#DeflateGate (Court of Appeals Reinstates Suspension)

[Moranis]

The NFL was always willing to settle, they have just always wanted Brady to admit guilt and accept a suspension (though it would have been reduced).  Brady has never wanted to admit guilt or accept any sort of suspension so settlement talks got nowhere.

[Jon]

Haven't had a chance to listen to this yet because I'm at work, but here's yet another national voice calling for Goodell to be fired:

http://www.npr.org/2015/08/12/431675644/deford-when-deflategate-dust-settles-put-goodell-out-to-pasture

[Jon]

The NFL was always willing to settle, they have just always wanted Brady to admit guilt and accept a suspension (though it would have been reduced).  Brady has never wanted to admit guilt or accept any sort of suspension so settlement talks got nowhere.

I feel one thing that gets overlooked is this: if anyone on this board got in trouble with the law for any reason (say a speeding ticket) and the authorities had botched the investigation as much as the NFL has up to this point, would you accept anything less than a total exoneration? 

I mean, even if you were going 65 in a 55 (which is essentially the worst Brady did if he did anything at all), would you accept your punishment if the police weren't even sure the radar guns were calibrated correctly and if they even got the right car?  And more to the point, wouldn't the police have dropped the charges at this point, realizing they didn't even have a case? 

[Donoghus]

My guess is Brady would accept a fine in a settlement and leave it at that. No admission of guilt & zero games of suspension.   I'm sure his lawyers are offering that.  The problem is that the league has too much of an ego to accept this and feels like they have to "win" at all costs for the PR aspect of things. Anything else would make them look weak again.

Heck, this whole thing really shouldn't have resulted in anything but a fine way back in January but the league decided to blow it out of proportion. 

[Jon]

My guess is Brady would accept a fine in a settlement and leave it at that. No admission of guilt & zero games of suspension.   I'm sure his lawyers are offering that.  The problem is that the league has too much of an ego to accept this and feels like they have to "win" at all costs for the PR aspect of things. Anything else would make them look weak again.

Heck, this whole thing really shouldn't have resulted in anything but a fine way back in January but the league decided to blow it out of proportion.

Yeah, this is essentially what has been reported all along: Brady will accept a fine, but no suspension.  And he won't publicly admit guilt. 

[Donoghus]

My guess is Brady would accept a fine in a settlement and leave it at that. No admission of guilt & zero games of suspension.   I'm sure his lawyers are offering that.  The problem is that the league has too much of an ego to accept this and feels like they have to "win" at all costs for the PR aspect of things. Anything else would make them look weak again.

Heck, this whole thing really shouldn't have resulted in anything but a fine way back in January but the league decided to blow it out of proportion.

Yeah, this is essentially what has been reported all along: Brady will accept a fine, but no suspension.  And he won't publicly admit guilt.

And with nothing out there in regards to a smoking gun & Wells' "probably at least generally aware" nonsense, I think he'd be nuts to accept any settlement that illustrates guilt. 

[PhoSita]

Wouldn't an admission of guilt at this point be an admission that he perjured himself, also?

Not really much of a settlement offer if that's the case.

[D.o.s.]

Goodell reminds me a bit of Coach McGuirk?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acMmqY_bUEE

[Csfan1984]

The NFL was always willing to settle, they have just always wanted Brady to admit guilt and accept a suspension (though it would have been reduced).  Brady has never wanted to admit guilt or accept any sort of suspension so settlement talks got nowhere.

I feel one thing that gets overlooked is this: if anyone on this board got in trouble with the law for any reason (say a speeding ticket) and the authorities had botched the investigation as much as the NFL has up to this point, would you accept anything less than a total exoneration? 

I mean, even if you were going 65 in a 55 (which is essentially the worst Brady did if he did anything at all), would you accept your punishment if the police weren't even sure the radar guns were calibrated correctly and if they even got the right car?  And more to the point, wouldn't the police have dropped the charges at this point, realizing they didn't even have a case?

It maybe more so if innocent that he refuses even a fine. I know when I had a bogus ticket and was told I still had to pay a $15 court fee. I spoke up and told judge that was not right, that the officer  should pay, especially since I took a day off work to fight the bogus ticket. Judge waived fee.

[PhoSita]

I mean, even if you were going 65 in a 55 (which is essentially the worst Brady did if he did anything at all), would you accept your punishment if the police weren't even sure the radar guns were calibrated correctly and if they even got the right car?  And more to the point, wouldn't the police have dropped the charges at this point, realizing they didn't even have a case?

If it were just a fine I think I'd have just paid up at some point to get the whole thing over with.

But if the police had accused me of a felony, or some other offense leading to jail time, and they had botched every step of the process so badly, there's no way I'd accept a deal that would put that offense on my record, even if I could get off with probation.


Of course, jail time, or having a felony on your record, is far worse than being suspended from work and admitting you cheated, even if it affects you professionally in a very serious way.

[PhoSita]

Goodell reminds me a bit of Coach McGuirk?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acMmqY_bUEE

Home Movies is my favorite H John Benjamin thing, even ahead of Archer.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

Yahoo's Dan Wetzel rips Goodell but good:

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/brady-vs--goodell-hits-new-battleground--but-theme-remains--nfl-isn-t-fighting-fair--062446546.html

[Donoghus]

For those of you on Twitter.  @PPVSRB is a great follow right now.  Essentially doing a play by play of today's proceedings.

[D.o.s.]

Goodell reminds me a bit of Coach McGuirk?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acMmqY_bUEE

Home Movies is my favorite H John Benjamin thing, even ahead of Archer.

Yeah Home Movies is unimpeachable.

[Donoghus]

https://twitter.com/PPVSRB

Follow the timeline.  Judge Berman is grilling the NFL to high heaven at the moment.