Am I being paranoid and pessimistic to notice that...

Ian said:

Five months of keeping the NFL in the spotlight while continuing to drag down the Patriots organization...I'd say it's worked out pretty well if that was their intention.

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Imagine the story lines from the NFL losing to the NFLPA, Goodell being dumped and the search for his successor.

RayClay said:

Imagine the story lines from the NFL losing to the NFLPA, Goodell being dumped and the search for his successor.

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I think that story would be huge in New England but not so much across the rest of the league. Hence the fact it likely wouldn't accomplish what this has.

I don't think Goodell had anything to do with the set up, that was Grigson and Kensil, but once the opportunity to try and reestablish his a-hole boma fides presented itself he ran with it. I think they believed they could ram the Wells Report and sanctions down the Patriots throats and walk away with a win, and Kraft's capitulation almost made that come true, however Brady fighting back has thrown a wrench in their plans, as did the AEI rebuttal to The Wells Report and Exponents faux science. And while they may think playing chicken with Brady will put him in a bind going into the season I think they have completely underestimated his resolve and don't understand that he has already made his mind up to go to court, get the injunction, and will play the season with the court case pending while the NFL's case against him slowly falls apart. While it has taken some time to flip the narrative more and more national media are coming to the realization that this was a set up from the start and their questions and the answers to them are going to unravel the frame job and bring down the league office in the end. Fortunately for Brady and everyone who supports him the hubris of the league office will keep them from making the rational decision and will end up turning this into another national embarrassment for Goodell and his entourage.

The roof. The roof, the roof is on fire, we don't need no water let the mothetf.cker burn.

Ian said:

Five months of keeping the NFL in the spotlight while continuing to drag down the Patriots organization...I'd say it's worked out pretty well if that was their intention.

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Its worked out beautifully for the NFL.

The issue is that manufacturing/using scandals to heighten brand awareness in order generate public interest in a product or service is never a sound, long term marketing strategy.

betterthanthealternative said:

Deflategate has kept the NFL in the sports news right when the NBA Finals and draft, NHL finals and draft, and College World Series are all happening? During the NFL "dry time", in the heart of the baseball season?

Isn't this essentially what Goodell is paid to do? Hype the product and keep everyone talking about it?

If so, regardless of the outcome of the case, hasn't he already won?

Is this why Kraft "capitulated" (it isn't a capitulation if it is in your own best interest).

Or should I take off the tin foil hat?

Mods, feel free to merge to an appropriate thread if there is one.

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That's very helpful.

I think Goodell actually thought he could get away with the four game suspension as part of the media hype (as another poster has suggested by noticing that the game against the Colts was mysteriously scheduled as the fifth game on the Patriots' schedule back in April), but the unexpected and arguably fatal flaws in the Wells report dramatically increased the probability of a successful appeal by Brady.

So, Goodell's objective has now swung towards keeping this out of court while saving face with the owners and the vast majority of the public.

Gary Myers, who has deep ties to the NFL offices and the two New Jersey teams, started suggesting right after Brady's Appeal this week and repeated it again this morning in the Sunday paper that Goodell will completely exonerate Brady from "complicity" in what we all know was the "non crime" at the heart of deflategate, but leave a two game suspension in place for "failure to co-operate" fully with the "investigation" (I put "failure to co-operate" and "investigation" both in quotation marks because Brady did co-operate and the investigation was a fraud).

That's the equivalent of a "Hail Mary" pass by Goodell, since the NFLPA and Brady could make the case in court that Favre was only fined $50,000 for a similar "offense." Myers also points out that the NFLPA is chomping at the bit to take this case to court.

I think it's not out of the question that Myers is floating a trial balloon on behalf of the NFL, trying to drive a wedge between Brady and the NFLPA, while looking for a back-channel response from Brady's team: complete exoneration and a $50,000 fine would be my counter-offer if I were Yee, in response to which Goodell could offer complete exoneration and a one game suspension for non-co-operation as a compromise. At that point, Goodell would have shown so much weakness that, if I were Yee, I'd offer "$100,000 and complete exoneration, take it or we'll take it to court."

If Goodell insisted on keeping a suspension of any duration in place, at that point, a completely exonerated Brady would have to decide whether standing his ground on an excessive penalty for "non co-operation" is worth facing months of the risky, distracting and divisive legal battle that the NFLPA would want.

robertweathers said:

Its worked out beautifully for the NFL.

The issue is that manufacturing/using scandals to heighten brand awareness in order generate public interest in a product or service is never a sound, long term marketing strategy.

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So far, ultimately I think it only amplifies Gödel's incompetence and costs him his job.

Ian said:

I think that story would be huge in New England but not so much across the rest of the league. Hence the fact it likely wouldn't accomplish what this has.

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I dunna know, Ian. As it pertains to his job, if Goodell was legitimately on the ropes it would be a major news story.

In New England, it would be cause to gas up the Duck Boats.

robertweathers said:

I dunna know, Ian. As it pertains to his job, if Goodell was legitimately on the ropes it would be a major news story.

In New England, it would be cause to gas up the Duck Boats.

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I think there's a high-percentage of people who casually follow the NFL, but more so as it pertains to their own team. I think overall some fans would care, but I don't think percentage-wise the interest would be as high with each fan base across the league as it would be here since they haven't been following an investigation by the league against their own player.

But you're definitely right - I think if something happened if he ended up on the ropes, there would be quite a reaction locally here

And this is likely why Kraft won't fight these attacks. A wink and nod (and an oh so gentle hug) between Kraft and Goodell to keep the Patriots public enemy #1 and constantly in the public eye. Kraft has $old his midget soul and in the process sold out Brady and Belichick as well. It's become professional wrestling and Kraft is all too willing to play along in this farce while counting his money with his teenage girlfriend.

Isn't that like trying to increase your property's value by setting the
house next to yours on fire?Hey in all the chaos and confusion my house will make it on TV.

Ian said:

I think there's a high-percentage of people who casually follow the NFL, but more so as it pertains to their own team. I think overall some fans would care, but I don't think percentage-wise the interest would be as high with each fan base across the league as it would be here since they haven't been following an investigation by the league against their own player.

But you're definitely right - I think if something happened if he ended up on the ropes, there would be quite a reaction locally here

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I agree. It would be news all over, but reaction would vary from market to market. Boston, NY maybe Philly, BAL, New Orleans, Dallas and DC would be highly charged. All other market reaction would be anywhere from ho-hum to somewhat surprised because they have not followed his tenure closely enough or have not been on the receiving-end of his policies.

BingoBrown said:

Isn't that like trying to increase your property's value by setting the
house next to yours on fire?Hey in all the chaos and confusion my house will make it on TV.

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Either that or own a house next to the Kardashians. Both situations are either tragic or a train-wreck

BingoBrown said:

Isn't that like trying to increase your property's value by setting the
house next to yours on fire?Hey in all the chaos and confusion my house will make it on TV.

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I think it falls under the any publicity is good publicty belief. There was a point in time when the Pats got zero national attention and maybe 30 seconds of a local half hour show that was 98% Red Sox coverage (it was nauseating). They got about as much attention, relatively speaking as Jacksonville or Tennessee get today. Now as I said earlier they are public enemy #1 and get a ton of coverage.

Ian said:

I think that story would be huge in New England but not so much across the rest of the league. Hence the fact it likely wouldn't accomplish what this has.

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Except we have the power to enhance it by coupling it with another Super Bowl win, by the all time holder of just about every quarterback record - regular season, playoffs and Super Bowl.

Who cares if it loses the headline to the latest Honey Booboo story? Still a story I will enjoy.