8/3 MMQB Peter King Firmly In Brady's Camp Against Goodell

[SHOWTIME15]

Physically possible.
Highly unlikely to a measurable degree.
Only some very low % of defective balls would do this to a substantial level over a brief time interval.

this was refuted by an official recently.

 

[hambone1818]

Maybe NBC wised up and realized the league corruption is a bigger story. Somehow I doubt that, but it would be nice. Probably just a coincidence

I've been harping this point all along, when my friends (fans of other teams) argue 'why would they go after the biggest star in the league?' Because if they didn't find a scapegoat on the Pats sideline the narrative turns to 'why was this a story at all?', with people questioning the procedures in place to test footballs, the damaging (and incorrect) leaks, the clear bias against one NFL franchise.

Goodell couldn't have that, not when he was so publicly damaged from the Rice investigation. He didn't start this mess, but he sure was complicit in protecting his own ass and those surrounding him--Kensil, Pash, Gardi, etc. This hasn't been about football deflation since the day Belichick took to the podium and cited Mona Lisa Vito.

Good to see at least one media outlet pointing fingers at the NFL. We need this momentum to keep up, it'll disappear in a flash if the Patriots don't take action--I'd love to see an update to the context site every week that doesn't have news around Brady's arbitration hearing, keep people talking about the bias and corruption within the NFL offices.

 

[BradyFTW!]

That's an angle I hadn't considered and it would make sense. If NBC could show ESPN/ABC as corrupt it could prove very good for business for the NBC Sports network.

Absolutely, especially with ESPN currently losing money hand over fist. ESPN gets a ton of money from cable subscription, and is hit harder than anyone else--by far--by cord-cutters. I'm sure NBC is aware of this, and who knows what the future holds. Live sporting events are one of the biggest draws on TV since they can't easily be time-shifted and DVRed through the commercials. If ESPN stops being able to afford some of its contracts and NBCSN maybe picks couple up in their absence, it could quickly become a competitor and maybe eventually demand rates closer to what ESPN's getting.

Totally speculative, of course, and to reiterate I still don't think much will come of this. But I wouldn't be at all surprised if the people over at ESPN are thinking on this level. I also wouldn't be surprised if Fox, with its big FS1 push, starts thinking along similar lines and latches onto this angle when they smell blood in the water.

 

[rochrist]

So he's not scientifically literate, but if he is saying that he will back Brady when the empirical evidence inevitably verifies the basic and immutable laws of physics, that still works in our favor. (The NFL will totally refuse to transparently release verifiable measurements though. Be prepared only to hear about measurements through biased leaks or to hear nothing at all.)

Yeah, I'm totally worried about the league burying any measurements they don't like or even falsifying the data. These guys are pretty shady.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

But that will never happen as his mind is made up and Brady destroyed his cell phone

I can see the judge privately saying:

"Mr. Goodell, you are not going to win this case with me. The facts just are not with you. So you can either compromise or lose completely in my decision. The choice is yours. The other side is adamant about no suspension, and you are adamant that there must be a suspension. I DO WANT a compromise and DO NOT desire any further arbitration.

The sensible compromise for your side to propose, and one that lets you out of your untenable position most gracefully, is for you to offer to delay the decision on all punishments on this issue until next February. If both sides are agreeable to such a compromise, the decision will be made here in my courtroom, by me or by a designated arbitrator of my choice, after reviewing actual data for measured ball pressures in cold weather games played during the 2015 season. You now have a procedure in place for doing this.

Mr. Goodell, such a compromise would have the undesired and admittedly unfair effect of lengthening the uncertainty, in some peoples minds, of Mr. Brady's guilt or innocence. Accordingly, Brady and the NFLPA may not accept that scenario without additional concessions on your part. What would be reasonable for them to additionally ask of you, when announcing any agreement for a delay in punishment is as follows: 1) an apology from you for making conclusions without sufficient evidence, and 2) an assertion that no data supports your previous ruling at this time.

You must also pledge to me that you will clean up your office by removing from their positions the unethical people who guided the expansion of this story from a molehill to a mountain through willfully leaking and also not correcting false information. Am I clear, Mr. Goodell?"

 

[rochrist]

The sad thing is how blatantly, overtly biased ESPN has been through all this. The entire nonsense started because one of their reporters was fed damaging but FALSE information, which was doubled down on when Mort questioned his 'sources'. They've been intensely biased throughout, from Brunell practically crying about Brady not admitting guilt and apologizing to SAS getting the targeted leak about the 'destroyed' cell phone to Mort not seeing the light of day since his initial report to an obvious muzzle on anything Reiss writes. Meanwhile they're completely mum on the initial leak, on anything to do with the context site, on any of the clear bias from the NFL.

ESPN is complicit in this horsesh*t nonsense. What a pile of garbage that network is.

How do you see an 'obvious muzzle' of Reiss? He's been ripping the league for months.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

this was refuted by an official recently.

No what I said stands true regardless of some scientifically and engineering illiterate official's bloviation.

 

[Tony2046]

I hear ya, but it's not like selling people on the theory of relativity, it's the relationship between temperature and gas pressure. We were taught this in middle school.

Also, I read a couple of comments and one comment was something like, "I didn't know that one of the gauges measured the balls at an average of 11.49." Adding in that that was the gauge the ref said he used would makes a significant difference to that reader and many others. Why leave that out? To compromise? I say give the readers the facts. There has not been nearly enough of that.

Ok first your post was one of those in which I wanted to rate it funny and agree at the same time. Not sure what the protocol on that is.

Florio and King cannot commit to either side of the argument based on science alone because there are so many invariables left out there. You have measurements taken in different parts of the stadium (sideline and referee room), at different times, with different gauges and with different levels of wetness. They are taking a safe aggressive approach to this and simply focussing on how badly this was handled.

I am ok with that.

 

[varjao]

So he's not scientifically literate, but if he is saying that he will back Brady when the empirical evidence inevitably verifies the basic and immutable laws of physics, that still works in our favor. (The NFL will totally refuse to transparently release verifiable measurements though. Be prepared only to hear about measurements through biased leaks or to hear nothing at all.)

Agreed, at this point I don't know how anyone can trust NFL's data regarding the PSI in footballs before game, half time, and after game over this next season. It is obvious to me that if there is no decision on Brady before the start of the season, that they will cook the data they want to burn the Patriots again.

 

[borg]

PLEASE FOR THE LOVE GOD ....SOMEONE with an air pump, please inflate a GODDAM football to 12.5 psi, hose it down with cold water.....and stick it in the refrigerator for 2 hours.......and then measure the GODDAM ball pressure.
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD.....WTF is wrong with these lazy lard ass reporters whose time is only consumed by reading Twitter feeds and waiting in the free buffet line at the stadiums. FAT ASS Peter King would rather opine about yeasty microbrews and nutty French Roast then actually see first hand what actually happens to a cold wet football.
The "apparently science" quote is causing my skull to cave in. What has happened to our over pampered species?

 

[XLIX]

The phrase "let them all burn" has been on my mind for months. Any and all posts in the same vein automatically get a "winner" rating from me. I'm so repulsed by this filth.

Nice to see Aerys Targaryan II weighing in.

Burn them all!!!

 

[h0c2000]

Unfortunately, all of these mediots are making this so much more complex than it needs to be. This entire fiasco can be boiled down to one fact.

Do you believe Walt Anderson's recollection or do you believe Ted Wells when he says that Walt Anderson was wrong?

If you believe Walt Anderson, then there is no investigation. If you believe Ted Wells then there is probable cause to believe that the balls were modified post inspection. The fact that Walt Anderson measured balls at half time and after the game leads me to believe that his memory was enforced by the use of the same gauge repeatedly.

Unfortunately, the NFL declared the Patriots guilty at halftime and used the investigation as cover.

 

[turkeyneck]

Physically possible.
Highly unlikely to a measurable degree.
Only some very low % of defective balls would do this to a substantial level over a brief time interval.

Yes. The leather doesn't hold the air in, it constrains the bladder to a certain volume. The bladder holds the air in.

 

[NashuaPats]

Ok first your post was one of those in which I wanted to rate it funny and agree at the same time. Not sure what the protocol on that is.

Florio and King cannot commit to either side of the argument based on science alone because there are so many invariables left out there. You have measurements taken in different parts of the stadium (sideline and referee room), at different times, with different gauges and with different levels of wetness. They are taking a safe aggressive approach to this and simply focussing on how badly this was handled.

I am ok with that.

But you can discuss all the variables that show it is impossible to know with 100% certainty if the balls were tampered with and discuss the text messages and other circumstantial evidence while also pointing out that the balls measure as expected as per the gauge the ref said he used. From that point, people can make of it what they will. With that fact out there, many people will see there was no reason to suspect any wrong doing from the start and the rest has been nothing, but a witch hunt.

I appreciate King writing what he did, but I'm still frustrated that he wasn't complete.

 

[XLIX]

I'm looking forward to a 20 F degree game in GB and the balls dropping 2 1/2 psi and hearing all the people declaring it being some sort of voodoo hocus pocus and that the balls must have been compromised.

So if my math is right, a 2 1/2 PSI drop will put Rodgers' gameday balls at 14.0 PSI? Someone double check my figures...

 

[NashuaPats]

Unfortunately, all of these mediots are making this so much more complex than it needs to be. This entire fiasco can be boiled down to one fact.

Do you believe Walt Anderson's recollection or do you believe Ted Wells when he says that Walt Anderson was wrong?

If you believe Walt Anderson, then there is no investigation. If you believe Ted Wells then there is probable cause to believe that the balls were modified post inspection. The fact that Walt Anderson measured balls at half time and after the game leads me to believe that his memory was enforced by the use of the same gauge repeatedly.

Unfortunately, the NFL declared the Patriots guilty at halftime and used the investigation as cover.

Exactly. Anderson said he used the logo gauge. The logo gauge showed the balls measured exactly as expected. The end. This cannot be stressed enough. Everything that came after has been smoke and mirrors. Even beginning an investigation was unethical.

 

[hambone1818]

How do you see an 'obvious muzzle' of Reiss? He's been ripping the league for months.

Maybe it's my own bias but I think, as close as he's been to all this, he could easily be do a Florio-esque rip-job if he wanted. Maybe it's more of an ESPN muzzle, or even Reiss himself not wanting to do it, but he hasn't called out Mort or the league for the false report to my knowledge.

But mostly my point is that ESPN employs dozens of national on-air people and writers, none of whom have been trumpeting the false report leaked to Mort or the obvious bias of the NFL. No one there has mentioned the context report besides Reiss, or the recent updates with the e-mails. The network has been mum, so maybe I should say less Reiss--because in fairness to him he's had a pretty balanced view on it even if he hasn't come out too strong against the league imo--and more ESPN's national coverage.

 

[letekro]

PLEASE FOR THE LOVE GOD ....SOMEONE with an air pump, please inflate a GODDAM football to 12.5 psi, hose it down with cold water.....and stick it in the refrigerator for 2 hours.......and then measure the GODDAM ball pressure.
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD.....WTF is wrong with these lazy lard ass reporters whose time is only consumed by reading Twitter feeds and waiting in the free buffet line at the stadiums. FAT ASS Peter King would rather opine about yeasty microbrews and nutty French Roast then actually see first hand what actually happens to a cold wet football.
The "apparently science" quote is causing my skull to cave in. What has happened to our over pampered species?

The "science" in this case is inconclusive. It doesn't exonerate Brady and it doesn't convict him. There actually is no "science" here, because we don't know the key data points--we can't recreate the conditions of the balls, the atmospheric conditions, the precise time at which they measured, the gauges they were measured with etc. The problem with all this is that the NFL has played everything in such a deviously brilliant way that the only way Brady can exonerate himself is to prove a negative.

 

[SVN]

Folks, as opposed to Florio (who has always been more of a bomb thrower) Peter King has usually been circumspect towards the league.

Not here.

he still isn't wording it like Florio, but today's MMQB is the Peter King equivalent of Mike Reiss telling Belichick to "eff off".

This is as extreme as King can go. And it's good news:

The Brady stuff is about halfway down, but he teases it at the beginnign of the piece with "Lots going on in the first week of NFL training camps, and lots off the field. We’ll get to the Tom Brady appeal ruling, and the justifiably bitter Patriots continuing to feed the Story That Won’t Go Away......"

http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2015/08/02/nfl-training-camp-bruce-dehaven-cancer-carolina-panthers

You shouldve read his piece when the suspension was upheld and brady destroyed his phone was leaked. He was all over brady not directly but saying this is a battle he may lose etc etc. As usual he sways both ways.

 

[borg]

And another thing.....
"On page 113 of the Wells report, Wells says that the Patriots footballs would have been justified to have measured between 11.32 psi and 11.52 psi at halftime. The average of one gauge for the 11 balls was 11.49 psi, on the upper range of what the balls should have measured. The average of the other gauge was 11.11 psi, clearly lower than what the balls should have measured"........
Even using the lower PSI readings.......we are talking about 1/4 lb PSI below accepted deflation. In other words, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots engaged in a massive plot of clandestine football deflation for a net reduction of 1/4 lb PSI.
That Tom Brady....he is one finicky, ball squeezing QB.
I dare any lard ass reporter to grip 2 footballs that are 1/4 lbs psi apart and identify the "illegal" ball.

What do you think of all this Sam?