I don't understand this argument, probably because it makes no sense. And this is not an invitation to debate, Patsie fan, since you obviously are agenda driven here. And before you answer that Jet fans have an agenda, well of course we hate the Patsies and their bandwagon fans. But why should we focus our ire on their cheating? Because they have a proven history of cheating. Not so hard to understand. Anyway and for everyone else, this limpwristed excusemaking does not answer why 11 out of 12 balls were underinflated. If they were not deflated during the game, and the refs missed it beforehand, how does that change that NE went into the game with balls that broke the rules and would tend to favor them? Yes, of course if they actually tried to get around the refs by giving them properly inflated balls first, and then took some surreptitious means of deflating them during the game, that is worse. But it's bad in any case, and cheating in both cases. And as for entrapment, entrapment is not a defense in either case, either. Entrapment in effect is only a valid defense if in effect the defendant would most probably have not committed a crime but for the behavior of law enforcement (here the NFL). That would not apply whether the Patsies underinflated the balls initially or deflated them during the game.
Well it's not really an argument. Just describing the weather outside if you know what I mean. It sounds like they're not even going to need a defense.
Exactly. If this was a sting operation they would have them nailed cold. But anyone thinking the NFL set up a sting operation that would tangentially compromise an AFC Championship game is nuts. _
It actually came out of reports on WEEI... the local station there. You can't completely ignore the fact that everyone hates the patriots and so piling on gets news clicks. The press is doing a good job of completely ignoring all of the "nothing to see here" reports from just about every QB in the league. A good job of not asking questions like "what process did the refs use to examine the footballs before the game"? Etc. When you're trying to sell commercials it's better to throw red meat to the mob if it's 31/32 than defend any truth in the 1/32. It sells more tampon commercials this way.
Honestly Stokes, I think Goodell is pissed off the most. Bill probably does not care one bit, he is preparing to win the SB and if he does, he is going to move on as if nothing ever happened. Kraft is probably pissed, but again I think he is in the same category as Bellicheat. This is similar to corporate America, they participate in so much illegal activity that when they get caught, it's just a matter of getting through the current storm with as little damage as possible and move on. Don't expect the rest of the owners to stand up and ask that some heavy punishment is doled out, protect the goose that lays the golden egg at all cost. Even if it's covering up wrong doing or deny, deny, deny.
Bloody lame mate. No one's on the rag here. We're having fun ragging on the whole b.s. 'Patriot Way' front that that same media (ESPN, etc.) you're complaining about sold to the saps that bought into that manufactured "classy organization" jive. And it's ringing more hollow by the minute. That same cynical "Jets are a Circus" media you and your ilk quoted as gospel truth you're crying 'foul!' against? Spotlight's on the post-Aaron Hernandez Patriots once again with the Patriots having pretty much used up their 'classy mulligans' ......and now these media chickens are coming home to roost on the doorstep of 1 "Patriot Way." As for the "nothing to see QBs," other QBs (Mark Brunell for example) have stated how much of an advantage deflating the balls were particularly in bad elements. But I digress....... For Valentine's Day, how about a necklace for that special Patriots girl in your life:
I will admit to one thing... I really don't care if anyone calls my team "classy". I'm certain the Patriots never looked to draw attention to themselves in any way other than on the field. Tampa Bay is so classy it hurts.
As a fan, you might not care. But your franchise damn well does. The Patriot Way actually means something to them and it must be incredibly insulting to them that the rest of Murica believes The Patriot Way is all about cheating and deception. _
I think they go about things the way they want to go about things. It's produced a lot of winners. From my experience... what's communicated to the press about things is of the least importance. Just because everyone on TV is talking about it - doesn't mean they are. I've yet to see any definitive proof or even so much as an official report of any wrongdoing.
You're pretty naive then. You know the balls were checked at halftime right? 11 out of 12 Patsies balls were deflated below league requirements, while all 12 Colts balls checked out. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what was going on.
Yeah. The way I'm reading the facts, and as far as I'm concerned, some foul play happened at half time by someone. Who? We still don't know. Now I'm wondering if the Pats have done this before this game, or even in prior years.
I know they were checked at halftime and 12 of 12 balls were below... not 11. That report is incorrect yet often repeated. What I don't know is who checked them beforehand... and how.
I second this. GODell will slap them on the wrist and sweep it under the rug. I curious to see this punishment in comparison to what Woody gets for "tampering."
Worst part about all of this is that the Cheaters are probably gonna blow out Seattle and we are never gone hear the end of it from the legions of meatheadded Massholes.
Given the incompetence of the NFL, Roger Goodell, and their security department, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if they had actually set up a sting operation and then completely botched it to the point that they didn't catch the Patriots cheating. Now, with that said, I seriously doubt that they did set this up as a sting. I can't imagine that they'd set out beforehand to compromise an AFC Championship Game (although they were willing to eject Marshawn Lynch over a pair of shoes), but I don't doubt their ability to botch a sting if they were to set one up.
First I have heard of 12 out of 12. Every report I can find says 11 out of 12. http://espn.go.com/boston/nfl/story...-had-inflated-footballs-afc-championship-game Walt Anderson checked them: http://m.espn.go.com/general/story?storyId=12202450&city=boston&src=desktop League sources have confirmed that the footballs were properly inspected and approved by referee Walt Anderson 2 hours and 15 minutes before kickoff, before they were returned to each team. Even if you want to believe that he didn't, how do you explain that the footballs were 2 pounds under regulation while the Colts balls were within regulation?
All I can say to that is, Tampa Bay has a legitimate Super Bowl while the Pats have zero, maybe classy is a good thing.
