[BarkingToad]

Remember: the Patriots were caught the only two times they ever cheated. Just terrible luck.

Nice!

[RITZ]

Just remember the score,..PATRIOTS 45-INDY 7,...the Pats would have won if they played with frisbees! Deflated balls not the reason.

[Harry N. Lloyd]

Who the hell ever proclaimed that this D-bag wells was King Solomon? It took him over 100 days to produce "more probable than not". I would be willing to wager that this ambulance chaser got paid over $10 mil. He was under great pressure to come up with something for that price. Vague texts from 2 low-level Pats staffers?! How does that possibly convict Brady??

[eidolon]

Patriots will get a monetary slap on wrist.

But Brady is going to get suspended. Bet on it. My guess would be 4 games. The conclusion was that he was generally aware of the deflation. IN other words, he was the instigator. That he didn't personally stick the needle is irrelevant. He is going to be held responsible. Jimmy Garoppolo will get a chance to see what he can do. At this point, I bet that guy is pretty good. Nobody really knows since he;s been buried, but I have a hunch he is one of the best backup QB's.

Yeah, because the aholes were making them "the size of watermelons". So yeah, he asked them to keep it down, not keep it under.

I think it's funny ppl think that since the balls were at 11.5 they must turn into heated balls, where the outside is like stickem and anybody can catch the ball. Even in those txt you see that the balls were at 16, and no one said or did anything. 16 is way outside the range of 12.5-13.5.

[samdapatriotsfan]

Pats have been cheating for years. Belichick never won anything without cheating. Let's not forget that people.

Our elected leaders, teachers, principals, cops, judges, lawyers, etc. all cheat everyday. It is part of the American fabric. Why do you think people say...'If you aren't cheating you aren't trying!'

People are just mad because the Patriots have smashed on their team(s) and are consistent winners! If the Patriots had not won any SuperBowls this would be a non-story.


Go Pats!!! And don't forget... The Butler did it, in the end zone, with his hands

[BeanTownClown88]

It all comes back to the refs procedures with the balls..the line that stuck out to me was "Brady's right, the refs fkd us, the balls were over 16" so maybe Brady asked to take more air out as the refs tended to add more air without gauging the balls..wanted to be safe than sorry..regardless his 3 other rings happened before any of this and when the refs are checking the balls feverishly next year and the pats still win..this will go away for everyone except the obsessive pats haters

[jjgold]

worst case scenario

Brady suspended 2 games

[slacker00]

I hate to bring up baseball, but sorta reminds me of the George Brett pine tar incident.



At least the MLB officials got it right in the end. Brett's HR counts and Yankees look like a weasels for whining about it.

[DrunkHorseplayer]

Technically, MLB got it wrong. M\*\*\*\*\*\* ruled that the umpires were correct but that their decision violated the spirit of the rules. As far as Brady and Belichik, they should both sit but won't thanks to Goodell's friendship with Kraft.

[opie1988]

It all comes back to the refs procedures with the balls..the line that stuck out to me was "Brady's right, the refs fkd us, the balls were over 16" so maybe Brady asked to take more air out as the refs tended to add more air without gauging the balls..wanted to be safe than sorry..regardless his 3 other rings happened before any of this and when the refs are checking the balls feverishly next year and the pats still win..this will go away for everyone except the obsessive pats haters

Enjoy Jimmy Garrapolo

[BeanTownClown88]

Jimmy woulda been a first round pick this year..he will be a fine transition piece for keeping up the success...Brady's at his best when he plays with a chip..will be business as usual come sept...Better than using Mallet

[MoneyLineDawg]

Patriots fan boys are hilarious.....Will any of them man up and admit what the rest of the country knows?? Or just gunna keep going down swinging with red herrings?

Cut through all the BS...did they systematically deflate the footballs after they were checked by the officials For God knows how long? The answer is obvious to anyone with a brain

Why didn't Brady cooperate and turn over his phone? Why did the Patriots fumbling stats defy logic over the last decade or so? Why does one of the Pats equipment managers refer to himself as the deflator? LOL

[brooks85]

Just remember the score,..PATRIOTS 45-INDY 7,...the Pats would have won if they played with frisbees! Deflated balls not the reason.

and what is your excuse for the other 50+ games they played with deflated balls?


Fact of the matter is Goodell wouldn't have a job without Kraft. Bring that in a real courtroom and they would be torn apart right there but this is a private business so the only person to blame is the viewer who keeps watching while they know they've been bamboozled.

[R.P. McMurphy]

Everyone cheats so is the "crime" we are going crazy about or the particular team that got caught? My $$ all day says nobody gives 2 shits if it were say Tampa but since it's Pats.....well nuff said. Real talk!

[MoneyLineDawg]

Everyone cheats so is the "crime" we are going crazy about or the particular team that got caught? My $$ all day says nobody gives 2 shits if it were say Tampa but since it's Pats.....well nuff said. Real talk!

Repeat offenders with a history of shadiness and arrogance that also have been successful....Didn't cooperate with this investigation and went head on with the NFL claiming ignorance and no knowledge of anything against the rules

Sorry but you can say everyone steals, does drugs, steroids in baseball, etc etc

If you get caught and then try to cover it up....especially as a repeat offender you deserve a harsh punishment

Dont do the crime if you don't wanna pay for it

[R.P. McMurphy]

I get it Mld it just doesn't even faze me anymore. And fact they are a big dog at the top for so long just gives other teams motivation by any means necessary to knock them down a peg which is why they are getting caught.

[BeanTownClown88]

So if one more Seahawk gets caught on peds they should get burned at the stake too? Just making sure there's some consistency..the last thing the pats did was nearly 10 years ago before this..the lying is the worst part..we have evidence and proof the pats steamroll with the proper ball...hate em or love em..there's not a better pure game plan team in the NfL

[BeanTownClown88]

I get it Mld it just doesn't even faze me anymore. And fact they are a big dog at the top for so long just gives other teams motivation by any means necessary to knock them down a peg which is why they are getting caught.

And if you think teams play NE and don't skirt the rules to find their own edge. People must be naive..rather "cheat" and win than "cheat" and lose..football in jan and feb never gets old, trust me and its worth every edge in the world to get to experience as a fan

[MoneyLineDawg]

They are a good team just as bonds and arod were good players without the help

[slacker00]

Technically, MLB got it wrong. M\*\*\*\*\*\* ruled that the umpires were correct but that their decision violated the spirit of the rules. As far as Brady and Belichik, they should both sit but won't thanks to Goodell's friendship with Kraft.

The spirit of the game is to shut up and play. There's no crying in baseball, there shouldn't be in the NFL either.

[R.P. McMurphy]

Yeah that's throwback way Slacker but times are changing and now it's about the rats. Every team from here really should be on point though. No more excuses the things that have gone on for decades like dare I say over/underinflated balls better be double checked. All these little tweaks that players/ teams do to find an edge will be more exploited from here on as they happen like we've seen more in recent years. The public won't be finding out 20/30 years after the fact in a book any longer. No more Omerta major sports has turned into the modern day mob full of rats:/

[slacker00]

Now days they can put a sensor chip right in the football giving real time readout of the pressure or whatever else comes up. I actually like that idea, the announcers can tell us the field temp is 70, the wind is West 5 MPH and the football PSI is 12.5 or whatever. It doesn't matter, next time they'll be crying because the Pats are using a nonstandard kicking tee or something, it never ends.

[Bcatswin]

Haters gonna hate, Pats gonna cheat, is what it is.

[d2bets]

Just remember the score,..PATRIOTS 45-INDY 7,...the Pats would have won if they played with frisbees! Deflated balls not the reason.

In what way is this relevant?

[Capybara]

As a Pats fan, I just wish Brady had handled this better. Back in that original press conference, all he had to say was "Yeah I like my balls a certain way so I tell my guys to do that, but honestly I never realized it was any big deal, since every QB I've ever known sets the ball to their preference. Never thought I was breaking any rules or undermining the integrity of the game. But if the league determines I've broken rules here, then I'll pay my dues."

Everyone agrees the actual deflation issue is minor and barely worth the hubbub. It's that he lied (or it looks like he did). Why don't athletes ever learn this?! Just stand up there and say "Yeah we adjust the ball, and is this really a big deal? I mean Rodgers inflates it." What could anyone even say to that?

Anyway, scared about the penalty. Four games or fewer, I'll take.

[d2bets]

As a Pats fan, I just wish Brady had handled this better. Back in that original press conference, all he had to say was "Yeah I like my balls a certain way so I tell my guys to do that, but honestly I never realized it was any big deal, since every QB I've ever known sets the ball to their preference. Never thought I was breaking any rules or undermining the integrity of the game. But if the league determines I've broken rules here, then I'll pay my dues."

Everyone agrees the actual deflation issue is minor and barely worth the hubbub. It's that he lied (or it looks like he did). Why don't athletes ever learn this?! Just stand up there and say "Yeah we adjust the ball, and is this really a big deal? I mean Rodgers inflates it." What could anyone even say to that?

Anyway, scared about the penalty. Four games or fewer, I'll take.

I'll tell you exactly why. This broke after the AFC Championship and less than 2 weeks from the Super Bowl. If he makes such an admission, might he have been suspended for the Super Bowl? Probably not, but that could have been a concern. Is a Super Bowl more important than several games the following season? Yeah.

In general, yeah, the coverup is usually worse than the crime, but the timing here made it unique. He denied and then didn't talk about it. If he made an admission like that there would have immediately been 100 more questions. He wanted to make it go away at least for a couple weeks. It worked.

[Capybara]

I'll tell you exactly why. This broke after the AFC Championship and less than 2 weeks from the Super Bowl. If he makes such an admission, might he have been suspended for the Super Bowl? Probably not, but that could have been a concern. Is a Super Bowl more important than several games the following season? Yeah.

In general, yeah, the coverup is usually worse than the crime, but the timing here made it unique. He denied and then didn't talk about it. If he made an admission like that there would have immediately been 100 more questions. He wanted to make it go away at least for a couple weeks. It worked.

Great post, D2. How could I forget the timing? I remember even thinking at the time that wouldn't it be beyond awful if the SB got messed up.

I still stand by what I said in general and with regard to long-term reputation, but you are correct that they were between a rock and a hard place in Jan.

[R.P. McMurphy]

Would have never missed the SB over this that's crazy. The league and players union would have never let that happen. Even with admission of guilt the league would have just said we will deal with it in offseason after full investigation. Some of you really overestimate the integrity of sports these days and the people who run it like Goodell who has zero integrity. When all they really care about is busine$$. And a Brady-less SB would never have happened.

[slacker00]

As a Pats fan, I just wish Brady had handled this better. Back in that original press conference, all he had to say was "Yeah I like my balls a certain way so I tell my guys to do that, but honestly I never realized it was any big deal, since every QB I've ever known sets the ball to their preference. Never thought I was breaking any rules or undermining the integrity of the game. But if the league determines I've broken rules here, then I'll pay my dues."

Everyone agrees the actual deflation issue is minor and barely worth the hubbub. It's that he lied (or it looks like he did). Why don't athletes ever learn this?! Just stand up there and say "Yeah we adjust the ball, and is this really a big deal? I mean Rodgers inflates it." What could anyone even say to that?

Anyway, scared about the penalty. Four games or fewer, I'll take.

No, they want him to admit that he ordered the game balls be stolen, deflated and returned.

That's the problem. The balls were checked by the refs at some point leading up to kickoff and were given the thumbs up. But then those hoodlums grabbed the ball bag and did a little bathroom bingo. The accusation is that Brady was the mastermind behind all that mischief, but in my mind I find it hard to believe Brady was trying to orchestrate something like that with the championship game on the line.

[Bcatswin]

This is spiraling bad for Tom and Bill

[d2bets]

Would have never missed the SB over this that's crazy. The league and players union would have never let that happen. Even with admission of guilt the league would have just said we will deal with it in offseason after full investigation. Some of you really overestimate the integrity of sports these days and the people who run it like Goodell who has zero integrity. When all they really care about is busine$$. And a Brady-less SB would never have happened.

Most likely, but a. why take the chance, and b. why force yourself to answer another 100 questions about it.

[slacker00]

Most likely, but a. why take the chance, and b. why force yourself to answer another 100 questions about it.

What was he supposed to admit? That he sent a lacky to the bathrooms with 12 Pats balls and 12 Colts balls?

[Barnes & Whine]

Brady's only crime is that he is addicted to winning.

[d2bets]

Brady is the sole important person heavily implicated (other than a couple of ballboys) in a long, detailed, expensive report. No way he skates.

My guesses:
Brady - 4 games plus $250,000
Pats - $500,000 plus lose a 6th rounder

A little low on the monetary and draft pick prediction, but not too bad.

[Bcatswin]

A little low on the monetary and draft pick prediction, but not too bad.