I'm glad Boston is such a bastion of moral purity the clubs banned the gal who bagged Edelman after the Super Bowl. I mean, who tolerates that kind of moral looseness as a result of spending the night in the club? Poor Julian's image as a young, single, rich, club-going choir boy is forever tarnished.
Halas and Lombardi thought there wasn't much laughing in heaven.
No beer, nuf said.
If only he didn't become a serial cheater...
According to Halberstam, in order to slow down Buffaloâs no-huddle offense in Super Bowl XXV, Belichick told his Giants players to âaccidentally kick the ballâ away from the officials after it had been set up for play.
http://grantland.com/features/...wl-seattle-seahawks/
Grantland article on Belichick and he is surely one of the best minds in football history. And his love of football history was part of what made him so enlightened
But he took it too far, too often in his quest to be the best
And now he'll wear the yoke of serial cheater for all time
Man the Pats have to be feeling pretty deflated about their season now.
Man the Pats have to be feeling pretty deflated about their season now.
BOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!
From the article Boris posted:
Goodell indicated that Brady's destruction of evidence was a factor in upholding the suspension.
"The most significant new information that emerged in connection with the appeal was evidence that on or about March 6, 2015 -- the very day that was interviewed by Mr. Wells and his investigated team -- Mr. Brady instructed his assistant to destroy the cellphone that he had been using since early 2014, a period that included that AFC Championship game and the initial weeks of the subsequent investigation," Goodell wrote in the final decision on the appeal.
"During the four months that the cell phone was in use, Brady had exchanged nearly 10,000 text messages, none of which can now be retrieved from that device. The destruction of the cell phone was not disclosed until June 18, almost four months after the investigators had first sought electronic information from Brady."
Gisele is relieved.
It's always the cover-up.
@AlbertBreer: Brady communicated to the commissioner that he routinely destroys his phone for security reasons.
Man the Pats have to be feeling pretty deflated about their season now.
Is this Tommy Boy's legacy?
My concern truly is less with Brady and more with Goodell's decision making. I'm concerned about when the next PR nightmare pops up, is Goodell going to dole out some ridiculous punishment again just to appease the mob? We already saw him bungle the Adrian Peterson and Greg Hardy situations with the "Commissioners Exempt List" where these players continued to be paid for nothing and the situation with that psychopath Ray McDonald. I don't understand Goodell's method and I'm really glad GB has thus far run a clean program and we haven't had to deal with this doofus.
Hmmm.
@DonBanks: Just trying to understand this: how does NFL know Brady exchanged 10,000 texts in those four months if everything was destroyed and lost?
DonBanks: Just trying to understand this: how does NFL know Brady exchanged 10,000 texts in those four months if everything was destroyed and lost?
Because that's exactly what Brady's lawyers told them when they asked for the texts between Brady and the ball boys:
" There's more than 10,000 texts here and we're not about to allow you to go on a fishing expedition"
And the only thing destroyed was the actual phone, the records still exist at the carrier. And that's why Brady can't go to court, because Discovery will require the carrier to produce the info under subpoena.
The threat of court was just bluster and a bluff... and Roger called his bluff.
Considering your opinion, GD, say maybe 1 game for the "act" and 1 for the "cover up" would be about right. And I don't think that's inconcievable or unfair.
It's quite possible Badell/the league would've settled for that. But if the above report is true, Brady wasn't willing to settle for that.
I generally agree with your opinion of Badell's 'system' being wildly out of control. Everything looks right on paper, but in the end, it's like enforcing a personal foul on a kickoff. It just doesn't make a damn.
In this particular case, at least it's costing Tommy boy some $$$ for legal expenses, if nothing else.
Remember though, this is the system that the players negotiated for. Goodell, being the arbitrator, and judge. Let's see if the NFLPA tries and get some of that power in the next CBA?
The integrity of the game is everything
It impacts the sponsors, networks and Billions and Billions of revenue at stake
Otherwise the NFL is perceived as just the latest version of WWF
Not sure why this is such a difficult concept for some of you to grasp.
The NFL is all about image and money- this negatively impacts both
You think these owners are going to let Tommy Boy bring down their future Billions ?
Been saying for years that De Smith was and is a disaster. Goodell's boys really put one over on the union. Another reason why the owners stick by him.
In the world of things deflated (and inflated), I find it hard to believe that over the years, Brady's head hasn't inflated somewhat.
Which head?
To me, I think the answer is simple. 2 misdemeanor or 1 felony arrest/conviction(s) = lifetime ban. That'll take care of 99% of the trash in the league.
Same applies to NCAA players; if they have the 2/1 during college, they're ineligible.
Of course, getting the NFLPA to agree to anything close to that is a whole 'nother matter.
All that leaves are situations like Brady/Patriots. I think punishment guidelines for these type of infractions should follow what the penalties are for betting on games, or similar 'integrity-related' transgressions.
What Brady did cuts to the integrity of the game.
Sure, what Ray Rice did is worse in the real world. But there was no cheating at football.
Interesting. @judybattista says the sides were moving close to a 1-game suspension settlement. But Brady wanted records sealed. NFL wouldnât
â Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 28, 2015
Exactly, Fedya. Alex Karras and Paul Hornung lost an entire season due to gambling, surely a far less egregious offense than Ray Rice belting his fiance.
Here's the thing I can't get past.
How do you destroy a cell phone every 4 months and continue to get a 2 year contract?
Cheat.
There's a Steven Wright joke in there somewhere.
Hmmm.
@DonBanks: Just trying to understand this: how does NFL know Brady exchanged 10,000 texts in those four months if everything was destroyed and lost?
They can read the records from the phone company. Your bill every month tells you who the text is from & how many. They just can't read the actual text message, which Brady deleted/destroyed
Denial. It ain't just a river is it..
#Patriots: âIt is incomprehensible why the league is attempting to destroy the reputation of one of its greatest players & representative.â
I was hoping that Roger would reduce the suspension to three weeks.
That way Brady could practice with the Patriots during the week four 'bye', and play against Dallas in week five.
Thanks for making me hate Braun again.
I remember watching Barry Bonds get an intentional walk with the bases loaded in the 9th inning of an 8-6 game. I remember Buck Showalter after the game saying it wasnt smart but it was our best option.
To this day I think Buck gave Barry the middle finger. I'll lose this game to a clean player if I have to but I'm not losing to a ****ing cheater.
So you go on ahead and file suit Tom. Starcaps. You keep playing. In the end it won't matter.
What Brady did cuts to the integrity of the game.
Sure, what Ray Rice did is worse in the real world. But there was no cheating at football.
It is cheating which does damage the integrity of the game. Maybe it's just me, but I think allowing violent criminals like Ray Rice and Ray McDonald to play in the league damages the integrity of the game more than Brady cheating. Those two potentially have the opportunity to once again make millions of dollars and continue their cycle of violence toward women. Adrian Peterson learned no lessons other than if you have enough money you can hire a really good lawyer to get you off the hook...he beat his kid and got paid 12 million to sit around. Brady should be punished because it's obvious he's guilty, but does he deserve to be punished as much or equal to those guys? Violent offenders, guilty in criminal court or not (and the NFL has the resources to determine guilt or innocence) should be banned and Goodell and/or De Smith don't agree apparently. Those guys should be promoting a culture where that's not tolerated. If Ray Rice's 2 game suspension, which I believe Goodell would have stuck with were in not for the public pressure, was the measure of how non-substance abuse related punishments should be doled out then Brady deserves only a modest fine. Rice, McDonald, Hardy, probably Peterson, etc should have all gotten lifetime bans. Brady should have been given a 2 game suspension and a hefty fine that went to charity. Just my opinion though, I think Goodell has failed the integrity of the league in the past and is doing so again.
Good post, Digger. Just keep this in mind. Rog works for the owners. De for the players. Neither group is committed to getting that type of filth out of the game. Shame. Especially on the owners. They don't need criminals like Hardy on the the field, they will still make their billions.
The NFL is still very much a "boys-will-be-boys" entity that's owned and run by old-school white guys. They come from an age where beating a woman was not necessarily accepted in polite society, but you just looked the other way. Hence the Hardy, Rice, et al, suspensions being laughable. Brady fooled with the integrity of the game and to the suits at the top, that's something they can't/won't look away from.
As long as the NFL is owned and operated by the guys it is today, women will remain second class. I'm skeptical of the hiring of Sarah T (the ref) because it comes so soon after all the bad pub on Hardy and Rice, making it seem like an appeasement. I'm more hopeful on Arians' hiring of Jen Welter because he doesn't do stuff like this unless he wants to, and the guys she's coached in the past say she was an excellent coach. Same with Becky Hammon's hiring by Greg Popovich (Hammon's team won the summer league).
And yes, I love that TT and MM don't keep those guys around. Beating on women doesn't really fly in GB. MM has three girls; woe be to the guy who mistreats them!
It may not be over:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/a...amp;source=DDMorning
"when Brady and the NFLPA file the lawsuit they will likely eventually file in Minnesota, Roger Goodell might have to answer for why he initially suspended Ray Rice for two games after knocking out his wife, and gave Tom Brady four games for allegedly telling ball boys to let air out of footballs."
I really doubt they want to go the lawsuit route and really have everything come out.
This is the equivalent of Albert Pujols threatening to sue someone over saying he took steroids. The last thing anyone wants is all the truths coming out.
I think it's more about Goodell keeping the rest of the owners appeased because they already know how tight he and Kraft are. At least this gives the appearance of him dishing out punishment to all teams. Maybe a little make-up for sweeping the video tapes under the rug?
Plus, he gives the NFL it's villain again. what a great story--Brady proves he's the best ever by demolishing the old school, small market, non-billionaire owned, refusing to sell Lambeau naming rights Green Bay Packers to prove once and for all the almighty power of the company and the NEW NFL?
Things I hope come out when this trainwreck goes to court.
The last time Gisele let Tom touch her vagina. He has brought shame to the Gisele castle.
Damages Samsung is seeking when Tom used this case as the opportunity to trash their brand and change to an iPhone 6.
Another Robert Kraft speech.
A lawsuit could highlight the NFL's inconsistencies in punishment; it would also reveal Brady's texts and open his Pandora's box of a cell phone.
Does either side really want those things to happen? The NFL comes out ahead in this case since it's already been skewered for the inconsistencies. Brady doesn't want the truth to come out. If they sue, Brady's lawyers will have in place a surefire way to suppress those texts.
what a great story--Brady proves he's the best ever by demolishing the old school, small market, non-billionaire owned, refusing to sell Lambeau naming rights Green Bay Packers
Just watched Kraft's statement at lunch. Good grief, it's just Hulk Hogan vs. Randy Savage in suits.
Sure, what Ray Rice did is worse in the real world. But there was no cheating at football.
It is cheating which does damage the integrity of the game. Maybe it's just me, but I think allowing violent criminals like Ray Rice and Ray McDonald to play in the league damages the integrity of the game more than Brady cheating.
Outstanding post packerboi. You said it exactly as the way I feel about the whole thing. Brady tarnished the game, Ray rice and others tarnished the league. There is a difference.
How many Packer fans are going to walk away because of what Quarless did this offseason? Probably not any. Ultimately, it is the criminal justice system that needs to punish people (for actual crimes, like Ray Rice). Employers run the risk of alienating their customers by keeping these guys around, but I really don't think the league itself needs to suspend guys for off field stuff. Should they not be allowed to work at any job anywhere?
Having said that, I'm glad that the Packers usually chose to stay away from those guys. It protects the brand. Let the cowboys or Bengals deal with it.
Boom.
Big news, Minnesota judge has ordered this morning the NFLPA lawsuit over Brady b transferred to Manhattan, where the NFL first filed
â daniel kaplan (@dkaplanSBJ) July 30, 2015
Legal scholars, how does the transfer affect the case?
Judge Doty in Minnesota has handled most NFLPA v. NFL cases and has ruled for the players in an overwhelming number of cases. Commentators are viewing this venue choice as a setback for Brady.
Also, it wasn't Judge Doty who ordered this, from what I read, his docket is full, so it was another judge in MN, that I believe ordered this. Either way, MN labor laws are very lenient towards employees, not the employer, that's why the NFLPA tries to file in MN.
I'm not a legal scholar, did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night, but it's not looking good for the Golden Boy.
Both sides instantly filed in different states in order to procure a probable victory. News this am is that the NFL will likely get the nod once the case is heard.
Regardless of the outcome, I think the real loser here has to be the legal system.
@jgolen: Patriots training camp just buzzed by airplane towing banner: "Cheaters Look Up."
@CharlesRobinson: Tomorrow, I expect the
#Patriots to have an antiaircraft gun.#NFL
This is interesting, sounds like the judge in MN, wasn't happy about the NFLPA judge shopping.
NFL did the same thing. They uphold the suspension then file within the hour in Manhattan to ensure the case is heard in a "favorable" location. Just a bad look for everyone involved. Including the courts.
IMO, at least the NFL filed in a court that is germane to the case. The NFL HQ are in NY. Everything in this case has been in NY, DC, or MA. To file in MN, makes no sense.
People go after Goodell instead of the legal system because he's easier to dislike as a public figure.
The case will be in NY per this article.
To hell with the courts/legal system!
As matter of fact, I'm sure they love it; generating all kinds of "court costs", which will be higher than typical so it can be expedited. Naturally.
Proper venue is basic to any court filings. An attorney certainly can't have his case dismissed because it's not the correct one.
While I don't condone violence against a wife, girl friend, domestic partner, complete stranger it has nothing to do with the game. What Brady did, just like a player betting on a game affects the outcome of the game. That is why and rightly so Goodell came down so hard on him. Throw in the lack of cooperation on Brady's and the Pats part in the investigation I think they are lucky they were only punished to the point they have been.
It's pretty simple. Justice against the wife beaters gets handed down by the courts. Justice against the football cheaters gets handed down by the football league. Not sure why that concept is so hard to understand.
Not hard at all to understand.
However, for Brady, he doesn't seem to get the word "implicated". If he did "nothing wrong" he should not have a thing to hide. Of course the QB Brady could be implicated in an NFL football game - but he would deny that too - in which case his contract could be ripped up. But he would sue over that too.
John Jastremski and James McNally could end all this right now. But they're still suspended. Stashed away and muzzled. Smart move not to fire them. You don't cheat for years and not learn the angles.
Kraft has come off looking like a boob. He demanded an apology. Then he accepted the punishment. Then for reasons I'll never understand he confessed he thought accepting punishment had a back door out clause.
I hate Goodell. He's horrible. But I think he gave Kraft every possible opportunity to make a ****ty mess his team caused go away. But the video scandal that's been hanging over this team made brokering a deal impossible. That's the cost of habitual cheating.
The Brady camp hasn't provided a damn thing that shows he did nothing wrong. They've only fired back after the NFL said "Sorry, he's guilty. No Soup" with obligitory "Outrageous" claims. They want to to focus on the process, procedure, and precident of punishment doled out by the league that was never collectively bargained. Because punishment for taking the air out of footballs just prior to a game should have been tabled for punishment discussion in 2011.
Tom Brady is a cheater. He tried to create an unfair advantage. The question isn't why is his suspension in line with domestic violence. IMO it's why his suspension isn't indefinite until he has the stones to admit what he did.
and The Vikings suck.
So two Viking fans managed to get into Lambeau for the shareholder meeting Tuesday. Full Viking gear. A Packer shareholder vouched for them at the door. That fan should be banned forever but his name might rhyme with Bavre. Whatever.
So the story was picked up by the Strib and run today because stories of Viking fans getting over on Lambeau is a victory story to be told.
Comment in the Strib story:
I was in a bar near Green Bay a few years back talking to one of the locals. When I told him I was from Minneapolis, he pulled the celephane off his pack of cigarettes and set it on the bar upside down and asked me what it was. He said it was the Vikings trophy case......it never stops.
And yes. The Vikings suck.
If I were John Jastremski or James McNally, I'd hold out for a better deal.
Money for nothing and chicks for free!
And speaking of Vikings suck.
I dont think nearly enough homage has been paid to October 24, 2010.
If Percy keeps both feet in bounds then Brett is 3-0 against the Packers. Childress doesn't dress down Brett after the game. Minny is tied for the division lead and Green Bay has a 3 game losing streak against Miami, Washington, and Favre.
But Percy didn't. Green Bay rolled off 4 impressive wins. Including a Viking beat down 3 weeks later. Childress got canned. Aaron won the SB MVP.
If that game went the other way then who knows. But that bowl was so loud that night after the game. Like the e brake on "it's going to be ok" was released. You could feel and hear it.
My 45 minute trip out of Lambeau that night will always be something I'll never forget.
I like the post....just try to stay on topic as this thread is about the Patriots.
Since the NFLPA is carrying the ball for Brady and it appears it will cost Brady zero dollars to per-sue his lawsuit, is there any NFL player with the balls to just tell Brady, "Shove it man!! Quit wasting our money going to court and accept your punishment!!"
Another Brady needs a Snickers.
It's pretty simple. Justice against the wife beaters gets handed down by the courts. Justice against the football cheaters gets handed down by the football league. Not sure why that concept is so hard to understand.
Because the NFL actually does punish the wife beaters?
This is where people get confused. In those cases the charge is for besmirching the saintly image of the NFL, not for the crime itself. You can debate all you want about whether that's within the league's rights and what those penalties should be. But it makes no sense to criticize the league for sanctioning players who were cheating at FOOTBALL.
Well, if that is what the charge is really for, I am sure the NFL is the last entity to want to let onto this dirty secret - and not saying I disagree (though unsure)!
At a real high level, I think it's plausible that the NFL punishes a Ray Rice because he did something bad - and that is some of the essence of justice.
If the above is 100% untrue, I would love Goodell to grab a microphone and tell the truth!
Just to clarify, we did not punish Ray Rice because he did something real bad except for one reason. We only care about our image. We did not punish him for any other reason.
Because every NFL contract has a personal conduct standard. According to this, "All persons associated with the NFL are required to avoid 'conduct detrimental to the integrity of and public confidence in the National Football League.' This requirement applies to players, coaches, other team employees, owners, game officials and all others privileged to work in the National Football League."
And notice it says "all persons," not just players. (It would be interesting to see how that is applied to some lowly desk jockey vs a star player.) Now, you could argue that wife beating doesn't hurt the "integrity of and public confidence" in the NFL and players shouldn't be subject to NFL discipline for that offense, but that horse left the barn a long time ago when they started handing down those suspensions. However, deflating footballs directly does bring into question the "integrity of and public confidence" in the NFL as it could directly affect the game.
And that's why the big deal about a couple pounds of hot air.
But it's easier for people to get their righteous indignation on at Roger Goodell than it is to have a serious discussion about whether pre-trial diversion is worthwhile and whether the,victim should have the right to see her attacker lightly punished.
This is where people get confused. In those cases the charge is for besmirching the saintly image of the NFL, not for the crime itself. You can debate all you want about whether that's within the league's rights and what those penalties should be. But it makes no sense to criticize the league for sanctioning players who were cheating at FOOTBALL.
I think Brady should have been punished, I'm not arguing that. I'm sure he cheated, it hasn't been proven, but I believe it to be true. If it comes down to it though, I will take Tom Brady over Ray Rice though and I'm sure most fans would as well. Yet one deserves a harsher punishment than the other in the eyes of the commissioner? Maybe Brady DOES deserve 4 games, but that should become the benchmark for suspensions. If circumstantial evidence and a lack of cooperation over a truly minor offense gets you 4 games, then a Ray Rice type incident deserves much more than that. I don't have faith that will be the case though.
Brady's infraction was on the job, Ray's was not.
Not weighing the morality of one over the other, but I can see an employer having a different point of view.
Am I the only one bored to **** by this whole thing?
Can it just be done so we don't have to hear about this ****-storm any more?
Has anyone mentioned that Tom Brady is a pussy?
Report: NFLâs Mike Kensil Source For Original Incorrect Deflategate Report
nesn.com
by Mike Cole on Fri, Jul 31, 2015 at 1:46PM
The whole Deflategate controversy stems from one report, and that one report keeps coming back to the same guy.
The report in question, of course, is from ESPNâs Chris Mortensen. The longtime reporter tweeted in the days following last seasonâs AFC Championship Game that 11 of the New England Patriotsâ 12 footballs were 2 pounds below the NFLâs legal PSI threshold.
That report has been proven to be false, but that hasnât stopped the NFL from coming down hard on the Patriots. All the while, Mortensenâs original tweet remains and the story hasnât been pulled. Mortensen was set to go on WEEI Radio in Boston on Friday but backed out before joining âDennis & Callahan.â
Mortensen likely was going to be grilled over the report, so WEEI radio host John Dennis one-upped Mortensen by âreportingâ that Mortensenâs source for the 11 of 12 report was NFL vice president of game operations Mike Kensil.
...
Kensil spent the better part of two decades with the Jets, where he worked with Bill Belichick. Kensil still was with the Jets when Belichick spurned New York in 2000 by resigning as head coach almost immediately after being hired. continue
I believe Belichick to be a persistent breaker of rules. It goes all the way back to the Giants superbowl vs the Bill for me.
Belichick wanted his players to use delay tactics. In between plays, when the umpire immediately spotted the ball, a Giants player was coached to âaccidentallyâ kick the ball. This was designed to interrupt the flow and rhythm of the Bills attack. source
They did it on the last drive of the game and cost the Bills enough time to get another play where they could have been closer for the final kick. Point being Kensil knows exactly the kind of shenanigans Belichick likes to pull. I'm glad the league finally put the foot down on his bullchit.
Has anyone mentioned that Tom Brady is a pussy?
Not to his face.
I'm guessing Gisele may have mentioned it a time or two.
The Commish should tell Brady that he can play with a frisby if he thinks it would help him beat the Colts by a few more points.
Happy 38th birthday Cheater Brady. Hope you got some Nerf footballs for presents.
I'm no fan of Brady, but it's unfortunate those emails were released to the public. It's not like he's working from a government email account to which the public has a right to access.
I don't know, looks like he was advising Hilary on Al Qaeda.
The NFL should be embarrassed about this. Ridiculous.
The NFL should be embarrassed about this. Ridiculous.
Yup.
They're looking like Inspector Clouseau these days, which is hilarious on so many levels
But there has to be a reason that an image-conscious league focused on making money would drag their cash cow through the mud. I have zero doubt that the Patriots cheat repeatedly and with impunity - but I also have little confidence that the keystone cops are up to the job of catching them.
Just like The Inspector
The Mighty Green Bay Packers arrive in NE for a preseason game next week; the circus should be in full swing. And the stark contrast between how the the two clubs handle their affairs will be on display for all to see.