#DeflateGate (Court of Appeals Reinstates Suspension)

[LooseCannon]

Why so long? They already have the culprit.

Maybe they want to avoid punishing anyone until after the Super Bowl, just in case someone like Brady or Belichick turns out to be sufficiently involved that the league would look bad if it didn't suspend him for at least the next game.

The NFL keeps talking about the integrity of the game. If the NFL has either TB or BB dead to rights, they should suspend them. To do otherwise would not make a lot of sense and would create a bigger mess if the NEP win. 

It may not make sense to you, but I'd argue that the NFL does a lot of things that don't make a lot of sense.   In this case, though, I think the league is interested in the short-term goal of not having to suspend anyone before the Super Bowl while making it look like they are properly investigating this matter.  If they delay, there's a chance that Seattle wins and there's a chance that the investigation does not result in any punishment.  In the absence of a smoking gun, it is typical corporate behavior to try and defer things and hope they go away.

Just because the league talks about the integrity of the game, that doesn't mean it is actually a priority.

Very bad risk management to take a chance on the Patriots losing. If the Patriots win and the NFL knew the Patriots were guilty, that will create a s-storm. The NFL's management hasn't been great under Goodell, but I'd have to assume they were idiots of the highest order to conclude they would sit on evidence that would convict the NEP.

Kraft is doubling down as I type this.

I'm suggesting they want to slow down the pace of the investigation so they won't know for sure whether there is solid evidence until after the Super Bowl.

If the Patriots win and they turn out to be guilty of something, the line will be that it didn't affect that game or the Super Bowl.

Who remembers Gary Hart?  "Follow me around.  I don't care."  Someone boldly denying an allegation isn't evidence that the allegation isn't false.

[Boris Badenov]

Why so long? They already have the culprit.

Maybe they want to avoid punishing anyone until after the Super Bowl, just in case someone like Brady or Belichick turns out to be sufficiently involved that the league would look bad if it didn't suspend him for at least the next game.

The NFL keeps talking about the integrity of the game. If the NFL has either TB or BB dead to rights, they should suspend them. To do otherwise would not make a lot of sense and would create a bigger mess if the NEP win. 

It may not make sense to you, but I'd argue that the NFL does a lot of things that don't make a lot of sense.   In this case, though, I think the league is interested in the short-term goal of not having to suspend anyone before the Super Bowl while making it look like they are properly investigating this matter.  If they delay, there's a chance that Seattle wins and there's a chance that the investigation does not result in any punishment.  In the absence of a smoking gun, it is typical corporate behavior to try and defer things and hope they go away.

Just because the league talks about the integrity of the game, that doesn't mean it is actually a priority.

Very bad risk management to take a chance on the Patriots losing. If the Patriots win and the NFL knew the Patriots were guilty, that will create a s-storm. The NFL's management hasn't been great under Goodell, but I'd have to assume they were idiots of the highest order to conclude they would sit on evidence that would convict the NEP.

Kraft is doubling down as I type this.

I'm suggesting they want to slow down the pace of the investigation so they won't know for sure whether there is solid evidence until after the Super Bowl.

If the Patriots win and they turn out to be guilty of something, the line will be that it didn't affect that game or the Super Bowl.

Who remembers Gary Hart?  "Follow me around.  I don't care."  Someone boldly denying an allegation isn't evidence that the allegation isn't false.

I'm with LC. The league should have approached it this way from the get-go, too. "We will be doubly vigilant up to and during the Super Bowl, so you don't need to worry about any issues of 'integrity' there. We will take our time with the investigation. Any penalties will be commensurate to the violation and can be imposed in the off season and next year. Meanwhile we ask all players, team and league officials and members of the media to refrain from baseless speculation, and turn their attention to enjoying the sporting event of the year."

[D.o.s.]

I'm with these guys^ but it's hardly the sporting event of the year.

[Boris Badenov]

I'm with these guys^ but it's hardly the sporting event of the year.

Their words, not mine.

[celtic -_- pride]

As a culture we need to stop referring to things as (insert situation)gate. Dude we're gonna have a wicked snowgate tomorrow. I blewout my freakin hammy shovelin my driveway dood. Talk about hammygate. I swear ta gawd if I don't get my dunkins in the mornin I'll cause a coffeegate.

[colincb]

Why so long? They already have the culprit.

Maybe they want to avoid punishing anyone until after the Super Bowl, just in case someone like Brady or Belichick turns out to be sufficiently involved that the league would look bad if it didn't suspend him for at least the next game.

The NFL keeps talking about the integrity of the game. If the NFL has either TB or BB dead to rights, they should suspend them. To do otherwise would not make a lot of sense and would create a bigger mess if the NEP win. 

It may not make sense to you, but I'd argue that the NFL does a lot of things that don't make a lot of sense.   In this case, though, I think the league is interested in the short-term goal of not having to suspend anyone before the Super Bowl while making it look like they are properly investigating this matter.  If they delay, there's a chance that Seattle wins and there's a chance that the investigation does not result in any punishment.  In the absence of a smoking gun, it is typical corporate behavior to try and defer things and hope they go away.

Just because the league talks about the integrity of the game, that doesn't mean it is actually a priority.

Very bad risk management to take a chance on the Patriots losing. If the Patriots win and the NFL knew the Patriots were guilty, that will create a s-storm. The NFL's management hasn't been great under Goodell, but I'd have to assume they were idiots of the highest order to conclude they would sit on evidence that would convict the NEP.

Kraft is doubling down as I type this.

I'm suggesting they want to slow down the pace of the investigation so they won't know for sure whether there is solid evidence until after the Super Bowl.

If the Patriots win and they turn out to be guilty of something, the line will be that it didn't affect that game or the Super Bowl.

Who remembers Gary Hart?  "Follow me around.  I don't care."  Someone boldly denying an allegation isn't evidence that the allegation isn't false.

I'm with LC. The league should have approached it this way from the get-go, too. "We will be doubly vigilant up to and during the Super Bowl, so you don't need to worry about any issues of 'integrity' there. We will take our time with the investigation. Any penalties will be commensurate to the violation and can be imposed in the off season and next year. Meanwhile we ask all players, team and league officials and members of the media to refrain from baseless speculation, and turn their attention to enjoying the sporting event of the year."

The NFL has the tape now of the "strong person of interest."  Patriots win the SB and the tape nails them, the NFL isn't going to have any credibility. "We took our time to watch the tape?" Good luck with that. The NFL is taking a lot of flack already. They can't sit on the tape if it's the smoking gun.

Thus, unless I assume they're dumb as rocks, the NFL doesn't have a smoking gun in the tape.

[LooseCannon]

The NFL has the tape now of the "strong person of interest."  Patriots win the SB and the tape nails them, the NFL isn't going to have any credibility. "We took our time to watch the tape?" Good luck with that. The NFL is taking a lot of flack already. They can't sit on the tape if it's the smoking gun.

Thus, unless I assume they're dumb as rocks, the NFL doesn't have a smoking gun in the tape.

Baby steps.  At least they will have watched the tape this time.

[Redz]

As a culture we need to stop referring to things as (insert situation)gate. Dude we're gonna have a wicked snowgate tomorrow. I blewout my freakin hammy shovelin my driveway dood. Talk about hammygate. I swear ta gawd if I don't get my dunkins in the mornin I'll cause a coffeegate.

I got locked out the gate to my house.  Gategate

[rondohondo]

As a culture we need to stop referring to things as (insert situation)gate. Dude we're gonna have a wicked snowgate tomorrow. I blewout my freakin hammy shovelin my driveway dood. Talk about hammygate. I swear ta gawd if I don't get my dunkins in the mornin I'll cause a coffeegate.

I got locked out the gate to my house.  Gategate

i forgot to brush my teeth...... colgate!

[Roy H.]

The NFL has the tape now of the "strong person of interest."  Patriots win the SB and the tape nails them, the NFL isn't going to have any credibility. "We took our time to watch the tape?" Good luck with that. The NFL is taking a lot of flack already. They can't sit on the tape if it's the smoking gun.

Thus, unless I assume they're dumb as rocks, the NFL doesn't have a smoking gun in the tape.

Baby steps.  At least they will have watched the tape this time.

Yeah, the NFL doesn't do so well with tapes.  First, they destroyed the Spy Gate one.  Strike 1.  Then, they didn't watch the Ray Rice one.  Strike 2.  Now, they're going to just sit on this one.

For all the blundering, though, it's not harming the bottom line, so why should they change?

[Roy H.]

As a culture we need to stop referring to things as (insert situation)gate. Dude we're gonna have a wicked snowgate tomorrow. I blewout my freakin hammy shovelin my driveway dood. Talk about hammygate. I swear ta gawd if I don't get my dunkins in the mornin I'll cause a coffeegate.

I got locked out the gate to my house.  Gategate

Melting snow is flooding the gate to my office.  Watergate-gate.

(The funny part about that lame joke?  The thought that snow will be melting any time soon.)

[celtic -_- pride]

As a culture we need to stop referring to things as (insert situation)gate. Dude we're gonna have a wicked snowgate tomorrow. I blewout my freakin hammy shovelin my driveway dood. Talk about hammygate. I swear ta gawd if I don't get my dunkins in the mornin I'll cause a coffeegate.

I got locked out the gate to my house.  Gategate

i forgot to brush my teeth...... colgate!

tommy points to the both of ya's for bringing a smile to me face. (read as an irish pirate)

[BitterJim]

As a culture we need to stop referring to things as (insert situation)gate. Dude we're gonna have a wicked snowgate tomorrow. I blewout my freakin hammy shovelin my driveway dood. Talk about hammygate. I swear ta gawd if I don't get my dunkins in the mornin I'll cause a coffeegate.

I got locked out the gate to my house.  Gategate

i forgot to brush my teeth...... colgate!

Just spilt my drink... Watergate!

Edit:  Darn, Roy beat me to it

[BitterJim]

From what I've seen, it looks like the other room that the balls were taken into was the bathroom.

For a short amount of time.

Can't a ballboy pee before the game without being "a person of interest"?

[colincb]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/01/26/video-shows-employee-taking-24-balls-into-bathroom/

On Monday, Jay Glazer of FOX Sports added the next new big piece of news in #DeflateGate, reporting that the NFL has interviewed a locker room attendant who allegedly took footballs from the officials’ locker room after they had been inspected and approved “to another area on way to field” before the start of the game.

PFT can now contribute additional details to that story.

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.

Could the employee have fished 12 balls out of a fairly large bag, deflated each of them by two pounds, put them back into the bag, and exited the bathroom in roughly 90 seconds?  That question will surely become the centerpiece of the next red state/blue state debate between folks who have determined that the Patriots have done something wrong and those who are staunchly defending the franchise.

And, yes, the photo accompanying this story was taken inside one of the bathrooms at Gillette Stadium.  When NBC broadcast the Ravens-Patriots playoff game from Foxboro on January 10, Florio Jr. demanded pictures from the venue.  Since he didn’t specify where he wanted them from, I took one inside the bathroom and texted it to him.

He didn’t think it was funny.

That's not much of a smoking gun.