Charles Pierce: Goodell and the art of stepping on hidden rakes.

[PatsFanSince74]

At least this article provides a little, well-written comic relief. My personal favorite: the description of Goodell as "a guy who couldn’t pour juice out of his loafers if the instructions were written on the heel."

I wish I could agree that "the tide is turning." I think it's more like, with the case in the hands of the Court (we all know how boring that is), the best way for a writer to get any attention is to say stuff that will irritate the people who think that Brady is a terrible kind of person who should be banished from playgrounds. Then, he'll lots of clicks by irate responders....OK, maybe I've crossed the line into cynic-land, but that's where I am now.

 

[Galeb]

You are kidding yourself. And Peter King has killed the league on this issue for months. He trashed Goodell for trying to tarnish the legacy of one of the greatest players of all time on "More likely than not" being "generally aware" and science that is easily refutable.

And no, the tide is not turning like you think. The owners are upset that this dragging out like it is. I think the worst they will do is double the punishment they gave to Goodell for totally botching the Ray Rice thing. Anyone know what double is of a $44 million salary. They may give in on an independent arbitration for appeals, but that won't help the Patriots or Brady. Just the next guy who is railroaded.

I have said that the tide is turning in the media, and there is a good chance that could have an effect on some owners. It may not have an effect on the owners, but it is certain that the tide is turning in the media. I cite one fact and then speculate that something that is likely to affect some members of a particular group. You say that I am kidding myself, but there are a whole lot less assumptions in what I am proposing.

 

[Bella*chick]

He says Brady had the ball set to his specifications, just like the League allows quarterbacks to do. He doesn't seem to believe Brady is guilty of anything except making the masses jealous of him for reasons really out of his control.

 

[Oswlek]

For the most part, the tide will never turn.

I used to be a huge footballoutsiders fan, not only for the stats but because the reader comments were fantastic; unbiased, insightful, I'd learn more there than just about anywhere else.

As you might expect, the growth of the site has attracted different readers and the comments have dropped off since its early days. Even though I've been aware of this for some time, it was still disheartening seeing the nonsense people were saying after the suspension was upheld. Other than Pats fans, not one single member has admitted that the case against Brady is flimsy and that he may be innocent. A few can see through Goodell's act, but they still interpret every Brady and Kraft action through the prism of guilt no matter how much the pile of evidence on Tom's side grows. You can quite literally see them massaging their stances to allow for new facts to squeeze into the presumption of guilt.

I've considered laying out all the lies that the NFL has told as well as posting some Steph Stradley comments as to why the phone and the texts - the only remaining pieces of evidence that actually mean anything in the NFL's narrative - are irrelevant. But we all know how fruitless and frustrating that would be. As you say, the tide will never turn for some.

 

[robbomango]

The tide is turning.

Upholding that 4 game suspension after Kraft rolled over and took those massive penalties with a possible wink-nod deal has made Goodell and the league look like a bunch of malicious, vindictive bullies. I don't think any reasonable and even not so reasonable media person can honestly condone the nonsense that just took place, coupled with those emails and these guys look like slanderous monsters.

People were like "Yeah get em, get Brady get the Patriots" now they're looking at the league going "Whoah! that's just evil"

 

[Canuck]

Re-read it.

Tom Brady is now, thanks to a piddling bit of gamesmanship

I interperted that one way, you may think it means something else. No problem.

 

[Deus Irae]

Tom Brady is now, thanks to a piddling bit of gamesmanship

I interperted that one way, you may think it means something else. No problem.

I remain convinced that the footballs in the AFC Championship Game were tailored to Brady’s specifications, just as all the footballs used in every game are tailored to the specifications of the competing quarterbacks. (That was the whole point of the letter, signed nine years ago by Brady, and by Peyton Manning, among other quarterbacks, requesting that offenses be allowed to use their own footballs when on the road. That the NFL didn’t find this proposal laughable is the ur-screwup in this whole affair.) I believe that Brady knows what his own specifications are, and that he communicated them to the people handling the footballs. Period.

That's pretty much the opposite of saying Brady's guilty.

 

[Canuck]

That's pretty much the opposite of saying Brady's guilty.

Tom Brady is now, thanks to a piddling bit of gamesmanship

I believe that Brady knows what his own specifications are, and that he communicated them to the people handling the footballs. Period.

Like I said, I read it one way, you read it another. Only the author knows the true meaning of his words. It's not the first article of Charles Pierce's that has been linked on this forum and I came to the same conclusion on the other.

 

[AzPatsFan]

At least this article provides a little, well-written comic relief. My personal favorite: the description of Goodell as "a guy who couldn’t pour juice out of his loafers if the instructions were written on the heel."

I wish I could agree that "the tide is turning." I think it's more like, with the case in the hands of the Court (we all know how boring that is), the best way for a writer to get any attention is to say stuff that will irritate the people who think that Brady is a terrible kind of person who should be banished from playgrounds. Then, he'll lots of clicks by irate responders....OK, maybe I've crossed the line into cynic-land, but that's where I am now.

It is a a paraphrase of the old standard observation: "..Couldn't pour piss out of a boot..."

 

[Deus Irae]

Tom Brady is now, thanks to a piddling bit of gamesmanship

I believe that Brady knows what his own specifications are, and that he communicated them to the people handling the footballs. Period.

Like I said, I read it one way, you read it another. Only the author knows the true meaning of his words. It's not the first article of Charles Pierce's that has been linked on this forum and I came to the same conclusion on the other.

It's a matter of you misreading a paragraph, possibly because of what you've perceived him to write in the past, and possibly because he wrote one thing while meaning another, as you imply. The paragraph only makes sense if he's equating every single NFL QB in the matter.

 

[Silver Blue&Red]

You are kidding yourself. And Peter King has killed the league on this issue for months. He trashed Goodell for trying to tarnish the legacy of one of the greatest players of all time on "More likely than not" being "generally aware" and science that is easily refutable.

And no, the tide is not turning like you think. The owners are upset that this dragging out like it is. I think the worst they will do is double the punishment they gave to Goodell for totally botching the Ray Rice thing. Anyone know what double is of a $44 million salary. They may give in on an independent arbitration for appeals, but that won't help the Patriots or Brady. Just the next guy who is railroaded.

I truly believe the reason this has dragged on forever, and the public still believes TB did something, is because the only high profile sports networks are owned or influenced by the MFL. I just had a conversation with a non Pats fan, who had no answer for my questions. Just half assed rhetoric spewed by BSPN and MFLN. I said "ask me any question you'd like, and I'll have a rebuttal, with quoted documentation for every one". Of course I got the "nah"... Whatever, I've been telling everyone I talk to, from the get go, that Kensil has been behind this from the beginning. And it's finally being exposed. I'll have the last laugh.

 

[Canuck]

It's a matter of you misreading a paragraph, possibly because of what you've perceived him to write in the past, and possibly because he wrote one thing while meaning another, as you imply. The paragraph only makes sense if he's equating every single NFL QB in the matter.

At least you didn't argue about what I said about Goodell, so I take solace in you thinking I am at least half right

 

[SVN]

I have said that the tide is turning in the media, and there is a good chance that could have an effect on some owners. It may not have an effect on the owners, but it is certain that the tide is turning in the media. I cite one fact and then speculate that something that is likely to affect some members of a particular group. You say that I am kidding myself, but there are a whole lot less assumptions in what I am proposing.

I dont know.If the judge rules against brady the tide will again turn and media will side with the court ruling. Tide turning is the phrase I have heard many times except nothing has happened ...yet.

 

[nabwong]

I wish I could share your enjoyment, but I still burns me that we are 5 weeks before the start of the regular season and we are still talking about the fallout of an alleged equipment violation rather than real football.

I don't mind it. I've learned not to get too upset at anything. Just a wondrous chuckle. I get upset at myself way more.

 

[Marko]

Iam sure volin will google this and say pierce wrote a book on brady

Or that Pierce used to play for the Celtics

 

[ChoWZa]

I'm terrified the NFL is going to get away with all this. ugh.

 

[aluminum seats]

We need to stop kidding ourselves on this. We get suckered by this every time. How many times have we felt the tide is turning only for the NFL to leak something out that is damaging spin to make the Patriots look bad and we start this process all over again.

For the most part, the tide will never turn. The general belief around the country will be that Brady and the Pats are cheaters and their titles are tainted. Nothing will ever come out to change this. It could come out that Mike Kensil fudged all the PSI levels and the Patriots' footballs didn't lose any PSI and the rest of the country would still believe that 11 of the 12 balls lost 2 PSI or more and Brady smashed his phone with a sledgehammer. The damage is done.

The only hope we have is the rational fans and media figure out the truth. But unfortunately, they are minority in both areas.

I've felt largely the same as you, until just recently. It feels to me that a substantive shift may be happening.

 

[Gumby]

It's a matter of you misreading a paragraph, possibly because of what you've perceived him to write in the past, and possibly because he wrote one thing while meaning another, as you imply. The paragraph only makes sense if he's equating every single NFL QB in the matter.

Ok, then I also, as well as probably 70% of the non-Patriots fans, am going to misread that every single time and say the writer believes TB directed the equipment guys to put less than 12.5 in the balls.
It is just that the writer thinks that is ok -as that is essentially what the NFL told QBs they could do 9 years ago when they gave them the right to individual footballs.

At no point in the article do I recall him adamantly stating that there is a high probability that the only rule being broken was NFL exec's understanding of the ideal gas law- changes in ball psi all due to natural causes. Ample opportunities to do so in article, he chose not to.

That he makes fun of the monkey behind the glass is low-hanging fruit. That he doesn't specifically expose the crime as in fact, not even an act (let alone an illegal act) implies he thinks the act of letting out air occurred, but as he said is equivalent to a curved hockey stick.

 

[BigPeteG]

I dunno about the tide turning - but what happens in court will matter. If Brady gets his suspension tossed - and never admits guilt.. That means that down the line every single reporter/commentator/writer et al will reference that tidbit.

Hey that Brady sure he got busted for cheating - but most people think was actually railroaded by the previous commish..

I have no idea if the 'tide' is turning - whatever that means. But I do know this theory that Brady cannot seek any form of redress from the court because he is already 'doomed in the court of public opinion' is entirely inaccurate. The more evidence that comes out that Brady was railroaded - the better it is for Brady's legacy. That's the bottom line..

 

[Rob0729]

I've felt largely the same as you, until just recently. It feels to me that a substantive shift may be happening.

I listened to Sirius NFL radio the on Sunday and listened to the hosts talk (Zig Percasy and Tim Brown) and said all of this doesn't matter and what really matter was that Brady said he didn't think he cheated rather than was more defiant. They argued that is all the proof you to know he cheated because an innocent man wouldn't have been so wishy-washy.

So no, the tide is not changing. We are just cherry picking the guys who are questioning the league. For every Florio there is a Mad Dog Russo, Mike Frascessa, etc. And don't forget that many of the people in the media trashing the NFL for how they railroaded the Pats still think Brady and the Pats are guilty. They just think there are villains on both sides.