Freeman is actually one of the few d-bag shit bleacher report reporters who isn't just like any poster on this forum. He used to be with CBS Sports and the NY Times. They made money off of people like us and used a little bit of it to hire a few crap reporters looking for a job so they could look legitimate when combined with the "reporting" from average joes. Freeman is actually one of those few.
Portion you left out: In January 2004, Freeman resigned before starting a columnist job at The Indianapolis Star after he was discovered lying about his education, specifically falsely claiming a college degree.[3] Tom Jolly, sports editor at The New York Times, said "Mike's career here speaks for itself, he did some great work here".[4] Freeman subsequently said "There are no excuses and I have never made any. Never will either. I’ll get my degree this summer or fall and start my pursuit of an advanced degree the following spring."[5] Freeman's columns have included accusations of racism and sexism against his colleagues in the New York press.[6] He was unsuccessfully sued for libel by golfer John Daly, with a circuit judge ruling that "Freeman's statements were either true or constitutionally protected opinion".[7] In 2002 Freeman called for a tougher program from the National Football League for monitoring off-the-field violence and drug use.[8]
Poor Roger, how's he gonna spin this one? He's gone out of his way to suppress NE's cheating, now it's center stage again on the eve of the biggest game in years. Defending Champs, against the best coach QB tandem in football history. Roger has a controversy of his own making. The integrity of the game is on the line, we know Roger has none. It'll be interesting to watch this play out. I think some poor bastard ball boy will take the fall...guilty or not.
Sigh.. Since March 2007, Freeman has worked at CBS Sports as a national NFL columnist and insider. Indy Star issue was from 2004. http://awfulannouncing.com/2013/mike-freeman-moving-from-cbs-sports-to-bleacher-report.html You are digging into this guy from 10 years ago
Again, what exactly is your point? That Refs deflated the balls? That refs are incompetent? That refs covered NE's cheating? That NE never deflated the balls?
This actually a GREAT idea!!!!! Yes, I would disqualify NE IMMEDIATELY and schedule BAL/IND game with winner facing SEA.
My point, as I have stated, is I believe the refs were complicit. How do you handle a ball on every play without noticing something. Especially when you handle both teams balls, with the amount of deflation that's being reported, and not notice it. Yet a LB making his first INT of the year is able to notice it.
Patriots fan here... came in here to take lumps on this since it's deserved on some scale. The way I see it is this. If the balls were tampered with after being shown to the refs in any way... then there should be some pretty severe penalties handed down and as a fan of my team I'll accept whatever that is - however harsh. But I'll stick with my team... as I did long before this run that got us more bandwagon fans than I could have ever imagined as a kid. But - if this is a case of the refs not properly recognizing that there was a problem with the balls - and the Patriots just presented them as they liked and they were accepted - then I think this entire story becomes a non-story. That's kinda where I'm at with it.... I've heard that the balls were properly checked before the game, but I'm still waiting for an official report. I cannot believe the NFL site has nothing on this at all on their page.
OK, got it. Suspend BB for a year, Brady for 8 games, disqualify NE from SB. And suspend the ref crew while you're at it.... I'm down with it.
I just saw a little kid in wearing a Patriots hat. I just stared at him and smiled. Probably should've said something because now he probably thinks I'm a pedophile. I hope he doesn't tell his Mom.
