Official fired for stealing ball?

[phil112]

This has officially turned into a chinese fire drill for the NFL. It doesn't matter the final report, unless they talk about how stupidly they have handled this, their credibility is nonexistent.

Quote: "ESPN's "Outside the Lines" reported on Tuesday that Patriots locker room attendant Jim McNally was being investigated for "trying to introduce an unapproved football" — a K-ball, for what it's worth — to an official.

But Schefter flipped his own organization's reporting on its head by offering this wild nugget: the ball (or balls?) in question was/were provided by two NFL employees, one of whom was fired.

Are you following us here with this insanity? Basically, what's being suggested is that an official swiped out a real ball for a fake one and that the fake was handed to the Patriots attendant, who clearly was none the wiser. And why would the attendant suspect that?

How in the world can the NFL save face and issue any kind of guilt to the Patriots following this news? The answer: It can't. We might as well say "case closed" if the reports are valid.

The officials for the AFC title game against the Indianapolis Colts, for what it's worth, were head referee Walt Anderson, umpire Carl Paganelli, head linesman Tony Veteri, line judge Jeff Bergman, side judge Greg Meyer, field judge Gary Cavaletto and back judge Keith Ferguson."

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-s...gate-case-for-selling-football-205328811.html

 

[Dr Pain]

Its not like an NFL official who would steal a $100 football that was to benefit a charity would take $100k to fix a game.

 

[zipster9]

Sadly, ESPN stupidly get out the ball handlers' name and he is getting harassed my ambulance-chasing-reporters..

Great job ESPN. NOT!

 

[Show416]

Its not like an NFL official who would steal a $100 football that was to benefit a charity would take $100k to fix a game.

This is a great effing point...

 

[BradyFTW!]

Its not like an NFL official who would steal a $100 football that was to benefit a charity would take $100k to fix a game.

I don't see anything claiming that the league official was an actual referee. Sounds like people are getting confused based on the multiple meanings of the word 'official', hence the NFLRA demanding an apology and retraction.

 

[archstanton543]

The officials for the AFC title game against the Indianapolis Colts, for what it's worth, were head referee Walt Anderson, umpire Carl Paganelli, head linesman Tony Veteri, line judge Jeff Bergman, side judge Greg Meyer, field judge Gary Cavaletto and back judge Keith Ferguson."

It wasn't a referee it was an NFL employee (who can be called an "official" without being an on-the-field ref).

 

[cmasspatsfan]

It's obvious connecting the dots that Mike Kensil is the one providing these half truth leaks to make the Pats look bad, someone on the Pats is probably providing the leaks to Schefter to give to complete story. I can't imagine a cluster**** like this happening under Tags or Rozelle, at minimum Kensil's got to go, whether Opie stays or go is obviously up to the owners but I would think after this display of unprofessionalism that some owners want him gone.