#DeflateGate (Court of Appeals Reinstates Suspension)

[PhoSita]

Given the hit on the Patriots, I think the 4 games is fine.  As I said I was expecting an 8 game suspension for Brady, but I wasn't expecting nearly as harsh a penalty on the team. 

I don't think anything gets reduced.

There's no way an independent arbitrator upholds 4 games given the flimsy nature of the report.

Supposedly Kraft won't appeal the fine / picks, but we'll see if that stands given how draconian the penalty is.


I guess on the flip side of this, Bill often blows his first round picks, which typically end up at the end of the first round.  Even with Brady missing a couple of games, that pick should still be in the 20s.

from Andrew Brandt

To Brady: "..your failure to cooperate, refusing to produce any relevant electronic evidence despite being offered extraordinary safeguards

The failure to cooperate is the big one that is why I don't think it gets overturned.

I think if an arbitrator looks at the context of how the league handles its punishments, dinging Brady 4 games for being uncooperative will seem like exactly what it is ... bullpucky.

[Moranis]

-I think/know most people who aren't fans of the NFL think the league office is a joke anyway. I'm sure it's distressing to them that the fans are starting to feel the same way, but they're going about it in the wrong way (because they're morons).


Moranis: You weren't actually expecting 8 games unless you weren't thinking about the Rice thing. Someone in that iron bunker would say "we can't suspend him for that long, they'll have a field day with us."

I still think This will get appealed down, if only so the other owners don't have to deal with it.

Just heard that I guess Troy Vincent sent a letter to Brady explaining that the majority of his 4 game suspension is because he didn't fully cooperate with the investigation, not because of the actual infraction

Obviously. The crime was never the issue: it was the perceived flaunting of the Ginger Hammer. TP for calling the punishment, though.

@Jim, fair point.

I was actually expecting 8 games because I thought they were going to have Brady take the fall for the organization.  I never expected the loss of a 1st and 4th round pick or a million dollar fine.  Given the hit on the organization, 4 games makes sense. 

I thought it would be 8 games in large part because it seemed pretty obvious to me that Brady lied and didn't fully cooperate with the league office.  You have to cooperate fully.  Period.

[mahonedog88]

If Brady can't get a game shaved off from an appeal, how ironic that his first game back is at Indy...that just smells of the league trying to take advantage of ratings

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

4 games

1st round pick in upcoming draft

4th round pick in following draft

$1 million dollars


That's getting appealed.

The 1st round pick in addition to the suspension is a joke.



My guess, it gets appealed down to 2 games and the loss of the 1st round pick gets reduced to a second.

The pick bothers me more than the suspension.  This is a bigger loss in terms of draft picks than what the Saints suffered.

This is absurd. This whole affair is absurd. A quarter of the season missed AND loss of picks AND a fine, when the baseline penalty for this violation is a $25,000 fine, and other teams have gotten a slap on the wrist for similar violations (Chargers, Vikings, Panthers).

Not to mention that this rule is stupid and shouldn't even exist.

[Eja117]

The Steelers got less for Rothlisburger raping someone. This league is a joke. I can't wait to watch the Patriots beat everyone they play by 50 points and to see them get back their picks in a Garopalo trade after he ruins teams he plays

[Eja117]

And I predict Goodell will be gone soon.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

All that based on a hunch? 

Imagine what would've happened it was based on facts.

Imagine what would've happened if they broke a rule that actually mattered.

[D.o.s.]

If Brady can't get a game shaved off from an appeal, how ironic that his first game back is at Indy...that just smells of the league trying to take advantage of ratings

This is also a good point.

[aingeforthree]

If Brady can't get a game shaved off from an appeal, how ironic that his first game back is at Indy...that just smells of the league trying to take advantage of ratings

Don't put this on the league.  He cheated.  They cheated.  Again.

The league should of suspended him for the entire season and stripped 3 future first round picks.  He got off easy.

[Eja117]

If Brady can't get a game shaved off from an appeal, how ironic that his first game back is at Indy...that just smells of the league trying to take advantage of ratings

Don't put this on the league.  He cheated.  They cheated.  Again.

The league should of suspended him for the entire season and stripped 3 future first round picks.  He got off easy.

Then they need to suspend Aaron Rodgers the same way and they need to treat the Chargers the same way and they need to strip Brad Johnson of his Super Bowl ring and they need to treat those two teams caught on national TV doing the exact same thing the exact same way and they need to kick Jerry Rice out of the Hall of Fame and they need to punish the Jets far more severely for tampering. They cheated.

[PhoSita]

If Brady can't get a game shaved off from an appeal, how ironic that his first game back is at Indy...that just smells of the league trying to take advantage of ratings

This is also a good point.

Everything the league does it to take advantage of ratings and general media attention, including this absurd punishment to the defending Super Bowl Champion / one of its best known franchises / one of its most recognizable players.

[clover]

The problem is always in the cover up.

TB doesn't make his relevant texts available and the Pats don't let Wells talk with their equipment guy a second time.

Of course, the cover up comes because they realize the penalty for what would be revealed would be even worse.

So the Jimmy G. era begins!

[mef730]

The Pats just got 20 years for a parking violation.

When I first read the penalty (on here), I seriously thought it was a joke.

Unfortunately, I was right about that joke part.

Mike

[clover]

The Steelers got less for Rothlisburger raping someone. This league is a joke. I can't wait to watch the Patriots beat everyone they play by 50 points and to see them get back their picks in a Garopalo trade after he ruins teams he plays

Then again, the Pats didn't get anything for Hernandez murdering multiple people. I'm not really sure how the teams are responsible for their players' criminal behavior.

[aingeforthree]

All that based on a hunch? 

Imagine what would've happened  it was based on facts.

Tough to get facts when the guilty party won't surrender the evidence.  Brady hasn't complied from the beginning.