Goodell lied about deflation amount, too?

[Tony2046]

The NFL is reaping the rewards of indoctrinating the masses to the idea that NE's balls were several psi below the minimum. Even though their own slanted analysis indicates a trivial amount of air was released, the fact that they can claim it couldn't have occurred naturally allows them to maintain the condescension of the higher amount.

I can't tell if this is a brilliantly crafted plan or if they were so boisterous at first that embarrassment and a stubborn refusal to admit error has taken them down this path. The whole office was marching in such immediate lockstep that I honestly lean toward the former.

Even a brilliantly crafted house of cards will fall when it is built on falsehoods. Judge Berman has raised the pressure on both parties recently and I would expect someone in Rogers party is starting to get nervous. Whether it's because they do not want to be on the wrong side of history or if they are worried about their future with the league but eventually someone is going to leak something especially if Judge Berman turns up the pressure cooker a little higher.

Or maybe I'm being a little too optimistic.

 

[The Brandon Five]

When is Goodell not lying? Isn't this a sort of "dog bites man" story?

 

[Oswlek]

I wish Kessler had asked a "how much air do you think was released from those footballs" type of question during the appeal.

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. Hopefully they get the chance to ask it during the case, or better yet, the judge asks Goodell.

 

[Tony2046]

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. Hopefully they get the chance to ask it during the case, or better yet, the judge asks Goodell.

If Judge Berman asks that question I would expect Roger to settle immediately.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

When is Goodell not lying? Isn't this a sort of "dog bites man" story?

 

[Galeb]

I kept expecting the song to end, but it went on for over 3 minutes.

 

[Tony2046]

I kept expecting the song to end, but it went on for over 3 minutes.

 

[RedSleevesPinkStripes]

[Mods - merge if you feel it proper. I have no idea which thread is best to merge this into if you decide to do so ]

Saw this in the comments section of Stradley's blog. The NFL filings have pissed me off too much so I haven't looked at them again to verify.

 

[Zeus]

The Wells Report stated that Exponent found that the probability that the ball inflation could be explained solely by natural phenomena was less that one half of one per cent (0.04%). Edward Snyder, Brady's expert witness at the appeal hearing, pointed out that the statistic cited in the Wells Report was based on an initial test (the "difference of differences" test) that did not include any adjustment for the timing of measurements (i.e., that the Colt balls were measured some time after the Patriot balls).

Wells took the statistic most favorable to his case from the Exponent analysis and stated it as his conclusion. There are two possibilities - either Wells misunderstood his own expert's work and relied on that misunderstanding to reach his conclusions or Well understood and purposely misrepresented the Exponent work.

Snyder went on to point out that three things happened at half-time: 1) Patriots balls measured; 2) Colts balls measured and 3) Patriots balls reinflated. The order of the last two is significant because if the Colts balls were tested after the patriots balls were reinflated (the most logical sequence since there was only time to measure 4 Colt balls), that would allow even greater time for the Colt balls to warm up, a scenario absolutely and devastatingly fatal to the Exponent conclusions. It's interesting to note that there is no mention in the Wells Report of this sequence of events. Surely the people who were there must remember! Maybe this information is contained in the (privileged) notes the (formerly independent) Wells investigators took during their interviews with the participants.

 

[Oswlek]

It's interesting to note that there is no mention in the Wells Report of this sequence of events.

It's more than just interesting, they go out of their way to imply that the Colt balls were measured second by placing them in that order, hoping no one will notice the "and" conjunctions in place of "then."

The phrasing is too deliberate to be accidental. Add in that neither Wells nor Exponent - despite numerous opportunities to do so - has ever confirmed the order, and there is only one conclusion that can be drawn.

 

[rochrist]

Is "the substantial" a proper phrase? Wouldn't it have to be "a substantial", "more substantial", or "less substantial"? I'm not a master of the English language, but it looks strange to me.

I don't think Roger is trying to lie here, I think he's just not particularly well-spoken. That said, even "a substantial" would be a reach for any logical mind.

Except I guarantee he didn't personally write that thing.

 

[Tony2046]

The Wells Report stated that Exponent found that the probability that the ball inflation could be explained solely by natural phenomena was less that one half of one per cent (0.04%). Edward Snyder, Brady's expert witness at the appeal hearing, pointed out that the statistic cited in the Wells Report was based on an initial test (the "difference of differences" test) that did not include any adjustment for the timing of measurements (i.e., that the Colt balls were measured some time after the Patriot balls).

Wells took the statistic most favorable to his case from the Exponent analysis and stated it as his conclusion. There are two possibilities - either Wells misunderstood his own expert's work and relied on that misunderstanding to reach his conclusions or Well understood and purposely misrepresented the Exponent work.

Snyder went on to point out that three things happened at half-time: 1) Patriots balls measured; 2) Colts balls measured and 3) Patriots balls reinflated. The order of the last two is significant because if the Colts balls were tested after the patriots balls were reinflated (the most logical sequence since there was only time to measure 4 Colt balls), that would allow even greater time for the Colt balls to warm up, a scenario absolutely and devastatingly fatal to the Exponent conclusions. It's interesting to note that there is no mention in the Wells Report of this sequence of events. Surely the people who were there must remember! Maybe this information is contained in the (privileged) notes the (formerly independent) Wells investigators took during their interviews with the participants.

Exactly. If you see the nifty little inflation chart in the Well's report it clearly represents a tighter grouping of psi measurements at the end of the chart as opposed to the randomness at the beginning of the chart.

Inflation rates initially vary for multiple reasons. Balls stored in a bag are being exposed to various ambient temperatures and wet balls re-inflate slower than dry balls.

The model that fits that chart best is the one in which the Colts footballs were tested after the Patriot footballs were re-inflated.

I used to think that this was a sting operation that exposed an ignorance of the IGL but I am beginning to wonder if this was intentionally planned from the get go. I cannot understand why they decided to re-inflate the footballs at halftime. Why? They had back up footballs ready to go so why would they re-inflate the evidence? If they had not re-inflated them everyone would know exactly what the original inflation levels were. Curious decision to say the least..

 

[Oswlek]

Excellent video. Do you know who made it?

No, just the product of a Google search that I saved.

 

[Koma]

It's more than just interesting, they go out of their way to imply that the Colt balls were measured second by placing them in that order, hoping no one will notice the "and" conjunctions in place of "then."

The phrasing is too deliberate to be accidental. Add in that neither Wells nor Exponent - despite numerous opportunities to do so - has ever confirmed the order, and there is only one conclusion that can be drawn.

Kind of like how they place McNally's "deflator" text last in the list of texts, as if it was the most recent, when it was sent well before the other texts they cite.

 

[JoeSixPat]

What's interesting to me is just how low Goodell was in the NFL fan opinion polls this time last year

Only 28.5% of fans felt he should keep his job

Only 20% of women fans felt he should keep his job following his handling/lies related to seeing or not seeing the Ray Rice Video (and of course even the video became a Red Herring as it was stated in the Police report that he hit his girlfriend - and Roger REALLY can't credibly claim he didn't read the police report - but indeed he did, claiming ignorance as the rationale for his 2 game suspension.)

At that time, Goodell was in trouble - but thanks to a hand delivered "scandal" that would put the hated Patriots in the spotlight and allow Goodell to present himself as the Champion for the Integrity of the game, Goodell's popularity rebounded

That was until it was learned how frequent and fully Goodell lies to fans, investigators etc.

Article VIII in the Constitution and Bylaws of the National Football League is titled, “Commissioner.”

The first line reads: “The League shall select and employ a person of unquestioned integrity to serve as Commissioner…”

Goodell has very very questionable integrity - and I'm being kind

I'm hopeful some reporters will insist that the owners take a vote, with their own constitution as the criteria to whether Goodell remains as commissioner

All the pressure should be on THE OWNERS in my opinion. Goodell answers to them, and does their bidding.

 

[Mack Herron]

It's not paranoia when they're out to get you.
http://thornography.weei.com/sports...ys-patriots-defenders-have-been-proven-right/

 

[smurfalarm]

The Wells Report stated that Exponent found that the probability that the ball inflation could be explained solely by natural phenomena was less that one half of one per cent (0.04%). Edward Snyder, Brady's expert witness at the appeal hearing, pointed out that the statistic cited in the Wells Report was based on an initial test (the "difference of differences" test) that did not include any adjustment for the timing of measurements (i.e., that the Colt balls were measured some time after the Patriot balls).

Wells took the statistic most favorable to his case from the Exponent analysis and stated it as his conclusion. There are two possibilities - either Wells misunderstood his own expert's work and relied on that misunderstanding to reach his conclusions or Well understood and purposely misrepresented the Exponent work.

Snyder went on to point out that three things happened at half-time: 1) Patriots balls measured; 2) Colts balls measured and 3) Patriots balls reinflated. The order of the last two is significant because if the Colts balls were tested after the patriots balls were reinflated (the most logical sequence since there was only time to measure 4 Colt balls), that would allow even greater time for the Colt balls to warm up, a scenario absolutely and devastatingly fatal to the Exponent conclusions. It's interesting to note that there is no mention in the Wells Report of this sequence of events. Surely the people who were there must remember! Maybe this information is contained in the (privileged) notes the (formerly independent) Wells investigators took during their interviews with the participants.

Seriously, this is a huge weakness in the Wells Report. Wells made all sorts of logical inferences that were much weaker than the assumption that the reason only four Colts' balls were measured was because it was the end of the half.

Wells drew the inference that because the Patriots and Colts both gauged their balls the same as Walt Anderson gauged them pre-game, all three must have been using accurate gauges and it was utterly impossible that the Patriots also bought the same cheapo miscalibrated Wilson gauges that measure 0.4 PSI too high. Wells admitted that he based his entire decision around an extreme adverse inference from Brady refusing to hand over personal communications that Wells was not entitled to. Heck, Wells even drew an inference that Brady being mad that balls were inflated over the legal limit in the Jets game must have meant the Patriots were deflating balls, which any rational and objective person would take as evidence against a ball deflation scheme predating the 2014 season, which means that Wells was being either disingenuous or this was a textbook case of confirmation bias.

But inferring that the reason that only four Colts balls were tested during halftime is because they were measured at the end of the half? That's a step too far for Wells and Exponent. Instead, we should just say, "Well nobody knows exactly when the balls were measured, so let's just do the math as if the Patriots' and Colts' balls were measured at exactly the same time and draw a conclusion from that." That is not just a simple mistake. That is either gross incompetence or malfeasance. We know that Exponent has some very smart scientists and Paul, Weiss has some very smart lawyers, so you can make your own inference about which one.