Deflating deflategate --[Mod Edit] AEI Opinion Piece in NY Times

[shmessy]

Since we're looking at Bedard tweets from today, I don't know what to make of this one ("They" in the tweet below is AEI):

Greg A. Bedard ?@GregABedard 1h1 hour ago

@bruin_9 yeah right. They're totally above board with press leaks and releases. Would have more weight if they shut up and gave it to NFLPA

Did he recently suffer a blow to the head that affected his memory? He has a problem with AEI "leaking" information to the press? I don't know how he can get snippy about that topic with this particular story when the NFL was running to the media right after the AFCCG and then leaking false information 2 days later. But, yeah, those AEI guys, how dare they...

Bedard is using some world-class selectivity right there, isn't he?

.

 

[SVN]

Its frustrating talking logic with these guys. All week bedard has not written a single character about the AEI report or sally jenkins but the first thing he writes is how arrogant AEI is patting itself on its back. And people accuse fans for hating the media.

 

[shmessy]

Its frustrating talking logic with these guys. All week bedard has not written a single character about the AEI report or sally jenkins but the first thing he writes is how arrogant AEI is patting itself on its back. And people accuse fans for hating the media.

The tweet where he displays anger at AEI for not just quietly giving their report to the NFLPA is particularly interesting. One must ask, why does he want AEI to stifle its report? Why did it upset him? Did they beat him to the punch on a story he was about to publish using many of the same points?

He doesn't seem to be arguing against their points, just against their publishing of the points and that they got their stuff into the Times Sunday edition. Remember, up until now, he really has been more on the Brady/Patriots side in all this.

It smells of jealousy.

 

[Jackson 2]

The common thread I see more and more with these media people is that the vast majority of them seem to really have a high degree of contempt for us, the fans.

 

[Rob0729]

Bedard is the guy who countered Peter King's argument that if Wells listened to Walt Anderson that he measured the footballs with the logoed gauge that the Patriots balls fall within the ideal gas law by saying that "Yeah, but if you take away each team's ball with the highest and lowest amount of PSI loss, that the Pats balls would drop exponentially more than the the Colts's balls". Like that meant anything. They were already comparing 11 Patriots balls to 4 Colts balls and he thinks that taking away 18% of the Patriots balls and 50% of the Colts balls would make it less skewed.

 

[Rob0729]

Since we're looking at Bedard tweets from today, I don't know what to make of this one ("They" in the tweet below is AEI):

Greg A. Bedard ?@GregABedard 1h1 hour ago

@bruin_9 yeah right. They're totally above board with press leaks and releases. Would have more weight if they shut up and gave it to NFLPA

Did he recently suffer a blow to the head that affected his memory? He has a problem with AEI "leaking" information to the press? I don't know how he can get snippy about that topic with this particular story when the NFL was running to the media right after the AFCCG and then leaking false information 2 days later. But, yeah, those AEI guys, how dare they...

I am calling BS right there. If AEI had just given the data to the NFLPA and they used it in the appeal and that information got out, Bedard would write them off as hired guns for the NFLPA and Brady and they were paid to give results that favored Brady.

And AEI were given space to write an Op Ed piece in the NY Times about their findings. That is pretty significant. The Times may not be considered the beacon for integrity that it once had, but they are the country's most renowed newspaper and not exactly pro-Brady or the Patriots. People forget it was the Times who teamed with Arlen Specter during the whole Matt Walsh thing.

 

[SVN]

The tweet where he displays anger at AEI for not just quietly giving their report to the NFLPA is particularly interesting. One must ask, why does he want AEI to stifle its report? Why did it upset him? Did they beat him to the punch on a story he was about to publish using many of the same points?

He doesn't seem to be arguing against their points, just against their publishing of the points and that they got their stuff into the Times Sunday edition. Remember, up until now, he really has been more on the Brady/Patriots side in all this.

It smells of jealousy.

I dont think he was on the patriots side. He wrote very rudely in his mailbag that the pats are are fault for toeing the line of rules responding to a fan question. Was very insulting of the pats practices.

 

[Kdo5]

I dont think he was on the patriots side. He wrote very rudely in his mailbag that the pats are are fault for toeing the line of rules responding to a fan question. Was very insulting of the pats practices.

He has been like this ever since the Wells Report came out. Very much anti-Brady in this whole thing, often shutting out reasonable arguments in favor of Brady.

 

[Rawky77]

It would make him look stupid enough to warrant being fired.

It would be like Columbus coming back to the Queen of Portugal to report the world is round but being dismissed because her highly paid in-house adviser insists it's flat.

IMHO the only way Goodell is forced to resign is if Brady sues for defamation and the NFL* is forced to settle secretly for somewhere north of 200 million $. Than and only Then is Goodell done.

 

[FCB02062]

I get an overwhelming sense from the local media that they really hope Brady sits out at least 2 games. For them, he can't get it totally wiped because then all the media's histrionics would realized for it was - utter bullsh&t. Two games, which is what most of them seem to be rooting for, gives them the best grist for their mill...

They can rip goodell & the wells report but still finger wag Brady...

 

[Rob0729]

He has been like this ever since the Wells Report came out. Very much anti-Brady in this whole thing, often shutting out reasonable arguments in favor of Brady.

It's funny. Bedard was beloved in this area, but he is turning himself into poison here. He is the only guy who had a listening thread every week on this board. I seriously doubt he will be getting one ever again. As a guy who was doing a large portion of the transcribing of his segment on Felger and Mazz, I can say I ain't doing it this year. Screw him, Won't even listen.

 

[Jackson 2]

I get an overwhelming sense from the local media that they really hope Brady sits out at least 2 games. For them, he can't get it totally wiped because then all the media's histrionics would realized for it was - utter bullsh&t. Two games, which is what most of them seem to be rooting for, gives them the best grist for their mill...

They can rip goodell & the wells report but still finger wag Brady...

Bingo. So many of them just matter-of-factly talk about 2 games as if it's already been determined. Of course, no matter what happens in those 2 games they win. If Jimmy G. plays well and the Pats win, they've got themselves a QB controversy, at least in their eyes. If the Pats lose 2, they've got their "the dynasty is cracking" story they've wanted for years.

 

[Rawky77]

There will be similar reports coming as we approach the Brady hearing. The NFL and its "network partners" control big media, and the NFL wants the media to set the stage for Goodell to back down at the hearing exonerating Brady, Jastremski, McNally and the Patriots. Goodell will not be doing this out of the kindness of his heart but rather from the realization that the Wells Report has left him cornered.

The Wells report was written to pin this on Brady and the Pats with legal weasel words that would protect the NFL from legal action from them. But, they forgot that Jastremski and McNally weren't just props like the footballs but real people who are not below the law helping them defend themselves from the vicious defamation they've experienced. Plus, the legal weasel words used are outside the parameters for personal conduct penalties in the CBA. Thus, the NFLPA can take them to court seeking not only a neutral arbitrator, but they can also claim a material breach of the CBA and ask the courts to void it.

Cooler heads amongst the NFL owners will prevail. There are wheels turning and deals being negotiated behind the scenes. Goodell will disavow the Wells report, Brady's suspension will be lifted, and Goodell might even suggest to Kraft that he appeal the team penalties to him as well.

I hope I'm wrong about this. The best thing for the game I've loved for 45 years is for the NFL's dirty laundry to be aired fully in a court of law and for Congress to be so appalled by the smell that it takes away the NFL's antitrust exemptions. But, I doubt the bad guys let it get that far.

While i agree with your sentiment i strongly doubt that the above is even a possibility.

ARROGANCE is its own worst enemy and IMHO the NFL* is the most arrogant 12 Billion pound Elephant on the planet. Goodell will not revoke the penalties on Brady and most likely not reduce them.

Look this is an organization which makes the half time entertainment PAY for the total cost of the productions that air during the Super Bowl, they also make the local community pay for all security and any other costs related to crowd control etc just for the opportunity to hold a Super Bowl. The NFL* believes that they are entitled by the CBA to invoke whatever they desire as punishment for whatever violation of rules committed, proven or unproven period end of story. In their minds NO One ever says No to the NFL* for that would be a sacrilege and blasphemy of the most profitable religion on the planet. The religion of making Money.

 

[Rawky77]

The more Roger resists using common sense the easier the appeal will be. His only hope of saving face is to reduce Brady's suspension to 1 game and a 50K fine. He could get away with saying "Yes, it's a bit more than Favre but I am sending a message about co-operation with the league." But, IMO, the PA wants this to go to court to regain some sense of balance and accountability between the NFL and NFLPA.

A bit more than Favre!! Brady makes 474,000 per week in 2015. If he is suspended 1 week and fined 50,000 his out of pocket cost is $524,000. Ten times Favre's fine.

 

[Jackson 2]

While i agree with your sentiment i strongly doubt that the above is even a possibility.

ARROGANCE is its own worst enemy and IMHO the NFL* is the most arrogant 12 Billion pound Elephant on the planet. Goodell will not revoke the penalties on Brady and most likely not reduce them.

Look this is an organization which makes the half time entertainment PAY for the total cost of the productions that air during the Super Bowl, they also make the local community pay for all security and any other costs related to crowd control etc just for the opportunity to hold a Super Bowl. The NFL* believes that they are entitled by the CBA to invoke whatever they desire as punishment for whatever violation of rules committed, proven or unproven period end of story. In their minds NO One ever says No to the NFL* for that would be a sacrilege and blasphemy of the most profitable religion on the planet.

Rawky, awhile ago I posted that it's little wonder that this league thinks it can do whatever the hell it wants without regard to laws, protocols or rules. Because except for a few rare instances, it's proven it can.

 

[Rawky77]

Rawky, awhile ago I posted that it's little wonder that this league thinks it can do whatever the hell it wants without regard to laws, protocols or rules. Because except for a few rare instances, it's proven it can.

Your preaching to Choir my friend. The NFL* has yet to learn that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts ABSOLUTELY! When they do the Weeping and the Gnashing of Teeth will be heard around the world.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

It's funny. Bedard was beloved in this area, but he is turning himself into poison here. He is the only guy who had a listening thread every week on this board. I seriously doubt he will be getting one ever again. As a guy who was doing a large portion of the transcribing of his segment on Felger and Mazz, I can say I ain't doing it this year. Screw him, Won't even listen.

He is trying to appeal to a broader national (anti-patriot) audience.

 

[Joker]

ever since this all started I've been thinking of getting two harlequin great danes and renting a summer place right down the lane from THIS house...



and then every day I'll walk the two big boys down the street to his front yard expanse and let them leave a couple of piles of tender toilet treats steaming in the summer sun...and if the bigmouth megalomaniac comes running out yelling "stop!" I'll just let Baltazar and Harly rush to protect poor ol' defenseless Joe Kerr from this honking wildly madman, Stokoe....maybe they'll rip his nutz off and tear his big mouth to shreds...



"sic his face, Harly! Git 'em boy!"[/img]

 

[Mr. Objective]

Since we're looking at Bedard tweets from today, I don't know what to make of this one ("They" in the tweet below is AEI):

Greg A. Bedard ?@GregABedard 1h1 hour ago

@bruin_9 yeah right. They're totally above board with press leaks and releases. Would have more weight if they shut up and gave it to NFLPA

Did he recently suffer a blow to the head that affected his memory? He has a problem with AEI "leaking" information to the press? I don't know how he can get snippy about that topic with this particular story when the NFL was running to the media right after the AFCCG and then leaking false information 2 days later. But, yeah, those AEI guys, how dare they...

I’m scratching my head wondering how anyone could have an objection to a think tank--whose very purpose is to affect public policy, influence public opinion, and stir up discussion of issues of interest to the think tank’s researchers and donors--“leaking” one of its reports to the press. One might with equal logic complain about a columnist like Bedard not keeping his opinions private. Bedard is a genuine imbecile.

 

[shmessy]

The common thread I see more and more with these media people is that the vast majority of them seem to really have a high degree of contempt for us, the fans.

One must wonder for whom they are writing?