#DeflateGate (Court of Appeals Reinstates Suspension)

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

Ted Wells just held a press conference to try and clear his name in this since some people are arguing Wells did a bad job, wasn't independent enough, etc.

The biggest takeaway seems to be that they didn't even consider the crime that bad.  75% of this punishment is based on the fact that Brady and the team didn't cooperate with the investigation, so they basically had to assume their guilty.

If they didn't consider the crime that bad, then why even investigate? They didn't bother investigating the Chargers for the stickum incident, even though the Chargers refused to cooperate. The league just fined them and was done with it.

[Donoghus]

Ted Wells just held a press conference to try and clear his name in this since some people are arguing Wells did a bad job, wasn't independent enough, etc.

The biggest takeaway seems to be that they didn't even consider the crime that bad.  75% of this punishment is based on the fact that Brady and the team didn't cooperate with the investigation, so they basically had to assume their guilty.

If they didn't consider the crime that bad, then why even investigate? They didn't bother investigating the Chargers for the stickum incident, even though the Chargers refused to cooperate. The league just fined them and was done with it.

Part of it was how the league remained silent in immediate aftermath following the AFC title game.   After Kravitz tweeted out his thing, the league remained quiet on the topic and allowed it to turn into a full blown media circus.  At that point, the public outcry was there and let a rather misdemeanor type item to turn into a full blown Watergate. 

This office takes the temperature of the public and then acts accordingly.  Everything they do reeks of being reactive and being relevant in the news cycle.

[knuckleballer]

Ted Wells just held a press conference to try and clear his name in this since some people are arguing Wells did a bad job, wasn't independent enough, etc.

The biggest takeaway seems to be that they didn't even consider the crime that bad.  75% of this punishment is based on the fact that Brady and the team didn't cooperate with the investigation, so they basically had to assume their guilty.

If they didn't consider the crime that bad, then why even investigate? They didn't bother investigating the Chargers for the stickum incident, even though the Chargers refused to cooperate. The league just fined them and was done with it.

The ball intercepted by the Colts measured at 11.45 psi which is exactly what the Ideal Gas Law states it should have been.  So why was there any investigation at all?

[mahonedog88]

One question I keep hearing is how in the world has Bill Belichick skated in this?  I guess Mike Florio said there's an urban legend out there that says that even though Goodell destroyed the spygate tapes, Bill has copies that is direct evidence of other teams doing the same exact thing he was punished for.  And so he's using this evidence as leverage to not be a part of this punishment.

Even though it's just an urban legend, I'd totally buy this in a second.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

Ted Wells just held a press conference to try and clear his name in this since some people are arguing Wells did a bad job, wasn't independent enough, etc.

The biggest takeaway seems to be that they didn't even consider the crime that bad.  75% of this punishment is based on the fact that Brady and the team didn't cooperate with the investigation, so they basically had to assume their guilty.

If they didn't consider the crime that bad, then why even investigate? They didn't bother investigating the Chargers for the stickum incident, even though the Chargers refused to cooperate. The league just fined them and was done with it.

The ball intercepted by the Colts measured at 11.45 psi which is exactly what the Ideal Gas Law states it should have been.  So why was there any investigation at all?

If I recall correctly, referee Walt Anderson didn't even write down the measurements when he took them. Or am I wrong about that? And is the NFL foolish enough to not realize that a ball inflated to the lowest allowable level will drop below that level—and thence become "illegal"—during an outdoor game in cold weather?

[knuckleballer]

Ted Wells just held a press conference to try and clear his name in this since some people are arguing Wells did a bad job, wasn't independent enough, etc.

The biggest takeaway seems to be that they didn't even consider the crime that bad.  75% of this punishment is based on the fact that Brady and the team didn't cooperate with the investigation, so they basically had to assume their guilty.

If they didn't consider the crime that bad, then why even investigate? They didn't bother investigating the Chargers for the stickum incident, even though the Chargers refused to cooperate. The league just fined them and was done with it.

The ball intercepted by the Colts measured at 11.45 psi which is exactly what the Ideal Gas Law states it should have been.  So why was there any investigation at all?

If I recall correctly, referee Walt Anderson didn't even write down the measurements when he took them. Or am I wrong about that? And is the NFL foolish enough to not realize that a ball inflated to the lowest allowable level will drop below that level—and thence become "illegal"—during an outdoor game in cold weather?

NFL executives, and many jealous fans, were clearly ignorant of basic science which is what started all of this.  Now we have convictions based on interpretations of selected texts from friendly banter despite conclusive evidence (which involves many undocumented variables) that the balls were even underinflated to begin with.

[knuckleballer]

Ted Wells just held a press conference to try and clear his name in this since some people are arguing Wells did a bad job, wasn't independent enough, etc.

The biggest takeaway seems to be that they didn't even consider the crime that bad.  75% of this punishment is based on the fact that Brady and the team didn't cooperate with the investigation, so they basically had to assume their guilty.

If they didn't consider the crime that bad, then why even investigate? They didn't bother investigating the Chargers for the stickum incident, even though the Chargers refused to cooperate. The league just fined them and was done with it.

The ball intercepted by the Colts measured at 11.45 psi which is exactly what the Ideal Gas Law states it should have been.  So why was there any investigation at all?

If I recall correctly, referee Walt Anderson didn't even write down the measurements when he took them. Or am I wrong about that? And is the NFL foolish enough to not realize that a ball inflated to the lowest allowable level will drop below that level—and thence become "illegal"—during an outdoor game in cold weather?

And no, Walt Anderson did not write down the pregame measurements.  Wells gave Anderson's recollection of all 12 Patriots balls measurements, and all 12 Colts balls and all 12 of each team's backup balls complete credibilitily as fact.... while also dismissing Anderson's recollection of which gauge he used to measure them (despite noticeable physical differences) which would have shown the Patriots balls were in line. 

[D.o.s.]

Ted Wells just held a press conference to try and clear his name in this since some people are arguing Wells did a bad job, wasn't independent enough, etc.

The biggest takeaway seems to be that they didn't even consider the crime that bad.  75% of this punishment is based on the fact that Brady and the team didn't cooperate with the investigation, so they basically had to assume their guilty.

If they didn't consider the crime that bad, then why even investigate? They didn't bother investigating the Chargers for the stickum incident, even though the Chargers refused to cooperate. The league just fined them and was done with it.

The ball intercepted by the Colts measured at 11.45 psi which is exactly what the Ideal Gas Law states it should have been.  So why was there any investigation at all?

If I recall correctly, referee Walt Anderson didn't even write down the measurements when he took them. Or am I wrong about that? And is the NFL foolish enough to not realize that a ball inflated to the lowest allowable level will drop below that level—and thence become "illegal"—during an outdoor game in cold weather?

NFL executives, and many jealous fans, were clearly ignorant of basic science which is what started all of this.  Now we have convictions based on interpretations of selected texts from friendly banter despite conclusive evidence (which involves many undocumented variables) that the balls were even underinflated to begin with.

Well, obviously. This is the NFL we're talking about. What did you expect?

[kozlodoev]

If I recall correctly, referee Walt Anderson didn't even write down the measurements when he took them. Or am I wrong about that? And is the NFL foolish enough to not realize that a ball inflated to the lowest allowable level will drop below that level—and thence become "illegal"—during an outdoor game in cold weather?

He didn't record the measurements prior to the game. We're supposed to take his word that he actually measured the balls and that the Pats balls were ~12.5 PSI and the Colts  at ~13.0 PSI. That's why Ted Wells goes the extra mile trying to portray him as a credible witness.

The measurements were recorded by an NFL official at halftime.

The problem is that if you're going to take Anderson's word that he measured the balls, you have to take his word about the gauge he actually used -- and it appears that if you do, then you can't discount that the observed results were simply caused by weather (even the report says so, I believe).

[LooseCannon]

If I were a Patriots fan, I'd probably craft a fanciful narrative that Goodell was so butthurt that not only did he pressure ESPN to decide not to extend Bill Simmons but he went out of his way to put on a public display of "testicular fortitude" and get back at Simmons by over-punishing a team that Simmons roots for.

Simmons might have a big enough ego to embrace that idea and run with it, leading to an unrestrained Sports Guy launching more bombs at Goodell.

Goodell is such a clown that it might even be true.

[knuckleballer]

Ted Wells just held a press conference to try and clear his name in this since some people are arguing Wells did a bad job, wasn't independent enough, etc.

The biggest takeaway seems to be that they didn't even consider the crime that bad.  75% of this punishment is based on the fact that Brady and the team didn't cooperate with the investigation, so they basically had to assume their guilty.

If they didn't consider the crime that bad, then why even investigate? They didn't bother investigating the Chargers for the stickum incident, even though the Chargers refused to cooperate. The league just fined them and was done with it.

The ball intercepted by the Colts measured at 11.45 psi which is exactly what the Ideal Gas Law states it should have been.  So why was there any investigation at all?

If I recall correctly, referee Walt Anderson didn't even write down the measurements when he took them. Or am I wrong about that? And is the NFL foolish enough to not realize that a ball inflated to the lowest allowable level will drop below that level—and thence become "illegal"—during an outdoor game in cold weather?

NFL executives, and many jealous fans, were clearly ignorant of basic science which is what started all of this.  Now we have convictions based on interpretations of selected texts from friendly banter despite conclusive evidence (which involves many undocumented variables) that the balls were even underinflated to begin with.

Well, obviously. This is the NFL we're talking about. What did you expect?

Good point.  I guess I was hoping they would at least take 5 minutes to google the formula like I did rather than opening a five milion dollar investigation.  Oh well.  At least this is entertaining...  which I guess might be working out well for them. 

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

Ted Wells just held a press conference to try and clear his name in this since some people are arguing Wells did a bad job, wasn't independent enough, etc.

The biggest takeaway seems to be that they didn't even consider the crime that bad.  75% of this punishment is based on the fact that Brady and the team didn't cooperate with the investigation, so they basically had to assume their guilty.

If they didn't consider the crime that bad, then why even investigate? They didn't bother investigating the Chargers for the stickum incident, even though the Chargers refused to cooperate. The league just fined them and was done with it.

The ball intercepted by the Colts measured at 11.45 psi which is exactly what the Ideal Gas Law states it should have been.  So why was there any investigation at all?

If I recall correctly, referee Walt Anderson didn't even write down the measurements when he took them. Or am I wrong about that? And is the NFL foolish enough to not realize that a ball inflated to the lowest allowable level will drop below that level—and thence become "illegal"—during an outdoor game in cold weather?

And no, Walt Anderson did not write down the pregame measurements.  Wells gave Anderson's recollection of all 12 Patriots balls measurements, and all 12 Colts balls and all 12 of each team's backup balls complete credibilitily as fact.... while also dismissing Anderson's recollection of which gauge he used to measure them (despite noticeable physical differences) which would have shown the Patriots balls were in line.

So basically, Anderson filled in that particular part of the Wells report the same way many people fill in timecards at work: "Let's see, what time did I start work last Tuesday morning? ... Hmmm, 7:27AM sounds about right. Yeah. Yeah, that's it."

[mahonedog88]

Per Adam Schefter: Tom Brady will hire Jeff Kessler for an attorney in his appeal

This may not sound like big news, but it in fact is.  Kessler is considered to be THE guy players go to when they need a defense against a ruling given to them by the NFL.  He's considered overall to be the best of the best.  He was the lead lawyer that helped establish the free agency and salary cap system in the NFL and NBA, he successfully represented Michael Vick, Plaxico Burress, and numerous other players when it came to recouping salary bonuses.

The NFL haaaates this guy, mostly because more often than not when he goes up against the NFL while representing a player, he wins.

So basically, Brady looks to be bringing out the big guns for this war.

[D.o.s.]

What will almost certainly happen is that the NFLPA will argue it regardless of what the outcome actually is, and Brady will wind up missing an insignificant amount of time at most and, ultimately, no one will care. That is what I mean by "the outcome," not about whether Jim Rome is talking about it or not (because who actually cares about Jim Rome beyond morons and mouthbreathers and Mrs. Jim Rome?)

[kraidstar]

75% of this punishment is based on the fact that Brady and the team didn't cooperate with the investigation, so they basically had to assume their guilty.

But, they did cooperate. The Wells report said so: "the Patriots provided substantial cooperation throughout the investigation" on p. 23, apparently

They didn't fully cooperate though.  I'll repeat myself...they didn't allow McNally to be interviewed again by Wells after he uncovered all of the texts that are put in his report.  And then Brady, yes he did answer questions, but when it came to asking for texts from his phone regarding the investigation, he refused.

So sure, they cooperated but not totally...and any sliver of not cooperating is considered detrimental to the league.

And Wells also basically challenged Don Yee to publish his 40 pages of notes that he said he had, and guaranteed nothing will be in there thats newsworthy...so Wells isn't backing down.  It doesn't sound good for the Pats.

I'm really starting to think that the Pats aren't gonna win this one, and are gonna look like fools in the process, if they don't already.  I'm really starting to wonder if Brady was petrified that he DID admit to it right after the AFC championship game, that he'd be suspended for the super bowl, and so he felt he had no choice but to lie.

Danny Kanell on Mike and Mike this morning said Brady should have held a press conference immediately after the AFC title game (after the story leaked) and said something like "I prefer my footballs to be on the low end of the legal spectrum.  I have made that known to the Patriots staff.  I certainly never asked anyone to underinflate the balls to illegal limits and do not believe anyone intentionally did that.  If any of the balls were below the limit as a result of any comments I've made, then I am sorry."  According to Kanell something like that would have pretty much ended the inquiry before it started and at most Brady would have been fined.

It's easy to say that now in hindsight, he very well may be right.  But in Brady's position at the time, with national media outlets from all over the country questioning whether or not you're cheater, it looks like he panicked, and felt denying was the best way to go...which when you look at it now, might've been the wrong decision.

Telling the truth is never the wrong decision.

Girlfriend/wife asks: "Do I look fat?"