#DFG: Canceling the Noise

Is there any level of suspension that you would advise Tom to accept?

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lexrageorge

lexrageorge

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Smiling Joe Hesketh said:
 
The problem is that it really doesn't matter at this point.
 
Many fans and members of the media want blood. The NFL has been made to look bad. Goodell has consistently shown that he's a reacter to the last thing he sees, and that fairness and reasonable actions are never, ever part of his thought process. The only thing he's thinking about right now is OMG I NEED TO SWING THE HAMMER.
 
No one will believe that Belichick knew nothing about the state of the balls. NO ONE. And no one will believe it because of Goodell's prior handling of the Spygate situation, where he deliberately made the violations seem worse than they were in a deliberate attempt to increase and exercise his own personal power. And Goodell isn't going to like the idea that the NFL, a multi-billion dollar industry, has game balls protocols more appropriate to a North Dakota Pop Warner league. Such facts offend and embarrass him.
 
So he's going to swing the hammer, facts and fairness be damned.
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So, I realize that he wants to swing the hammer.  But the reasons you state don't make a lot of sense:
 
"Many fans and members of the media want blood".  Fans will come to the game and watch the SB no matter what happens to Belichick.  And, for the most part, the mainstream sports media is saying that while punishment is necessary, few are arguing for suspensions, forfeits, etc.  (I don't count Wilbon; he's a known idiot).  For the most part, it's the fringes and the non-sports media and some butthurt former players that are most upset.  
 
"The NFL has been made to look bad".  Only if Goodell wants it that way.  Seriously, with some PR, this whole mess could go away.  Most fans that I know are actually laughing about it (even Jets fans), and I mean "laughing" in a good way.  
 
If you believe Glazer's narrative the all the other owners "are tired of the Patriots", then, sure, Goodell will swing the hammer.  I'll be surprised if that's truly the case (sure, some owners probably hate Kraft for settling the lockout).  
 
A suspension without evidence will bring lawyers into this mess.  Hopefully, Theo's sources are right and someone was able to convince Goodell of that. 
 
rodderick

rodderick

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DrewDawg said:
So the Pats story is they inflate to minimum required, and if they deflate during game, etc. then this can happen. Going forward they will inflate higher than the minimum so this doesn't come up again.
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Good luck NFL trying to disprove this.
 
DJnVa

DJnVa

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Answer to first question: "I've told you EVERYTHING I know."
 
And he just said it again.
 
And again.
 
EDIT: And twice more.
 
redsoxcentury

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The Big Red Kahuna said:
Feels a bit like he's kinda/sorta/maybe throwing Brady under bus a bit... in an effort to fully distance himself. 
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honestly probably better for all concerned if belichick was not involved. kinda doubt the league suspends brady or even fine him if it indeed was him causing this furor. probably a slap on the wrist and we all move on
 
DJnVa

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"Does Tom handle balls after officials check them?"
 
"You'd have to ask the NFL."
 
bsj

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I think Bill missed the mark with his tone, especially during the Q&A. He needed to be more in the "We will figure out what happened and we will make sure it doesnt happen again" rather than "The NFL is looking into it"...
 
Ugh. 
 
Mooch

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The burden of proof is on the NFL here and if they try to punish the Pats for this, I hope Kraft sues the league. They've got NOTHING.
 
mauf

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If someone asked how he planned to attack Seattle's Cover 3 defense, BB would've been so happy he might actually have answer.
 
johnmd20

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bsj said:
I think Bill missed the mark with his tone, especially during the Q&A. He needed to be more in the "We will figure out what happened and we will make sure it doesnt happen again" rather than "The NFL is looking into it"...
 
Ugh. 
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BS. Bill gave it what it deserved. Nothing.
 
DJnVa

DJnVa

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I read an article on microexpressions recently. Love to see an expert watch that and say what they saw.
 
His mouth actually curled up into a smile when he said the league was investigating.
 
johnnywayback

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I'm a political communications professional, and this is going on the tape I show clients about how to do crisis comms.
 
Mystic Merlin

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bsj said:
I think Bill missed the mark with his tone, especially during the Q&A. He needed to be more in the "We will figure out what happened and we will make sure it doesnt happen again" rather than "The NFL is looking into it"...
 
Ugh. 
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If he doesn't know what happened, why should he imply he has a duty to fix it?
 
DJnVa

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bsj said:
I think Bill missed the mark with his tone, especially during the Q&A. He needed to be more in the "We will figure out what happened and we will make sure it doesnt happen again" rather than "The NFL is looking into it"...
 
Ugh. 
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BB did do that. He said they inflate to 12.5 and they deflate and fall below regs. They will now inflate higher.
 
OnWisc

OnWisc

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maufman said:
If someone asked how he planned to attack Seattle's Cover 3 defense, BB would've been so happy he might actually have answer.
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Exactly. Unfortunately reporters were more interested in asking questions they thought would make them look good but knew would never be answered. It was like a congressional inquiry.
 
jimbobim

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Section15Box113 said:
I think he handled this well.

But the national press is going to hammer him anyway. Cue the arrogance commentary.
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"I have no explanation for what happened" is going to be the catnip of the day. He also essentially kicked the ball over into Tom's court more fully. 
 
bsj

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DrewDawg said:
 
BB did do that. He said they inflate to 12.5 and they deflate and fall below regs. They will now inflate higher.
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So then he is saying that IS what happened? Is that his theory or isnt it? Because if it is, the "i dont know what happened" argument seems off...
 
Soxfan in Fla

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TheoShmeo said:
Again, take this for what it is worth, but I have heard that the NFL was leaning heavily toward a BB suspension but the comments of various QBs and others to the effect that this is standard stuff gave them pause and made them think that the penalty would be too harsh given that reality or, at the least, the perception that those comments created, and has pushed them over to just a fine.
 
One of my two sources explicitly said that and the other said they were at suspension and are now at a fine, but did not offer any rationale for the change.
 
I don't know who either is talking to and this is all second hand for me.  So again, your mileage may vary.
 
My own view is that Brady did what many QBs do: Told the ball boy or equipment guy how he likes the balls, and that person altered them accordingly.  You would think that Bill knew about it given his control of the whole operation but then again, if this is really standard stuff, maybe he didn't know or didn't pay much attention to it.  Either way, it gives morons like the CHB the chance to stand on a soap box and declare the battle lost before the SB even begins, and that's probably going to be the case in the eyes of some fans.  More level headed ones -- and not fanboys, as that idiot declares in his article today -- will realize that this is not at all unusual and the current furor is nothing more than opportunism. 
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The Curse of Deflation. Coming to bookshelves soon. Ugh.
 
Mooch

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Brady press conference is now going to be at 4PM today instead of tomorrow.
 
Going on the offensive here.
 
soxin6

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bsj said:
I think Bill missed the mark with his tone, especially during the Q&A. He needed to be more in the "We will figure out what happened and we will make sure it doesnt happen again" rather than "The NFL is looking into it"...
 
Ugh. 
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He said that the Pats will add more air going forward to ensure that there is no chance that this happens again. Any investigation is the NFL's problem.
 
ivanvamp

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jimbobim said:
 
"I have no explanation for what happened" is going to be the catnip of the day. He also essentially kicked the ball over into Tom's court more fully. 
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This.  And just as D&C just said, there's no way that Tom and Bill didn't talk about how they were going to handle this.  There's ZERO chance Brady is sitting there right now going, "WHAT!?? He just threw me under the bus!!!"
 
Yaz4Ever

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maufman said:
If someone asked how he planned to attack Seattle's Cover 3 defense, BB would've been so happy he might actually have answer.
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I was thinking the same thing. Would've been nice for one of them to at least pretend to take their jobs seriously. Anyone there who thought they were clever enough to trip him up probably shouldn't be there. The man had one message, wasn't going to deviate from it, and it would've been nice to see someone step above the fray. thinking>
 
Scriblerus

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I loved his discussion of how he makes the team practice with terrible footballs...the worst they can produce. 
 
Is there any doubt that Tom comes out and says, "I ask to have the balls inflated to the league minimum.  My game-day prep is on the game, not footballs.  I don't know what happened."
 
Bob420

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Sounds like the NFL needs Vincent LaGuardia Gambini to ask some questions.

Balls were inflated to 12.5. They all were tested again and came in around 10.5. Scientific calculations have proved that this difference could not be attributed to weather and game conditions. Perhaps the laws of physics cease to exist on your sideline!

Are you sure about that 12.5?
 
bankshot1

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trying to be as objective/dispassionate as possible, and anticipating critics responses: for a guy like BB who supposedly knows the smallest details about everything football, it strikes me as unlikely he didn't know about football examination practices before deflategate became an issue.
 
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