for now I don't mind reading what he has to say even if it's mostly because he's been one of the lone positive notes from the very start.

BlueThunder said:

Bill Nye the Science guy hasn't been interviewed to my knowledge

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"Was Dora the Explorer available for comment?"