Bob Costas

[Joey007]

He's still saying that Brady's guilty, but thinks the punishment is too harsh.

At least he's half right.

At this point I at least respect that narrative, given the constant NFL propaganda that's been forced down fans throats.

 

[The Gr8est]

If we'd had more narratives like this when everything first started happening, maybe the league would have felt pressured into a more appropriate penalty. As it was, people like Costas and the like fed off the artificial, national frenzy to boost their ratings, and the league felt justified pursuing their witch hunt.

I don't give two s**ts about Costas standing up for us now that it doesn't matter.

Agreed, this is just damage control for the NFL*

 

[PatriotsReign]

Costas needed to say that the evidence was not compelling and not overwhelming.

If he did that he would have slammed Goody and the jackass judges for not doing their jobs.

NBC paid a small nation's annual GDP for the rights to Thursday night football. So Costas probably felt he had the right to **** on Goodell....and he did

 

[The Boston Patriot]

You mean he's a half-pint.

How about half-arse?

 

[The Boston Patriot]

So Costas probably felt he had the right to **** on Goodell....and he did

and there is nothing, absolutely nothing, wrong with that.

 

[JMC00]

Don't buy into the dog and pony show..

 

[qbno12]

May be the reason for what he said is Brady not playing on Sunday night during opening week.Brady playing would give them better TRP ratings. BC said a lot of stuff about Brady and Pats before. This one statement doesn't change my opinion of him. That said, I am definitely eager to listen to what Al Michaels and Chris Collinsworth have to say

 

[RobertWeathers]

NBC paid a small nation's annual GDP for the rights to Thursday night football. So Costas probably felt he had the right to **** on Goodell....and he did

He did in a very measured way.

 

[Geezer Butler]

This is the definition of too little, too late.

 

[Froob]

Agreed, this is just damage control for the NFL*

Costas is damage control? Uh naaaah. NBC has enjoyed going after the NFL on this pretty much from the start. I guess the NFL can't pressure them like they can do to ESPN.

 

[Jackson 2]

May be the reason for what he said is Brady not playing on Sunday night during opening week.Brady playing would give them better TRP ratings. BC said a lot of stuff about Brady and Pats before. This one statement doesn't change my opinion of him. That said, I am definitely eager to listen to what Al Michaels and Chris Collinsworth have to say

I think the ratings for Sunday night's game will be through the roof, even larger than if Brady were playing.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

He's taking issue with the "disproportion" of the "penalty," not that Brady committed some sort of "misdemeanor." He never says, as Gary Myers does repeatedly, that he questions whether there was a crime or "misdemeanor" to begin with.

Getting excited over this is a dangerous path for us to go down.

The mediots are not our "friends." They are only stirring up a new controversy, which happens to treat Tom Brady more sympathetically, but which still regards him as "guilty of something."

 

[PatsFanSince74]

I think the ratings for Sunday night's game will be through the roof, even larger than if Brady were playing.

We have a Winner!
That's exactly what NBC and the NFL want.

 

[The Gr8est]

I think the ratings for Sunday night's game will be through the roof, even larger than if Brady were playing.

I think you are right, but that doesn't mean it will carry forward once the novelty is gone.

 

[FourierSeries]

The whole thing sucks.

The next 4 weeks will be about Brady the cheater nonstop whether Jimmy G excels or fails. I cannot fault Brady for giving in though I was hoping that he would fight this BS to the end. Id imagine that everyone has received bad legal representation and Brady is no different.

Most people (yes, even opposing fans) don't think of him as a cheater. They actually still consider him one of the top 2 QBs of all time. They'll still joke about it when trying to talk trash, but you can tell they don't actually believe it, because they constantly talk about his level of skill, how they're afraid to play against him, how they wish he was their QB, etc.

 

[Jackson 2]

I think you are right, but that doesn't mean it will carry forward once the novelty is gone.

But the next time they're on prime-time other than Thursday vs. Houston, Brady will be back.

 

[Jackson 2]

Most people (yes, even opposing fans) don't think of him as a cheater. They actually still consider him one of the top 2 QBs of all time. They'll still joke about it when trying to talk trash, but you can tell they don't actually believe it, because they constantly talk about his level of skill, how they're afraid to play against him, how they wish he was their QB, etc.

With all due respect, I think most people outside NE, including fans of opposing teams absolutely think he's a cheater.

 

[BobDigital]

I am not at all surprised by this. Goodell wants absolute authority and is abusing it to try to force player concessions on the next CBA. They needed this win for that and so they went all in to get it in a very public way to make sure this is a point that the players will go to bat for at the next CBA and in exchange they will want something else... either 2 more games or overall player % in profits goes down.

Now all that being said the NFL does not want to hurt its brand or the product on the field as that would cost it money in the end and having the face of the NFL be a "villain" and a "cheater" certainly is not in the best interest of the NFL. So now they are trying to do damage control and will build his reputation back up as much as they possibly can in the coming years. They do not particularly have it out for Brady but they wanted the win more than being fair to him. Him being on the field makes the NFL product better but they were willing to sacrifice 4 weeks games with horrible officials a few years ago to make just a few bucks they are willing to lose a few games with Brady which actually may raise ratings (but not if he was out longer term) as that would probably hurt ratings as good QB play > bad QB play for enjoyment.

So yeah now the NFL will try to go on damage control with Brady and try to get him to play ball and get back in the fold and promise to sweep this under the rug as best they can. However that won't happen. People look for any excuse to hate the Pats and Brady and other fans will call him a cheater the rest of his life and he will never be talked about as he should be after this. Also Brady I don't think wants to make up. That bridge is burnt and after the Pats win the super bowl this year if Brady does anything like shake Goodell's hand I will be shocked.

 

[AzorianPats]

Good segment by Costas. Glad the narrative is changing.

 

[Triumph]

I didn't want Brady to stop the fight either but I think he reasoned that he would rather be taken out the first four games than the possibility of four games be during a playoff run.

Yup, the odds of the Supreme Court hearing the case must not have been very good. Then you have the issue of only 8 justices and no tie breaker. A tie would revert back to the last ruling.