The statement that I'd like Tom Brady to make

Lawyers always want their clients to say as little as possible. Nothing is even better! He shouldn't do a Q&A, but a statement outlining his innocence would be very helpful, I think. it would sure make all of us supporters feel more at ease.

Here's my attempt at being his statement writer:

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A day after the Wells Report was issued I was asked to comment on its conclusions. At that time I declined, promising that I would have more to say in the future. At this time I wish to issue a few brief remarks. I will not go into every detail and will not answer questions at this time, based upon advice from the NFLPA, whose attorneys are handling my appeal.

First, it has been concluded by Troy Vincent, and accepted by many people, that I personally requested that footballs be illegally deflated prior to the AFC championship game, after they were certified by the referee. This allegation is completely false. I did not direct or encourage any person to adjust the football pressure below the legal lower limit or to otherwise tamper with certified footballs. If the footballs were tampered with, it was without my knowledge or consent.

Second, I understand that scientifically it is not clear whether any air was in fact removed from the footballs, by anyone. I am not a scientist, but I am told that the actual data is consistent with the conclusion that the measured drops in pressure was caused solely by the game day weather conditions. I did not notice that the footballs differed from how they had felt during the pregame selection of the game footballs, other than the effect of a cold and often heavy rain. To my knowledge, no tampering occurred.

Third, as part of pregame preparations I select the footballs to be used as game balls and backups. My selection is based upon the overall feel. I consider the texture of the leather surface, the quality of the laces, and the absence of the slick coating that is present on brand new footballs. The footballs that I inspect are always, to my understanding, already set to a legal pressure. Thus air pressure is not something that I even consider when I am picking the game footballs. After I select footballs to be used in the game I certainly do not want anyone to change them at all.

Fourth, it has been suggested that I was uncooperative during Mr. Wells’ investigation. This allegation is also false. I was available for an all-day interview and answered all of the questions that were asked of me, honestly and to the best of my ability. This may not be clear from the Wells Report, which hardly mentions my testimony. I also answered all questions asked about my texts and conversations with the two men who have been accused of being involved in this matter. I have nothing to hide, since I did not request that inspected game day footballs be altered. I was also asked to provide extensive cell phone records, not just for the period up to and following the AFC championship game, but extending back into previous seasons. Mr. Wells did not have subpoena power to request such personal and sensitive information. I am advised that sharing such information on demand is not specified in the current NFL collective bargaining agreement and is not a legal requirement. Moreover, it would set a bad precedent if every union member were obliged upon demand to share personal and sensitive information with legal representatives of management. Finally, it was certainly not clear to me that such personal information, if provided, would truly be handled with complete confidentiality. This entire controversy has been shaped in part by various untrue leaks that were attributed to unnamed “NFL sources”.

Fifth, you are all aware that Mr. Kraft has decided not to challenge the penalties issued to the Patriots by the league office. I understand that his acceptance of the punishments in no way indicates an endorsement of either the opinions expressed in the Wells Report or the punishments that were given. The NFLPA and I, however, will not accept the unjust penalties that have been given to me. The allegation that I ordered that certified footballs be deflated below legal limits is completely false. Even the allegation of the Wells Report that I was “generally aware, more likely than not” of such efforts is untrue.

The NFLPA and I have requested that the facts of the case, and the harsh and unjust penalties given to me, be reconsidered by a truly independent authority. We have requested that Mr. Goodell recuse himself from this appeal. An independent authority who fairly considers all of the information, without bias, will conclude that I had no involvement with any effort to tamper with the footballs that were used in the AFC championship game.

Thank you.

Sincerely,
Tom Brady

waaay too tame.. not even one F bomb

Palm Beach Pats Fan said:

ourth, it has been suggested that I was uncooperative during Mr. Wells’ investigation. This allegation is also false. I was available for an all-day interview and answered all of the questions that were asked of me, honestly and to the best of my ability. This may not be clear from the Wells Report, which hardly mentions my testimony. I also answered all questions asked about my texts and conversations with the two men who have been accused of being involved in this matter. I have nothing to hide, since I did not request that inspected game day footballs be altered. I was also asked to provide extensive cell phone records, not just for the period up to and following the AFC championship game, but extending back into previous seasons. Mr. Wells did not have subpoena power to request such personal and sensitive information. I am advised that sharing such information on demand is not specified in the current NFL collective bargaining agreement and is not a legal requirement. Moreover, it would set a bad precedent if every union member were obliged upon demand to share personal and sensitive information with legal representatives of management. Finally, it was certainly not clear to me that such personal information, if provided, would truly be handled with complete confidentiality. This entire controversy has been shaped in part by various untrue leaks that were attributed to unnamed “NFL sources”.

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Overall good, except the quoted part. He shouldn't hide behind legal technicalities, and that's how that comes off. HE should say "He wanted relevant texts, but they were to the people whose text records he had. Does he ****ing know how text messaging works?" Something short and sweet (and bowdlerized).

Another version

I do not understand why Robert Kraft gave up the fight, but that is up to him. I have done nothing wrong, and I will fight this as far as it needs to go to clear my good name. I will echo Mr Kraft's words from January, and let all of my fans know that I will not stop until we have that apology we deserve. I will not let an investigation that was an unsubstantiated attach on my character and good name stand, and anyone who does not believe that should stand back and watch.

The cooperating part is the most difficult to address, for sure.

To ignore it is tough, though, since it seems to be the basis for 90% of his punishment.

Naah he should just admit to a crime he didn't do for the benefit of the 32.

How I hope Brady would do a tell-all press conference. That in itself will do more to repair this damn situation than any other single action.

Pats have always been damned by silence. People mistake class for admission of guilt. The ONE time BB finally addressed cameragate candidly (the famous "80,000 people saw it" quote), it was a home run.

Brady should step forward, do a huge presser, and shatter IN DETAIL every bogus claim made against him. In today's world, the loudest voice is taken as gospel. This more than any other is the time for Brady to go vocal, all out, no holds barred.

Lawyers are great at twisting words around to confuse their meaning, so a no-holds-barred & answer-every-question tell-all press conference, while entertaining, could pose some problems at trial.

Not because he would mess up, mind you, it's just that the more words you put out there, the more words there are to be spun in crazy ways to imply something that you did not intend to imply at all.

Issuing a state is good but I don't think he can get away with not doing a Q&A. Maybe not at a podium but an interview with someone like Jim Gray since he feels comfortable with him. I also don't think he'll be able to do it until some of the legalities are settled.

At this point I wouldn't say much. The public debate has been lost. Right now lawyers on both sides are strategizing and looking for ways to use any statements against him. There will be plenty of time to make statements and gloat after it goes to the courts.

Brady should (and hopefuly will) wait until this has run its course.

Brady does not have to prove balls were not deflated. His punishment is based on being "generally aware" and not cooperating. So I wouldnt make any statements about whether they were deflated.

The balls being deflated is a weak case but the case against Brady is weaker so I wouldnt tie it to the deflation being true or not.

Once the court decides whether he has to give his phone up the case will boil down to being generally aware. Think about how weak that case is. Brady didn't call or text either before the AFC championship game. No witness remembers a substantive conversation. The NFL has basically no evidence. He called them after the game, that's it.

Brady's lawyers may challenge the Wells report on deflation but it's simply not necessary to prove nothing happenned for Brady to win. The NFL has to prove that it both happenned, and Brady knew. I think the NFL has a very weak case.

Disagree. It's a slam dunk that there is no evidence a human deflated the balls.

Palm Beach Pats Fan said:

Lawyers always want their clients to say as little as possible. Nothing is even better! He shouldn't do a Q&A, but a statement outlining his innocence would be very helpful, I think. it would sure make all of us supporters feel more at ease.

Here's my attempt at being his statement writer:

-----------
A day after the Wells Report was issued I was asked to comment on its conclusions. At that time I declined, promising that I would have more to say in the future. At this time I wish to issue a few brief remarks. I will not go into every detail and will not answer questions at this time, based upon advice from the NFLPA, whose attorneys are handling my appeal.

First, it has been concluded by Troy Vincent, and accepted by many people, that I personally requested that footballs be illegally deflated prior to the AFC championship game, after they were certified by the referee. This allegation is completely false. I did not direct or encourage any person to adjust the football pressure below the legal lower limit or to otherwise tamper with certified footballs. If the footballs were tampered with, it was without my knowledge or consent.

Second, I understand that scientifically it is not clear whether any air was in fact removed from the footballs, by anyone. I am not a scientist, but I am told that the actual data is consistent with the conclusion that the measured drops in pressure was caused solely by the game day weather conditions. I did not notice that the footballs differed from how they had felt during the pregame selection of the game footballs, other than the effect of a cold and often heavy rain. To my knowledge, no tampering occurred.

Third, as part of pregame preparations I select the footballs to be used as game balls and backups. My selection is based upon the overall feel. I consider the texture of the leather surface, the quality of the laces, and the absence of the slick coating that is present on brand new footballs. The footballs that I inspect are always, to my understanding, already set to a legal pressure. Thus air pressure is not something that I even consider when I am picking the game footballs. After I select footballs to be used in the game I certainly do not want anyone to change them at all.

Fourth, it has been suggested that I was uncooperative during Mr. Wells’ investigation. This allegation is also false. I was available for an all-day interview and answered all of the questions that were asked of me, honestly and to the best of my ability. This may not be clear from the Wells Report, which hardly mentions my testimony. I also answered all questions asked about my texts and conversations with the two men who have been accused of being involved in this matter. I have nothing to hide, since I did not request that inspected game day footballs be altered. I was also asked to provide extensive cell phone records, not just for the period up to and following the AFC championship game, but extending back into previous seasons. Mr. Wells did not have subpoena power to request such personal and sensitive information. I am advised that sharing such information on demand is not specified in the current NFL collective bargaining agreement and is not a legal requirement. Moreover, it would set a bad precedent if every union member were obliged upon demand to share personal and sensitive information with legal representatives of management. Finally, it was certainly not clear to me that such personal information, if provided, would truly be handled with complete confidentiality. This entire controversy has been shaped in part by various untrue leaks that were attributed to unnamed “NFL sources”.

Fifth, you are all aware that Mr. Kraft has decided not to challenge the penalties issued to the Patriots by the league office. I understand that his acceptance of the punishments in no way indicates an endorsement of either the opinions expressed in the Wells Report or the punishments that were given. The NFLPA and I, however, will not accept the unjust penalties that have been given to me. The allegation that I ordered that certified footballs be deflated below legal limits is completely false. Even the allegation of the Wells Report that I was “generally aware, more likely than not” of such efforts is untrue.

The NFLPA and I have requested that the facts of the case, and the harsh and unjust penalties given to me, be reconsidered by a truly independent authority. We have requested that Mr. Goodell recuse himself from this appeal. An independent authority who fairly considers all of the information, without bias, will conclude that I had no involvement with any effort to tamper with the footballs that were used in the AFC championship game.

Thank you.

Sincerely,
Tom Brady

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Uhhhh....you said it was going to be brief....

As a supporter, I wouldn't feel more at ease with a statement.

1. A statement will invite more questions than concerns it would address. This is the same guy we had to deal with "body language" stuff with on the field and when he already said he didn't do it people said it looked like he was lying.

2. At this point, and I hate saying this, I don't even care if he is innocent or not. The punishment is so outlandish it clearly has nothing to do with PSI and that's really the notion that has to be fought now. That it's a sting is the biggest problem now, not the PSI. That, the leaks, and the commissioner not getting an arbiter.

3. From here on out there will be more talk about CBA violations than anything and that's awesome news. The more perspective is on that the better because Goodell violating the CBA is the only thing that's going to get him out of the commissioner's seat.

So I like your thinking about it, but I can't hitch myself to the wagon from my POV.

Nice letter, but I want Brady and the NFLPA to be on the offensive, I would add:

"Mr. Goodell has asked publicly that I meet him and turn over my cell phone records. I have a question I want answered by Mr. Goodell before I would entertain meeting with him. Roger, this whole controversy started with leaked mis-information on the psi readings that were measured in the footballs. The information given to the public was that the balls were 2 pounds under the legal limit. This outright lie was not corrected by the league office when you knew that the correct readings were less then a pound under the limit. Why did you or another league official not correct this? Why would you let one your teams, during Super Bowl week no less, be publicly damned with mis-inforamtion that you could have easily corrected? The only logical conclusion I can come to is that members of the NFL head office leaked the wrong numbers to frame the team and myself in a bad light. What is even worse is that you were to inept to see this and correct it. If it wasn't because you were to inept then you must have been part of it. Roger, please answer the question of why the false numbers were not corrected and only then will I entertain meeting with you."

Nitro said:

waaay too tame.. not even one F bomb

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Needs way more F-bombs. Or just one.

What Tom Brady should say: "**** you."

"I am not willing to let the judge of my integrity be somebody who does not have any himself."

Not realistic or prudent, for a number of reasons, but definitely fitting.

Nice fantasizing.

While everyone jumps on Kraft, the guy who is at the center of this whole controversy has done nothing for 4 months other to shrug and answer a question he should have HIT OUT OF THE PARK with "Ummmm...well.....I don't THINK I'm a cheater".

I see nothing in the Wells Report that proves any guilt on Brady.

I'm pissed at him for not yet coming out stronger by this point.

Bobsyouruncle said:

Brady does not have to prove balls were not deflated. His punishment is based on being "generally aware" and not cooperating. So I wouldnt make any statements about whether they were deflated.

The balls being deflated is a weak case but the case against Brady is weaker so I wouldnt tie it to the deflation being true or not.

Once the court decides whether he has to give his phone up the case will boil down to being generally aware. Think about how weak that case is. Brady didn't call or text either before the AFC championship game. No witness remembers a substantive conversation. The NFL has basically no evidence. He called them after the game, that's it.

Brady's lawyers may challenge the Wells report on deflation but it's simply not necessary to prove nothing happenned for Brady to win. The NFL has to prove that it both happenned, and Brady knew. I think the NFL has a very weak case.

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The charge is that "it" happened and that Brady was generally aware of "it".
The defense can be twofold, particularly to a professional arbiter who understands logic.
1. "It" did not happen. Perfect gas law, which gauge was used, etc.
2. Even postulating that "it" did happen, Brady not aware.
The two arguments can be made independent of each other assuming an impartial qualified arbiter.