Best article yet: http://www.nj.com/super-bowl/index....oom_attendant_politi_column.html#incart_river
The one thing that isn't really talked about too much in this whole debacle is the standard of proof necessary to punish the Patriots for wrongdoing. In other words, what will the league/Goodell need to find and/or show in order to discipline the Patriots (or, for that matter, any member of their organization)? This question makes Kraft's most recent statement particularly interesting. He said that "if the Wells investigation doesn't definitely determine that our organization tampered with the footballs, [I want an apology from the league]." By using the term "definitively," Kraft is proactively framing this discussion. So in using the term "definitively," what exactly is he suggesting? Well, in my view, he's planting the seeds in everyone's mind that, unless you have a smoking gun -- that is, a video clearly depicting a Patriots employee purposely deflating the footballs (or something substantially equivalent to that) -- you can't "definitively" say the Patriots committed wrongdoing. And by that standard, he's right. In other words, even assuming the ball boy took 24 properly inflated balls into the bathroom with him for 90 seconds and came out with 11/24 under-inflated balls (all belonging to the Patriots), you can't "definitively" say that he caused that under-inflation to occur. Since there's obviously no camera in the bathroom, there's no "definitive" evidence of what occurred in there. But really, should "definitively" be the standard here? Of course not. It's a virtually impossible standard of proof to meet that isn't even asked for in a criminal trial. Sure, without indisputable video evidence, just about anything is technically "possible," but what is the most likely scenario? The balls were within regulation and then given to a member of the Patriots organization. Custody with that individual is unbroken until game time, when the balls are given to the officials. During that unbroken chain of custody, the balls are taken out of sight for a period of time (90 seconds?) but are otherwise within the exclusive control of a member of the Patriots organization (notably, they are taken to an area universally known to be free of surveillance -- a bathroom) Then, they are delivered to the officials. Upon a second examination, only the balls used by the Patriots (and a super majority of them, at that) and outside of regulation. What, by far, is the most likely scenario here?
An organization like the Patriots could easily pour 12 glasses of water in 90 seconds after years of practice.. they'd have it down to a science if it gave them a cheating advantage while maintaining deniability.
The investigators could find video of Belichick himself deflating footballs with an "I'm cheating" sign around his neck and they wouldn't do anything about it until after Sundays game.
Seeing as he is all about apologies, I presume if the nfl find the evidence to prove the pats are guilty then Kraft will be quick to issue an apology to the nfl and fans worldwide?
Maybe a guy who has been doing it for years and thus only needs a little bit of time to do something he's done countless times
Patriots Ball Attendant Just Using the Bathroom SB Nation Richard Hill7 hrs ago © Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports First off, let me start by saying, "AAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHA." The Jay Glazer report from earlier stated that the "NFL has zeroed in on a locker room attendant [with the] Patriots who allegedly took balls from officials locker room to another area on way to field. Sources say they have interviewed him and additionally have video. Still gauging [sic] if any wrong doing occurred with him but he is strong person of interest." It was poorly phrased and was laden with heavy words and implications of pending guilt. Pro Football Talk has more to add on the subject: First, per a league source, the other "area on way to field" is a bathroom. The bathroom consists of one toilet and one sink and a door that locks from the inside. Second, according to the same source, the person carried two bags of balls into the bathroom: the 12 balls to be used by the Patriots and the 12 balls to be used by the Colts. Third, from the same source, the evidence comes from a surveillance video that was discovered by the Patriots and given to the NFL early in the investigation. Fourth, again from the same source, the video shows the employee in the bathroom for approximately 90 seconds. So this video was actually of the Patriots staffer going to the bathroom for 90 seconds- clearly not enough time to perfectly deflate 12 footballs- and the footage was submitted by the Patriots themselves. The whole argument is grasping as straws at this point. Now it's just funny.
Unless the ball boy admits that he tampered with the balls, as far as I'm concerned, the fact (alone) that he took the balls into the bathroom with him for 90 seconds is a complete non-issue. Occam's Razor suggests he took a leak and didn't want to leave the balls alone in the hallway (which is the responsible thing to do).
1) what a gay initial report from glazer caliing it "another room". 2) while he certainly could have been taking a piss I think 90 seconds is more than enough to deflate 11 balls ... especially if someone else was already in there making sure the bathroom wasn't available for anyone else. 3) this story will never go away grogsy.
what's funny is I think you really believe this story is just going to suddenly dissappear. here we are 5 days fron the superbowl and you're still wrong.
The NFL couldn't investigate a one-car accident properly so I fear that the Patriots will get away with it... again. Whether Kraft knew, whether Belichick knew, it's their responsibility. Something happened to favor the Patriots that didn't happen for the Colts so something happened. Sadly, it will happen again unless the NFL penalizes NE.
