I agree but I really think this time the media will go ballistic on them if they try to let them off again.
most recent organizational decisions were Saints/bounty and Falcons/artifical crowd noise. there are precedents set there. difference here, is a player was directly involved as well, and the organization is a repeat offender. penalties should be harsher, and involve the player in addition to the organization and/or coach.
Look at it like a politician would. 1) The NFL looks bad right now, and they're being heavily criticized for their disciplinary policies, and know whatever they do here is going to add fuel to that fire. 2) Their most recent foray into disciplinary action is Greg Hardy, which has received criticism for being too harsh after the Ray Rice decision was not harsh enough. 3) The league has been portrayed as being insensitive to domestic violence. Ray Rice suspension was compared to the marijuana suspensions. "The NFL thinks smoking weed is worse than domestic violence ". That line of thinking caused the league to go to an other extreme with Hardy. 4) The report has a lot of negative evidence that requires a response, but simultaneously it does not contain concrete conclusions about concrete cheating. In my opinion, the NFL knows this sucks for them, and will opt to take the least controversial action possible. Heavy penalties will be controversial. No / light penalties will be controversial.
That's true, but I'm focusing on the idea of Brady being suspended. Don't think he will be, or if he is it won't be longer than 4 games.
then focus on Vilma's participation in bountygate as the player comparison. Vilma participated within an organizational culture of bounties. Brady not only participated within an organizational culture of cheating, but unlike Vilma, he directly contrived, organized, and led this particular effort. He then also proceeded to be uncooperative with investigators, lied, and attempted a cover up of his involvement. Brady's actions were worse, and Vilma caught a year suspension. from the organizational perspective, Payton also caught a year suspension, and team was fined a first round draft pick. I doubt the NFL has the nuts to do the same with their favored sons, but that is the precedent, and anything less should not be accepted by NFL fans.
I understand your point regarding Vilma. My opinion is that the NFL will focus on what's happening now, since that has the most emotional investment from the largest number of people. Hardy / Brady are not relevant cases, yet they are both recent, and the NFL is trying to swim through a sea of bad press. I believe the press will drive them harder than precedent will.
integrity on the field and integrity off the field are different issues. The punishment of both the Saints (and Vilma), and the Falcons are both recent and way more relative. Hardy is a different animal (literally) altogether.
Again, I get that. You're stating how the NFL SHOULD respond. I'm stating how I think the NFL WILL respond. What in recent memory has shown that the NFL operates on a logical balanced set of principals and policies?
Lets see what they do ESPN's Adam Schefter reports the NFL is considering discipline for Tom Brady as a result of "DeflateGate." The Ted Wells Report paints an ugly picture for Brady and equipment personnel Jim McNally and John Jastremski, who are also facing discipline from the league. Meanwhile, it appears coach Bill Belichick and owner Robert Kraft will skate free. It's possible Brady will be watching Week 1 on his couch with LeGarrette Blount, who was suspended for one game earlier this offseason.
Concrete evidence against Brady and the Pats.....I love it. Suspend him the entire year. This is the end of the Pats as we know it.
it's time for the NFL to nut up.. they have shown they only do so when forced. they were forced to change their tune regarding player safety, they were again forced last year after missteps regarding domestic violence. it's time they change their tune regarding the Patriots and blatant disregard towards NFL rules and sportsmanship. The other 31 teams, the media firestorm, plus the NFL fan community should help finally force their hand. whether it does or not......we shall see. i seriously doubt they will follow the Saints precedent, even though that would be the right response.
Great stuff in there. Funny how no pats fans are trolling the forums now defending Mr. Perfect. I guess they have to wait to get some meaningless talking point so they can try and spin things. My bet: Brady gets 4 games, team gets fined $1mil and that's it.
Two other interesting media articles This one is really bad A portion of the 243-page report by Ted Wells focuses on an email sent by Indianapolis Colts general manager Ryan Grigson to the NFL on Jan. 17, a day before the AFC Championship Game, about his concerns with the air pressure the New England Patriots use in game balls. The email was sent to David Gardi and Mike Kensil, senior members of the NFL football operations department. Grigson became aware of the situation when Sean Sullivan, the Colts' equipment manager, sent the general manager an email that said "all the Indianapolis Colts want is a completely level playing field. Thank you for being vigilant stewards of that not only for us but for the shield and overall integrity of our game." Here is another intriguing part about Sullivan's email to Grigson: "As far as the gameballs are concerned it is well known around the league that after the Patriots gameballs are checked by the officials and brought out for game usage the ballboys for the Patriots will let out some air with a ball needle because their quarterback likes a smaller football so he can grip it better, it would be great if someone would be able to check the air in the game balls as the game goes on so that they don’t get an illegal advantage." Grigson acknowledged during the scouting combine in February that he notified the NFL about the Colts' concerns about the game balls prior to the AFC Championship Game, which New England won 45-7 over Indianapolis. "We had concerns, and just like any general manager would do, he wants their team to play on an even playing field," Grigson said. "We took the proper steps to try to ensure that." The Colts became suspicious of the balls during their Week 11 meeting against the Patriots. After two interceptions of Patriots quarterback Tom Brady by safetyMike Adams, Sullivan and Brian Seabrooks, the Colts' assistant equipment manager, said they noticed that the balls "appeared to be coated in a tacky substance and seemed spongy or soft when squeezed." The two said they didn't test the air pressure of the balls, but the softness of the balls made them suspicious based off their "years of experience." Sullivan and Seabrooks added there has been talk around the league that the Patriots like their footballs softer than other teams and visiting teams need to be on the lookout when playing at Gillette Stadium, which is home to New England. And here is Tom Snr. Defending his son’s “integrity” Tom Brady Sr.told the USA Todaythat his son's character and reputation are above reproach despite the report's conclusion that the Patriots quarterback "was at least generally aware of the inappropriate activities" involving the release of air from the Patriots' footballs. "I don't have any doubt about my son's integrity -- not one bit," Brady Sr. told the paper. "In this country, you're innocent until proven guilty. It just seems Tommy is now guilty until proven innocent." Brady Sr. as at pains to underline that the NFL was more concerned about pointing fingers and protecting its image, rather than any concern about the three-time Super Bowl MVP. "This was Framegate right from the beginning." Brady said specifically in January he prefers footballs inflated to 12.5 pounds per square inch. On many occasions, Brady said he never asked for balls to be deflated outside of the rules. But the NFL report concluded "it was more than probable than not'' that Jim McNally, the officials' locker room attendant, and John Jastremski, an equipment assistant for the Patriots, were involved in "a deliberate effort to release air'' from the footballs in the moments before kickoff of the AFC title game -- and after they were examined by the referee. The report also includes text messages between Jim McNally, the officials' locker room attendant, and John Jastremski, an equipment assistant for the Patriots, that imply Brady was requesting footballs deflated below 12.5 pounds per square inch. They also imply that Brady had previously been upset with the quality of the game balls. "They had to protect their asses, and that's what they're doing," Brady Sr. said. "I just read that four Colts balls were underinflated. Amazing. Amazing. "To impugn somebody without conclusive evidence saying this is more probable than not? The reality is they have scientific evidence," he added. "Now they're overriding the scientific evidence and badgering the Patriots. It's disgusting." The ESPN New England Reporter's take Stronger than Expected : The findings center on three Patriots employees -- Brady, equipment assistant John Jastremski and Jim McNally, a game-day employee who serves as the officials locker room attendant. While the report does not decisively determine the Patriots deliberately deflated footballs, it builds a case to support that possibility with the key words "more probable than not." Some specifics of the report, most notably text messages between Jastremski and McNally, are stronger than I anticipated. The report makes it clear that owner Robert Kraft, coach Bill Belichick and any other Patriots are not believed to be part of any deliberate effort to circumvent the rules. So this is mainly about Brady, Jastremski and McNally. Brady could face a fine and/or suspension: Two things specific to Brady stand out. First, he appeared for a requested interview and answered questions voluntarily, but he declined to make available any documents or electronic information (including text messages and emails) that were requested. Second, Brady said he didn't know McNally's name or anything about his game-day responsibilities, including whether McNally had any role relating to game balls. Investigators didn't find that plausible and contradicted it with other evidence. While Brady denied any knowledge of or involvement in any efforts to deflate game balls after the pregame inspection by the game officials, the feeling here is that this report puts him at risk of suspension and, at the least, a fine. McNally and the "deflator": McNally referred to himself as the "deflator" in text messages. There was also a reference in text messages to a "needle," and McNally said he was "not going to ESPN ... yet." Those are the strongest parts of the report that suggest a deliberate attempt to deflate footballs. While Patriots counsel referred to those text messages as written in humor, investigators viewed it differently in building their case that it's "more probable than not" there was a deliberate attempt to do so. McNally didn't initially tell investigators he took the game footballs into the bathroom en route to the field, and investigators said his story varied. The role of science. The Patriots have focused on science as the explanation for the reduction in PSI, and now we know the levels of PSI in all of the footballs when they were measured at halftime. The Wells report acknowledge that air pressure will decrease in certain conditions, but cast doubt that this was simply about science because the rate of the drop between the Patriots and Colts footballs wasn't the same.
Let's not forget McNally texting about how he was gonna receive signed Brady balls and shoes in exchange for bringing the ball down to "11 or 11.5." That's the biggest indictment on Brady, I think. Shows evidence of wrongdoing and knowledge on Brady's part.
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/sports/...ls-damning-deflate-gate-text-messages-n354816 I really like the exchange after the Jets game on October 17th. This has obviously been going on for a LONG time.
I'm not a Shannon Sharpe fan but I heard him on the Michael Kay show and he was losing his shit. Said Brady should get 2-4 games, Belli an entire year, fines AND draft picks. Said they won't get anything because of Krafts relationship with Goodell. _
