Wetzel:Roger Goodell, Tom Brady ignore each other; roll dice with deflate-gate judge

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/roger-...l-dice-with-deflate-gate-judge-180816187.html

update from today's hearing.

When the session was adjourned, both were forced to awkwardly wait for the galley to clear out of media and observers, leaving them within a few feet of each other a couple table rows apart.

Brady stood first and wandered over to one wood-paneled wall of the ornate courtroom. He stuffed his hands in his pocket, looking as intense as any tight fourth-quarter drive. Feely stood by his side and the two eventually hugged.

Goodell, seated in front, stood slowly and also put his hands in his pocket, looking down and then turning in the opposite direction of Brady, trying to wear a face of nonchalance.

Eight months into this scandal, after swings of allegations and misrepresentations, of false media leaks and broadside-legal attacks, the distrust and disgust were clear: Two men known for their ability to smoothly glide through life, with fashion and fabulous hair, looked strangely uncomfortable.

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Eight months into this scandal, after swings of allegations and misrepresentations, of false media leaks and broadside-legal attacks, the distrust and disgust were clear: Two men known for their ability to smoothly glide through life, with fashion and fabulous hair, looked strangely uncomfortable.

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Lol was this supposed to be serious?

I didn't know Feely and Brady were college teammates. So they really are old friends.

Brady was in Feely's wedding. They roomed in College for a year I believe.

I'm looking forward to the next time they're forced to stand next to each other, February 2016, on a podium.

There's a great old story about the animosity between Bill Laimbeer and Larry Bird. Laimbeer tried to keep it on the court and remain congenial. Bird wasn't having any part of it. As the story is told, any time the two encountered each other, here's how the conversation went:


That's all that Bird would ever say. And that's all that Tom Brady should ever say to the the dishonorable, lying sack of s**t called Commissioner Scheiskopf.

if I was Brady, I would have stared Goodell down the entire time

IllegalContact said:

if I was Brady, I would have stared Goodell down the entire time

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Problem is that it would make him look belligerent when he is out in front by 100 with 20 seconds to go.

Ivan said:

Problem is that it would make him look belligerent when he is out in front by 100 with 20 seconds to go.

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depends on the actual look.......

Zeus said:

There's a great old story about the animosity between Bill Laimbeer and Larry Bird. Laimbeer tried to keep it on the court and remain congenial. Bird wasn't having any part of it. As the story is told, any time the two encountered each other, here's how the conversation went:

Laimbeer: Hi Larry, how are you?

Bird: F**k you, Bill.​

That's all that Bird would ever say. And that's all that Tom Brady should ever say to the the dishonorable, lying sack of s**t called Commissioner Scheiskopf.

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off topic.....

but better yet is the Kent Benson/Larry Bird story. Kent Benson was an all-American center at Indiana University. Bob Knight recruited Bird to IU, and the young freshman wanted to join scrimmages with the IU veterans. The scrimmages were run by Benson. Benson said "no way, freshman" and said he couldn't practice with them, at all. Bored, broke, in a strange city, and homesick, Bird left IU and transferred to Indiana State, where he had hometown friends.

Fast forward to the NBA. Kent Benson plays for the Pistons, and late in the year due to injury he's getting lots of minutes playing PF. He's guarding McHale. Bird's sole purpose in life that night was to feed McHale over, and over, OVER until McHale scores 56 points, many of them on Benson.

Of course, McHale kind of got the big head, setting the Celtics scoring record at the time, so Bird put up 60 points just 9 days later!

I hope that this fall the Patriots treat the Colts the way McHale dominated Benson that night.

Cramden said:

Brady was in Feely's wedding. They roomed in College for a year I believe.

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That must have been a thrill for the bridesmaids.

Great article by Wetzel. Best part IMO:

It's certainly reasonable that the NFL initially erred when it failed to comprehend Ideal Gas Law and thus initially thought any Patriots football that measured below 12.5 pounds per square inch of inflation was a sign of nefarious conduct. It immediately went after a speeding ticket like a homicide case.

But by the time the league should've have dialed it back, it had already leaked prejudicial stories and begun building a case against Brady and two Patriots locker room attendants. The NFL never was able to find a smoking gun or much more than suspicions, but that didn't matter.

The NFL not only never backed down, it just kept doubling down, believing the full force of the league's power – both in the CBA and in its ability to manipulate national reporters – would overwhelm Brady.

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Fencer said:

I didn't know Feely and Brady were college teammates. So they really are old friends.

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Well, that may be

But Feely was also the kicker who would have been "generally aware" and the beneficiary of the Jets tampering with kicking balls in 2009

Do you remember the Wells Investigation into that? False information being leaked via ESPN inflating that ball tampering scandal? No?

That's right - because it was an $8,000 fine only

I'm sure it's been discussed here by now but Feely is a walking reminder that the NFL has one policy for the Jets and a different one for the Patriots

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...patriotsincident-becomes-issue-in-brady-case/

Absurdly Metro said:

Great article by Wetzel. Best part IMO:

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Agreed, that was a great couple of paragraphs. Basically the NFL either was stupid, were a bunch of slimy dishonorable hacks or both. Now that a judge has told them their case of guilt, though this is not what he will rule on, is flimsy in multiple parts and even worthy of mocking.

JoeSixPat said:

Well, that may be

But Feely was also the kicker who would have been "generally aware" and the beneficiary of the Jets tampering with kicking balls in 2009

Do you remember the Wells Investigation into that? False information being leaked via ESPN inflating that ball tampering scandal? No?

That's right - because it was an $8,000 fine only

I'm sure it's been discussed here by now but Feely is a walking reminder that the NFL has one policy for the Jets and a different one for the Patriots

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...patriotsincident-becomes-issue-in-brady-case/

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Very cool - tweeted Florio's article back to him reminding him of Feely

This came out a little while later - Love that Florio actually does accept input and insight

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...ve-been-a-useful-coincidence-for-brady-nflpa/

JoeSixPat said:

Well, that may be

But Feely was also the kicker who would have been "generally aware" and the beneficiary of the Jets tampering with kicking balls in 2009

Do you remember the Wells Investigation into that? False information being leaked via ESPN inflating that ball tampering scandal? No?

That's right - because it was an $8,000 fine only

I'm sure it's been discussed here by now but Feely is a walking reminder that the NFL has one policy for the Jets and a different one for the Patriots

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...patriotsincident-becomes-issue-in-brady-case/

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if they're such good buddies isn't it likely brady was generally aware of that one, too....?