NFL and Steelers respond to Patriots fans: "Roethlisberger didn't have a cell phone on the sideline"

Let's give this the Wells' treatment.

It is well known around the league that Ben is a strong competitor. We must assume that a competitor would not simply be using his cell phone during a game for trivial purposes. He must have been using it in a manner to gain a competitive advantage for his team, especially since he was also wearing the coaches' headset. The only way we can know exactly what he was doing would then be to examine his phone.

The Steelers also have a history of breaking the rules with cell phones on the sidelines. Therefore, it is likely that he was at least generally aware that he should not have been using a cell phone.
Based on these assumptions, it is more probable than not that this was an attempt to circumvent the rules and this damages the integrity of the game.

jpat said:

maybe im in the minority, but it doesn't appear to be a phone to me. If you watch the clip in the first post, the "buttons" aren't there at the beginning, they appear to me to be reflections. Plus it seems pretty bent in his hands, not solid like a phone. Screenshot from the very beginning, no buttons, pretty curved.
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Yeah but I don't care about right and wrong in football, anymore. I used to give a **** about that stuff and believed in high roads and what not.

But now, other than injuries? I'm a classless prick that hopes every fan of every team gets to learn what it feels like to have this inept commissioner try to keep his dying tenure afloat by creating a huge **** storm out of a completely innocuous situation.

Dr Pain said:

Phone angle is too high up to see buttons on side as it sits in case. See the way he acts when he puts it away. I want the Steelers to feel some heat. remember Ben accusing the Patriots of breaking unwritten rules and Tomlin talking about communications issues pointing at Patriots? F them all.

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He may have the ergonomic protective case. It has a concave-shaped bottom and convex top. That makes it sit in your palm better and makes the screen make the graphics appear larger.

Trust me on this its not cheap.

look what we have become.

i don't like it. let others rat.

The speed in which he puts that thing away as soon as the camera hits him and then the way he starts looking around him makes it look very suspicious. I don't think it's a big deal, but this is the NFL and wearing your socks in a certain way gets you a fine so not sure why this has been dismissed so quickly.

jpat said:

maybe im in the minority, but it doesn't appear to be a phone to me. If you watch the clip in the first post, the "buttons" aren't there at the beginning, they appear to me to be reflections. Plus it seems pretty bent in his hands, not solid like a phone. Screenshot from the very beginning, no buttons, pretty curved.
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That was the first thing I noticed when I saw it this morning, it's curved. Reminds me of the "curved iphone" joke going on awhile back.

I really don't believe it's a cell phone and some people here are trying to hard.

And the button's don't match any phone as no phone has buttons that aren't there, appear, slide along the edges, then disappear.

Edit: yeah, I'm bored

wolverinejoe80 said:

look what we have become.

i don't like it. let others rat.

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This isn't ratting. This was right in front of our faces. It's the NFL pissing on our legs and telling us it's raining.

I watched the video 20 times and I think it is a plastic play sleeve.

But like others I don't mind if other teams have to bend over backwards to defend themselves.

wolverinejoe80 said:

look what we have become.

i don't like it. let others rat.

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Nobody likes Patriots fans anyway, who gives a **** what we do?

wolverinejoe80 said:

look what we have become.

i don't like it. let others rat.

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It's part of the game now, son

Clonamery said:

I watched the video 20 times and I think it is a plastic play sleeve.

But like others I don't mind if other teams have to bend over backwards to defend themselves.

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I know all my arm bands have volume buttons and are an inch thick

And here I thought they were going to go with a sympathetic angle: Claim that one of Ben's kids has a fever and he was just checking to see how the little guy or gal was doing. Use some story where people would think "That's understandable/Who wouldn't do that?/Shame on whoever is trying to make something out of this."

For the league to blatantly lie about this, or to blindly accept the explanation from the Steelers, isn't a huge surprise. To go with such a stupid and demonstrably false explanation is.

If it was just a wristband with a play sheet on it, why does Roethlisberger put it away so quickly? Did the person on the other end of the headset tell him to do that since he was on camera? The injured, starting QB studying a play sheet on the sideline isn't suspicious at all. No need to try and conceal that.

Clonamery said:

I watched the video 20 times and I think it is a plastic play sleeve.

But like others I don't mind if other teams have to bend over backwards to defend themselves.

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I hope they have to bend over frontwards like we did...

Until Goodell is gone teams are going to use his idiot, 'IM DA NEW SHURRUF IN TOWN POW POW IM DA SHURRUF' mindset against each other like a weapon.

This **** where the patriots cheated because our balls adhere to basic scientific laws is just the beginning.

You can see Rothlesberger's mouth moving, likely repeating the play....although he may also move his mouth when texts or reads.

chasa said:

I know all my arm bands have volume buttons and are an inch thick

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It's glare off the plastic cover.

wolverinejoe80 said:

look what we have become.

i don't like it. let others rat.

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Sorry. Even though part of me agrees with you, it's too late to play nice.

Don't think Ben necessarily looked guilty in the video.

I don't know that it's a phone, but it sure does not look like a wrist band. The NFL's explanation came very quickly. It reminds me of the NFL's explanation of the crowd noise skipping in Indy. They had an explanation within hours of the story going viral even though it did not match up with video/audio. They were all too eager to put the story to rest with the first possible explanation offered up and obviously did not vet it. Far different story from how they have treated accusations against the Pats.

Clonamery said:

It's glare off the plastic cover.

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We need headsmart lab to do this one.