Jastremski and McNally will testify at Brady appeal

Per Ed Werder THE LEAGUE is calling them to testify.
This is tremendous news because it means that they are taking the first step toward throwing out the Wells report.

AndyJohnson said:

Per Ed Werder THE LEAGUE is calling them to testify.
This is tremendous news because it means that they are taking the first step toward throwing out the Wells report.

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I don't know. I think this is Goodell's way to try to Wells investigation part 2. Since Wells couldn't get Mcnally to interview again, this is a way to finish the Wells investigation.

Don't kid yourself. The result of the Brady appeal will be the Pats lose their 2017 first round pick. At least if Goodell gets his way.

I don't trust this process at all. I think this is horrible news. This whole thing from Goodell passing off the punishment to Vincent to him hearing to the appeal to him calling Jastremski and McNally seems to look like this whole thing is a set up to get the Pats and rehab Goodell's image. Could blow up in his face, but I don't look at this as a good thing at all.

I didn't think the league could introduce new evidence in the appeal. The trial is over and the league had their shot. They have to stand on their case. More screups by Goodell.
TB will be a very rich man when this is over

My prediction is the suspension is upheld and Brady has to go to court. Goodell already said that he agrees with the suspension handed out by Vincent. It's not like he had nothing to do with it when it was handed down.

Sfpat said:

I didn't think the league could introduce new evidence in the appeal. The trial is over and the league had their shot. They have to stand on their case. More screups by Goodell.
TB will be a very rich man when this is over

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Yeah, that was my take too. In fact, I read earlier this week only Brady, his NFLPA and legal representatives, and the League counsel were supposed to be allowed in the room during the proceedings.

But apparently Heir Goodell can do whatever he wants.... At least until he is smacked down in court.

Sfpat said:

I didn't think the league could introduce new evidence in the appeal. The trial is over and the league had their shot. They have to stand on their case. More screups by Goodell.
TB will be a very rich man when this is over

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I believe this is correct. My understanding is that the only thing the NFL can use is the Wells report whereas Brady and the Patriots can introduce new facts.

Mark Cuban ‏@mcuban 30m30 minutes ago
Cant wait for the Patriots presentation to the Commissioner "If he had to piss, you must dismiss" lol

Rob0729 said:

I don't know. I think this is Goodell's way to try to Wells investigation part 2. Since Wells couldn't get Mcnally to interview again, this is a way to finish the Wells investigation.

Don't kid yourself. The result of the Brady appeal will be the Pats lose their 2017 first round pick. At least if Goodell gets his way.

I don't trust this process at all. I think this is horrible news. This whole thing from Goodell passing off the punishment to Vincent to him hearing to the appeal to him calling Jastremski and McNally seems to look like this whole thing is a set up to get the Pats and rehab Goodell's image. Could blow up in his face, but I don't look at this as a good thing at all.

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As The otherwise execrable BSPN article noted, Goodell cannot increase the penalties, only lower them or keep them.

ctpatsfan77 said:

As The otherwise execrable BSPN article noted, Goodell cannot increase the penalties, only lower them or keep them.

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Come on, you know what he will do. He will trip up McNally to say something that could be perceived as proof that the Pats knew about him deflating balls and then say evidence found in this appeal uncovered a new crime and penalize the Pats. Ala Ray Rice.

I hope the Patriots have maintained contact with these guys with promise of jobs.
Otherwise, the following may occur.
Goodell: Did you deflate balls for TB?
J and McN: Yes.

Jimke said:

I hope the Patriots have maintained contact with these guys with promise of jobs.
Otherwise, the following may occur.
Goodell: Did you deflate balls for TB?
J and McN: Yes.

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If that happens, no NFL team will hire them and they'll have to leave New England ala Bill Buckner.

I don't like I gotta be honest, these guys could easily make or break this thing in favor of either party.

slash83 said:

I don't like I gotta be honest, these guys could easily make or break this thing in favor of either party.

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i'm not optimistic. they've already proven they are boneheads.

Sicilian said:

If that happens, no NFL team will hire them and they'll have to leave New England ala Bill Buckner.

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No team will hire them? What do you think? either one of them will relocate to be a ball boy/equipment guy with another team? some career....

Jimke said:

I hope the Patriots have maintained contact with these guys with promise of jobs.
Otherwise, the following may occur.
Goodell: Did you deflate balls for TB?
J and McN: Yes.

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They each spent seven hours with Wells accusing them of everything but the Lindberg kidnapping. I think they will hold up well.

Rob0729 said:

I don't know. I think this is Goodell's way to try to Wells investigation part 2. Since Wells couldn't get Mcnally to interview again, this is a way to finish the Wells investigation.

Don't kid yourself. The result of the Brady appeal will be the Pats lose their 2017 first round pick. At least if Goodell gets his way.

I don't trust this process at all. I think this is horrible news. This whole thing from Goodell passing off the punishment to Vincent to him hearing to the appeal to him calling Jastremski and McNally seems to look like this whole thing is a set up to get the Pats and rehab Goodell's image. Could blow up in his face, but I don't look at this as a good thing at all.

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Goodell may in fact be a moron. I do assume he has intelligent people advising him.
One thing that is blatantly obvious is that the Patriots win in court. There is no judge in America that would uphold taking away a union members right to work based upon the Wells report and the evidence vs Brady. A court could easily rule that even if Wells met the 'more probably than not' burden, that this burden is unacceptable with respect to denying employment (through suspension) of a unionized employee. Lets remember the court isn't ruling for Tom Brady and his 20 mill a year salary, they are ruling for Joe Lunchbucket working his $14 an hour union job as well.
Goodell also has to know that aside from Brady's suspension, the other things on trial will be:

His authority to discipline
The standard as mentioned above
The Personal Conduct policy and its constitutionality
The CBA itself by virute of a ruling that negates pieces of it
The anti-trust exemption if necessary.

In court, there is no way Brady loses. In court there is a good chance Goodell loses more than just Brady's suspension.

Goodell's smartest play is to read the Patriots response, do some investigation and judge that the Wells report is flawed, jumps to conclusions, does not meet the more probably than not standard because the science is wrong,and to many assumptions are made, and the the league after reviewing Wells work and the Patriots response find no reasonable means to consider the Patriots or Tom Brady guilty of any wrongdoing.

That is what will happen. It's just a matter of whether Goodell does it or the court does.

I can't help but think Goodell has paid them off to say what he wants here.

Well I don't know if they were called by the league or Brady's team but I see this with different eyes than most of you, I think it's a good thing. It's in the best interest of them to clear all this mess, they are going to stand by the Patriots version. They are not going through a lie detector test.

I think there's a chance Goodell is throw Wells and his report under the bus, say this whole text messages was a misunderstanding and reduce the penalties to avoid court.

I want them there. I want the question directly asked.

"Did Tom Brady tell you to deflate footballs AFTER leaving the officials room? Yes or No"

That's pretty much the whole case right there

Lets not forget a reduction will not be acceptable. Accepting a reduction is essentially an admission of guilt, and the Patriots and Tom Brady are very clear that this is about character assassination as much as penalties.