To all the haters in the media who are calling for 8-16 game suspension

Ok, I am one who believes that Goodell sticks his finger in the air see which way the wind blows and will likely to bow to public pressure and come down hard on Brady. But I don't get these calls for 8-16 games suspensions (although I won't put it past Goodell for giving such a suspension because that is what Goodell does).

Let's say for the sake of this argument that Brady is 100% guilty of directing McNally to deflate balls after they are inspected. How is that any different than a player taking steroids, Adderall, or HGH? And that penalty is a 4 game suspension. In fact, you can argue using a PED is far worse because there are clear advantages to those drugs while science shows there is next to no effect on the balls when it is 1-2 PSI less.

I have never seen people get all morally outraged like this when a player is suspended for a PED even multiple times. When Dion Jordan was suspended for the second time for the PED policy a month ago, the tone was more about Jordan being an idiot with not much outrage. With Brady, you act like he paid off the refs.

Yet everyone in the media are lining up to take shots at Brady and demand that he gets extensive suspensions and be taken out of Hall of Fame consideration.

The argument I've seen that makes the least sense is that they're on probation for Spygate. Ignore the idea that most probations for actual legal troubles don't last 8 years, the bigger problem is that Spygate was a punishment for Bob Kraft, Bill Belichick, and the Patriots organization. The three entities that were specifically cleared of knowledge or wrongdoing in the Wells report. Brady was never punished for Spygate (officially, he was punished in that people started to question his accomplishments), so any discipline levied against him here can NOT take Spygate into account.

Sicilian said:

The argument I've seen that makes the least sense is that they're on probation for Spygate. Ignore the idea that most probations for actual legal troubles don't last 8 years, the bigger problem is that Spygate was a punishment for Bob Kraft, Bill Belichick, and the Patriots organization. The three entities that were specifically cleared of knowledge or wrongdoing in the Wells report. Brady was never punished for Spygate (officially, he was punished in that people started to question his accomplishments), so any discipline levied against him here can NOT take Spygate into account.

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But as you said Brady had nothing to do with Spygate. And when say Brandon Spikes was suspended for PEDs, there was no call to make his punishment bigger because of Spygate.

And I agree that probations tend not extend forever. But I can see the argument that this is a second offense if Belichick is found guilty. But this is Brady's first accusation of cheating in his 15 year career.

Rob0729 said:

But as you said Brady had nothing to do with Spygate. And when say Brandon Spikes was suspended for PEDs, there was no call to make his punishment bigger because of Spygate.

And I agree that probations tend not extend forever. But I can see the argument that this is a second offense if Belichick is found guilty. But this is Brady's first accusation of cheating in his 15 year career.

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That was exactly my point.

Rob0729 said:

Ok, I am one who believes that Goodell sticks his finger in the air see which way the wind blows and will likely to bow to public pressure and come down hard on Brady. But I don't get these calls for 8-16 games suspensions (although I won't put it past Goodell for giving such a suspension because that is what Goodell does).

Let's say for the sake of this argument that Brady is 100% guilty of directing McNally to deflate balls after they are inspected. How is that any different than a player taking steroids, Adderall, or HGH? And that penalty is a 4 game suspension. In fact, you can argue using a PED is far worse because there are clear advantages to those drugs while science shows there is next to no effect on the balls when it is 1-2 PSI less.

I have never seen people get all morally outraged like this when a player is suspended for a PED even multiple times. When Dion Jordan was suspended for the second time for the PED policy a month ago, the tone was more about Jordan being an idiot with not much outrage. With Brady, you act like he paid off the refs.

Yet everyone in the media are lining up to take shots at Brady and demand that he gets extensive suspensions and be taken out of Hall of Fame consideration.

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I blame the Internet for this kind of over-the-top nonsense. Seriously. We're in the age of immediate gratification where emotion no longer is processed through the filter of thoughtful reasoning. You see lynch-mob mentality everywhere, not just in sports.

Sicilian said:

That was exactly my point.

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Sorry, I kinda got that point. I guess I am just restating it.

Rob0729 said:

Sorry, I kinda got that point. I guess I am just restating it.

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No worries. Wouldn't be the first time I think I'm making a point, but my language gets so balls up I make another point entirely

The point to understand is that they hate us, because they ain't us.

But seriously, most of those calling for punishments are morons and barstool critics. They see New England being successful on a regular basis and can't fathom how that's possible in the age or parity (Although I refer to it as the age of parody).

This team does an immense amount of work behind the scenes to prepare for each and every game. They develop some new system and when other teams complain, it get's knocked down by the rules committee or the competition committee, or the commissioner. So the coaching staff looks at the players they have, what the new rules are, who else might be available, and figures out a way to game it to their advantage.

That's what professional football is all about. Morphing your team when needs be to fit the current environment. Developing new tactics and schemes. Burning the midnight oil in order to put forward the best quality product that can be produced. And New England is at the top of the league with this. So they're successful, and other teams who run the same system time and time again, who don't have the players to counter such schemes, and whose fans aren't very educated about football beyond what some talking head says on FESPN or they read in the newspaper, get all butthurt and say the Patriots MUST be cheating.

It's all so tiresome and predictable.

Sicilian said:

No worries. Wouldn't be the first time I think I'm making a point, but my language gets so balls up I make another point entirely

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I do that too. Not here so much, thankfully, but mostly in real life. I tend to be thinking about 2 or 3 things at one time and from time to time they answer for one conversation is said to the other party, and not to whom it was intended. Does that make sense to you? Sadly, it does to me. Sigh.

I am so sick of this nonsense, I just want to see Yee & the NFLPA utterly shred the NFL and this bogus report.

I really hope this backfires on Goodell and the curtain is peeled back a little more.

I am hoping for the same thing. I would like to see someone of Brady's influence, wealth, and power with his back against the wall to finally stand up to the NFL. Goodell may rue the day he decided to suspend Tom Brady based on a shady report. I hope he is ordered by a federal judge to turn over all of his personal communications, etc., to look for any type of wrongdoing and intent to smear.

This could end up being a watershed moment if Brady decides to go postal. The NFL has long clung to their absolute power despite being a virtual monopoly. Maybe someone like Jonathan Vilma couldn't entirely take them down, but this is Tom Brady.

I actually believe this will happen. Any punishment by the NFL will result in swift and severe backlash from the Brady camp. The only question in my mind is who will stand behind TB12 during this whole ordeal. I am looking at you Mr. Kraft.

Kraft's hands are tied in terms of team punishment. If it is a draft pick, which would be ludicrous, I am just not sure what the mechanism is to fight it.

If it is a small (by NFL standards) team fine, based on the actions of its employees, and a suspension for Brady, I am guessing he will pay the fine and back Brady hard.

He's in a tough spot. I'd rather he take charge and lead the rebellion against Goodell, sure, but I am just not sure there's a lot he can do......yet.

I say take this Wells report to Judge Judy. I can imagine her reactions and comments on this bogus report. I would love to see Wells and Goodell on the defense side and her comments to them on this report.

I hope to God they suspend him. This will go right to court and the report will get tossed. In the process, the league office will be made to look like the dumb asses they really are. But I've actually backtracked on this. Goodell, while an idiot, isn't stupid enough to suspend him and have that happen. Even he knows it's probably better to simply fine Brady.

The more I think about it the more I think the league will cover their own butts, give the team a fine and tell Brady to sit for a game just for not giving Wells the phone and that's it.

Less of a chance of appeal on a flawed report and in the league's eye it probably won't open that pandora's box.

KontradictioN said:

I hope to God they suspend him. This will go right to court and the report will get tossed. In the process, the league office will be made to look like the dumb asses they really are. But I've actually backtracked on this. Goodell, while an idiot, isn't stupid enough to suspend him and have that happen. Even he knows it's probably better to simply fine Brady.

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I think that if those who want to nail Brady are smart they'd dole out a fine instead of suspension. They would be ripped for "letting him off easy" but if they went for the suspension there would be vigorous backlash and the suspension would almost certainly be tossed out anyhow.

But the league office isn't smart. They are spiteful ****s and I won't be surprised if they try to go for a suspension. I'll have my popcorn ready if that's the case.

Bradys camp are waiting for what if any punishment comes down the pipe. If the NFL comes out and smears Bradys name with probable evidence everyone involved better watch out.

The only thing that might stop TB from bringing hell down on NFL and Wells is Kraft and the Pats org at which point I believe if Brady truly wants to fight it he will retire. I say this because Kraft clearly doesn't want to fight back and honestly with this situation its not his name or his brands name being dragged through the mud its Tom Bradys, Kraft has left him to the wolves since this came out.

KontradictioN said:

I hope to God they suspend him. This will go right to court and the report will get tossed. In the process, the league office will be made to look like the dumb asses they really are. But I've actually backtracked on this. Goodell, while an idiot, isn't stupid enough to suspend him and have that happen. Even he knows it's probably better to simply fine Brady.

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Right now goodell is concerend about how the wind is blowing and appeasing the public and using this as a chance to improve his public perception. So i think he will go overboard with the punishment. Wish he had delegated this to Taglibue like they did later with the saints case.

Kdo5 said:

I think that if those who want to nail Brady are smart they'd dole out a fine instead of suspension. They would be ripped for "letting him off easy" but if they went for the suspension there would be vigorous backlash and the suspension would almost certainly be tossed out anyhow.

But the league office isn't smart. They are spiteful ****s and I won't be surprised if they try to go for a suspension. I'll have my popcorn ready if that's the case.

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Even if the suspension is tossed, for public perception Goodell can say he did what is right and appease the public. More people will still side with the nfl even if the report is tossed because the public perception is hard to change. Otherwise people would be questioning this report right now.