Posted on 10/27/2015 6:39:35 AM PDT by BlackFemaleArmyColonel
If the #DeflateGate controversy has placed a chip on the shoulder of Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, the chip has just gotten a lot bigger.
On the first page of the first written brief submitted by the NFL to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, the NFL states that Commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Brady for four games “after finding that Brady had participated in a scheme to deflate game balls to be used in a conference championship game.”
“The scheme was aimed at gaining an unfair competitive advantage on the field,” the NFL contends, “and it was devised to avoid detection by game officials. It struck at the heart of the game’s integrity and the public’s confidence in the NFL’s on-field product.”
The rest of the 59-page brief, aimed at overturning the ruling of Judge Richard M. Bermanm echoes many of the arguments made and conclusions reached by the NFL through various levels and types of proceedings. The NFL still believes Brady cheated; if anything, the statements have become more brazen over time, with Brady’s alleged “general awareness” of a scheme to deflate footballs now evolving into a contention of actual participation in the scheme during the AFC title game, absent any clear evidence that Brady either knew about or actually become directly involved in any such scheme, at any time.
(Excerpt) Read more at profootballtalk.nbcsports.com ...
So that's my problem with Brady getting a pass (pardon the pun) on this. He had to know the balls were better/different.
Forget the PSI. Check the balls using a modified Brinell test.
ie place a weighted object on the ball and measure the depression. Could be easily done on the sidelines, viewable to all. Would give everyone a break on cold weather “hard” balls. As long as both teams use the same rules it should be fair.
RE: There is more than ample evidence that the balls were tampered with
There is none
Same with me. I got sick of hearing about it when it happened.
Ray Lewis was involved in a murder controversy, and all he got was a mere 250,000 dollar fine.
I have had enough of the stupid drama with the NFL and its players.
The Saints were completely stupid enough, hideously stupid enough, to get rid of Jimmy Graham, so I quit watching the Saints. I noticed they quit throwing the ball to him towards the end of the season, when they were losing, after he had recovered from his injury. Someone pointed that out to Brees, and he acted like he hadn’t noticed.
If the NFL continue to harass Brady and New England, I will stop altogether. I doubt that I am alone.
I blame Goofball for all of this. He was aware of the accusations of under inflated balls before the playoff game against Indy. If he really cared he would have made sure both teams used balls that were inflated properly.
I’m a longtime Patriots fan. Went to the first AFL Pats game. I think the hoohoo was stupid. The judge got it right.
Having said that, I turned to my family after the eight, or nine or tenth dropped pass Sunday and said Tom Brady’s not dispelling the idea that he needs softer balls. Ha ha ha. Of course, returning-after-surgery Brandon LaFell dropped six passes so four drops isn’t so bad.
Then, I watched two later games, some Red Zone video, analysts, etc., and realized every team was dropping passes that were thrown too hard to catch.
It might be better to lower the psi in NFL balls and make the game more exciting and produce higher final scores.
:-)
exactly—
I am not a lawyer- but using the phrase-
“Brady had participated in a -SCHEME “-
yeah, that is the use of some legal jargon!- evidence?
Brady would not let us look at his cell phone-
the balls were deflated- how come the NFL does NOT
Secure the balls?- they are just as culpable
Either that, or give the teams the freedom to do what they want with the balls. Nothing in between.
The problem with that reasoning is that Brady should suck when he is throwing a properly inflated ball; but he doesn't. After "deflategate", he went to the Super Bowl and had another MVP performance.
I'm in Texas and am not a Pats fan by any means. But I think "deflategate" is a non-issue.
Goodell has run the NFL into the ground.
.....and I'm quite serious.
Leni
.....and I'm quite serious.
Leni
Leni
That’s it. This MUST be stopped and stopped immediately. SCOTUS should hear it. The mighty sportsman in the WH should write an EO and appoint a czar of psi. The IRS needs to add an extra line on our 1040 for a football tax. And NFL ticket prices should have an extra fee for air like theater tickets have aisle usage fees.
What a ridiculous assertion. The standard of proof is not that of a criminal trial, but rather a "preponderance of evidence" similar to a civil case.
Aside from that, even if the commissioner had no proof whatsoever and merely was making a judgment call, if a corporation acting through its CEO (commissioner), with the backing of top management (team owners), wants to suspend any employee (player), they have every right to do so.
I'm disappointed that there are so many pro-union collectivist sympathizers on this board defending Tom Brady on the basis of emotion rather than actual legal reality. Brady's employer, the NFL, has the absolute right to suspend him.
Under the procedural structure that I'm familiar with, Roger Goodell and the NFL can suspend Tom Brady for any reasonable cause, and a left-wing, activist judge has attempted to turn that on its head.
The NFL should win this appeal, hands down, based on any legal logic that I'm aware of. Only an extreme pro-union interpretation could thwart that.
The judge who overturned the suspension was wrong on the law, IMHO.
Why is Goodell still pushing this? Because he a rich megalomaniacal lawyer pr/$# who cannot allow one of the workers in his fields (who he resents being almost as rich as himself, handsome, athletically blessed, with gorgeous wife, etc., etc.) make him look bad. He set out to teach Brady, Kraft, Belichick, and the rest of the league that he’s the BIG BOSS and out of all the times he’s played God with teams and players, this time he lost. He can’t let it go. The owners should can him. THEY own the league. There are a thousand lawyers out there who could do a better job with a fraction the ego.
That is a good question. I have no idea what the front office will do.
Yawn. I hate the Pats, but Brady doesn’t need deflated balls to paint 50 points on almost any opponent.
Darn shame, huh?
LMAO!!!! Brady wins 4 of the next 5 superbowls and retires in six years leaving no further room for "discussion" as to who is The Greatest Of All Time.
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