Well Florio is treating this like the chicken shit maneuver it was. That is what the NFL has become under Goodell, a chicken shit League. Tags and Rozelle would have stopped this with one phone call in 5 minutes after week one.
CSI Nevermind--Excuses for Why Patriots Opponents Lose
- Thread starter RedOctober3829
- Start date
We're not cheating, we are just better than you.
Rex Ryan would have handled this better from the start, but wouldn't have had to handle it becaus he could never coach a winning team.
Rex Ryan would have handled this better from the start, but wouldn't have had to handle it becaus he could never coach a winning team.
Agreed, except it doesn't even have to be a plant. It can be a yet unimagined Ideal Gas Law Part II. If the league looks hard enough for long enough they'll find some sort of irregularity.dcmissle said:
dcmissle said:
You mean like a LB at an AFC Championship game that can tell the difference, just by feel, between a football inflated at 11.5 psi and one measured at 12.5 psi in just the length of time it takes to bring it over to the sidelines after intercepting it? While wearing heavy gloves. That's some skill right there.
Which is why the Pats should have the Mass State police, an impartial 3rd party/law enforcement agency, check all relevant areas (including the visitors tampon machine) for electronic and other devices. The Staties should then file a report with the state and the Pats. If the NFL then comes up with something suspicious, it would have to square with what a law enforcement unit had already reported.dcmissle said:
And yes this stinks of paranoia an both sides of the ball.
Not to take away from your point, but I believe the player who says this didn't happen.Archer1979 said:
Kenny F'ing Powers said:
Details. Details. (actually meant to edit that too but got distracted so I'm going all in).
The point stands, the whole thing started with that narrative and started to spin. In other words,the Colts (players, sideline, whoever they landed on) were able to tell that the ball was underinflated by touch (conveniently after the ball left the field and sight of everyone). Of course the refs never noticed it beforehand, but then again, they NEVER handle the balls before the start of each play.
Tony Kornheiser essentially did this on the Friday PTI with Wilbon. They were talking about the sweeps and Florio's story. Wilbon said the league was absolutely right to deny the Patriots request for every game checks because they are the highly competent Patriots and have a history of being cheater cheater cheaters.drleather2001 said:
Kornheiser responded that this stance was one of the 5 most ridiculous takes he's heard because the NFL should want to exert as much control as possible to stamp out shenanigans regardless of what team is making the request. Wilbon retrenched and said well if you do that it needs to be extended to sweeping all locker rooms at every game so it's not seen as simply responding to a Patriot concern. Tony was like Yes that would further be an appropriate measure.
So what happens now is that 2 months from now there's some clock irregularity at Gillette that leaves 4 seconds unaccounted for in a game that the Pata win by 3 points, and there's a shitstorm of press about it and this Jets thing and the Steelers headsets get referenced as other "questionable incidents" that "were never fully explained" so "perhaps there was something to them after all, we will never know."
And the Pats lose another first and Belichick is suspended for a year.
Basically, until the Patriots miss the playoffs for a few consecutive years, we all get to wait for the other foot to fall.
And the Pats lose another first and Belichick is suspended for a year.
Basically, until the Patriots miss the playoffs for a few consecutive years, we all get to wait for the other foot to fall.
Not really that old of a tactic:
" during one of Lyndon Johnson's congressional campaigns he decided to spread a rumor that his opponent was a pig-fucker. LBJ's campaign manager said, "Lyndon, you know he doesn't do that!" Johnson replied, "I know. I just want to make him deny it."
" during one of Lyndon Johnson's congressional campaigns he decided to spread a rumor that his opponent was a pig-fucker. LBJ's campaign manager said, "Lyndon, you know he doesn't do that!" Johnson replied, "I know. I just want to make him deny it."
This is pretty much what I'm thinking here.crystalline said:
RG has discovered what appears to be his ace card for maintaining his position, and he's gonna keep on playing it. If you're a smart owner you might see that you're opening Pandoras Box, but a) how many of those are there, and b) of those, how many are doing the calculus and deciding it's worth it to go along.
Stormy times ahead.
How can a so called "Security Director" for a team not know that the home team provides batteries for the officials? And the 2 NFL yahoo's who were at the game put the Pat employees thru a grilling and then called for clarity? I am curious what those two do during the rest of the week between games because apparently it isn't studying NFL Game Day policy.
I hope this further churns an inner anger for everyone getting a check on game day from the Patriots or Kraft Sports who are just doing their job. I would love it if McNally was holding on to the batteries at the next Pats home game...
I hope this further churns an inner anger for everyone getting a check on game day from the Patriots or Kraft Sports who are just doing their job. I would love it if McNally was holding on to the batteries at the next Pats home game...
Further evidence that when it involves the Patriots, the NFL is going to shoot first and ask questions later. From Florio today. (emphasis added)
The Jets' Security Director supposedly didn't know the NFL policy about maintaining the Ref's microphone and the NFL security guys had to call HQ to satisfy Mastroddi.
If this is any other team but the Patriots, Mastroddi doesn't give a shit about two guys he sees walking around with a pocket full of batteries. I know this because his team has a guy who walks around with a pocket full of batteries and so does every team the Jets have ever played since the Refs started using a microphone.
Mastroddi cries wolf and the NFL comes running.
Jets lose the game but get to throw some mud at the Pats on their way out of town.
Its not paranoia if they're really after you.
The Jets' Security Director supposedly didn't know the NFL policy about maintaining the Ref's microphone and the NFL security guys had to call HQ to satisfy Mastroddi.
If this is any other team but the Patriots, Mastroddi doesn't give a shit about two guys he sees walking around with a pocket full of batteries. I know this because his team has a guy who walks around with a pocket full of batteries and so does every team the Jets have ever played since the Refs started using a microphone.
Mastroddi cries wolf and the NFL comes running.
Jets lose the game but get to throw some mud at the Pats on their way out of town.
Its not paranoia if they're really after you.
Sssh ... You can't do thatdrleather2001 said:
Deadspin is so clever ... sophisticated ... cutting edge ...SoSHian
That's what people here do -- read Drew Magary while screwing Asian women. Then they light a cigarette and watch Danish films.
Please ... Heresy. When Deadspin fucks up, you have to hide it.
Why does the ref headset guy need to be a league employee? His product serves both teams equally. It's not like he can give one team a competitive advantage.
Clock guy, sure, but this job doesn't make sense.
But whatever, make them ALL league employees. Less work for Kraft's organization and more worry for Roger.
Clock guy, sure, but this job doesn't make sense.
But whatever, make them ALL league employees. Less work for Kraft's organization and more worry for Roger.
The employees aren't the issue here. It's the paranoia from other teams that think the Patriots are doing something wrong. Literally every college and pro team have people on the sidelines with headsets or earpieces on so they can communicate with each other. They can be anywhere from equipment managers and athletic trainers to marketing/entertainment workers. Every staff should know this. Why would they all of a sudden complain now? It's because the Patriots are so far in people's heads that they should have to pay rent.djbayko said:
I know. I was repsondong to this, which I should have quoted before:RedOctober3829 said:
I'm pointing out that this statement is illogical and borne out of an irrational distrust, but if they want the job let them have it.
Seeing that the Pats asked the NFL to provide this service, and they refused, the Pats thought it should be done to erase any doubts or uncertainties. Presumably the need remains. So have an independent law enforcement agency do it. There is no need to publicize, but have it done and cover your ass at some minimal cost. And if some team or league official levels an absurd/unfair charge, the report will be there to rebuff it.joe dokes said:
Dcm is saying that Deadspin is overly praised on SoSH and often viewed as a sort of brothers-in-arms against traditional (read, dumb) sports media when, in fact, it is highly imperfect itself.
I like Deadspin and Magary in general, but on several instances over the past year they have been so behind the curve on figuring out that anti-Pata stories are bullshit that it's hard not to conclude that they have blinders on. Especially when you consider their typically cynical view toward all other things NFL during that same period and eagerness to disbelieve the NFL on every other count. On most items (the NFL players wearing dead relatives' names and being fined, for instance), they run hard and repeatedly with the angle of "The NFL is run by detestable morons who can't be trusted to do anything right, much less ethically sound". But when it comes to the Patriots, at best they start with the premise that the Pats (and us, their fans) are equally deserving of scorn.
Even the stories where they begrudgingly admit that the Patriots (or their fans) might not be totally hate-worthy are steeped more in a tone of "Well, Goodell is an asshole" more than anything else.
I mean, their treatment of this latest episode is a perfect example. First they discount the whole thing as a fiction created by Boomer Esiason, then 24 hours after Florio confirms it happened and the Patriots were the subject of yet another baseless accusation and harassment by league officials, their take amounts to: "The Patriots sure are guilty looking, so who knows?!"
I like Deadspin and Magary in general, but on several instances over the past year they have been so behind the curve on figuring out that anti-Pata stories are bullshit that it's hard not to conclude that they have blinders on. Especially when you consider their typically cynical view toward all other things NFL during that same period and eagerness to disbelieve the NFL on every other count. On most items (the NFL players wearing dead relatives' names and being fined, for instance), they run hard and repeatedly with the angle of "The NFL is run by detestable morons who can't be trusted to do anything right, much less ethically sound". But when it comes to the Patriots, at best they start with the premise that the Pats (and us, their fans) are equally deserving of scorn.
Even the stories where they begrudgingly admit that the Patriots (or their fans) might not be totally hate-worthy are steeped more in a tone of "Well, Goodell is an asshole" more than anything else.
I mean, their treatment of this latest episode is a perfect example. First they discount the whole thing as a fiction created by Boomer Esiason, then 24 hours after Florio confirms it happened and the Patriots were the subject of yet another baseless accusation and harassment by league officials, their take amounts to: "The Patriots sure are guilty looking, so who knows?!"
Here's what I find amazing about this whole thing. Even if you thought the Patriots were the biggest cheaters in world history, do you really think they'd continue their cheating ways after DFG? The next punishment is very likely to be a near death penalty. Hell, even if, like DFG, Belichick is found to have nothing to do with it, he'll probably be indefinitely banned from the league for fostering a culture of cheating or something like that.
To believe this requires one to believe that ALL the Patriots' success is due to cheating - not Belichick, Brady, et al. - and that the team realizes it simply cannot survive without it.
To believe this requires one to believe that ALL the Patriots' success is due to cheating - not Belichick, Brady, et al. - and that the team realizes it simply cannot survive without it.
Maybe that's how Roger will pick which franchise moves to London or LA!djbayko said:
[on phone, so consider entire post italicized.]
What does Drew Magary have to do with the latest Deadspin article? Or any, really? He's not on the news beat. He writes the Jambaroo, which is the journalistic equivalent of a game thread, and the mail bag, which is not really about sports.
Well that's part of what makes me want to bang my head against the wall.djbayko said:
There's no intellectual honesty in the coverage of any of this. The entire basis of any of this being a Big Story requires that you accept one of several premises that are obviously stupid if you look at them independently from any of the other stupid premises.
Magary is the poster boy for the cynicism that is the calling card for that platform. Deadspin is all about tearing down institutions. Fine. Some of them dearly deserve tearing down.ngruz25 said:
But some of them don't. Just as a cigar is sometimes just a cigar, sometimes unalloyed excellence is just excellence. In our nation, NIH, our finest institutions of higher education, NASA, our best authors, artists and musicians, the United States Marine Corps -- and, yes, the NEP represent these sometimes.
Deadspin can't stand it. They want to put clay feet on everyone except Deadspin.
I don't know who they hate more -- the NFL or the NEP. It's driving them crazy.
@ProFootballTalk: NFL told Patriots "a team" asked for sweep of Jets locker room; if not the Jets who made the request, then who? http://wp.me/p14QSB-9THJ
It's the Jets. I will give Bowles the benefit of the doubt. Woody still owns that team, and a fish rots from the head down. There are still wise guys in that organization, just as 400 Park Avenue remains packed with them.
Fuck this. I hope the Pats out 40+ on them in the Meadowlands, win by 20, and knock them out of the playoffs.
Keep putting the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen into the rocket booster. Poor Redskins, they had nothing to do with this. Lay the points up to 14.5.
Fuck this. I hope the Pats out 40+ on them in the Meadowlands, win by 20, and knock them out of the playoffs.
Keep putting the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen into the rocket booster. Poor Redskins, they had nothing to do with this. Lay the points up to 14.5.
Much like the headset issue from opening night, this doesn't seem to be gaining much traction. I predict it will peter out by the end of this weekend. It's been reported, will be briefly discussed (if the discussion isn't done already) and that will be that. We're on to Washington.
I don't quite understand why teams keep giving NEP extra motivation to win on a weekly basis, it's not like the team needs any extra motivation. It's like refueling the gas tank every week with super flammable jet fuel, week after week. Why? They think they can distract the Patriots, or they can catch something that never existed. It's plain stupid.
If other teams and the league office continue to do this, it's a guarantee they will win another super bowl this year. It's that simple.
If other teams and the league office continue to do this, it's a guarantee they will win another super bowl this year. It's that simple.
The Colts tried to frame the Patriots. The week before the Patriots were to face the Jets, the Colts planted listening devices in the visitors locker room and then called the league office.
Unfortunately the Patriots were visitors in Indianapolis the week before. So the Colts are idiots and ended up breaking the very rule they were trying to set the Patriots for by bugging the Patriots. Of course, as with deflategate where the only team to unquestionably break the rules was the Colts, the NFL will not punish the Colts. Also, as with the AFC championship game, the Colts lost to the Patriots in epic fashion.
Unfortunately the Patriots were visitors in Indianapolis the week before. So the Colts are idiots and ended up breaking the very rule they were trying to set the Patriots for by bugging the Patriots. Of course, as with deflategate where the only team to unquestionably break the rules was the Colts, the NFL will not punish the Colts. Also, as with the AFC championship game, the Colts lost to the Patriots in epic fashion.
Maybe the NFL should hold a bake sale and have NFL Employees handle official game day tasks that directly involve equipment and officials. Instead of the team paying Dorito Dink and crew the team can just pay into the NFL central fund to pay for it. Seems simple.
By the way, it is clear from his reporting that (a) somebody from the League or (b) somebody in Fox is leaking to Florio. It's almost certainly the latter.
Which means somebody with the Pats, who is not banging two cocktail waitresses at a time, is squared away enough to know a straight shooter when he sees one.
Enjoy the rest of this season with Florio on NBC. There is a good chance it will be his last.
Which means somebody with the Pats, who is not banging two cocktail waitresses at a time, is squared away enough to know a straight shooter when he sees one.
Enjoy the rest of this season with Florio on NBC. There is a good chance it will be his last.
Maybe they're just being cute and the Patriots are the team they reference as having requested the sweep.