Deflating deflategate --[Mod Edit] AEI Opinion Piece in NY Times

So I am confused...is this going to be published in tomorrow's print NYT? I think if its not printed it will be lost in the internet.

In a perfect world it would be Monday morning's leadoff on NFL AM (ESPN is a lost cause).

TheFlyingWedge said:

Is this legit? Heres where the report comes from... https://www.aei.org/

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It's legit - AEI has a lot of very smart people working for them. Like all think tanks, they won't bite the hands that feed them, but on neutral issues, they can do good work.

Yes, they're very right-wing and very PNAC, too, but they also have people like Norm Ornstein.

Gwedd said:

Very much legit. AEI is a news-broker site, and it has a most excellent reputation.

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Much, much more than that. This report was not just released on the AEI site, it was produced by AEI staffers (read to the end!). It is an AEI report.

I don't care how a study like this was paid for, as long as they are completely transparent about how their analysis is done and also meticulous in justifying every conclusion that they make, which is the case here, when you read the long version (pdf) of their report.

PatsFanSince74 said:

And, BTW, events like this don't happen by accident. Some powerful people with serious political "pull" made this happen. The AEI and the New York Times don't combine their efforts on very many issues.

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Good analysis and I agree with everything you said, especially this part I quoted.

This has Kraft's fingerprints all over it, I think.

Doesn't change my opinion of Kraft caving. This gives RG cover for vacating Brady's suspension, maybe, but the draft picks? The fine? The stink?

Unless the blowback is mighty and righteous, even if this came from Kraft, I'm still pissed.

There will be similar reports coming as we approach the Brady hearing. The NFL and its "network partners" control big media, and the NFL wants the media to set the stage for Goodell to back down at the hearing exonerating Brady, Jastremski, McNally and the Patriots. Goodell will not be doing this out of the kindness of his heart but rather from the realization that the Wells Report has left him cornered.

The Wells report was written to pin this on Brady and the Pats with legal weasel words that would protect the NFL from legal action from them. But, they forgot that Jastremski and McNally weren't just props like the footballs but real people who are not below the law helping them defend themselves from the vicious defamation they've experienced. Plus, the legal weasel words used are outside the parameters for personal conduct penalties in the CBA. Thus, the NFLPA can take them to court seeking not only a neutral arbitrator, but they can also claim a material breach of the CBA and ask the courts to void it.

Cooler heads amongst the NFL owners will prevail. There are wheels turning and deals being negotiated behind the scenes. Goodell will disavow the Wells report, Brady's suspension will be lifted, and Goodell might even suggest to Kraft that he appeal the team penalties to him as well.

I hope I'm wrong about this. The best thing for the game I've loved for 45 years is for the NFL's dirty laundry to be aired fully in a court of law and for Congress to be so appalled by the smell that it takes away the NFL's antitrust exemptions. But, I doubt the bad guys let it get that far.

blackglass3 said:

So I am confused...is this going to be published in tomorrow's print NYT? I think if its not printed it will be lost in the internet.

In a perfect world it would be Monday morning's leadoff on NFL AM (ESPN is a lost cause).

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I don't know whether you'll be able to access this online unless you're a subscriber, but i've attached the link below. The conclusion reads: "Our recommendation? When the N.F.L. hears Mr. Brady’s appeal of his suspension later this month, it should proceed with the knowledge that the Wells report is unreliable"

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/14/o...side-nyt-region&WT.nav=inside-nyt-region&_r=0

Ross12 said:

In my line of work I wear a lab coat and work with doctors. I don't even have a Bachelors, but about 70% of people who come in assume I am a doctor, even on days when I haven't shaved for a few days and look a little messy.

So yes, just put on a coat and place yourself in a professional setting, and most idiots will think you're super smart.

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I think you're smart Ross, and if you put on a lab coat I definitely think you're smarter than Bow Tie the Goofball Guy!

This is essentially the same thread as is the NYT thread...

My comments are essentially the same, this is all well and good, but there needs to be a bigger story regarding the rampant corruption in the Commissioners office and how this initial information was promulgated. There were very selective leaks to select mediots... so the news could be spread and decisions were all made before the following Thursday..

In reality this whole matter was not a big deal, Goodell lost control of the sitz and it completely got out of hand.. thus his staff essentially backed him into a corner. Then the mediots just followed along.. there is not smoke here, there is no fire.

Kenneth Sims said:

There will be similar reports coming as we approach the Brady hearing. The NFL and its "network partners" control big media, and the NFL wants the media to set the stage for Goodell to back down at the hearing exonerating Brady, Jastremski, McNally and the Patriots. Goodell will not be doing this out of the kindness of his heart but rather from the realization that the Wells Report has left him cornered.

The Wells report was written to pin this on Brady and the Pats with legal weasel words that would protect the NFL from legal action from them. But, they forgot that Jastremski and McNally weren't just props like the footballs but real people who are not below the law helping them defend themselves from the vicious defamation they've experienced. Plus, the legal weasel words used are outside the parameters for personal conduct penalties in the CBA. Thus, the NFLPA can take them to court seeking not only a neutral arbitrator, but they can also claim a material breach of the CBA and ask the courts to void it.

Cooler heads amongst the NFL owners will prevail. There are wheels turning and deals being negotiated behind the scenes. Goodell will disavow the Wells report, Brady's suspension will be lifted, and Goodell might even suggest to Kraft that he appeal the team penalties to him as well.

.

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I hope you are right. I don't think you are, but I certainly hope so.

blackglass3 said:

I just don't think this gets any legs. Had it come out next weekend before Brady's appeal, maybe. But I can't see much traction being gained on Twitter and ESPN is dead quiet. This will unfortunatley die a quiet Friday news dump death.

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I regretfully have to agree with you.

But, just think how things were a few months ago. Deflategate was the top story on The View.

Yes. That's right. The View.

Top story on the CBS Evening News.

You know that little stat crawl ESPN runs on the bottom of the screen? For a while there, it was running like this:

NBA.... MLB..... NHL.... NFL... DEFLATEGATE....

And now, we have a story that directly impacts on Whether This Thing Actually Happened, and the media coverage is...

Nothing.

I think I know how Richard Jewell felt.

I don't see Goodell backing down unless Brady is willing to accept some penalty. Roger is on very thin ice so in his mind Brady has to accept some blame for not being cooperative to save Rogers bacon. I also don't see Brady backing down as his legacy is more important to him and his future earning power than 4 lousy games and for Brady to accept even a fine means he is accepting a cheater label.

I see this going to court and Goodell and the NFL will get hammered in court. As far as the Wells report, I would personally fire anyone who submitted it for the reasons brought out in the science and others. The NFL will take a beating in court because of it and hopefully this will be the end of Roger having lost Kraft and his supporters (if any) because of the way he handled it and then losing the ani Kraft crowd when he is humiliated in court based on this $5M turd. Brady will have the best representation while the NFL picked Lionel Hutz.

Dan Wetzel ‏@DanWetzel 19h19 hours ago
New DeflateGate study goes back to original problem, NFL never proved footballs were, you know, deflated. https://www.aei.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/On-the-Wells-report.pdf…

RayClay said:

Kraft is a staunch Democrat and contributes as such. AEI is a conservative think tank.

http://www.businessinsider.com/obama-romney-donations-nfl-contributions-woody-johnson-2012-9?op=1

If you want to play the Kevin Bacon game with a tremendously connected multi billionaire, you could pretty much find evidence to support anything

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Not all Democrats and Republicans are stubborn enough to make their ideology a priority to over their business interests.

I'd submit that if Kraft had a befriend a Republican to get Brady off the hook and get his team's draft picks back he would do it. We all know how Bob likes to reach across the isle.

Dr Pain said:

I don't see Goodell backing down unless Brady is willing to accept some penalty. Roger is on very thin ice so in his mind Brady has to accept some blame for not being cooperative to save Rogers bacon. I also don't see Brady backing down as his legacy is more important to him and his future earning power than 4 lousy games and for Brady to accept even a fine means he is accepting a cheater label.

I see this going to court and Goodell and the NFL will get hammered in court. As far as the Wells report, I would personally fire anyone who submitted it for the reasons brought out in the science and others. The NFL will take a beating in court because of it and hopefully this will be the end of Roger having lost Kraft and his supporters (if any) because of the way he handled it and then losing the ani Kraft crowd when he is humiliated in court based on this $5M turd. Brady will have the best representation while the NFL picked Lionel Hutz.

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Goodell would look worse going to court. he wants this to end ASAP. this is not richie incognito he's dealing with here. brady will not be bullied.

SteveKiner said:

I hope you are right. I don't think you are, but I certainly hope so.

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Must admit l might be doing a little wishful thinking. I said in another thread this week that I might be the only fool left who thinks there is a deal. Kraft should not have made the "other 31" statement even if Jihadi Roger was holding a blade to his throat. But, I can't see any reason why Kraft would make that statement, which he was clearly uncomfortable doing, without a deal.

Definitive vindication from a reliable, impartial source. Just makes me more pissed at Kraft and R. Stokoe Goodell. Even the Wells Report absolved the Patriots of wrongdoing. So if Brady's suspension is overturned, shouldn't the lost draft picks be reinstated?

ESPN and most of the rest of the sports media are busy discussing Lebron's penis and hair and Michael Sam's lack of a football career while mostly silent on this story. Not surprising, but ridiculous.