Haha you make it sound like he is the only one that touchs a football during a game! He likes them under inflated Rodgers likes them over inflated. The nfl is a joke and the wells report was a one sided witch hunt. Oh yeah and spy gate? Only 80.000 other people were watching when Pats "stole" their signals. Haters gonna hate. 4 Super Bowls will do that. We love you Tom!!!
6
Tom Brady is no different than Lance Armstrong. He "juiced" the ball, he avoids answering questions, he refuses to turn over cell phone records. Like Armstrong, he takes down the entire team's win through his cheating. It is terrible that the NFL has not pulled the Superbowl win.
8
Doesn't at least one referee touch the ball after each play? Why didn't they discover this egregious violation?
1
New England hates cheaters, it's why they boo so lustily whenever A-Rod comes to bat at Fenway Park and remember August, 2013, when Boston's Ryan Dempster intentionally hit A-Rod with a pitch. The crowd loved it, some of them laughing. Now New England has its own cheater, will the same standard apply?
5
A whole lot of nothing. The NFL should never have had this type of investigation; should never have let it go this far. The league is opening itself up for even more silly scrutiny. The game is is getting more and more tedious. I hope they don't make the referees and judges carry and use pocket pressure gauges.
2
If I were Tom Brady, I’d immediately sue the NFL and Roger Goodell for defamation of character, and “probably” get more $$$ millions in settlement from them than I’d ever make from playing more games or from future Brand endorsements.
Key facts: 1) The NFL's rule on ball pressure is 12.5-13.5 psi, 2) The NFL rules say that the refs (not QBs) are responsible for ensuring that all ball standards are met prior to play, 3) It's a scientific fact that inert gases expand with heat and contract with "cold", 4) Playing football in an outdoor stadium in Indianapolis or Boston in January means it's a lot colder outside than it is inside.
Hence, if New England's footballs were inflated indoors at room temperature to the League's minimum standard and Brady's preference of 12.5 psi before the game, and then exposed to a sudden 30-40 degree drop in temperature while sitting on the sidelines of an "open" field for 3 hours in the dead of winter ... the ball pressure would surely drop to less than 12.5 psi (below the minimum standard, but still not technically a violation given the aforementioned “facts”.)
Do Bill Belichick and Tom Brady know their science and football? You bet they do. Have they told the whole truth? Who knows? Certainly not the NFL (with words like “probably” sounding more like a weather report than a legal case to me.).
Bill Crandall.
Key facts: 1) The NFL's rule on ball pressure is 12.5-13.5 psi, 2) The NFL rules say that the refs (not QBs) are responsible for ensuring that all ball standards are met prior to play, 3) It's a scientific fact that inert gases expand with heat and contract with "cold", 4) Playing football in an outdoor stadium in Indianapolis or Boston in January means it's a lot colder outside than it is inside.
Hence, if New England's footballs were inflated indoors at room temperature to the League's minimum standard and Brady's preference of 12.5 psi before the game, and then exposed to a sudden 30-40 degree drop in temperature while sitting on the sidelines of an "open" field for 3 hours in the dead of winter ... the ball pressure would surely drop to less than 12.5 psi (below the minimum standard, but still not technically a violation given the aforementioned “facts”.)
Do Bill Belichick and Tom Brady know their science and football? You bet they do. Have they told the whole truth? Who knows? Certainly not the NFL (with words like “probably” sounding more like a weather report than a legal case to me.).
Bill Crandall.
8
Also want to add to my earlier commentary that Dr. Daniel Marlowe, a Princeton University physics professor who wrote a bunch of theoretical crap about the "Ideal Gas Law", was a paid consultant for Paul Weiss ... the top NYC law firm representing the NFL. Hence his "no comment" when later asked to justify his "scientific" findings.
Just like medical malpractice, where Doctors are hired and paid to say whatever their Legal employers want them to say. What a joke! BC
Just like medical malpractice, where Doctors are hired and paid to say whatever their Legal employers want them to say. What a joke! BC
1
NFL officials knew the balls were beneath standards before the game.
Why didn't they inflate the balls? Why did they allow the game to be played with improper balls?
In the second half of the game, the Patriots buried the Colts. Then went on to win their 4th Super Bowl with Brady as quarterback.
In the history of the game, this incident is the equivalent of a fart in church.
Why didn't they inflate the balls? Why did they allow the game to be played with improper balls?
In the second half of the game, the Patriots buried the Colts. Then went on to win their 4th Super Bowl with Brady as quarterback.
In the history of the game, this incident is the equivalent of a fart in church.
4
Anyone thinking that the deflated footballs had nothing to do with performance better think again...even .5lbs under inflated balls make a HUGE difference in tough weather conditions and ability to throw the long ball...Brady probably enjoyed this during the Moss years.
4
Ahhh…but the 'legally' allowed variance is a 1-pound. What if a QB preferred the balls to be inflated to the stated maximum of 13.5 PSI and the opposing QB to the stated minimum of 12.5?
2
Of course Tom Brady would know about the deflation, but why overinflate the balls if it negatively impacts the game?
2
The probability of the findings leaves room for denial, but time will tell. It will be interesting to see how he does next year with the footballs properly inflated. I'll bet there will be no more MVP awards for him in future and thus less deniability for him when the possibility of an unfair advantage is eliminated.
Finishing up the domination of the Colts in the AFC Championship (with 130 yards and 2 TDs in the 2nd half) and throwing for over 300 yards, 4 TDs, a 74% completion percentage and the MVP should give you a pretty good hint of what he can do "...with the footballs properly inflated...." there, Ed.
2
Let us not forget about the Super Bowl. The footballs in this game were inflated and checked (we presume) to exact specs of the NFL for the entire game. And many people were raving and saying the Super Bowl was Tom Brady's finest moment, possibly his best game ever - with properly inflated footballs.
3
What about the second half when the Patriots presumably played with properly inflated balls. They merely whipped the Colts far more lopsidedly than in the first half when the deflated balls were in play?
Yes, some hanky-panky may have been involved but not enough to have altered the outcome of the game.
Yes, some hanky-panky may have been involved but not enough to have altered the outcome of the game.
6
Does anyone really believe the NFL investigators went after Brady without overwhelming evidence. There was absolutely nothing in it for the NFL to create another controversy.
My guess is Brady will deny, deny, deny, ala most other athletes, and politicians. And then a decade from now, he will casually acknowledge to Opra he did direct the balls be deflated.
It would just be refreshing for a change to hear Brady admit he wanted the balls deflated, apologize, and move on.
My guess is Brady will deny, deny, deny, ala most other athletes, and politicians. And then a decade from now, he will casually acknowledge to Opra he did direct the balls be deflated.
It would just be refreshing for a change to hear Brady admit he wanted the balls deflated, apologize, and move on.
4
can someone point out where in the report there is any evidence that Brady knew or instructed staff to UNDERinflate the balls? the texts all refer to him wanting at 12.5
7
Under-inflated balls is cheating? Exactly what is the advantage? I've heard the argument that it's easier to catch but has anyone ever thrown a ball that's not inflated well? It's A Wounded duck! It has no zip. Where is the data that shows an Under-inflated ball gives a quarterback an advantage?
6
You are missing the point, if a ball is under or over inflated against NFL rules then it is an illegal ball. If players get no advantage from an under inflated ball then why do it. The more your fingers can sink into a ball the better the grip will be.
3
This article, and all others I've read, makes it clear that under-inflation on a cold, wet field is a big advantage - makes the ball much easier to grip.
3
You clearly have never been a quarterback!
1
How many people remember the "pine-tar incident" where George Brett hit a 2 run home run against the Yankees, Billy Martin complained about the amount of pine-tar on the bat and the umpires nullified the home run, called Brett out and Kansas City lost the game...all of which was overruled by Lee McPhail, who allowed the home run and had the game restarted from the point of the home run and the Royals won. Why? Because there was no obvious advantage to having the pine-tar on the bat.
Can anyone tell me that there is a obvious advantage, given Brady's performance in the Championship game and Super Bowl?
Can anyone tell me that there is a obvious advantage, given Brady's performance in the Championship game and Super Bowl?
7
Much ado about nothing. What is inflated here is the importance of PSI in determining the course of a football game. At present. without research this is nothing more than an urban myth, or a luck generating ritual like touching your left knee before a play.
5
I have followed Tom Brady since he was QB at Michigan.
Envy. That is the basis for this NFL report. Brady was just too good to be true and people resented him for being the best the league has seen. And I have been watching QBs since Sonny Jurgensen and King Hill were backups to Norm Van Broklin. Tom is the best, but that makes him a target. So instead of warning NE about ball PSIs they set him up for a sting operation.
Does Tom like the balls soft -- if so, so what? I went through the PSI reading in the NFL report and there is a miss of results -- no clear evidence. And the report does not make a case based on PSI readings and how they can fluctuate. Also, just weeks before the Vikings were caught heating their game balls and nothing turned into a multi-million dollar investigation.
The dark side of the NFL took Brady down. For the greatest hypocrisy -- the NFL picked Jameis Winston -- first player picked and he sets the low bar for the NFLs concerns about integrity.
Envy. That is the basis for this NFL report. Brady was just too good to be true and people resented him for being the best the league has seen. And I have been watching QBs since Sonny Jurgensen and King Hill were backups to Norm Van Broklin. Tom is the best, but that makes him a target. So instead of warning NE about ball PSIs they set him up for a sting operation.
Does Tom like the balls soft -- if so, so what? I went through the PSI reading in the NFL report and there is a miss of results -- no clear evidence. And the report does not make a case based on PSI readings and how they can fluctuate. Also, just weeks before the Vikings were caught heating their game balls and nothing turned into a multi-million dollar investigation.
The dark side of the NFL took Brady down. For the greatest hypocrisy -- the NFL picked Jameis Winston -- first player picked and he sets the low bar for the NFLs concerns about integrity.
13
I'm sure someone else has already written about this: deflated footballs are not only easier to pass, they are harder to fumble. Warren Sharp has shown, and the website FiveThirtyEight agrees, that the Patriots have been unusually fumble-free during the years since the league started allowing teams to use their own balls. Even the Boston Globe's Dan Shaughnessy mentions this in his column today. Something seems rotten in Foxboro.
6
You nailed the problem with the NFL and republicans right on the head. You let teams manage their own balls, you're making the rules null and void. When you let states manage more and more, you get a less and less United States.
If the NFL wants to promote rules, then write procedures that takes questions out. Instead of wasting millions on a sham investigation, donate that money to Planned Parenthood, maybe we'd end up with fewer football players and more intellectuals. Fewer beer drinkers and more authors.
If the NFL wants to promote rules, then write procedures that takes questions out. Instead of wasting millions on a sham investigation, donate that money to Planned Parenthood, maybe we'd end up with fewer football players and more intellectuals. Fewer beer drinkers and more authors.
2
Skeptic; not fumbling the football has much more to do with coaching, paying attention to detail, making it a priority and emphasizing ball security in practice than lesser air pressure in the football. The little things and points of emphasis are what the Patriots do best that give them a winning edge over so many of the teams that don't. Thanks.
2
Americans should pay as much attention to politics and society as they do these vapid and empty-headed circuses.
11
Tom Brady appears to have demonstrated the importance of winning to American school children. There are far-worse legacies than that.
1
Cheaters never win. *
2
Change the stupid rule and drop the lower limit. Take the process out of each teams control and have the officials ask each time what their preferred inflation is. Then have the officials adjust the balls. But oh.... that would mean the NFL might need to spend more money on the process, which like having an additional official on the field they are loath to pay for!!!
The data presented by the expert consultant is interesting, but the conclusion cannot be supported. In short, they conclude that the pressure drop seen by the Colts' footballs was smaller than that seen by the Patriots, with a possibility of random chance accounting for the difference at less than 0.4%.
That would be a valid conclusion if the initial conditions were the same. The possibility that the Colts' footballs started out colder is not considered. As it is, a starting temperature of about 75 F would account for the observed pressure drop, so the question is why didn't the Colts see a similar drop?
The answer is simple: The Patriots and the Colts did not prepare their balls in the same environment. Failure to take systematic error into account really makes your expert credentials look bad.
That would be a valid conclusion if the initial conditions were the same. The possibility that the Colts' footballs started out colder is not considered. As it is, a starting temperature of about 75 F would account for the observed pressure drop, so the question is why didn't the Colts see a similar drop?
The answer is simple: The Patriots and the Colts did not prepare their balls in the same environment. Failure to take systematic error into account really makes your expert credentials look bad.
7
Lifelong Broncos fan, hate Brady, hate the Patriots. This whole thing is nonsense. Especially since a greater percentage of Colts footballs were found to be illegal than Patriots. 6 of 8 Colts footballs were under the limit. 11 of 16 Patriots footballs.
9
I don't like the article very much either but the writer is entitled to her opinion, even though, more probably than not, she is biased.
I'm a lifelong Patriots fan and this stuff dismays me becauee they don't have to resort to it to win, despite what the haters say. The have the talent and coaching to excel consistently; this kind of stuff is something the Clintons would do. I can understand why the Patriots or any other professional team would look for an edge and push the bounds of what's legal--the NFL is a league full of hyper-competitive athletes who will do anything to win whether they take PEDs, dip their hands in stickum to catch the ball better or fake an injury to buy time or slow down an offense. Is it right? Nope, but it happens and there's nothing I can do about it. i might as well rage against the wind. Integrity of the game? Come on. I don't care about air pressure in footballs and I don't care if Tom Brady and the Patriots get punished, the whole thing is absurd. Even though I'm a Patriots fan, I'd feel the same way if this involved any other team in the NFL. I'm still going to watch the Patriots next year and hope for the best. Aloha
I'm a lifelong Patriots fan and this stuff dismays me becauee they don't have to resort to it to win, despite what the haters say. The have the talent and coaching to excel consistently; this kind of stuff is something the Clintons would do. I can understand why the Patriots or any other professional team would look for an edge and push the bounds of what's legal--the NFL is a league full of hyper-competitive athletes who will do anything to win whether they take PEDs, dip their hands in stickum to catch the ball better or fake an injury to buy time or slow down an offense. Is it right? Nope, but it happens and there's nothing I can do about it. i might as well rage against the wind. Integrity of the game? Come on. I don't care about air pressure in footballs and I don't care if Tom Brady and the Patriots get punished, the whole thing is absurd. Even though I'm a Patriots fan, I'd feel the same way if this involved any other team in the NFL. I'm still going to watch the Patriots next year and hope for the best. Aloha
1
Lost faith in his ability so he started cheating? My guess is Brady has been cheating every chance he got since he was a kid. The Patriots were let off way to easy in the filming scandal. They should get a real punishment this time. The team is a serial cheating organization.
4
Three questions, what did the filming scandal entail, how did the league punish the organization for it and what do you recommend the league do to them over this? I'm not taking shots here, I'm just curious.
If Brady wasn't guilty who didn't he fully cooperate? He could have made this a non-issue from the onset. The Pats are always trying to game the system. He is a product of his organization. They sit on a throne of lies.
6
Tom Brady and company are the Richard Nixon model in sports. Between spying,figuring ways to "trick" the opposition with lineups to inflategate it comes down to one thing. As good as the Patriots are they will always be known as a team that cuts corners in order to win. Again,think of the political model from the Federal on down. Any corruption in Albany lately? Democrat or Republican???
1
"...figuring ways to "trick" the opposition with lineups...."
Haters try to bring Pats down so much that even when they don't do anything wrong they're accused of cheating.
Haters try to bring Pats down so much that even when they don't do anything wrong they're accused of cheating.
Deflategate is utter nonsense. The NFL should spend its time dealing with life-threatening injuries, not this.
New England won; Seattle lost. End of story!
If the NFL's leadership continues down this path, all of them should be FIRED!
New England won; Seattle lost. End of story!
If the NFL's leadership continues down this path, all of them should be FIRED!
6
Gosh, I hope none of the 700+ readers who have commented here have ever driven over the speed limit. Or downloaded an MP3. Or taken pens home from the office. If so, you're all "cheaters".
It seems clear that Brady broke the rules, and should receive a punishment -- one commensurate with the offense. People equating the slight (0.5 psi) under-inflation of a football to drug and steroid use are just sad and demented.
If I had to guess (and I do!), I'd say Brady instructed his guy to flirt with the lower inflation level. At the Colts game, the guy either went too far or the weather really did affect the pressure.
It seems clear that Brady broke the rules, and should receive a punishment -- one commensurate with the offense. People equating the slight (0.5 psi) under-inflation of a football to drug and steroid use are just sad and demented.
If I had to guess (and I do!), I'd say Brady instructed his guy to flirt with the lower inflation level. At the Colts game, the guy either went too far or the weather really did affect the pressure.
5
I find it incredible that NFL could not have been aware of the ball deflation.
Very simply, all balls should be the same, inflated to a certain degree, regardless whether the game is being played in San Diego in September or in New York in December.
How can the NFL, a very profitable business, be so stupid to jeopardize, just boggles the mind? There was zero need to ignore it.
Very simply, all balls should be the same, inflated to a certain degree, regardless whether the game is being played in San Diego in September or in New York in December.
How can the NFL, a very profitable business, be so stupid to jeopardize, just boggles the mind? There was zero need to ignore it.
They can say it wasn't a "sting" all they want, but the point is, a team raised an allegation against another team, and the league kept the whole thing secret until halftime. Isn't Wells the one who defended the NFL against the concussion lawsuits? Isn't the company that did the research here well-known for creating reports that favor whoever funded the research? The Patriots made Jim McNally available to the Wells folks four times. On the fifth request, they declined, stating it was excessive. The report alleges this is strange behavior. This whole story was the result of leaks. Is it strange that Tom Brady wouldn't turn over his personal SMS and email messages to the NFL even when assured the information would be kept private? In the end, this is a story about (depending on what readings you trust) 1-1.5psi of air in each football, and even that wasn't proven. The excuse for not measuring more than four Colts balls (three of which were UNDER the required PSI according to one ref's measurement) was because they didn't have time in the 13 minutes to measure them. Yet, they think 90 seconds is enough for a ball handler to properly deflate 13 balls to exactly 11.5 PSI? If you want to know why this whole thing stinks of a witch hunt to most Pats fans, those are only a few of the reasons.
8
Those who thought Tom over-rated
Are today feeling somewhat elated.
The denials of Brady
Are now suspect and shady.
Perhaps he is feeling deflated.
Are today feeling somewhat elated.
The denials of Brady
Are now suspect and shady.
Perhaps he is feeling deflated.
6
Juliet Macur's article on the Legacy of Tom Brady is another example of the decline of journalism, and the absence of investigative reporting. It shows a lack of knowledge of the subject material, and the inclination of a journalist to cast a bias. The reader does not know why she is so aggressively trying to contribute to such a negative narrative of the person, but the gaps in reporting, a straw man polemic, and using assuming suspicions as guilt, reveal an agenda. Maybe this is just journalistic method and style taught today in higher education.
9
Baron, Sports of the Times is a column, not an analysis. There will be plenty of hard journalism over the issue. Lighten up! Don't shoot the messenger
The reason this report has more wherefores and heretos than a shady insurance policy is because of the Commissioner's friendship with the Pats' owner Bob Kraft, and the marquee positions of the team's coach and star quarterback. This, of course, was set in motion when Kraft came out with his unusual post-investigation rant about expecting an apology if the charge wasn't "definitely" proved. Why not just say if the charge isn't proved? By setting the bar at being definitely proved Kraft was setting up their ability to deny wrongdoing even if the report found them guilty. Wells, knowing the powerful forces within the NFL waiting for his decision, gave the Pats and their fervent fans exactly what Kraft had intimated, plausible deniability. What a joke. The balls were properly inflated when the officials examined them and found to be under inflated at halftime. The NFL has video of the balls being taken into a bathroom before being taken to the field. Who else besides the Pats could be responsible for under inflating the balls? And how many QBs have to tell us no equipment manager would tamper with any balls without the QB directing them before we see Tom Terrific for exactly what he is.... a long time cheat. There are no Camelots in America, and especially in the competitive and lucrative world of sports. Grow up America!
5
My guess is that the equipment manager and locker room attendant were intimidated by Brady. To avoid his wrath over balls not to his liking, they came up with a scheme to deflate the game balls. They were caught. Although Brady probably did not direct them to do this, once the deflation was revealed he surely had a very good idea about how it happened. He should have come clean, rather than hoping that he and the team would skate.
2
Let me get this straight...the locker room attendant and equipment manager were intimidated by brady so they came up with a scheme to deflate the balls to his liking even though he didn't direct them to???
Sounds like a page from the chris christie excuse book!
Give it up, Pats fan. Cheating only works until you get caught.
Sounds like a page from the chris christie excuse book!
Give it up, Pats fan. Cheating only works until you get caught.
1
If deflated footballs help the quarterback throw the ball better,
are they not better for the opposing quarterback also ?
are they not better for the opposing quarterback also ?
No. Each quarterback uses his own footballs during the game.
3
Hi Charlie,
Interesting.
Thank you for the correction.
Wonder why the NFL does not make it a point to check
each set of footballs before each half.
Interesting.
Thank you for the correction.
Wonder why the NFL does not make it a point to check
each set of footballs before each half.
Each team uses its own balls.
Really, did the Times have to publish this piece? It'd be nice to know how many other quarterbacks have the same sort of help with their game balls. I'm guessing most of the better players.
Yes, Ms. Macur, we sure do remember 2007. Apparently you've forgotten that Eric Mangini was doing the same sideline videotaping while he was coach of the Jets. As were other coaches during that year. Coaches were doing it when Jimmy Johnson was just starting in the NFL, according to Jimmy.
Look, I'm a big Patriots fan and I'll say it upfront: Tom Brady lied. Tom wanted the balls deflated and got help from McNally and Jastremski. Tom's assertion that he didn't know McNally's name or job is laughable, considering McNally's been with the Pats longer than Tom has.
But if you think that other teams don't do the same sort of thing, or that the Pats' success is primarily due to these tricks, you live in a dreamworld.
Final thought: can someone explain to me why 3 of the 4 Colts balls tested during that playoff game were also deflated below standard?
Yes, Ms. Macur, we sure do remember 2007. Apparently you've forgotten that Eric Mangini was doing the same sideline videotaping while he was coach of the Jets. As were other coaches during that year. Coaches were doing it when Jimmy Johnson was just starting in the NFL, according to Jimmy.
Look, I'm a big Patriots fan and I'll say it upfront: Tom Brady lied. Tom wanted the balls deflated and got help from McNally and Jastremski. Tom's assertion that he didn't know McNally's name or job is laughable, considering McNally's been with the Pats longer than Tom has.
But if you think that other teams don't do the same sort of thing, or that the Pats' success is primarily due to these tricks, you live in a dreamworld.
Final thought: can someone explain to me why 3 of the 4 Colts balls tested during that playoff game were also deflated below standard?
3
The shirt answer is witch hunt.
Anyone who has watched an NFL team run a no huddle offense effectively has watched the blatant cheating of teams on defense as players fake injury in order to stop the clock, interrupt the flow of the offense and get substitutes into the game. Since the officials have no way of telling whether a player on the ground is actually injured or not, teams get away with it. This has gone on since the 80's and the league has done nothing to address it even though minor rule fixes would take care of it and allowing teams to get away with it can affect the outcome of a games. Yet they claim to care about the PSI of game balls. Ridiculous. No wonder the NFL often seems like an organization run by government.
1
I thought the article was about the Pat's cheating? What does all that have to do with this particular charge? By your reasoning no murderer should be punished because other people have gotten away with murder. Think about it.
2
He's pro football's "Pete Rose," and he shouldn't be forgotten or forgiven.
3
Jets fan by any chance? Do you actually believe this negates his tremendous accomplishments or even for that matter his mvp performane in this recent superbowl? Give me a break!
3
Shouldn't have had the privilege of even being there.
1
Revise the requirements for the game balls. Allow the balls to be inflated within a pre-determined range of psi. The upper limit should be determined by the manufacturer the lower limit should be that which allows the football to still perform as a football.
Quarterbacks have a range in hand size therefore the ball should have a range in inflation pressure that fits best with the quarterbacks hand size.
It is not uncommon in baseball for a pitcher to reject a ball that doesn't feel good in his hand due to the laces of the ball being too high or too low. This is done quite often without objection from the umpires.
Change the inflation requirements of the football and the current issue of inflategate will go away and become a non-issue.
Might be interesting if retired QB's would comment about how they handled the inflation of game balls.
Quarterbacks have a range in hand size therefore the ball should have a range in inflation pressure that fits best with the quarterbacks hand size.
It is not uncommon in baseball for a pitcher to reject a ball that doesn't feel good in his hand due to the laces of the ball being too high or too low. This is done quite often without objection from the umpires.
Change the inflation requirements of the football and the current issue of inflategate will go away and become a non-issue.
Might be interesting if retired QB's would comment about how they handled the inflation of game balls.
"More probable than not" is not very useful "information".
3
More probably than not, an outstanding commentary.
2
This Slate article from January tells you why deflated balls matter. Since 2006 when the NFL changed the rule and let each team play with their own balls during the game, the Patriots developed a low fumble rate vs. other teams even during rain. The article shows the charts. The only times they didn't fumble the ball a lot were during games when it was snowing and/or sleeting and a deflated ball wouldn't make a difference. And when a Patriot player who didn't fumble the ball got transferred to another team--low and behold, he started fumbling once again. And you don't think Belichick and the other coaches didn't noticed this? They were all involved. http://www.slate.com/articles/sports/sports_nut/2015/01/stats_show_the_n...
7
Your photo of Brady shows him with a football in his hand. The caption reads 'Tom Brady after throwing a touchdown pass in the Patriots´45-7 victory over Indianapolis...'' How could that be true if he still has the football in his hand?
2
I hate the Patriots. But, end of the day? They still have the rings. And people will continue to watch the NFL and give them their money. Also: Brady will still have all his money and a hot, exotic woman on his am. There will be no lesson learned. All he'll get is a scolding by the lapdog media parasites. Sorry to be so cynical, but we've all seen how this plays out before.
Well shoot, this is the most ridiculous thing I have ever read about A,mercian Football.
Am I to believe that both teams, whether offensive or defensive, do no not play with the same football? That there is no independent entity that controls the ball configuration and pressure? If not, that is tailor made for abuse by either team.
Thank goodness for true football ......... meaning soccer, the world's favorite sport, where both sides use the same ball!
Am I to believe that both teams, whether offensive or defensive, do no not play with the same football? That there is no independent entity that controls the ball configuration and pressure? If not, that is tailor made for abuse by either team.
Thank goodness for true football ......... meaning soccer, the world's favorite sport, where both sides use the same ball!
13
Both teams did use the same footballs until a rule change a few years ago allowed each team to supply its own. That rule change was championed by, yes, Tom Brady (and one or two other NFL quarterbacks).
2
So true. There's not even a whiff of corruption attached to soccer.
3
In American football each team uses its own ball. As for soccer I think it's boring.
1
The NFL is a sports-themed TV show. These events have no more import than the plot twists of a telenovela, and only half the entertainment value. Well, I suppose the whole gambling thing lends some interest. Do people gamble on whether Esmerelda loves Julio?
1
So...cheating a little bit is like being a little bit pregnant? Call me crazy but I still get upset when giant NBA players constantly palm the ball..it is not even called anymore like it was in the 80's...isn't ball control part of the mastery of the game(s)?
2
If true, then Brady's actions are worse than those of the many baseball stars (e.g., Alex Rodriguez) that have taken performance enhancing drugs - at least the baseball cheaters didn't use an illegal bat or a more lively ball.
1
Go fly a kite! That is a laughable argument, ludicrous even, unless your actually ARod looking for a way to make yourself look better.
The team should just change their name from the "New England Patriots" to the "New England Lawyers." It better fits their approach to sportsmanship.
1
Even as a Giants fan and someone who almost always roots against the Patriots, I find the author's assertion that Brady's legacy is damaged to be an overstatement.
1
I too am a Giant fan and cannot find any plausible argument against Brady or the Patriots in this. Years from now will this whole conversation about footballs being slightly under pressure be anything but a joke and it will be admitted that deflated balls had nothing to do with the outcome of the game.
What the report does not do, surprisingly, is provide an objective context. This is the usual practice in investigations of this nature, especially in view of the potential repercussions.
For example, how does the Patriots' method of preparing balls compare to a representative sample of other NFL teams, such as the Colts, Ravens, Denver, Green Bay and Seattle?
How does Tom Brady's request for preparation of game balls compare to the practices of QB’s in the above teams?
Finally, the report gives great weight to the fact that Brady provided signed footballs, sweaters etc., to the Patriots' personnel. How does this compare to the practices of other QB’s? It already has been pointed out from numerous sources that it’s common practice for NFL’s QB’s to provide signed sweaters etc., to team personnel in thanks for their services, including the ball equipment managers.
The difficulty with the report’s conclusion, is that absent a review and comparison of generally accepted industry standards, it is impossible to objectively assess the actions of Tom Brady, leaving the report and its authors open to potential criticism for conjecture and speculation.
For example, how does the Patriots' method of preparing balls compare to a representative sample of other NFL teams, such as the Colts, Ravens, Denver, Green Bay and Seattle?
How does Tom Brady's request for preparation of game balls compare to the practices of QB’s in the above teams?
Finally, the report gives great weight to the fact that Brady provided signed footballs, sweaters etc., to the Patriots' personnel. How does this compare to the practices of other QB’s? It already has been pointed out from numerous sources that it’s common practice for NFL’s QB’s to provide signed sweaters etc., to team personnel in thanks for their services, including the ball equipment managers.
The difficulty with the report’s conclusion, is that absent a review and comparison of generally accepted industry standards, it is impossible to objectively assess the actions of Tom Brady, leaving the report and its authors open to potential criticism for conjecture and speculation.
1
The slant on this article is embarrassing to the august New York Times. By the tone and tenor of this article, Aaron Rodgers is a liar and a cheat too. Rodgers likes his footballs to be overinflated above the league upper limit. Is the author aware that the Patriots destroyed the Colts in the AFC Championship game by RUNNING the football?
3
The 'American Way': Do whatever you can to get ahead...unless you get caught. Because then, even if there are zero victims and sketchy evidence ("So if the report is right..."), you're exposed to ridicule in a frivolous New York Times article more-probable-than-not written by a Giants fan.
3
So the NFL is concerned about the range of psi its footballs are inflated to. It's so concerned that is inflates them before the game, turns them over to the teams and NEVER again checks to see if they remain in the acceptable range. It doesn't re-check them before kick-off, between quarters, during the endless commercial timeouts, at the half or after the game. Having done none of these things the NFL now would have us believe that this is a serious matter.
Please.
Please.
6
Really! It's the NFL's fault for not checking ball pressure during games?
It is the end on the line for the pretty, and arrogant boy. From here on he better of to start thinking about retirement and go out a winner or else.
Do you remember how out of character three Patriots -- Brady, Bellichick and Kraft -- were before the superbowl?
Tom Brady's face actually had Nixonian ticks, saying: "I would never break the rules."
Bill Bellichick? Extended, polite remarks, in a suit!
"I believe now 100 percent that I have personally and we as an organization have absolutely followed every rule to the letter."
(No mention of Brady)
Robert Kraft acted as insulted as Bogart's friend in Casablanca:
"If the Wells investigation is not able to definitively determine that our organization tampered with the air pressure on the footballs, I would expect and hope that the league would apologize to our entire team and, in particular, coach Belichick and Tom Brady for what they have had to endure this past week."
You don't have to be Columbo to notice that everything they said fit together seamlessly like a well-rehearsed story, which carefully protected Belichick and totally cloaked Kraft as a removed, clueless owner -- kind of like the way Reagan had no idea his people were shipping arms to Iran.
Genius from ghetto, cornerback, Richard Sherman (4.3 gpa Stanford) concluded months ago that nothing was going to happen because Goodell parties at Kraft's house.
I suspect we have only seen the tip of the iceberg. If our national game has any integrity it now demands a legal investigation with the power to compel testimony and establish the facts.
The New England Patriots have given us probable cause.
Tom Brady's face actually had Nixonian ticks, saying: "I would never break the rules."
Bill Bellichick? Extended, polite remarks, in a suit!
"I believe now 100 percent that I have personally and we as an organization have absolutely followed every rule to the letter."
(No mention of Brady)
Robert Kraft acted as insulted as Bogart's friend in Casablanca:
"If the Wells investigation is not able to definitively determine that our organization tampered with the air pressure on the footballs, I would expect and hope that the league would apologize to our entire team and, in particular, coach Belichick and Tom Brady for what they have had to endure this past week."
You don't have to be Columbo to notice that everything they said fit together seamlessly like a well-rehearsed story, which carefully protected Belichick and totally cloaked Kraft as a removed, clueless owner -- kind of like the way Reagan had no idea his people were shipping arms to Iran.
Genius from ghetto, cornerback, Richard Sherman (4.3 gpa Stanford) concluded months ago that nothing was going to happen because Goodell parties at Kraft's house.
I suspect we have only seen the tip of the iceberg. If our national game has any integrity it now demands a legal investigation with the power to compel testimony and establish the facts.
The New England Patriots have given us probable cause.
3
He should have an asterisk placed next to his name in all record books, for NFL awards balloting, on top of fines and suspension. Attempting to change the outcome of a game through use of violations. It won't stop the money from rolling in but there needs to be a meaningful and long-lasting response, and warn others from the path to cheating.
2
Juliet, can you spare some torch oil? My village was late to learn of the gathering mob, and sadly, our lanterns are dry.
6
Lets see what happens if Brady has another great season with properly inflated footballs. Line the ones he used then the Pats thrashed the Colts 28-0 in the second half of the AFC championsip game.
Tom Brady: the Lance Armstrong of the NFL.
7
Any quarterback should be free to inflate or deflate the football until it is exactly right for his grip. Every quarterback has a different size hand, grip, strength and throwing technique. Let him choose psi.
If he wants no psi, and can throw a flat football like a frisbee, its ok with me.
If he wants to blow it up to the size of a beach ball and float it on the wind, let it be!
If he wants no psi, and can throw a flat football like a frisbee, its ok with me.
If he wants to blow it up to the size of a beach ball and float it on the wind, let it be!
11
But then there would be no excuse for why team X lost to the Patriots.
Tom Brady = Hero.
N.F.L. = Nerd
Brady inspects and approves the balls. He wants them perfect, and perfect is different each game depending on the weather conditions. He inspected the balls inside, warm and dry. He took snaps with the balls hours later, cold and wet. Did they feel different? Of course they did. There were approved by the refs at approximately 12.5 psi. Were they under 12.5 psi during the game? Unless the Patriots play with magic balls that can defy physics, of course they were. Wet leather expands, and cold air contracts; both factors reduce the balls' psi. The closest thing to 'evidence' the Wells report cites is that the average measured psi of the Patriots balls was slightly lower than their best attempts are recreating the preparation and game conditions would expect. In other words the balls were literally a few tenths of a psi lower than their (imperfect, estimated) prediction. Not only is that not evidence of anything, but if Brady was able--in the under 2 seconds he averaged that Colts game from snap to release while processing the opposing defense, dropping back and finding receivers--to tell the ball was a few tenths of a pound off, someone needs to write him his own "Princess and the Pea" fable right now.
8
Having played a totally unrelated sport (billiards) at a semi-professional level, I can guarantee that any pro football quarterback could tell an underinflated football as soon as he picked it up. When you're life, career, and livelihood all revolve around judging the tools of your trade at a mere touch, any change in that specification is evident at a moment's notice. Rest assured Brady knew the ball was underinflated the first time the center passed it to him.
18
What would be a comparable measurement in billiards? You can't guarantee anything. Do you think a cue stick feels the same in a pool hall as it does outside in a very cold rain?
The lowest fumbling team in the NFL (both recovered and lost) was the Patriots. The next five lowest teams were all Dome teams. If you think this isn't a direct result of playing with deflated balls - your eyes are closed. Unfortunately it taints the last several years of games, drafts, statistics and the NFL.
2
The deflated ball had absolutely nothing to do with who won the game. Brady used a slightly deflated ball in the first half and a regulation inflated ball in the second half and he and his team scored more points in the second half. Why is such a big deal being made out of this? There is no hard evidence that Brady is guilty of anything of any consequence. Bill and Hillary are probably guilty too. Where is your story on that?
Tom Brady is just too darned good looking to have this blemish on his resume. Please oh please don't make my conception of him change.
Jeez, nothing gets people into hysterics like sports. To paraphrase Sayre's law, "the intensity of feeling is inversely proportional to the value of the issues at stake."
This is simple. People in sports, all the time, violate the rules. Sometimes they go offsides; use performance-enhancing drugs; play fake crowd noise to make it harder for the opponent to hear, etc --- different penalties exist for all of that. Not of all of those are "cheaterz!"
What's the penalty, as defined before this latest "gate", for improperly deflated footballs? The fact the NFL couldn't be bothered to independently to control footballs during a game suggests "more probably than not" that the NFL didn't consider this a big deal. More specifically, the Panthers-Vikings game THIS YEAR had attendants on the sideline using hand heaters to heat up footballs to make them easier to grip, and the penalty was a robust, "Hey guys, stop doing that" warning strongly suggests this is/wasn't a big deal.
But now it apparently is a "big deal" b/c we must "think of the children" and worry solemnly about the "integrity of the game" -- integrity requires consistency. It's important b/c, well, someone told us it is after the fact, even though no one acted that way ahead of time.
Beyond that, Brady, with properly inflated footballs, dominated the Super Bowl. Give me a time Lance Armstrong dominated the Tour with proper drug testing, and I'll compare the two.
This is simple. People in sports, all the time, violate the rules. Sometimes they go offsides; use performance-enhancing drugs; play fake crowd noise to make it harder for the opponent to hear, etc --- different penalties exist for all of that. Not of all of those are "cheaterz!"
What's the penalty, as defined before this latest "gate", for improperly deflated footballs? The fact the NFL couldn't be bothered to independently to control footballs during a game suggests "more probably than not" that the NFL didn't consider this a big deal. More specifically, the Panthers-Vikings game THIS YEAR had attendants on the sideline using hand heaters to heat up footballs to make them easier to grip, and the penalty was a robust, "Hey guys, stop doing that" warning strongly suggests this is/wasn't a big deal.
But now it apparently is a "big deal" b/c we must "think of the children" and worry solemnly about the "integrity of the game" -- integrity requires consistency. It's important b/c, well, someone told us it is after the fact, even though no one acted that way ahead of time.
Beyond that, Brady, with properly inflated footballs, dominated the Super Bowl. Give me a time Lance Armstrong dominated the Tour with proper drug testing, and I'll compare the two.
1
This is nothing more than the NFL's lame attempt to deflect fan attention from it's real problem,"Debilitating-and-Permanent-Head-Trauma-Gate". The ball's air pressure has no effect on the performance of any defense. It won't prevent an interception. It won't slow down a linebacker. It won't prevent a tackle. I'm a disgruntled Giants fan and yet, I see this as a silly sideshow inquisition aimed at discrediting the best team in the past decade, champions who have earned it through hard work by beating opponents, like the miserable Jets, over and over. Their record would be unblemished except for those Giants, who didn't seem to have any issues with PSI settings while defeating the Patriots in two Super Bowls.
3
As Claude Rains quipped in "Casablanca" "I'm shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!" This whole affair is bizarre. Underinflated or overinflated balls are of marginal advantage at best on the outcome of the game. If the NFL or the league thinks otherwise then they and their officials must own primarily responsibility for insuring that exact measurement standards are maintained before, during and after the game. Accountability for this caper belongs with the NFL. If ball inflation is such an issue, the NFL like the film "Casablanca" and gambling needs to take responsibility.
Why an institution such as the NFL that so fiercely prides itself on image and PR would let the Patriots twist in the wind and throw one of it's greatest players under the bus for problem they need to own is a total mystery or perhaps a prime example of a billion dollar enterprise like the NFL that runs itself like "Amateur Night."
Deflategate is a simple PR problem that should have been handled with a press release within 48 hours of the Colts Game. "It appears that some of the footballs utilized in the Patriots-Colts Game were found to be underinflated. In no way did the PSI of the footballs have any impact on the outcome of the game. However whether this was human error not, the NFL and the game officiating crew is totally responsible for ball standards. the NFL will manage a strict policy of measuring all footballs before, at half time and at the end of every game."
Why an institution such as the NFL that so fiercely prides itself on image and PR would let the Patriots twist in the wind and throw one of it's greatest players under the bus for problem they need to own is a total mystery or perhaps a prime example of a billion dollar enterprise like the NFL that runs itself like "Amateur Night."
Deflategate is a simple PR problem that should have been handled with a press release within 48 hours of the Colts Game. "It appears that some of the footballs utilized in the Patriots-Colts Game were found to be underinflated. In no way did the PSI of the footballs have any impact on the outcome of the game. However whether this was human error not, the NFL and the game officiating crew is totally responsible for ball standards. the NFL will manage a strict policy of measuring all footballs before, at half time and at the end of every game."
6
It is easy to hate Tom Brady. He has everything. It is sad that he has made it even easier to dislike him and the New England Patriots known for cheating to win at any cost.
Now he will be called a cheater and if you live in Seattle, you are demanding the NFL to take away their Super Bowl win, fine the team and place Tom Brady on suspension for a certain amount of games or even for a season.
The most the NFL will do is probably fine Tom, which he can afford or suspending him for some games.
All in all, this is not good for Tom, the Patriots and the NFL. No one likes a cheater, especially the gamblers who loss a ton of money betting on the Seahawks in this year's Super Bowl.
My wife has never liked him and calls him “Marsha” after the once popular TV show “The Brady Bunch” because of the refs not allow anyone to touch him and the continual changing rules for quarterbacks protects him as if he is a girl.
Now he will be called a cheater and if you live in Seattle, you are demanding the NFL to take away their Super Bowl win, fine the team and place Tom Brady on suspension for a certain amount of games or even for a season.
The most the NFL will do is probably fine Tom, which he can afford or suspending him for some games.
All in all, this is not good for Tom, the Patriots and the NFL. No one likes a cheater, especially the gamblers who loss a ton of money betting on the Seahawks in this year's Super Bowl.
My wife has never liked him and calls him “Marsha” after the once popular TV show “The Brady Bunch” because of the refs not allow anyone to touch him and the continual changing rules for quarterbacks protects him as if he is a girl.
2
The Patriots have a long history of deliberate shenanigans to win games long before Belichick and Brady arrived on the scene. I do suspect Belichick was a master of these little noticed techniques providing the edge that quite possibly enable his team to win. Surely Brady was in cahoots with deflating the football schemes, after all who is throwing ball, the kicker?
2
Curious as to how much man power and dollars were wasted on this report that ultimately doesn't change the outcome of a come, will likely affect any future games and won't really permanently tarnish the name of an otherwise outstanding person and athlete.
Should have put the money into a fund for defunct / retired players with severe physical and mental disabilities from this game and the toll it takes on their lives and those around them, all for our enjoyment.
Should have put the money into a fund for defunct / retired players with severe physical and mental disabilities from this game and the toll it takes on their lives and those around them, all for our enjoyment.
It's not just his legacy as a player that takes a hit, his decency as a human being also gets sacked. He treated McNally and Jastremski like his serfs.
2
More than a question of cheating, it's a question of character. Tom Brady lied repeatedly to the public and the NFL. Not surprising given the "Tone at the Top" of the front office of the Patriots.
Willing to cheat to win? Willing to lie to avoid the consequences? Put him in the books just below Lance Armstrong....
Willing to cheat to win? Willing to lie to avoid the consequences? Put him in the books just below Lance Armstrong....
4
Pretty lousy article. Not a football fan, but the author seems quite biased against Tom Brady.
5
And now, back to Amercian baseball. At least that's clean.
1
Hmm.
The Detroit Lions' baby brat Suh still has his job (!?) and even with the Patriots' history of cheating, they are still "America's Team," but my beloved Saints were penalized for "bounty" hits?
The Detroit Lions' baby brat Suh still has his job (!?) and even with the Patriots' history of cheating, they are still "America's Team," but my beloved Saints were penalized for "bounty" hits?
No Football Hall of Fame and no bonus money for reaching milestones. Oops, that's ARod.
2
So this poll that shows 35% think Brady was the best quarterback ever , followed by Montana 34% , should change in the next few days .I am going to change my vote from Brady to Montana for sure.
https://netivist.org/debate/montana-brady-unitas-or-marino
https://netivist.org/debate/montana-brady-unitas-or-marino
2
A quarterback should be allowed to inflate his balls to any pressure he desires within very limits, say 12 to 20 pounds. Anyway we all know that Brady scored better with an official pressure ball.
1
NFL is a business and the Patriots are the best in the business. Given the meaningless penalties and low probability of getting caught, in relation to the upside that can be gained in this game of inches, they are smart to cheat and will likely only redouble their efforts.
Morality? Cheating is cheating. You don't get to claim what you knew was illegal didn't matter. Nobody can read the report and not see the rot in the organization from the top down. Every effort was made to conceal the truth. Brady has carried himself the last few months as someone who knows it's over. Russell Wilson gave him a gift, and the league will give the Patriots another.
Morality? Cheating is cheating. You don't get to claim what you knew was illegal didn't matter. Nobody can read the report and not see the rot in the organization from the top down. Every effort was made to conceal the truth. Brady has carried himself the last few months as someone who knows it's over. Russell Wilson gave him a gift, and the league will give the Patriots another.
1
Excellent and thorough summary of the investigation's findings. this is the same shady organization that harbored Aaron Hernandez. Brady is a calculating, lying cheater.
4
"Will no one rid me of this corpulent football?" -- Tom Brady
Gee, what happened when those little leaguers from Chicago were accused of cheating??? They didn't even participate in the cheating behavior and they were striped of their championship.
Congratulations to the Seattle Seahawks for their back to back Super Bowl trophies!
Gee, what happened when those little leaguers from Chicago were accused of cheating??? They didn't even participate in the cheating behavior and they were striped of their championship.
Congratulations to the Seattle Seahawks for their back to back Super Bowl trophies!
8
The steroid era in baseball provides good evidence for calibrating the effects of actions that provide a competitive advantage to players on one side of the ball (the offense). Now look at what Brady did. He gave himself and his team a performance-enhancing advantage my manipulating the ball. Who's to say the effects weren't as profound on the football field as the effects of steroids were to players on the baseball diamond? The major sports in this country guard their integrity closely. Fans must have every confidence the games are fair. Cheating, however petty, insignificant or harmless it may seem, corrodes the integrity of the game. Cheaters should be dealt with harshly. Let's not forget that Pete Rose isn't just anybody. He's the all-time hits leader, and yet the sanctions levied against him by Faye Vincent were severe and life-long. The NFL needs to come down hard and sack Brady or the integrity of the entire league will be compromised.
3
Was deflating balls Brady's idea or the two Patriots staffers? No doubt it was Brady's.
What lives stand to be wrecked by the loss of employment? No doubt the two Patriots staffers.
By the way, it was heart warming to see how Tom is liked by those who take care of his needs.
What lives stand to be wrecked by the loss of employment? No doubt the two Patriots staffers.
By the way, it was heart warming to see how Tom is liked by those who take care of his needs.
4
It's not always the latest and greatest that merit such superlatives and the hype. Joe 'Joe Cool' Montana? Johnny Unitas? Roger Staubach? Ken 'The Snake' Stabler? Terry Bradshaw? Dan Marino? Etc. Etc. Brady doesn't measure up to these people and his antics make him even less so.
2
So will Tom Brady be forever known for his squashy balls?
3
It seems that Ms. Macur had this article written well before the lawyer's report was released on Wednesday; such animosity! The report has hardly been digested, there are still a number of open issues and yet she is already jumped on the bandwagon to discredit Brady. This reminds me so much of how MLB and the media railroaded A-Rod.
1
You think Brady wants to find his name printed next to A-Rod's? You are doing him no favors.
I don't think he has any say on this matter now. I do not defend Brady, just pointing put how people and the media are reacting to this story, there is plenty of blame to go around. No matter how you look at it he's forever tainted in the court of public opinion.
This might motivate Brady to have his best season ever next fall, similar to how the Patriots (for several months) thrived after Belichick's record fine for Spygate in 2007, particularly in the unlikely event he is fined a hefty amount and/or suspended for a few games. Of course, this will lead to hyper-loyalist Pats fans gloating in triumph while many others (probably) unfairly wonder just what #12 is up to this time. And around and around we will go.
For whatever reason, people love to like Brady. In the long run this will get brushed aside as a footnote in his legacy. His fans will say it only happened once in a game that was a blowout. They will cite how he won the Super Bowl the next game with regulation footballs. His greatness will transcend his controversy. Like it or not, he will still go down as one of the greatest.
Every team in the NFL cheats one way or another (e.g.- stolen plays, steroids, equipment regs violated, blood-doping, painkillers, etc.). This doesn't excuse Brady or the Patriots by any stretch. But anyone who doesn't think Brady and Belichick are arguably the best at their respective jobs is just not being objective. Stats are stats, barring performance-enhancing drugs.....
The he went 37 of 50 and won the SuperBowl and SB MVP with fully inflated balls... Oh and MVP Aaron Rodgers has admitted to overinflating his balls but we want overreact to that.
Look for plummeting prices of slightly used Tom Brady football jerseys on EBay.
2
So much for sports heroes
Lance Armstrong cheated
A-Rod cheated
Tom Brady cheated
Explain to me again why we idolize sports figures?
Lance Armstrong cheated
A-Rod cheated
Tom Brady cheated
Explain to me again why we idolize sports figures?
4
...'cause they're good at cheating? i'm just sayin....
I remember the time when I ran into Tom Brady with his good friend Lance Armstrong....
You notice Tom "Shady" has NOT come out to DENY the charges! (Tom, haven't you learned ANYTHING from Hillary Clinton?)
2
More probable than not? What is that? The author's of the report THINK Tom Brady knew, but are really not sure. That's pretty lame.
The simple solution is to see the report on the inflation rate of every football of every game by every team in the 2014 season. You can't say one team is "cheating" if you don't check them all.
In an instant Brady has gone from hero to bum in my eyes. Here is a guy with all the talent in the world, making many millions in recognition of his talents and the team's success, and it wasn't enough. How does he look other football players in the eyes now given his lack of integrity? I'll tell you this. Pete Rose still hasn't gotten into the baseball hall of fame for placing bets on games. I have a hard time thinking about what the NFL Hall of Fame does when Brady's eligibility comes up.
3
I live 8 miles from the Canadian border. When I attempt to return plastic bottles for my deposit, sometimes the machine doesn't work. When I get in the car the next day, after the bottles have spent several hours in below-freezing weather, they all have what looks like a smashed-in side. Once I unscrew the cap, the bottle sucks in air and has no more smashed-in spots. This may not be physics, but since my bottles deflate, why can't footballs? Why don't football officials check every new ball when it enters the game, just as a baseball umpire does?
Even if he did it he played better when the balls were properly inflated. Maybe he just wanted to give the colts a chance.
Although I was born near Boston,I've lived near Seattle and have been a Seahawks's fan for 37 years;and despite my birth place I already disliked Brady and the Pats,so my opinion is more probably,than not,biased.But it seems now that Brady has become the NFL's A Rod,like him,in non drugged way not satisfied being one of the most naturally talented players at his position,instead seeing the need to cheat,and then to lie about having done so.And in one way this is like a Federal crime,because the l winning of all that money by those who bet on on the Pats is now tainted by the way the Pats won.
1
On October 11, 2015, the New England Patriots are scheduled to play the Cowboys in Dallas. Given the importance of football in Texas culture, one wonders if Texas governor Abbott will deploy the National Guard to AT&T Stadium to ensure all game balls are properly inflated so "that Texans know their safety, constitutional rights, private property rights and civil liberties will not be infringed.”?
1
New England's very own A-Rod....To re-state the painfully obvious (which Brady and Rodriguez clearly ignore), role-model status has to come with some sense of responsibility to the fans, and in particular the younger, adoring ones.
2
Is this piece a joke? Is it an opinion column? Because it certainly sounds like it. I don't know if any of what is listed here is true. Maybe. But the author doesn't even provide a single quote from this report. That's really shameful and lazy. This could be a real contribution to this particular story line, but it just comes across like all of those hyperbolic sports site articles that came out at the time this originally broke. High on personal outrage and pop psychology and low on hard evidence. I expect more from the Times. Actually, at this point, no, I don't. And that's sad.
I think that raised trophy in his hand ought to be flattened and a little soggy.
Who cares about such an inane subject? Deflated footballs, a topic so devoid of significance that anyone wasting their precious time debating the merits of the issue must believe in the afterlife.
3
This is great and should be a lesson well learned. We make heroes out of people in jerseys running around a court or field and we pay them millions. The greatest fight of the century last week end was the greatest dud of the century but participants walked away with over two hundred million dollars. The real heroes the teachers the dads the moms who get up every day and make ends meet when there are no ends we overlook. Our kids know the stats of their favorite player but don't know who Thomas Paine was. Now we find out the winner of the Super Bowl is a cheater. They took the Championship from the poor kids in Chicago when it was found out they had cheated. The question is will the fake NFL leadership do the same to the millionaires running around in tights. If they do to the rich Patriots what was done to the poor kids from Chicago then and only then could Goodell have even a modicum of respect. Everyone already knows the only people going to fired is the poor slob working in the equipment room. Like Pete Rose had to pay for gambling and cheating Brady should also have to pay. The commissioner is going to get the ball boys fired slap Brady with a baby slap and take his 44 million dollar a year salary and go home. Really teaching the kids from Chicago a great civics lesson. The whole thing is a sham! They have made the game something that should be on the Cartoon Network. Funny how the report came out months after the Super Bowl. Guess the next greatest fight of the century ?
3
I would like the League to use its powerful resources to investigate how common this trend is among NFL teams.
2
What at all is the difference between Belichick's rule-bending, kooky formations, inappropriate football deflation, a few extra performance-enhancing drugs and the rule-bending activities of top flight accountants, the kooky creations of mortgage-backed securities and credit default swaps by financial super athletes, the "scientifically-backed" denial of global warming by oil executives and politicians who receive their largesse? We have created a society that honors rule-bending because outright lawlessness doesn't fly anymore. We eased out of the Wild West to create the Sly Center. With a few shady wiles you can bend the rules (legally until you're found out) and benefit. That is our normal. I don't agree with it one bit, but it's not just the athletes doing it. Slime your way to the top is the American way. This is what has to change.
1
Say it ain't so, Tom. Tell us Tom Terrific isn't now Shady Brady.
1
If Brady is suspended and his appeal is not granted, the PATRIOTS should forfeit all games of the suspension. They should announce the choice to not participate in the games immediately prior to the NFL kickoff game so that there is no time for the league to reschedule. The NFL kickoff game, and subsequent games of any suspension should not be played and the NFL should lose all of the income said games would bring in. The team should stand behind Brady and protest the league. They have a lot of power as hosts of the opening game. They should use it to protest any Brady suspension and strip the NFL of the money the ratings from the kickoff game would bring in. The network would be furious at the league for having to repay all the advertisers. They should look into this option if a suspension is announced.
OK, so can we now put Pete Rose and Barry Bonds in the Hall Of Fame, where they belong ? !!
1
There is no doubt that some will rationalize dishonesty in every other term than the one it deserves....dishonesty. Brady was caught and will be remembered for this as well. In baseball there was spit and other substances, pine tar and performance enhancing drugs. Pete Rose and scores of others have had their collisions with faulty ethics. Brady likes softer balls. No big deal; let the air out. That act is probably the tip of Brady's iceberg.
1
.
.
Elite athletes definitely know their equipment and their bodies.
I once saw Albert Pujols tell an umpire that a batter's box was drawn incorrectly. Measurements were taken, and Pujols was correct by centimeters, so the grounds crew drew a new one.
Steffi Graf in her prime could detect minor flaws in her racket's tautness. I imagine many tennis pros are the same.
Mr. Brady knew. Clearly, he knew.
I would add that in my work life, I crossed paths with one of the 3 lawyers named on the Report. He was smart, ethical, and thoughtful. I believe the report.
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Elite athletes definitely know their equipment and their bodies.
I once saw Albert Pujols tell an umpire that a batter's box was drawn incorrectly. Measurements were taken, and Pujols was correct by centimeters, so the grounds crew drew a new one.
Steffi Graf in her prime could detect minor flaws in her racket's tautness. I imagine many tennis pros are the same.
Mr. Brady knew. Clearly, he knew.
I would add that in my work life, I crossed paths with one of the 3 lawyers named on the Report. He was smart, ethical, and thoughtful. I believe the report.
4
Poppycock. This was a billion-dollar business spending silly money to cover their tails for not regulating the game. If a deflated ball is such a big deal, they should have known and monitored the pressure. If its a good thing, let everyone use one.
No matter the PSI, there are only a handful of players in the world who can do what Brady does with a football. That is a legacy.
No matter the PSI, there are only a handful of players in the world who can do what Brady does with a football. That is a legacy.
"More probable than not" is not the basis for any sort of sanction against Tom Brady or against the Patriots.
It may well be fun for those who dislike Tom Brady and the Patriots to glory in this report, but the report is utterly inconclusive.
A reminder, too, that the only direct evidence available about possible doctoring of the footballs occurred in only one half of one game. There is no direct evidence of any sort of misbehavior prior to or during any of the other games of Brady's illustrious career.
It may well be fun for those who dislike Tom Brady and the Patriots to glory in this report, but the report is utterly inconclusive.
A reminder, too, that the only direct evidence available about possible doctoring of the footballs occurred in only one half of one game. There is no direct evidence of any sort of misbehavior prior to or during any of the other games of Brady's illustrious career.
Except we know for a fact there were no deflated balls in all 4 super bowls he won. So there won't really be an asterisk by those
So he likes deflated footballs. Each to his own. Some like it hard others like it soft. So what. Football is not going to die from that. Hiring human trucks to play the line is ruining the game more than anything else. Eventually because of this violence of bigger men more parents bring their kids up playing soccer which will (I hope) make the game more popular than football. I admit I love football the way it used to be rather than today's game of harder hits. The NFL's case is about covering it up. Forgive and forget and get on with it.
1
Brady is no different than Barry Bonds, Lance Armstrong, or Roger Clemens. They're all cheaters who profited from their cheating.
If Richie Incognito got a one year suspension for sending some mean texts to a teammate, I'm guessing that Brady will get suspended for at least one year.
If Richie Incognito got a one year suspension for sending some mean texts to a teammate, I'm guessing that Brady will get suspended for at least one year.
1
What a wacky conclusion. Brady liking the PSI of his balls on the low end of the spectrum is not the same thing as using illegal drugs. And the report stating the probably knew about the handlers doing the pressure (one to two ticks!) low isnt same thing as cheating. The article did fail to mention the second half of the game or the Super Bowl performance, all won with properly inflated balls.
What a wise, comic and beautifully written analysis. If only that could be the last word and now we could all move on.
2
Oh please stop the madness. Really? The guy has dominated over the long haul and now because he likes the ball a little in the soft side, he is a 'cheater'. Baloney. I'm not a Patriots fan or even a Michigan fan, but even I can see this is a wild goose chase by people who just want to find fault with the supremely successful.
1
"It's the cover-up, stupid." I think most folks see DeflateGate as a wildly over inflated so-called scandal and certainly the money and time spent on the investigation was overkill. Heck, feed the poor with that money. He should not have lied, which he pretty clearly did, and should not have let two underlings take the fall. But...this pales in comparison to, say, Mark McGwire inflating himself with steroids and refusing to own up to it, It's even less serious that corking bats, which has always been kind of a "cute cheat." I do believe the writer's view of Brady's behaviour is too scolding, though others are saying the same. To the general fan, this simply is not a big deal.
If Kraft and Patriots were a class organization, they would suspend Brady for 1 game.
1
So Brady asks, in a text quoted in this report, for the balls to be 13 lbs, a legal amount.
The guy remarks, in a text, that they usually come in at 16 lbs and therefore he must deflate them and he is a "deflator."
Nowhere does it say deflate to an extreme amount. By way of analogy, Mick Jagger asks for his sneakers to be sanded down so that he can slide on the stage during a performance. Ok, whatever.
Nothing to see here but the haters and their low information ways.
The guy remarks, in a text, that they usually come in at 16 lbs and therefore he must deflate them and he is a "deflator."
Nowhere does it say deflate to an extreme amount. By way of analogy, Mick Jagger asks for his sneakers to be sanded down so that he can slide on the stage during a performance. Ok, whatever.
Nothing to see here but the haters and their low information ways.
1
The claim made in this article that Brady's entire legacy--every single thing that he has accomplished during his entire tenure in the NFL-- should now be tainted because it is "more probable than not" that he "was at least generally aware" of balls being deflated for one half of one playoff game in which the Patriots beat--might I say handily so--an overmatched Colts team is, to be frank, outrageous and blasphemous. The ambiguous and inconclusive language used along with the all too often yet irrelevantly-so referred to text of McNally calling himself the "deflator" (among other egregiously stretched evidence) can in now way justify the conviction with which the author here, Juliet Macur, questions all that Brady has accomplished over the course of his career.
Brady's story is still and will forever be an incredible one, and his worth ethic and determination, unmatched by any other in the NFL, are to be admired by all aspiring athletes and sports fans everywhere.
Brady's story is still and will forever be an incredible one, and his worth ethic and determination, unmatched by any other in the NFL, are to be admired by all aspiring athletes and sports fans everywhere.
This is the "hanging chad" of scandals. As The Broncos' Derek Wolfe recently said, “If they want to deflate balls, let them deflate balls. At the end of the day, we’ve got to go out there and play football. That’s what it comes down to. It’s just a bunch of guys running into each other at the end of the day. The toughest guy usually wins.” Spoken like a true football player, not another Goodell bureaucrat.
Many Brady/Belichick apologists say, "Well, everyone else does it too." Maybe, but everyone else doesn't get caught. Everyone else speeds, rolls through the occasional stop sign and many cheat on their taxes. When they get caught, the "everyone else does it " line doesn't work very well.
The sad thing is that a QB as great as Brady feels that he needs to cheat to win. When you cheat you always have that lingering doubt.
The sad thing is that a QB as great as Brady feels that he needs to cheat to win. When you cheat you always have that lingering doubt.
The Wells Report buried in footnote 73 the fact that the authors did not think the level of inflation of the footballs had any impact on the outcome of the Patriots-Colts game. Given that Wells was paid by Goodell and Goodell let this issue get blown way out of proportion, Wells had to find wrong doing or leave his employer with egg on his face. Earlier in the season, the Vikings were caught keeping their footballs next to the heater near their bench to keep the footballs more flexible. This also is a violation of the rules but all they got was a warning. Goodell decided to let the media throw the book at the Patriots to avoid two weeks of questions about how the NFL condoned domestic violence, the wide spread use of PEDs in the NFL, etc. prior to the Super Bowl. The Patriots defeated the Colts in the second half when there is no question that the footballs met the rules and they defeated the Seahawks when again there is no question that the footballs met the rules.
I was a nothing-special bike racer more than twenty years ago, and even I knew exactly what tire pressure I wanted in my tires on dry days, wet days, cold days, and hot days. The thought that a professional player like Tom Brady would not insist on exactly the air pressure he wanted, and would not be intimately involved in ensuring that he had that air pressure in his balls, is ludicrous.
As they say, it takes twenty years to build a reputation, and twenty minutes to destroy one. As this story continues to unfold, a lot of people will spend a lot more than twenty minutes talking about Tom Brady, and they won't be talking about what a honest, respectable guy he is.
As they say, it takes twenty years to build a reputation, and twenty minutes to destroy one. As this story continues to unfold, a lot of people will spend a lot more than twenty minutes talking about Tom Brady, and they won't be talking about what a honest, respectable guy he is.
1
It seems pretty evident that the reason for the great renaissance of Tom Brady's game after an uncharacteristically slow start was likely the result of locker room activity. The texts indicate that deflation of the balls was going on well before the Championship game and may have even predated this season.
As to the assertions that The Patriots probably didn't do it because they didn't have to, that's where the pathology begins. Just as a pathological liar lies even when he doesn't have to, a pathological cheater cheats even when he doesn't have to. As an organization the Patriots have taken every opportunity to maximize their advantage, even if that meant skirting the rules. After all, it's only wrong if you get caught.
As to the assertions that The Patriots probably didn't do it because they didn't have to, that's where the pathology begins. Just as a pathological liar lies even when he doesn't have to, a pathological cheater cheats even when he doesn't have to. As an organization the Patriots have taken every opportunity to maximize their advantage, even if that meant skirting the rules. After all, it's only wrong if you get caught.
1
It's refreshing to see some good humored writing in the NYT for a change.
I think Brady should be suspended for not cooperating fully with the investigative team. That alone is worthy of discipline.
To those who would argue that he has a right to not incriminate himself, remember this is not a court of law. It is a business, which has the right to set workplace standards. It can be a paid suspension to allay the issue of whether the business is taking away a person's ability to collect contractual payments.
To those who would argue that he has a right to not incriminate himself, remember this is not a court of law. It is a business, which has the right to set workplace standards. It can be a paid suspension to allay the issue of whether the business is taking away a person's ability to collect contractual payments.
1
I predict the Patriot fumble rate increases next year
2
This report only confirms what Bill Belichick said at his press conference months ago when the controversy first erupted: Brady did it. And judging from Brady's lame fidgety performance at his own press conference, he very much knew.
Why did Brady refuse to hand over his emails and texts to the investigators if he had nothing to hide?
Why did Brady refuse to hand over his emails and texts to the investigators if he had nothing to hide?
1
Brady cheated, then lied about cheating. Sadly, he likely didn't need to cheat. Therefore, he should be banned from football for life and every record recorded by Brady and/or the NE Patriots during his tenure should be marked with an asterisk (*) to remind everyone that these records are tainted.
Anybody but me, find it silly that we are bad naming him all out of nowhere, because somebody "probably" didn't have enough evidence to say what he wanted to say. Something about this seems fishy to me.
dane: no, it's pretty much you....
Ms. Macur:
Even for sportswriting, this is one of the most bitter, partisan analyses I've come across in a while. "Tell us, Tom Brady..." and "Sorry folks" reek of lazy, play-to-the-crowd journalism. If a $5 million report was able to conclude no more than that Brady "more probably than not" was "generally aware" of the deflation, then it's a bit of a stretch to call him a confirmed cheater.
And if you think it's time to look at his career achievements with a "wary eye," then you're not giving him enough credit for shredding the best secondary of the last decade during the last 10 minutes of the Superbowl.
Even for sportswriting, this is one of the most bitter, partisan analyses I've come across in a while. "Tell us, Tom Brady..." and "Sorry folks" reek of lazy, play-to-the-crowd journalism. If a $5 million report was able to conclude no more than that Brady "more probably than not" was "generally aware" of the deflation, then it's a bit of a stretch to call him a confirmed cheater.
And if you think it's time to look at his career achievements with a "wary eye," then you're not giving him enough credit for shredding the best secondary of the last decade during the last 10 minutes of the Superbowl.
3
When I was a kid playing rough-touch football on empty lots, there was guy named Sheldon who usually supplied the ball, and his word was final on all matters pertaining to it. These balls were supplied by the Patriots, so ---.
1
There is no direct evidence that Tom Brady wanted the footballs deflated to less than 12.5 pounds per square inch pressure. If Brady is suspended for a time, NFL football should be boycotted for the same period of time!
1
To the Brady apologists how is this different from Armstrong blood doping or Bonds "roided up? The assumption within sport is that everyone is playing by the same rules.....cheating is cheating
3
Seriously? You think verified doping and alleged deflation are morally equivalent?
1
One fact you are omitting is that there is no evidence Brady was cheating...None!
Before everyone, including Juliet Macur, jumps the gun let's see how Brady's career plays out with the heightened scrutiny surrounding his every breath. How many more titles would he have to win to satisfy the general football public? It doesn't matter, he could win them all and still be labeled a cheat by people that are predisposed to questioning him and the team as a whole.
What no one has brought up is all of the cheating in the league by losing teams; Atlanta? Extra crowd noise through their sound system. Seattle? Highest fine/suspension rate for PED's under Pete Carrol.
It's as if everyone has been wearing blinders regarding the Pat's play through the second half of the Colt's game as well as the Super Bowl. They don't need to cheat to win. I think that's what really drives the hatred for the team, coach and quarterback. No one would be satisfied if they won games wearing ankle weights and binding shoulder pads. The hatred is irrational.
Did Exponent check wet footballs? Why not? Leather stretches when wet. They're simply isn't enough room here to ask all of the questions necessary to all of the holes on what they didn't check that is pertinent.
I'm surprised at the NYT's for not going deeper into this. The first article published by your paper yesterday was close to objective on this topic. As long as you're going to slide towards the irrational, try not to publish anything you may have to retract or could be sued for later.
What no one has brought up is all of the cheating in the league by losing teams; Atlanta? Extra crowd noise through their sound system. Seattle? Highest fine/suspension rate for PED's under Pete Carrol.
It's as if everyone has been wearing blinders regarding the Pat's play through the second half of the Colt's game as well as the Super Bowl. They don't need to cheat to win. I think that's what really drives the hatred for the team, coach and quarterback. No one would be satisfied if they won games wearing ankle weights and binding shoulder pads. The hatred is irrational.
Did Exponent check wet footballs? Why not? Leather stretches when wet. They're simply isn't enough room here to ask all of the questions necessary to all of the holes on what they didn't check that is pertinent.
I'm surprised at the NYT's for not going deeper into this. The first article published by your paper yesterday was close to objective on this topic. As long as you're going to slide towards the irrational, try not to publish anything you may have to retract or could be sued for later.
After 25+ years playing QB Brady can doubtless pick up a ball and tell you withing .00001 what the air pressure is. This has been obvious from the minute this so-called "story" broke. What did people think, that the balls were "accidentally" under-inflated and he just didn't realize it? Sure everyone cheats but when you get caught there are consequences. Too bad sitting for 3 or 4 September games is such a wimpy response to cheating before the second-biggest game of the year. He deserves much more, and not just because he is a jerk which he so obviously is.
1
Yes each team uses its own sets of balls. Yes that subjects them to tampering. Yes the NFL is insane to let a situation like this exist. There should be a uniform ball standard and there should be a "chain of custody" that makes this sort of tampering impossible. The NFL is a multi-billion dollar enterprise but it can finance its control of its balls. Or is it because it doesn't have any?
3
Professional athletes routinely break the rules to gain an advantage. At the extreme end we have illegal use of performance enhancing drugs. At the more mundane we have intentional fouls, excessive use of pine tar on baseball bats, pitchers using various substances on baseballs... the list of goes on and on. Deflating a football? Really? Who cares. Sure it's embarrassing for Brady and the Pats, but anyone who thinks this will in anyway tarnish their legacy is just a disgruntled Pats hater. A rule was broken, the horror! Assess the penalty and move on.
1
I'm a little dismayed by those who brush off this offense through comparison with other examples of players flouting the rules. One of the first comments mentioned Whitey Ford's use of a spitball (not sure if that's accurate or not) as an equivalency to Brady's actions. The same equivalencies were being made on Mike & Mike this morning.
The truth is that its just too early to rank this transgression. All of those other examples of cheating -- spitballs, stick-em, etc -- were widely practiced. Whitey Ford is certainly not the only person to throw a spitball after it was banned. What still needs to be determined is how common this is around the league. Are other QBs doing the same thing? Or did Brady cross a line that few if anyone else was willing to cross? If Brady is alone in crossing fair play and ethical boundaries then he should be severely singled out. To punish him for a practice that is commonplace is unfair. Even Tom Brady, not my favorite player by any stretch, doesn't deserve to be a scapegoat.
The truth is that its just too early to rank this transgression. All of those other examples of cheating -- spitballs, stick-em, etc -- were widely practiced. Whitey Ford is certainly not the only person to throw a spitball after it was banned. What still needs to be determined is how common this is around the league. Are other QBs doing the same thing? Or did Brady cross a line that few if anyone else was willing to cross? If Brady is alone in crossing fair play and ethical boundaries then he should be severely singled out. To punish him for a practice that is commonplace is unfair. Even Tom Brady, not my favorite player by any stretch, doesn't deserve to be a scapegoat.
How many times has Brady cheated and gotten away with it? We will never know. And he doesn't have the character makeup to come clean.
They should make Brady play an entire season with an over inflated watermelon ball...wonder if he and his legion of superfans would still be so adamant in their stance that the PSI really has no impact...
2
Brady needs to apologize immediately and unequivocally. Then he needs to go out and prove he can throw a properly inflated football as well as the all-time greats of the game. Anything short and his legacy is permanently tainted. Brady always appeared to be a class act. Now, it appears he is a cheater and a liar. Very disappointing!
1
You didn't mention that in the 2nd half the balls were properly inflated and they went on to win big...so, obviously they didn't need to deflate to win. Brady should have, and now should, come out and say he DID know that the balls were being deflated. An apology will go a long way to deflate the issue.
1
Lying or mis-representing has become the "darling child" of the 21st Century with every sport, political party and government playing the game to the hilt. There is more written and pursued to sold on the "deflated balls" than a Secretary of State taking power unto herself no other citizen or employee could do. When the highest office in the land (America) can lie with impunity and no penalty - it's a wonder we don't have more examples coming to the surface. Myself, I probably won't watch or support the Patriots just as I use to feel about the Oakland Raiders (a very nasty team years ago). Winning has taken the place of "honor, virtue, character and every other desirable trait". Our loss - all over the world.
If Aaron Rogers wants an overinflated ball and Tom Brady wants an underinflated ball and the NFL has decided somewhere in between, should I care? Let them use whatever they want. Or maybe just make the balls without air and fill them with foam and skip this idiotic controversy.
Thought I read somewhere that, although the refs ran out of time after testing N.E.'s balls and so got to test only some of the Colts balls, that half of the Colt's balls tested were also under-inflated. Where's the outrage there? Oh I forgot. The Colts haven't won anything in years. No point in flogging a loser.
This is a tempest in an NFL teapot.
Frankly, who cares.
This is a gladiatorial "game" in which grown men try to concuss one another on every "play" for your entertainment.
It's safe to assume that all the players have debilitating CTE to some extent. Some more than others. The same can be said for college and even high school players.
I don't watch it. Why do you?
Frankly, who cares.
This is a gladiatorial "game" in which grown men try to concuss one another on every "play" for your entertainment.
It's safe to assume that all the players have debilitating CTE to some extent. Some more than others. The same can be said for college and even high school players.
I don't watch it. Why do you?
1
A referee handles the ball on every play. In all those years, none ever noticed? How big a deal is this, really?
1
Exactamundo. But look you are talking about this and not a cabinet secretary who sold her office and sold out her country to the highest bidder and then destroyed evidence based on her own determination. So for the Times they win on their agenda by dragging this non story out.
Evidence is evidence, and "more probably than not" in a court of law is known as " not guilty". For all you Brady haters, come back another day.
1
"The last refuge of the scoundrel is to claim to be a Patriot"
Samuel Johnson, April 7, 1775
Could not be more true today.
Samuel Johnson, April 7, 1775
Could not be more true today.
3
Whether palatable or not, Tom Brady's legacy will always go down as one of the greatest only to be tainted with that little asterisk as a reminder to everyone that he cheated... as if we needed it. I'd have so much more respect for Kraft if he just named it, rather than digging his heals in, but then, it's not the first allegation of cheating for their ball club, so one has to ask - is this "win by any means necessary" mentality trickling down from the top?
2
What asterisk? I don't recall seeing any asterisk. Nobody has called for an asterisk. No one has suggested it, much less directed one. The report is pure conjecture, nothing but a big guess. Laughable is what it is.
These reports are all a joke. There's no evidence because the NFL doesn't actually check the psi before the games. It's not like he used steroids and there'll be an asterisk next to his name.
A fine article and a pretty sad story--particularly given the fact the Patriots flattened (no pun intended) the Ravens in the second half with fully inflated balls. It would appear a reasonable conclusion Brady was aware. That said, stacked up against other "cheating" such as PED's, this entire matter is a nonsense.
As to the text messages, the investigator had the texts from the people with whom Brady would have communicated. I can well understand there would be a lot in Brady's texts, entirely unrelated to ball inflation, he simply would not want out in public. Let's not hang to much on the failure to release the texts.
As to the text messages, the investigator had the texts from the people with whom Brady would have communicated. I can well understand there would be a lot in Brady's texts, entirely unrelated to ball inflation, he simply would not want out in public. Let's not hang to much on the failure to release the texts.
Tampering with the thing that athletes use to play the very game they have chosen to compete in is the highest form of cheating. Whether it is a baseball player using a corked bat or rubbing vaseline on the ball, a golfer using an illegal ball or club, or a hockey player using an illegal stick, it is the worst kind of cheating. The one thing the fans and paying spectators of any sport should be able to assume is that the ball/puck/bat/stick being used is the same for all players on the field/ice/court. They very symbol of the NFL - the football itself, has become a joke thanks to Brady and the Patriots organization.
1
I could understand him doing this if he was playing against Eli Manning; then the Patriots need all the help they can get.
1
Could such a high-powered (and no doubt very well paid) legal effort have come up with a more definitive report. It's not more than probable, apparently. Also, BTW, what about away games where those home teams controlled the process? What was Brady's advantage then? More probable than not, to me, is that Brady wanted to ensure the refs kept the footballs at the low end of the scale, rather than pumping them up. Did that cross the line, no doubt. Is it worth all the ink being expended on it?
I have a hard time understanding how this type of cheating is morally different than cheating with performance enhancing drugs. In either case there is a knowing attempt to use prohibited means to gain an edge over an opponent. Other than personal safety, the goals and thought process are essentially the same. I know the league will never exact the same type of punishment as they may for PED use, but in looking at this from the outside, the line between football and professional wrestling when it comes to the integrity of the "sport" or "entertainment" is certainly in question.
2
First of all, the balls were not deflated: let's be clear, they were underinflated. use words right, please, everyone.... You can't throw a deflated ball, because there's no air in it at all. Now, to the important part. It doesn't matter if he knew or not, because a rule is a rule. The rule was broken, and therefore that is that. They should have been penalized, according to the same rules that say you get a penalty if you have twelve players on the field--knowingly or not.
Whether Brady knew, or looked the other way, and maybe knew is a question of honesty. Because nobody in his right mind thinks that the Patriots were going to lose that game. They are too good. However, Brady's goodness is the issue here: is he a good winner or a bad winner. In all likelihood he will go down as a bad winner, the same as those MLB players who used loaded baseball bats.
Whether Brady knew, or looked the other way, and maybe knew is a question of honesty. Because nobody in his right mind thinks that the Patriots were going to lose that game. They are too good. However, Brady's goodness is the issue here: is he a good winner or a bad winner. In all likelihood he will go down as a bad winner, the same as those MLB players who used loaded baseball bats.
Brady and the Pats can be demonized or not at anyone's individual or editorial discretion, but this whole thing goes back to the league's stark ineptitude at doing anything right other than coining money.
The league knew some time ago that many, perhaps all teams in the league prepared their footballs according to their own preferences, often without regard for league guidelines. The NFL chose to address the problem by only taking control of the K balls used by special teams. They should have taken full control of all the balls used in all games. Why would they not?
The idea that each team supplies its own game balls and that there is variation in the condition of the balls from team to team is beyond ridiculous. There should be a league-wide standard and the league itself should be in complete control of each and every football. This is the core implement of the game, not a roll of ankle tape. The integrity of the game depends on there being a standard applied. The league has known what the standard should be for some time and chose to do nothing about it.
The NFL has been lazy and stupid in its pursuit of misplaced priorities. It spends its time fining individual players for not wearing the correct branded apparel on the sideline during games while letting critical details like the game balls go unaddressed. It has only itself to blame. The NFL as currently administered is the equivalent of a Barney Fiefdom.
The league knew some time ago that many, perhaps all teams in the league prepared their footballs according to their own preferences, often without regard for league guidelines. The NFL chose to address the problem by only taking control of the K balls used by special teams. They should have taken full control of all the balls used in all games. Why would they not?
The idea that each team supplies its own game balls and that there is variation in the condition of the balls from team to team is beyond ridiculous. There should be a league-wide standard and the league itself should be in complete control of each and every football. This is the core implement of the game, not a roll of ankle tape. The integrity of the game depends on there being a standard applied. The league has known what the standard should be for some time and chose to do nothing about it.
The NFL has been lazy and stupid in its pursuit of misplaced priorities. It spends its time fining individual players for not wearing the correct branded apparel on the sideline during games while letting critical details like the game balls go unaddressed. It has only itself to blame. The NFL as currently administered is the equivalent of a Barney Fiefdom.
1
It is likely a complete non-issue. I have never seen published exact information as to how much and how many of the footballs were actually under inflated. If some where and some were not, the inconsistency could actually worse for the quarterback. Is there any scientific proof that under inflated footballs actually give some type of advantage? I would expect in a blinded type of test no one could really tell.
Macur, the author, apparently did not read the report. At least you couldn't tell from this article. There is exactly one (widely reported) quotation in her article. It would be nice for writers to read the actual report to which they are devoting an article.
Maybe the Red Sox pitchers should start deflating baseballs.
1
One of the biggest disappointments is that the official report does not tell us why the balls were deflated. Evidence has been submitted to the league suggesting that the main purpose was to limit fumbles, rather than to aid in Brady's passing grip. Fumbles have never been a big Brady problem -- if that was the purpose, it was for the benefit of the Patriots receivers and runners. At one time, the Patriots were among the worst ball handling teams in the NFL. If Brady did this for the team rather than his passing game, I'd say his legacy as perhaps the greatest QB ever is intact. But, of course, this is just speculation because the report forgot the most important issue -- why was this done.
Who cares. It's pro ball. It's all about money. It's a little like politics. The "best" money can buy.
1
Did it ever occur to someone that there are not only too many rules but some bad ones as well? This is one of them. I'm not suggesting the Patriots should get off scot-free for violating an existing rule, but in the scheme of things, this seems like overkill control.
When you Google Tom Brady in a hundred years from now, character assassination will be intermixed when his name pops up.
My daughter told me this morning that she doesn't want to wear her Brady 12 shirt to school anymore. That hurt.
Brady should be suspended for several games next season and heavily fined.
1
Funny how the folks of New England are so vociferous in their righteous indignation over Alex Rodriguez but are blinded by the very similar arrogant bald face public lying by Tom Brady. That they are adamant in dismissing his complete disrespect for them and the game of football with his over zealous need to win at any cost.
3
A question? Did the other quarterback use the same football as Brady? Or did they switch footballs when the Patriots had the ball?
Many of us reading this in the NY Times probably aren't Patriot fans and thus perhaps we are biased against the Patriots. So, I thought it might be of interest to see what a Boston paper, the Herald, has to say. Here it is:http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/columnists/ron_borges/2015/05/borges_...
Cheaters gonna cheat...for some reason the NFL has a love affair with this team. it all started with infamous tuck ruling.
1
If Tom wants us to believe that he did not cheat then release the text and emails. But the reality is this not the first time his team have been called out for cheating. If he was as good as he believes he is he would not cheat and he would have turned those involved in over to the league. But allais for Tom it is winning at any all cost. If the league is serious about having a clean game it should cost Tom and his team all post season play this year. He and his team will NEVER learn unless you them where it hurts.
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Stories like this -- in addition to the outrageous salaries and the off-field violence -- are probably why I no longer watch professional sports.
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I think Brady's behavior says a lot about our society as a whole. No matter how poorly a person behaves, there will always be a number of people who defend them. Saddly, I think that number is increasing. I know it's unrelated but there's something oddly familiar between this episode, the Baltimore riots and the like, as well as like Isis and other murder rampages. Its like there isn't just an absence of consequences, there are no rules anymore and most everyone is fine with it.
1
Brady will NEVER come clean on this issue.
“With enough courage, you can do without a reputation.”
― Margaret Mitchell
“With enough courage, you can do without a reputation.”
― Margaret Mitchell
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I haven't read the report just some of these articles and really hope it's not true.
I remember listening to the interview he held the morning after the AFC championship game with a radio station and he's clearly not awake yet.
When asked about the report of deflated footballs, he seemed surprised by it and said "he'd heard it all now" (paraphrase) and seemed to consider it as just sour grapes by the losing team.
It struck me then that this was news to him, so based on his reaction then, I just thought this was sour grapes but will have to read the report to draw conclusions.
Not turning over his phone records and text messages is suspicious, but I probably wouldn't do the same unless pressed to by law enforcement, especially someone in his position.
I remember listening to the interview he held the morning after the AFC championship game with a radio station and he's clearly not awake yet.
When asked about the report of deflated footballs, he seemed surprised by it and said "he'd heard it all now" (paraphrase) and seemed to consider it as just sour grapes by the losing team.
It struck me then that this was news to him, so based on his reaction then, I just thought this was sour grapes but will have to read the report to draw conclusions.
Not turning over his phone records and text messages is suspicious, but I probably wouldn't do the same unless pressed to by law enforcement, especially someone in his position.
NFL viewers cash out and enjoy MLS. One ball for all, sure some coaching from the sidelines but it is up to the guys on the field their ingenuity and skill w/o all that micromanagement from the sidelines.
2
Tom should have known better...PERIOD! He is a dad of young boys not to mention a hero to lots of kids out there who wore his jersey to school on jersey day! He would have been much SMARTER to go in front of the cameras and just say, "I have no comment until the NFL findings are published. Thank you." Whatever he was thinking we will probably never know! Actually, he would have just been much smarter NOT TO CHEAT!
1
The NFL should remove half the diamonds encrusted in Pretty Boy's four SB rings. That should be the punishment.
1
Brady's refusal to hand over his text messages and emails results in an inference that such evidence is adverse to him. In most jurisdictions, there is a jury instruction in civil cases to that effect. In Ilinois, for example, where I practiced, IPI 5.01 reads: "If a party to this case has failed to offer evidence within his power to produce, you may infer that the evidence would be adverse to that party..." The instruction then lists four elements which the jury must believe for the adverse inference to be made. All of them are met here.
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I love the line of reasoning in the defenses of Brady: He didn't do it and besides even if he did then it wouldn't have made any difference. Then why would he do it? Or condone it, or whatever? Reminds me of the Lance Armstrong defenders (of whom I was one for far too long).
2
Legacy? Perhaps his "legacy" was derived from cheating. Some 'legacy'.
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Im sure no expert but from what Ive read the lower pressure of the ball doesnt help re throwing it since the ability to spin the bll is key and actually is enhanced by higher pressure,
The importance of lower pressure is that it allows runners to hold on to it better and fumble much less and statistics clearly shows that turnovers are whats vital in winning or losing games
Heck,players "cheat" on every play by "holding" etc. Its a tempest in a teapot IMHO.
The importance of lower pressure is that it allows runners to hold on to it better and fumble much less and statistics clearly shows that turnovers are whats vital in winning or losing games
Heck,players "cheat" on every play by "holding" etc. Its a tempest in a teapot IMHO.
Move over Brian Williams and Hillary Clinton there is a new member to your club.... Pants on fire!
I guess we could expect no less than this from a rumpswag NY editorial hack. If you actually read the report and not the cliff notes version you will see that it states on page 228,
"In sum, the data did not provide a basis for us to determine with absolute certainty whether there was or was not tampering as the analysis of such data ultimately is dependent upon assumption and information that is not certain."
Beyond that - the proof is in the stats. Second half of the AFC championship blowout against the Colts, Brady when on to make more completions and touchdowns than the first half. So if the argument is that balls that are underinflated either purposely or because of weather gives a competitive advantage - then that argument fails. SEE THE SUPER BOWL HIGHLIGHTS.
"In sum, the data did not provide a basis for us to determine with absolute certainty whether there was or was not tampering as the analysis of such data ultimately is dependent upon assumption and information that is not certain."
Beyond that - the proof is in the stats. Second half of the AFC championship blowout against the Colts, Brady when on to make more completions and touchdowns than the first half. So if the argument is that balls that are underinflated either purposely or because of weather gives a competitive advantage - then that argument fails. SEE THE SUPER BOWL HIGHLIGHTS.
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Love the stretch about Brady losing confidence in his abilities...sure sounds like objective reporting to me...sic, sic. Maybe this writer is losing confidence in his own abilities? Maybe....more probable than not! HA!!!
Ask any coach, any fan, anyone even casually acquainted with the game of football these simple questions:
Who would you want as quarterback on your team if you were in a tie game with a few minutes left?
Who would you want as quarterback on your team if you were behind and attempting a comeback in a game with a few minutes left?
Try to put your envy aside for a moment and marvel in the greatness and dominance that is Tom Brady.
Who would you want as quarterback on your team if you were in a tie game with a few minutes left?
Who would you want as quarterback on your team if you were behind and attempting a comeback in a game with a few minutes left?
Try to put your envy aside for a moment and marvel in the greatness and dominance that is Tom Brady.
Who would I want at quarterback with the game on the line? Maybe the Super Bowl?
Eli Manning, ask Tom.
Eli Manning, ask Tom.
Eh, who cares? What about the domestic violence and concussion issues?
The whole fiasco is way, way overblown and only reach this level of hyperbole because the Patriots were involved.
The week before the AFC game, Phil Simms reported (on an NFL-owned broadcast) that Aaron Rodgers intentionally submits overinflated footballs. (In experiments conducted by ESPN, inflation affects the travel of the ball through air, and with more inflation the ball get to the receiver sooner.) Why was no one bothered by Rodgers' admission (not an accusation, an outright admission).
The week before the AFC game, Phil Simms reported (on an NFL-owned broadcast) that Aaron Rodgers intentionally submits overinflated footballs. (In experiments conducted by ESPN, inflation affects the travel of the ball through air, and with more inflation the ball get to the receiver sooner.) Why was no one bothered by Rodgers' admission (not an accusation, an outright admission).
Just remember, the balls were switched out at halftime for the right balls, and then he did better. People who write about football, but do not know the facts, shouldn't be writing about football.
I see the criers finally got their way. Funny how they still won the Super Bowl though, even without deflated balls And what was it the Colt QB said? Oh yea, " The Patriots would have beat us with a bar of soap."
But criers will cry.
But criers will cry.
It is more probable than not that somebody will now make a crack that Tom Brady's nicknames should be "Honoré de Balzac" or "Life of Psi."
I hope that it does not happen, but it just seems inevitable.
I hope that it does not happen, but it just seems inevitable.
Tom is just prepping himself for his post-football career at Goldman Sachs
1
Now that we know Brady cheats, if Gisele wants to also, she can get in touch with me.
I'm enjoying Pats fans saying "good thing we don't use this 'more probably than not' standard in courts." "More probably than not," otherwise known as "the preponderance of the evidence," is the exact standard we use in civil suits.
This would be a perfectly fine standard had Brady been in a car accident. Why is it now questionable when someone points out that your silver helmets are actually a bit tarnished?
This would be a perfectly fine standard had Brady been in a car accident. Why is it now questionable when someone points out that your silver helmets are actually a bit tarnished?
Full disclosure as to how common and therefore how egregious this "crime" isn't likely would not alter people's opinions:
Brad Johnson, Super Bowl-winning QB for TB, admits paying $7,500 to have those championship game balls altered.
Ah, shrug, he's not as famous as A-Rod and Brady, Ms Macur's usual suspects.
Brad Johnson, Super Bowl-winning QB for TB, admits paying $7,500 to have those championship game balls altered.
Ah, shrug, he's not as famous as A-Rod and Brady, Ms Macur's usual suspects.
Have any of the individuals currently commenting on this list ever actually played organized sports? You want to point fingers? Do you really want to know how widespread this so-called cheating actually is? There's no moral valence at all to this act... Deflating footballs? Really, who cares? This kind of thing happens all of the time, at every level, in every sport...
"At the end of the day," Brady added, "I prefer to think of the balls as half full."
It's air pressure in a ball. It's like a spitball in baseball. It's illegal but many pitchers will try to get away with it. It's not a big deal.
It is also "more probable than not" that they began cheating in 2007, immediately after the rule change granting home teams control of their footballs, which Brady personally petitioned for. They suddenly went from "league average" to "off-the-charts" in the fumble department: http://www.sharpfootballanalysis.com/blog/2015/the-new-england-patriots-...
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Bobby Thompson's home run in 1951 was on a pitch that was spied on from the Giant bullpen denying the Dodgers a pennant so I am not surprised that Tom Brady and the Pats would do a similar thing to help them win.
I think the author makes too much of this one event. (If it's discovered that Brady was knowingly using deflated balls all year, or in previous years, that's another level of cheating, and Brady's reputation should deservedly suffer.)
Brady has been one of the 2 best quarterbacks for 15 years (Peyton Manning is the other). One-half of one game using slightly deflated balls does not turn Brady into an A-Rod. Let's keep a little perspective. (And I say this as lifelong Jets fan whose son has a deep abiding hatred of Brady and the Pats.)
What's sad, though, is that as good as Brady has been for so long, he can't accept that at his age one's skills diminish, one's performance declines. Nothing lasts forever.
It's unfortunate when anyone cheats, but doubly so when the best team in football and the best QB do so. It raises doubt about their success, their character. It's like the 1% evading taxes.
Character and success often do not go hand-in-hand, whether in business, politics, or sports. Sad, but true, especially today, where true leaders are needed but missing. But that's what you get in a country that measures success by winning and how much money you have.
Brady has been one of the 2 best quarterbacks for 15 years (Peyton Manning is the other). One-half of one game using slightly deflated balls does not turn Brady into an A-Rod. Let's keep a little perspective. (And I say this as lifelong Jets fan whose son has a deep abiding hatred of Brady and the Pats.)
What's sad, though, is that as good as Brady has been for so long, he can't accept that at his age one's skills diminish, one's performance declines. Nothing lasts forever.
It's unfortunate when anyone cheats, but doubly so when the best team in football and the best QB do so. It raises doubt about their success, their character. It's like the 1% evading taxes.
Character and success often do not go hand-in-hand, whether in business, politics, or sports. Sad, but true, especially today, where true leaders are needed but missing. But that's what you get in a country that measures success by winning and how much money you have.
"Brady’s more-probable-than-not involvement in deflating those footballs means that he had lost faith in himself as an athlete and in his ability to accomplish amazing feats on the strength of his talent alone." Are you kidding? He's been doing this for years. Your comment is akin to saying that Gaylord Perry discovered the spit ball in his mid-40s.
what was the spitball doing in his mid-40s.
btw sir, you are no hemingway....
btw sir, you are no hemingway....
Brady is very aware of his legacy as one of the winning QBs in NFL history. I don't buy that he would smear his own reputation to knowingly deflate the balls. There is a bunch of circumstantial evidence but that does not make Brady guilty. Belichik, he is an "us against them" coach and that mindset permeates the organisation. If you think Brady feels the need to deflate the ball against the Colt 2014 defense, you are not following the game.
Even if they made Brady throw watermelons in that game, Indy would have still been beaten like a rented mule. But if it helps inadequately coached teams feel better to blame their problems on something other than inadequate coaching, let them have it.
Even though I am a true blue New York Giants fan since birth, I tend to root for the Patriots (except in certain Super Bowls) as a) I spent a little time living in the Boston area and b) especially since Tom Brady joined the team, they're fun to watch.
The QB grips the ball in a way no other ball-handling players do. He is going to be the one with the most intimate knowledge of how the ball feels in his grip, and, after having gripped a football many thousands of times, he's going to know immediately when the ball doesn't feel right. It's astonishing to me that Brady claimed he couldn't tell that the balls were under-inflated and that anyone believed him. It smelled bad from the start.
These findings are disappointing. The game of football is a beautiful thing when executed correctly and honestly. Stories of cheating (and really, did anyone doubt for a second that the Patriots were going to beat the Colts in that game?) and permanent injury put an indelible blemish on what used to be a terrific sport.
The QB grips the ball in a way no other ball-handling players do. He is going to be the one with the most intimate knowledge of how the ball feels in his grip, and, after having gripped a football many thousands of times, he's going to know immediately when the ball doesn't feel right. It's astonishing to me that Brady claimed he couldn't tell that the balls were under-inflated and that anyone believed him. It smelled bad from the start.
These findings are disappointing. The game of football is a beautiful thing when executed correctly and honestly. Stories of cheating (and really, did anyone doubt for a second that the Patriots were going to beat the Colts in that game?) and permanent injury put an indelible blemish on what used to be a terrific sport.
No one thinks this. Brady is in the pantheon of great football players. This is a ridiculous non-story.
Am a big Pats fan and WAS a big Brady fan until he dissed his teammates and the President when he didn't go to the White House (too important, Tom?). Sadly, the only advantage the deflated footballs gave Brady was probably psychological; he is a fanatical planner of his diet and preparation--sure sign he is afraid of his time passing. Tired of Perfect Tom
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Bill Bradley. Aaron Rogers. Just two of the past and present stars who've copped to under and over-inflating balls without their names being tarnished.
Give it a break people! Hand out a minimal fine and the rest of you get a grip and a life.
Give it a break people! Hand out a minimal fine and the rest of you get a grip and a life.
Unless it levels a just punishment, the NFL will continue to reinforce its reputation as a pro-rape, pro-spousal abuse, pro-drug, pro-cheating league -- more tarnished than the NBA, MLB, NHL and even FIFA, if you can imagine that.
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Wow, terrific assassination piece: slaughter by innuendo. Medea routs Achilles. Is this a taste of justice to come as women rise in the corporate & government worlds? NYT's masses sure seem to love it.
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The most serious fact disclosed by the Wells Report is Brady's refusal to cooperate with the investigation. If the NFL cares about the integrity of its process, it must punish this failure in a significant way. Not a one or two game suspension, but one that tells future subjects that if they wish to play in the NFL, they must conform to its rules, including its investigations.
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As a Saints fan, I really want to see how the league reacts to this. The Saints got hammered: Fines, draft picks, Yearlong suspensions. Let's see how cozy the league is with Brady and the Patriots.
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Report: --“it is more probable than not that Brady was at least generally aware of the inappropriate activities.”-- OMG! get the tar and feathers... Oh wait, that's what we have "journalists" for.
The author has clearly cracked the case: "he gripped the lectern so hard it looked as if he was trying to squeeze the life out of it... he appeared uncharacteristically uneasy... eats 80 percent alkaline foods and 20 percent acidic foods..." Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, do we really need to hear any more??
After reading the report and finding it fairly ambiguous as to what actually happened, I was ready to dismiss it as much ado about nothing. After all, I have watched Brady for 15 years behaving consistently as a stand-up guy, respectful and easily coachable, always taking responsibility for a loss, never criticizing his teammates, and showing the kind of leadership that is far too absent in modern sports. Fortunately, however, the author here was able to show me the error of my ways.
I can now see how Brady's "probable general awareness of inappropriate activities regarding slightly underinflated footballs that had no apparent effect on any outcome" means that his whole career had been a sham, and that he never could have accomplished anything without engaging in said "probable general awareness." I feel so betrayed!
Thank you Ms. Macur. Without your fair and balanced reporting, I never would have realized how I have been duped. I look forward to your next "exposé."
The author has clearly cracked the case: "he gripped the lectern so hard it looked as if he was trying to squeeze the life out of it... he appeared uncharacteristically uneasy... eats 80 percent alkaline foods and 20 percent acidic foods..." Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, do we really need to hear any more??
After reading the report and finding it fairly ambiguous as to what actually happened, I was ready to dismiss it as much ado about nothing. After all, I have watched Brady for 15 years behaving consistently as a stand-up guy, respectful and easily coachable, always taking responsibility for a loss, never criticizing his teammates, and showing the kind of leadership that is far too absent in modern sports. Fortunately, however, the author here was able to show me the error of my ways.
I can now see how Brady's "probable general awareness of inappropriate activities regarding slightly underinflated footballs that had no apparent effect on any outcome" means that his whole career had been a sham, and that he never could have accomplished anything without engaging in said "probable general awareness." I feel so betrayed!
Thank you Ms. Macur. Without your fair and balanced reporting, I never would have realized how I have been duped. I look forward to your next "exposé."
Every team cheats, every week. He who cheats best, wins. If you didn't know that, you've never played sports.
Horse hockey. The only thing that the report indicates regarding Brady is that he preferred game balls to not be OVER-inflated. He only took issue when
The balls were coming in at 16lbs/inch2 and is never seen to have demanded they be deflated less than the league standard.
The balls were coming in at 16lbs/inch2 and is never seen to have demanded they be deflated less than the league standard.
I love all the fake outrage. It's so selective and hilarious. Every team cheats every game. All the guys are using steroids, and no one cares or investigates. Heck, Ray Lewis was caught using performance enhancing drugs, antler spray, and nothing happened. This is just a chance to beat up on the best team and quarterback in the history of the NFL. Comes with the territory of being the best.
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I hate when sportswriters write about sports they have never played. It is then all an exercise in imagination. I am no Patriots fan but I believe that this is "much ado about nothing". Take a sportswriter like Juliet who tries to make the point that Tom's success is predicated on under inflated balls. I wonder when she last threw or caught a passed ball in a tackle football game or blocked for the passer, runner or receiver in said game? It has been a while for me, but when I did do all of the above I do not ever remember the inflation level of the ball. Also where were all of the different hundreds of players, refs, and sideline people who over the career of Tom Brady, in a sport that Juliet who has never played a down of, touched the ball, why did they not notice these under inflations until a playoff game late in his career, a career that according to Juliet is tainted?
Wow , the US is the world champion of cheaters : starting with Tiger Woods , Bary Bonds , Lance Amstrong , and now Brady . And before I forget George Brett , Clemens , Canseco etc etc !!
I guess we'll get to see how good he really is in the upcoming season, what with the heavy scrutiny and properly inflated footballs.
Nothing has changed in the sense that there are probably 4 or 5 teams you can expect to reach the Super Bowl every year and the Patriots will be one of them on the opening day of the season.
What has not changed is that every team in every sport looks for that edge and will continue to do so.
What will change is the other guy will be more likely to rat their opponent out to Sister Superior just to try to take up residence in their opponents head.
What has not changed is that every team in every sport looks for that edge and will continue to do so.
What will change is the other guy will be more likely to rat their opponent out to Sister Superior just to try to take up residence in their opponents head.
I'm a Patriots fan. Tom Brady is one of the greatest quarterbacks ever to play the game. Tom Brady is a whining, snot nosed little punk who throws temper tantrums if he doesn't get his own way.
Looking objectively, this report is vague and incomplete. Vague in the sense that it doesn't directly implicate Brady but suggested that he must have known. At least three prosecutors have written that they would not go to court and try a case based on the lack of direct evidence in this report.
Incomplete that it does not completely and adequately address the effect of weather on the balls, the fact that one ball was greatly overinflated after being checked by the referees and that some of the Colts balls were under inflated. While this information is in the report it doesn't seem to carry much weight.
I am old enough to have seen the Warren Commission On The Assassination Of President Kennedy start with a conclusion and work backwards. So this report does not surprise me.
On glaring omission in the report is no mention of the financial ties between Wells and the Commissioners office. Minor point.
Looking objectively, this report is vague and incomplete. Vague in the sense that it doesn't directly implicate Brady but suggested that he must have known. At least three prosecutors have written that they would not go to court and try a case based on the lack of direct evidence in this report.
Incomplete that it does not completely and adequately address the effect of weather on the balls, the fact that one ball was greatly overinflated after being checked by the referees and that some of the Colts balls were under inflated. While this information is in the report it doesn't seem to carry much weight.
I am old enough to have seen the Warren Commission On The Assassination Of President Kennedy start with a conclusion and work backwards. So this report does not surprise me.
On glaring omission in the report is no mention of the financial ties between Wells and the Commissioners office. Minor point.
Without pontificating too much it all boil down to something Machiavelli said some 500 years ago: If you can't win, cheat!
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I do not know how he could play with flat balls. You would think balls at the correct size would be more functional as well as more exciting to those watching him play.
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Somewhat disappointed if Tom knew and benefited by it. The Pats would have won that game by 3-4 TDs either way. But Brady is still one of the top 5 all-time, and if you just count those who have won 4 Super Bowls, one of top 3. Interestingly, Tom won two more Conference Championship games than either Bradshaw or Montana. He took his team to the SB two more times than they did. And as someone pointed out, demolished the Colts in the second half using fully inflated balls.
1
Why wouldn't the NFL play a football game with one ball and stop this situation from happening. Both teams play with the same ball. Also, don't forget a under inflated football is easier to intercept.
1
Big deal. So what. Move on. We are a society that accepts minor cheating in Sports, among other things. Why care so much about this misstep when the NFL stumbles so badly on steroids, gambling and domestic violence. No one will care about Deflate gate in 6 months, rightfully so.
The same thing with boxing and like everything else that is happening in this country: money exonerates everything.
What will become of us.
What will become of us.
NO DEBATE AT ALL--- Brady would have won even if it was a watermelon coated in oil!
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Perhaps someone could explain why the Officiating Crew did not, upon realizing that the game balls were ---in a violation of protocol--- not where they were supposed to be prior to the start of the AFC Championship Game and instead had already been taken to the field (i.e. the chain of custody had been broken) :
1)detect at that point that the balls were under-inflated ?
2)return the balls to the locker room, re-test them and re-inflate them?
BTW, I'm not defending NE or Tommy Boy in any way. Based on the report its hard to say this was anything other than a conspiracy to cheat.
And BTW, anybody else wonder why the NFL released this today, instead of sitting on it longer and waiting for an opportunity to have it overshadowed by other events/news?
1)detect at that point that the balls were under-inflated ?
2)return the balls to the locker room, re-test them and re-inflate them?
BTW, I'm not defending NE or Tommy Boy in any way. Based on the report its hard to say this was anything other than a conspiracy to cheat.
And BTW, anybody else wonder why the NFL released this today, instead of sitting on it longer and waiting for an opportunity to have it overshadowed by other events/news?
It's all bound up in our current obsession with greed and willingness to lie and cheat to get the money. This week it is Wells Fargo Bank and Manny Pacquaio's alleged shoulder injury. Earlier it has been a laundry list of other celebrities, corporations and CEO's. We all know their names. In baseball it has been steroids. Who really is the true home run king? Who knows? Now, who really is the greatest Superbowl Champion quarterback? Who knows?
When my class of 5th graders is in awe of people like Mayweather and Winston--abusive men and terrible role models--deflated footballs is the last thing I care about. The focus should be about the tacit endorsement by the NFL and our culture at large of sexual assault and domestic violence. That is the true crime.
Yes, it indeed was more probable than not that it was the balls' pressure that caused the Colts to lose by a score, nowhere mentioned in this article, of 45 to 7. And since we're going with character assassination rather than science why isn't it more probably than not Tom Brady's fault that 3 of the 4 Colts balls checked at halftime were under-inflated as well, an inconvenient fact also nowhere mentioned here. Homers, please...
He will be 38 when the season begins. It's time for New England to cut him loose. Great organizations WIN with big moves. He's at the end of his career. He has been winning in all likelihood by cheating. They replaced Bledsoe, who no one thought was going anywhere, certainly not replaced, with this 6th round draft pick and they won with Brady (probably not cheating in his early days). It's time to cut Brady and search for a big move/trade to make. What Pete Rose did in baseball pales in comparison to this--baseball banned Rose for life (WAY harsh if you ask me)....Rose bet ON his team (and often lost the bet) and on other teams not involving the Reds. Brady cheated in his own games. It's time the Pats finally take the high road for once in their organizational history--dump Brady and show some integrity. At best Brady has 1-3 seasons left anyway and more often than not those last years are not the ideal seasons for the aging QB. It's a win win for the Pats in a bad situation
when there's so much money at stake, nothing surprises me! It's the same for both athletes and politicians. Anyone who things both aren't cheating is incredibly naive!!
And then there is Super Bowl XXXVI. Kurt Warner, Marshal Faulk, and others have stated that "something" just didn't seem right. That the Patriots defense seemed to know the plays before they had time to execute them. Seems to be a serious kind of pattern that hS emerged.
1
Nothing is a more valuable commodity in this world than one's good name. Lose it, and you might as well have your identity stolen.
Ask Mike McGuire if his millions and the asterisk next to his home run statistic are worth his kids knowing he was a cheater.
Ask Mike McGuire if his millions and the asterisk next to his home run statistic are worth his kids knowing he was a cheater.
2
This is more of a reflection on the incompetence of Roger Goodell, the NFL and its management than of Tom Brady. Ted Wells is just a well paid excuse for Roger Goodell. The whole thing was nothing more than a premeditated sting operation and Ted Wells gave Goodell exactly what he wanted. Remember, an 'independent' investigator doesn't mean an 'unbiased, impartial' investigator. If I'm Tom Brady I'm suing the NFL for defamation of character. This is far from over and the NFL is going to get exposed after all is said and done.
What a crying shame! So much talent, capable of a brilliant career, without resorting to illegal practices.
Now all his accomplishments will be besmirched forever because at the end of the day he is (most probably) a cheater
Ary Kempler
Now all his accomplishments will be besmirched forever because at the end of the day he is (most probably) a cheater
Ary Kempler
Oh, Tom.
Does the psi air pressure in a football decrease significantly at lower temperatures, ie out on the field on a cool or cold day, vs. in the locker room? I haven't seen that commented on.
You notice he hasn't come out to dispute the findings!
Isn't it known that Whitey Ford threw spitballs? Did that diminish his legacy? Or is there one standard for NY athletes and another for Boston athletes? Or is cheating when you think you can get away with it universal?
1
Take away his ring! There needs to be a harsher penalty than a $500K fine to the team for cheating. I don't care if Tom Brady is considered the messiah of Football, if you blatantly cheat like this you shouldn't be allowed to win a Championship.
Here the NYT goes again on its campaign against the N.F.L. and its players. But Ms. Macur's attack on Tom Brady and his legacy is more likely than not without merit for one reason and is certainly without merit for another. The probably reason is that the NYT's reporting on the NFL is unreliable and is colored by some animus toward professional football. That's evidenced by its attempt to defame all N.F.L. players, as violent, domestic-abuse-committing thugs, when its own reporting showed that N.F.L. players, as a group, commit significant less violent crime of all types than other men, including domestic violence. So, take Ms. Macur's attack on Tom Brady with a shaker full of salt, until you either read the N.F.L.'s report for yourself or at least see how a variety of other news organizations report on it.
The certain refutation of Macur and defense of Tom Brandy's legacy, which I doubt that any player or coach or anyone who's played organized football will disagree with, is that, even if Brady's was an accessory to deflating his game balls by a few psi, that couldn't have had any significant affect on his ability to throw the football and/or his accomplishments on the field. The balls in the championship game were properly inflated, yet Brady was Brady. This deflating footballs or inflating footballs, which Aron Rogers supposedly likes, is just quarterbacks giving themselves a psychological edge, like carrying a rabbit's foot, and gives no more advantage than that.
The certain refutation of Macur and defense of Tom Brandy's legacy, which I doubt that any player or coach or anyone who's played organized football will disagree with, is that, even if Brady's was an accessory to deflating his game balls by a few psi, that couldn't have had any significant affect on his ability to throw the football and/or his accomplishments on the field. The balls in the championship game were properly inflated, yet Brady was Brady. This deflating footballs or inflating footballs, which Aron Rogers supposedly likes, is just quarterbacks giving themselves a psychological edge, like carrying a rabbit's foot, and gives no more advantage than that.
Would be helpful to know whether the equipment used to inflate and the equipment used to pressure-check the Patriot's footballs was properly calibrated and properly and reliably functioning. May also be significant who provided and who operated this equipment in carrying out these procedures.
I have not read the report, so this question may have been answered there. If the report fails to address these kinds of questions, the innocent occurrence question seems incompletely addressed and, at this point in time, probably unable to be resolved.
The scientific part of the report sounds as though it addresses results assuming properly and reliably adjusted and functioning equipment.
I have not read the report, so this question may have been answered there. If the report fails to address these kinds of questions, the innocent occurrence question seems incompletely addressed and, at this point in time, probably unable to be resolved.
The scientific part of the report sounds as though it addresses results assuming properly and reliably adjusted and functioning equipment.
Lance Armstrong, Barry Bonds, Tom Brady, and too many more to mention or that we don't know about. As my father was fond of saying, "There's too much money at stake for professional sports not to be fixed."
At last, our long national nightmare is over.
3
At the time Jerome Bettis, a man who knows something about the NFL, suggested that Brady should just "man up." Brady should have known that cover up attempts usually just make matters much worse.
I just read the Ted Wells report. My impression is that it's nothing but an opportunity to tarnish the legacy of Tom Brady and the NE Patriots. I suspect that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell hired Ted Wells because the other 31 NFL Teams exerted their influence so as to stick it to Tom Brady. I further suspect that Ted Wells had an agenda. Envy, jealousy and resentment played a major role in this report.
In the 2nd half of the AFL championship game, the balls were properly inflated. Brady was 12 of 14 passing with two touchdowns. I think the Pats scored 28 unanswered points. I am sure that the balls in Super Bowl were monitored closely. The Pats won the game.
Too much angst in this article over 2 psi. Sure, it's a rule and they broke it, and maybe Brady encouraged it (Whatever.). But do we really think the game was ruined by this? Hardly. Did it even provide an unfair advantage? Nope, since they didn't require the opposing quarterback to use their footballs -- and if anyone thinks Peyton Manning isn't perfectly pleased with how the Broncos prepare his footballs... well, they need to think again.
In fact, the rule itself is trivial, arbitrary and irrelevant. The integrity of the game of football does not depend on 12.5 psi, and if there's anything to wonder about in all of this it's why -- if it mattered so much to their star -- the Patriots didn't just seek a rule change years ago (Idiots).
So enough of the baloney about a tarnished legacy (Pfffft). Or complaining about how Brady is a control freak. Did anyone ever think that he wasn't? Get real. We wouldn't have had the pleasure of watching him perform for all these years if he weren't.
In fact, the rule itself is trivial, arbitrary and irrelevant. The integrity of the game of football does not depend on 12.5 psi, and if there's anything to wonder about in all of this it's why -- if it mattered so much to their star -- the Patriots didn't just seek a rule change years ago (Idiots).
So enough of the baloney about a tarnished legacy (Pfffft). Or complaining about how Brady is a control freak. Did anyone ever think that he wasn't? Get real. We wouldn't have had the pleasure of watching him perform for all these years if he weren't.
1
So Tom Brady is the demon du jour. Today's reason to declare the end of America, the horrors of society and my god, what about the children!!!???
America has survived Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Lance Armstrong. I'm pretty sure we'll survive Tom Brady, too.
America has survived Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Lance Armstrong. I'm pretty sure we'll survive Tom Brady, too.
So now we have the "Everyone does it" grouping. i may not be a Pats fan but it can't feel too good joining that group. The first aster ix i remember was roger Maris' 61 HR in 162 games as opposed to 154. What i find ironic is the fact that those players were breaking records while smoking, drinking and carousing their careers away. Now we have these healthy "ripped" athletes who need some sort of "edge" to out do one another rather than direct honest competition. So is this what i teach my grand children?
1
The author was wrong saying that, in 2007, the Patriots got fined because "a staff member was caught videotaping defensive signals.” They were fined because of where the camera was located. You can, in the NFL, film the opponent's signals. Explain to me why this makes a difference, I'm listening.
Now we have an issue that is so important that most people, including people in the NFL, didn't even know the rule; that other QB's have admitted to having the ball outside the limits and nothing happened to them; that when the officials were apprised of the issue before the championship game, they couldn't even bother writing down the pressures in each ball; that, in the first half, when the balls were supposedly deflated after the officials measured the pressure, the Patriots scored 17 points and after they were adjusted upwards, the Patriots scored 28 points against the Colts; that if the "integrity of the game" would be questioned, why weren't the Patriots notified of the issue before the game instead of playing a game of "gotcha" at halftime? Could it have something to do with Former NY Jets director of operations Mike Kensil, who was furious when Belichick quit the Jets and went to work for the Patriots, being behind the NFL investigation, just like the 2007 controversy being the result of the Jets' coach complaints? The report is 243 pages (full of weasel words, suppositions and insinuations) the Ray Rice domestic violence report was 96. Priorities?
Losers whine. Next?
Now we have an issue that is so important that most people, including people in the NFL, didn't even know the rule; that other QB's have admitted to having the ball outside the limits and nothing happened to them; that when the officials were apprised of the issue before the championship game, they couldn't even bother writing down the pressures in each ball; that, in the first half, when the balls were supposedly deflated after the officials measured the pressure, the Patriots scored 17 points and after they were adjusted upwards, the Patriots scored 28 points against the Colts; that if the "integrity of the game" would be questioned, why weren't the Patriots notified of the issue before the game instead of playing a game of "gotcha" at halftime? Could it have something to do with Former NY Jets director of operations Mike Kensil, who was furious when Belichick quit the Jets and went to work for the Patriots, being behind the NFL investigation, just like the 2007 controversy being the result of the Jets' coach complaints? The report is 243 pages (full of weasel words, suppositions and insinuations) the Ray Rice domestic violence report was 96. Priorities?
Losers whine. Next?
I say "Much Ado About Nothing," and this from a lifetime 49er/Y.A. Tittle, John Brodie, Billy Kilmer, Joe Montana fan. Yes, I agree that Brady was most likely "in on it." When Deflategate first aired, several former NFL QB's went on record saying that most teams or all teams participated in this type of chicanery at one time or another. Do most professional athletes look for a competitive edge? From NASCAR tiregates to Tour de France blood doping to MLB PEDs I think the answer is Yes. It's systemic in human society: the need to be #1 at all costs. So is projecting and putting the Big Spotlight on a "tainted" Hero. I'm not being an apologist for breaking the rules - Cheating in Ms Macur's parlance - I'm creating a context. I don't condone but I darn well understand it. Let those who are without sin, those who have never broken the rules, cast the first stones.
Absolute hogwash. His legacy as one of the best is completely intact. If you were building an all-time championship team, and you didn't put him the mix with Montana it would only mean that you know nothing about football. The respectability of the sports journalism at the Times is what has taken a hit.
Wow, Brady and Patriots haters are really, really excited about this one.
I'm not defending it (if it's true, which the report didn't state clearly), but:
(1) deflated footballs alone don't account for the career Brady has had (presumably most of the games he's played didn't happen in the rain, so deflated footballs wouldn't have helped)
(2) The writer gives away their bias by referring to Belichek's "kooky" play - would that be the one that was completely within the rules and totally confused the opposing team so much that they whined about a legal play? That one?
I'm not particularly a Patriots fan, but let's keep things in perspective.
Ok, never mind, that's not what people do these days, even apparently Times writers.
I'm not defending it (if it's true, which the report didn't state clearly), but:
(1) deflated footballs alone don't account for the career Brady has had (presumably most of the games he's played didn't happen in the rain, so deflated footballs wouldn't have helped)
(2) The writer gives away their bias by referring to Belichek's "kooky" play - would that be the one that was completely within the rules and totally confused the opposing team so much that they whined about a legal play? That one?
I'm not particularly a Patriots fan, but let's keep things in perspective.
Ok, never mind, that's not what people do these days, even apparently Times writers.
Here's a fact about that AFC championship game: The score at halftime was 17-7 Patriots. That's the half played with under-inflated balls. When the Colts complained before halftime, the balls were examined, found low, and inflated to league standards. With fully-inflated balls, the Patriots scored 21 points in the third quarter and 7 more in the fourth. The Patriots defense didn't allow the Colts to score again. Final score, 45-7. So what was the "advantage" that the under-inflated balls gave the Patriots?
If an NFL team commits a false start, the play is called back and 5 yards is assessed. This is true whether or not it's clear that it affected the play. If Brady committed a penalty on every play the deflated balls were in use, it would've been a completely different game. If the Patriots didn't score in the first half and the Colts had gotten the ball a bunch more times, it could've been a different game. But normally there's a rule of repose in sports. If the misconduct is only discovered later (e.g. ineligible players in NCAA tournament games) and is fundamentally contrary to the rules, some kind of retroactive forfeiture is imposed. If not, there's usually something assessed like a fine or a suspension and the world moves on. I'm not a Patriots' fan, but while I think what Brady did is sad, as good as he is and as much money and acclaim as he has, I don't think this is much more than, say, a pitcher scuffing the baseball with a ring or belt buckle until he gets caught, and maybe he's thrown out of a game and fined. I don't think the game would be forfeited unless there was an active coverup by the team. A lot of sports is searching for the edge and daring the other team and/or officials to call you on it. Basketball players for decades invented ways to carry the ball without being called for traveling, until the rules were changed because the game is more attractive with "crossovers", etc. I'd suspend Brady for a couple of games next season.
Is this another strike against sports, where athletes do everything they can to cheat so that they can make more money, forcing TV networks to pay more for the rights to show them so that they can make more money, and forcing cities all over America to build new stadiums so that the owners can make more money, in turn sticking taxpayers and pay-TV subscribers with the bill for all this?
More probable than not.
More probable than not.
After reading about how he handled the situation with the ball he used on the pass that broke 50,000 yards (p. 90), I don't think he has any compunction about lying to his 'fans'.
1
truly, truly awful... right after I'm done concerning myself over the earthquake destruction in Nepal, human trafficking off the coast of Myanmar, drowning refugees from Libya, ISIS victims in Iraq, crime and corruption in Venezuela, ebola orphans in W. Africa and nuclear bombs in the control of Kim Jong - un,
the future of Tom Brady will be my number one worry
the future of Tom Brady will be my number one worry
1
So, another sports champion, Tom Brady, one whose skills would have taken him almost as far anyway, turns out to be another liar and cheater. Wow, what is it about today's narcissistic culture where plenty is never enough for these fame-greedy celebrities? He is married to one of the most beautiful women in the world, Giselle Bundchen, has one of the most enviable records as a quarterback in the NFL, but all this wasn't enough for him. Turn the bums out, I say. He and Lance Armstrong can go hang out together.
1
Gee NFL..You trust each team to take care of its own footballs and are surprised when they get tampered with? Are we dealing with boy scouts or multi-million dollar contracts?
It was wrong and TB is probably guilty, but you're the ones who never bothered to consider that the balls might be tampered with. NE easily won the Super Bowl so, yeah, fine them or whatever you feel is necessary, but just remember this analogy...
When the kid takes the family car and crashes it for a second time, who blindly trusted the kid to not take the car for a joy ride again?
It was wrong and TB is probably guilty, but you're the ones who never bothered to consider that the balls might be tampered with. NE easily won the Super Bowl so, yeah, fine them or whatever you feel is necessary, but just remember this analogy...
When the kid takes the family car and crashes it for a second time, who blindly trusted the kid to not take the car for a joy ride again?
3
Tom Brady, graduate of Junipero Serra HS in San Mateo, is still a hero of sorts in the SF Bay Area. However, this news is paradoxically welcome here because it preserves Joe Montana's crown as the NFL's greatest quarterback. This is a sad way to settle that issue.
Oh come on. I don't like the Pats but this is really just too much. The Pats really trashed the Colts once the NFL stepped in with properly inflated balls. I just find this to be absurd. And again, I am no fan, whatsoever, of the Pats but I just cannot work up outrage about this. The Pats did not win because of air pressure. They won because they prepared like h&ll and Malcolm Butler made the play of his life when he needed to.
3
Cheating, the All-American way. From pro ball to cycling to Wall St, HFT & subprime scams, from Jeb Bush FL 2000 to GWBush/Cheney invasions … lots of models for kids to look up to.
Tom, say hello to your new friend Lance Armstrong.
1
A cheat is a cheat . . . but weren't both teams playing with the same ball?
Each team has its own balls, so to speak.
No, each team supplies it's own balls.
Maybe it's true that Brady didn't know McNally's name; he might only have known him by his nickname: "Hey, Tom."--"Hey, Deflator, what's up?"
If you cheat a lot you expose your team to obvious attention.
If you cheat a little bit you expose your team to risk for little gain.
Don't cheat.
If you cheat a little bit you expose your team to risk for little gain.
Don't cheat.
As best I can remember, not even the Pittsburgh Steelers during the Chuck Noll/Terry Brsdshaw/Franco Harris/Mean Joe Greene era of the '70s, were capable of garnering the reputation- real or perceived;
justified or not; for being the cheaters (stealing signs from the Jets);welchers (strong word, granted. But, the way owner Robert Kraft led the city of Hartford, Connrcticut to believe he was planning to move the team there-only to announce when it all but looked like a done deal, he was staying in Foxboro after all); back-stabbers ( when Bill Belechick was announced at a press conference, that he was to become the Jets' new head coach, only to stun everyone by announcing he was essentially "defecting" to join the Pats' as their head coach); and now this...
If it were up to me, the New England Patriots would be stripped of their Super Bowl title, and Kraft would be banned from all day- to-day business dealings and forbidden to do so by proxy,; Belechick, and Brady suspended for the entire upcoming season.
justified or not; for being the cheaters (stealing signs from the Jets);welchers (strong word, granted. But, the way owner Robert Kraft led the city of Hartford, Connrcticut to believe he was planning to move the team there-only to announce when it all but looked like a done deal, he was staying in Foxboro after all); back-stabbers ( when Bill Belechick was announced at a press conference, that he was to become the Jets' new head coach, only to stun everyone by announcing he was essentially "defecting" to join the Pats' as their head coach); and now this...
If it were up to me, the New England Patriots would be stripped of their Super Bowl title, and Kraft would be banned from all day- to-day business dealings and forbidden to do so by proxy,; Belechick, and Brady suspended for the entire upcoming season.
1
"Brady’s more-probable-than-not involvement in deflating those footballs means that he had lost faith in himself as an athlete and in his ability to accomplish amazing feats on the strength of his talent alone. It shows that he — the Patriots’ trusty No. 12 — has been doubting himself."
I believe Brady knew what was going on, but this paragraph goes too far. Perhaps Brady has been doing this all along and his confidence is unchanged. And what about Aaron Rodgers asking for heavily inflated balls? Or the NY Giants special preparation for balls (as detailed in this paper)?
The author's conclusion may sell papers, but it's a stretch.
I believe Brady knew what was going on, but this paragraph goes too far. Perhaps Brady has been doing this all along and his confidence is unchanged. And what about Aaron Rodgers asking for heavily inflated balls? Or the NY Giants special preparation for balls (as detailed in this paper)?
The author's conclusion may sell papers, but it's a stretch.
1
Tom,
Do the right thing, for yourself, your team, the NFL and your kids and come clean. Then you can finally put it behind you and focus in the future. Lying and misrepresenting one's self never pays off in the end. It's a bad example and not the way you want to lead your life.
Do the right thing, for yourself, your team, the NFL and your kids and come clean. Then you can finally put it behind you and focus in the future. Lying and misrepresenting one's self never pays off in the end. It's a bad example and not the way you want to lead your life.
Thats the smoking gun? "...at least generally aware" ?? Why its, its, its Clintonesque! What was the score of that game again? Must have been a real cliffhanger. One can only hope that Wells really soaks the NFL for this mock serious report - after all the league got off easy on a few in the last couple of years.
1
Yes, that game's score was very lopsided. I wonder if the under-inflated balls had anything to do with that? And if yes, how much it effected the final score. Could be one of those "Unknown unknowns."
Brady played better with fully inflated balls, in the game in question. The NFL plays games with brains and human beings' lives.
1
Every player is looking for something to exploit in order to gain a competitive advantage. In this case it would be more mental than physical because any one who has thrown a football knows that if those balls were kept as warm as possible that makes them significantly easier to throw than if they were slightly deflated. Tom Brady's legacy is just fine
Seems that if the NFL had some back bone, it would strip both the Super Bowl and the MVP from the Patriots and Brady, respectively. Or, will they reward the cheaters? I predict a slap on the wrist, maybe losing a draft pick, maybe a practice? Shame on the NFL.
The tone of an organization is set from the top. If Governor Christie is a bully, then his minions will be petty bullies. If Belicheat cheats whenever he thinks he will not be caught, then his minions will cheat. Brady is of course a cheat.
Do each teams use a different set of balls? I mean like BYOB - bring your own balls?
1
Did Jerry Jones select the way he might make Romo significant by trying to destroy others, it's more probable than not. Is the NYT tired of having the home team lose, it's more probable than not. Are most coaches tired of losing because Belichick is smarter than they are, it's more probable than not. Did the Patriots score LESS in the first half when the balls were 'deflated', That, my friends is true!
1
.
hoo boy
just remember to use these * symbols liberally
'season-leading rusher' * (beat his girlfriend before every other game)
'most sacks' * (obviously ate steroids like they were going out of style)
'longest punt return' * (back in jail due to off-season drug dealing)
etc.
it's a slippery slope, my friend, when everybody's behavior is under the microscope
.
hoo boy
just remember to use these * symbols liberally
'season-leading rusher' * (beat his girlfriend before every other game)
'most sacks' * (obviously ate steroids like they were going out of style)
'longest punt return' * (back in jail due to off-season drug dealing)
etc.
it's a slippery slope, my friend, when everybody's behavior is under the microscope
.
1
How does "more probably than not" differ in meaning from "probably"? Did somebody imagine a nuance there? Maybe somebody deflated a copyeditor.
"More probably than not..."???? So that's the new standard for deciding truth? You had better pray that you are never in the dock. Opinion as truth. That's very, very sad. That's very, very scary.
1
This article demonstrates why innocent people go to prison.
1
Ms. Macur is paid to make inflammatory accusations against sports figures (see her previous year of articles), so it's no surprise that she's chosen to parrot the simple-minded assessment of Patriot haters. However, the facts are that the underinflated balls were removed at halftime, and the Patriots went on to dominate the second half of the game in question. The inconvenient truth is that whatever was done to the balls had no bearing on the game result. Yeah, the Patriots tried to get an advantage (just like a pitcher trying to scuff a ball), but the fact is, what they did wasn't exactly serious cheating, as Macur and so many others claim---it was pretty mild, and didn't have any bearing on the score. Shrug.
3
The report sounds more than thorough. And really: the guy has handled how many thousand footballs; his career depends on his touch and expertise; and he's one of the very top in this field. But his fingers can't tell him when the ball is wrong?
The question for fans (and the league) to answer is, Do we want our sports figures to be upright and honest? Or do we only care whether they win?
The fans' answer is with their wallets. If fans buy tickets and merchandise, and watch the games on tv, then those in charge have no reason to enforce rules or change behavior.
But if we care about more than winning, we have to demonstrate that loud and clear.
The question for fans (and the league) to answer is, Do we want our sports figures to be upright and honest? Or do we only care whether they win?
The fans' answer is with their wallets. If fans buy tickets and merchandise, and watch the games on tv, then those in charge have no reason to enforce rules or change behavior.
But if we care about more than winning, we have to demonstrate that loud and clear.
1
Even if he did cheat, where were the refs who also handled the balls. Didn't they feel anything different? What does it say about their professionalism?
Brady goes to his left. He is surrounded by large creatures bent on his destruction. He goes to his right and finds himself in the same situation. Somehow he goes to the middle and is protected for just two seconds and he needle throws for thirty yards through three opponents and hits his receiver flat in his mid section for a touchdown. "Good God," did you see that. Soft or hard, WHO CARES.
1
Who cares? Well, obviously the NFL cared enough to investigate. Remember too, the Patriots have cheated before. If people feel sporting events are rigged, they stop caring. Witness boxing. How many World Champions do we create before we stop caring?
The NFL had better care, at the prices they charge. I would hope that Boston mothers care enough not to let sons wear jerseys with Brady's name on the back.
Yes, Brady is a phenomenal athlete. All the more reason to be disgusted by his lack of confidence in himself and his team.
The NFL had better care, at the prices they charge. I would hope that Boston mothers care enough not to let sons wear jerseys with Brady's name on the back.
Yes, Brady is a phenomenal athlete. All the more reason to be disgusted by his lack of confidence in himself and his team.
New England and Brady did not have cheat to win, a great franchise and a Hall of Fame QB,,but they did. On at least two different occasions. So instead of getting the recognition of being one of the greatest franchises of all times and one of the greatest quarterbacks they will instead be surrounded evermore in controversy,
The Barry Bonds and A-Rod of pro football, cheaters will unlimited talent who lacked the confidence to play fair. I am so disappointed but the report is damning. It makes me appreciate the guys who do it the right way, like Payton Manning and Derek Jeter. Maybe I'm naive but it was proven Manning deflated game balls and Jeter took steroids I would call it a day and start watching bowling. It would be too much to bear.
The Barry Bonds and A-Rod of pro football, cheaters will unlimited talent who lacked the confidence to play fair. I am so disappointed but the report is damning. It makes me appreciate the guys who do it the right way, like Payton Manning and Derek Jeter. Maybe I'm naive but it was proven Manning deflated game balls and Jeter took steroids I would call it a day and start watching bowling. It would be too much to bear.
1
Performance-enhancing deflation (PED) isn't much of a crime.
Just watched Total Access and their reporter clarified what, exactly, "more probable than not" means. It is, it turns out, the wording required by the NFL in findings of wrongdoing. It's the precise wording the NFL requires and it means, in effect, guilty. So substitute in "guilty" every time the phrase is used in the report. It's not the common use of the word probably as so many Pats fans are contending.
Tom Brady is a pretty all-American boy with a supermodel wife and hundreds of millions of dollars.
And a cheater.
God Bless America.
And a cheater.
God Bless America.
3
The fact that the rules of the NFL allow for each team to maintain the inflation pressure of each ball and that it is never checked by the officials should tell everyone how little the NFL really cares about this fabricated scandal. The report was simply put together to appease the public.
Nobody really cares either way.
Nobody really cares either way.
Quite right. I understand the league used to use footballs straight out of the box with slippery coatings and heavy inflation. They changed it because because the quarterbacks complained and wanted the footballs 'adjusted' more to their liking [finish, pressure, etc.].
So why is anybody surprised at what happened?
If any 'discipline' is proposed for Brady that involves suspension, I expect he would appeal and win handily. I'll be very surprised if he missed any playing time. Of course, the hapless clubhouse guys may be out of luck....
So why is anybody surprised at what happened?
If any 'discipline' is proposed for Brady that involves suspension, I expect he would appeal and win handily. I'll be very surprised if he missed any playing time. Of course, the hapless clubhouse guys may be out of luck....
1
The premise of the article is wrong. Moreover the so-called 'investigation', which examined neither the NFL's failure to properly test the balls in the first place, nor the conspiracy against Brady/Belichick by two owners which started the whole brouhaha in the first place, is a hack job aimed at the league's favorite target Belichick/ Brady/Kraft. Not for the first time, it should be pointed out. They were previously singled out for 'cheating' by participating in a widely used practice around the league, filming other teams' practices.
The NFL should lose its anti-trust protection and be forced to clean up it's rather obviously disgusting act.
The NFL should lose its anti-trust protection and be forced to clean up it's rather obviously disgusting act.
Given the daily criminal activities of today's politicians, corp. thieves and financial mafia, deflating a football does really seem to matter.
The real crime is that the NFL charges so much money, and earns so much money, and pays incredibly hight salaries, yet, it's a non-profit organization! That alone is a crime!
From the weird coincidences file:
Tom Brady was a better quarterback since 2007 than he was before.
The Patriots' had a sudden decrease in fumbles starting in 2007 which has continued to the present.
in 2006 Brady successfully lobbied the NFL for each team to provide it's own offense's footballs.
It almost looks like Brady lobbied for a rule change 9 years ago with the full intention of taking advantage of it to cheat.
Or it could just be weird coincidences.
Tom Brady was a better quarterback since 2007 than he was before.
The Patriots' had a sudden decrease in fumbles starting in 2007 which has continued to the present.
in 2006 Brady successfully lobbied the NFL for each team to provide it's own offense's footballs.
It almost looks like Brady lobbied for a rule change 9 years ago with the full intention of taking advantage of it to cheat.
Or it could just be weird coincidences.
2
I agree with mike's earlier comment "Why should we care care?"
This is a professional endeavor which is meant to make money for everyone, but the fans. They pay to be entertained and it is clear this really is part of the entertainment.
This is a professional endeavor which is meant to make money for everyone, but the fans. They pay to be entertained and it is clear this really is part of the entertainment.
Why should we care?
Organizations rot from the top, from their leadership. The quarterback here was pretty clearly cheating, co-opting the integrity of lower level employees with memorabilia and shoes. As Bill Krause points out, in the world of strange co-incidences, it looks like he may have lobbied for a rule change so that he could cheat, thereby undermining the machinery of the league.
Is it any co-incidence that weeks ago the Patriots watched a former teammate be convicted of murder? Clearly, the Patriots encourage a climate where rule following is optional. One day it is under inflated ball, another day it is someone's life.
Perhaps that is why we should care. Culture matters. Cheating matters.
Organizations rot from the top, from their leadership. The quarterback here was pretty clearly cheating, co-opting the integrity of lower level employees with memorabilia and shoes. As Bill Krause points out, in the world of strange co-incidences, it looks like he may have lobbied for a rule change so that he could cheat, thereby undermining the machinery of the league.
Is it any co-incidence that weeks ago the Patriots watched a former teammate be convicted of murder? Clearly, the Patriots encourage a climate where rule following is optional. One day it is under inflated ball, another day it is someone's life.
Perhaps that is why we should care. Culture matters. Cheating matters.
Fine, kick him out of the league for a slightly under inflated football.
I remember doing the same thing back in high school. I ordered our ball boy to let some air out of the ball (we only had one) and we still lost the game. Turns out that the other QB was throwing the very same ball.
1
except in this case, the other QB is not throwing the same ball
1
If the allegations in the NFL’s report about the New England Patriots are true then the whole team benefitted from using deflated footballs and the whole team owes a debt to the fans, which cannot be made up in fines or suspensions.
In older societies, a transgression against the community, and this is the heart of deflategate, would require a form of community sanction. Depending on the offense, the ostracism limited duration could be employed or it could last a lifetime. Think of the “Scarlet Letter.” Often transgressors would elect to leave the community to start over rather than face a lifetime of shame.
So since the team benefitted, the team should bear some responsibility and accept a penalty in kind. I suggest eliminating the possibility of first possession by the Patriots in any game for the totality of the 2015-16 season, including playoffs. This would eliminate the coin toss at the start of the game and cause the stadium announcer to state the obvious. Especially for away games this would give the fans, those most directly transgressed against, a chance to voice their displeasure.
While taking away New England’s ability to handle the ball first in any half would make it more difficult for it to win a game, the sanction would not make it impossible. The integrity of the game would be upheld and a form of social ostracism and demonstration of approbation would serve to demonstrate to all of the league and its fans, the gravity of the original transgression.
In older societies, a transgression against the community, and this is the heart of deflategate, would require a form of community sanction. Depending on the offense, the ostracism limited duration could be employed or it could last a lifetime. Think of the “Scarlet Letter.” Often transgressors would elect to leave the community to start over rather than face a lifetime of shame.
So since the team benefitted, the team should bear some responsibility and accept a penalty in kind. I suggest eliminating the possibility of first possession by the Patriots in any game for the totality of the 2015-16 season, including playoffs. This would eliminate the coin toss at the start of the game and cause the stadium announcer to state the obvious. Especially for away games this would give the fans, those most directly transgressed against, a chance to voice their displeasure.
While taking away New England’s ability to handle the ball first in any half would make it more difficult for it to win a game, the sanction would not make it impossible. The integrity of the game would be upheld and a form of social ostracism and demonstration of approbation would serve to demonstrate to all of the league and its fans, the gravity of the original transgression.
1
"Likely responsible"? That's an understatement! The only reason that Tom Brady isn't suspended for life is the fact that Robert Kraft has Roger Goodell in his hip pocket. He owns him. That is why they slow-walked this investigation until after the draft, so new England wouldn't lose draft picks this year. If Pete Rose was run out of baseball and refused entry in the Hall of Fame, Tom Brady and that crook Bill Belichick deserve the same. Belichick knows when the ball-boy passes gas, so he for sure knew about this. Brady and Belichick, two sides of the same crooked coin. This is worse than the Black Sox scandal.
He cheated. How is this any different from using PED's? In my opinion, it is not any different.
He also lied about it.
It will be interesting to see the Boston crowd defend him as they still boo Arod. I don't condone Arod but he has certainly not been the only cheater out there. Now there is someone else just as rich and pretty and famous to add to that list...or will Brady be given a pass?
He also lied about it.
It will be interesting to see the Boston crowd defend him as they still boo Arod. I don't condone Arod but he has certainly not been the only cheater out there. Now there is someone else just as rich and pretty and famous to add to that list...or will Brady be given a pass?
2
When you hear of players and coaches getting caught breaking the rules, it immediately makes you wonder, What else have they done that we didn't catch them doing?
Like ARod or Clemens, you know there was more cheating going on that wasn't discovered.
Like ARod or Clemens, you know there was more cheating going on that wasn't discovered.
No mention of deflated vs. non-deflated effectiveness. Quantify deflated. Does this mean receivers can catch deflated balls better than non-deflated? Does this mean the offensive line works better with deflated balls? Do athletes perform better? What does deflated mean? What's the point here?
Cheating is bad enough, but not coming clean about it will give us another Lance Armstrong moment. Will he take responsibility or will he let others take the fall? Lets see if he has as much integrity as his dad says he has.
2
Whether it's legal funny tactics like eligible or ineligible receivers in funky formations or clearly illegal tactics like deflate-gate, Tom Brady and the Patriots do everything they can to win.
This time they got busted.
This time they got busted.
1
Belichick and Brady should go hang out with Lance Armstrong. I think they'd all get along well.
If multi-millionaire coaches and millionaire assistants, allegedly the top minds in their fields, aren't smart enough to prevent opponents from "getting an edge" by skirting or bending the rules they and their teams deserve any disadvantage they experience. I'M SHOCKED, SHOCKED....
I am a physicist. My calculation of the pressure of a ball inflated to 12.5 psi in a 75 degree room, then taken outside to 45 degrees predicted by the ideal gas law is that the pressure on the field would be about 10.7 psi. The report points out, though, that the balls were measured at halftime back in a locker room, so we're back in warm air. But it also points out that they were in the locker room but a few minutes before the measurement. They were on the field for an hour or so during the first half - plenty of time to come to temperature equilibrium with the outside air. The balls would warm up a bit in a few minutes, but couldn't have equilibrated with the inside air. My guess is that the balls were inflated to the bare minimum, 12.5 psi. The experiments were done under poorly controlled conditions and not ALL of the relevant data were recorded (the temperature of the air in the ball). However, because times, pressures, and temperatures were recorded, the experiments can be repeated. Anybody try?
6
Mr Ross, Why then would the opposing teams balls still be "legal" but the Patriots were not? Do the laws of physics apply to both sides of the field the same?
1
So that equipment guy called himself "The Deflator"; why? Because of all the women he let down?
Good luck to Tom. He qb'd the first NFL softball team and they played and won* the 2015 AFL championship. He'll certainly go down in NFL history*.
Macur does not cite to a single line of the report. The report describes the details of what occurred. I recommend reading it, at least the early summary of the facts. This article doesn't explain a thing -- it's pure fluff.
Much ado about very little.
1
more than a little hyperbole in today's edition.
1
Despicable, unsportsmanlike, cheaters are the entire NE Patriots organization.
As a football fan for the last 30 some years I am done with NFL.
NFL is a corrupt organization ran by a corrupt and incapable commissioner who has mismanaged just about every issue that has reached his desk.
Super Bowl is bigger than Christmas in my household and Christmas is not to be taken lightly in my family. But no more... No more watching NFL games, going to NFL games or buying NFL gears.
Winning at all cost is not a value that we want to teach our children, but now I have to explain to my 11 and 13 year old sons what Brady and/or Belichick have been doing to win 4 Super Bowls: basically winning at any cost including breaking the rules and cheating.
As a football fan for the last 30 some years I am done with NFL.
NFL is a corrupt organization ran by a corrupt and incapable commissioner who has mismanaged just about every issue that has reached his desk.
Super Bowl is bigger than Christmas in my household and Christmas is not to be taken lightly in my family. But no more... No more watching NFL games, going to NFL games or buying NFL gears.
Winning at all cost is not a value that we want to teach our children, but now I have to explain to my 11 and 13 year old sons what Brady and/or Belichick have been doing to win 4 Super Bowls: basically winning at any cost including breaking the rules and cheating.
I don't get it. Didn't the refs all handle the balls. Didn't the other team handle the same balls. Seems like they were playing on "even turf"
No asterisk for the Super Bowl MVP awards - the NFL controls the balls for the SB, not to mention that his first two MVP awards came before the current set of rules that allows teams to control their own offensive footballs in all other games. That said, it's still disappointing that one of the best ever felt the need to break a rule that probably has only a minimal effect on game day performance.
You have to reach the Superbowl in order to be MVP. Maybe Lance Armstrong would've won without blood doping. But we'll never know will we? Cheating is cheating regardless of whether it truly changes the outcome or not. Cheating is a cancer to an organization like the NFL whose reputation relies on the perception of fair play. This cancer should be treated like any other and removed from the body.
Lower the pressure on all the footballs and call it an innovation.
Now to find the words to explain this to the ten and 12 year olds comprising Chicago's 2014 Jackie Robinson West Little League Team who were stripped of all their titles and wins for having used players deemed ineligible based on their residency, nevertheless living within the city limits.
Brady should step up to the plate and talk to those children.
Brady should step up to the plate and talk to those children.
Cheating in professional sports has been going on since athletes starting getting pay checks. Let's not fool ourselves and think this is an isolated incident or that the issue is limited to the Pats. The others just haven't gotten caught. It's like Lance Armstrong, when they took his titles away they couldn't give them to 2nd or 3rd place because they were already disqualified for doping. Welcome to reality.
Yep, as with any sport where mounds of money are heaped on star players, people will eventually decide they _have_ to keep winning.
Could he have thrown those touchdowns with properly inflated balls? Yes. And he did so in the second half, if you chose to stick with fact rather than conjecture. This report is nonsense, whether you believe the Patriots cheated or not. All of that time and money invested to say, "we don't know if they cheated but we think so" is not conclusive at all. Far better to say that the study was inconclusive and unable to establish a preponderance of evidence one way or the other.
I just have to laugh at the Pats fans who think that it really matters whether the game outcome was on the line. They cheated and they got caught. If they get away with it then it's a black eye for the entire league because it's the league's integrity that is on the line. This is not like holding or pass interference which could also be classified as cheating. This was premeditated and appears to have been going on for some time. This was not an act of desperation committed in the heat of battle. Plus New England is a repeat offender. If the NFL cares about its reputation then they will throw the book at Brady and the Patriots.
Never understood the adulation for Brady, going back to Michigan days. He always has seemed a shifty opportunist and something of a smarmy, smug con man.
I will never forget the Bledsoe business. Anytime a player is injured it is an unspoken rule that the player get his position back. Not with Bledsoe. I think Tom Brady was partly responsible for the horrible exit of Bledsoe.
Rather than getting too worked up and acting incredulous, maybe it's better for all of us - the writers, sportscasters and fans - to acknowledge that in a industry worth hundreds of billions of dollars and individual games with such great meaning and so little margin for error (in theory, at least - the Pats probably had plenty of margin to err against the Colts that night), that any player, coach and general manager will do whatever they think they can to gain an edge.
"Brady liked the ball at the lower end of the permissible range — closer to 12.5 pounds of pressure per square inch." This is not a news story, its a soap opera. Why are readers subjected to no clear certainty, but a bunch of probabilities?
Probably because Brady and the Patriots refused to cooperate with the investigation. Why should they be given the benefit of the doubt?
It's wishful thinking to think Tom Brady's long-term legacy will take a hit. No one will remember this ten years from now and probably very few ten months from now. I dislike Tom Brady and even I don't consider this a major indictment against his skill. He's prevailed in too many situations where he didn't have an "equipment advantage" to assert that this type of cheating has played a major role in his success.
Was this one of the best articles about football I've ever read? More probable than not. --Thanks for a great piece of writing, Juliet Macur!
Worse than the cheating is the fact he bullied others to do wrong FOR him. I don't know how you can get past that.
2
Winning at any cost is simply the American way. Fair is the concern of, you know, little people. Take note that 2014 was also a "bad year" for hedge fund managers. I'm sure Tom Brady will have just as bad a year in 2015 and needs to care about what we think about as much as those hedge fund guys.
After drafting Winston 1st and now this, the NFL is starting to make FIFA look like the ethical one.
The NFL's top quarterback cheats and its top 2015 draft choice assaults women, steals stuff and then jokes about the latter in his twitter feed after he's drafted. High standards NFL! It's the players that don't cheat, don't rape and don't stead that should be most angered. But what do we hear there? Crickets.
Tom Brady should be banned from the NFL, including entry in the hall of fame.
Isn't that the punishment handed out to Pete Rose if integrity of the game is under question? I'm convinced the commissioner is in Robert Kraft's pocket.
In fact, the league should require all footballs to be at the same psi. Why are their players racking up concussions while the rules are substandard? This is a black eye on all that played the game.
Isn't that the punishment handed out to Pete Rose if integrity of the game is under question? I'm convinced the commissioner is in Robert Kraft's pocket.
In fact, the league should require all footballs to be at the same psi. Why are their players racking up concussions while the rules are substandard? This is a black eye on all that played the game.
"Legacy takes a hit." He goes from being GOAT to GOAT no asterisk, just a question. A quick review of him marching the Pats (8-8 pass completions) for the winning drive against the most vaunted defense in football in The Super Bowl with the balls according to Hoyle more than makes it clear. I'm not surprised this article is from the land of The Giants and Jets.
Why is this article written in such a slack, frivolous and gleeful way?
The big question now is what punishment the NFL will dish out. Brady will have to be suspended for 5 game at the least.
This whole thing is so pathetic and depressing. It is as if Tom Brady and Bill Behlichick refused to grow up and be adults. They are forever stuck in high school.
Come on guys, get a grip, Tom Terrific just "misremembered."
He immediately became a victim of public opinion once he refused to relinquish his own personal emails and texts. What you got to hide, Tommy? Apparently a lot.
He immediately became a victim of public opinion once he refused to relinquish his own personal emails and texts. What you got to hide, Tommy? Apparently a lot.
as noted elsewhere in the nyt's "science: 1, patriots: 0".
yeah science.
yeah science.
Cheaters should be disciplined, but let's not act surprised.
Professional athletes who achieve Brady's level of success are hyper-competitive people. Even if you took the obscene money out of the game, there would still be athletes trying to sneak little advantages in every sport. It isn't just the athletes either; coaches are often the same way, and even league management. Baseball's leadership (and the beat writers) looked the other way for decade while steroids sold tickets, only to traffic in outrage now that the reality of what went on is known by the public.
Any ideal of sportsmanship has long been replaced by the ethic of "if you ain't cheatin', you ain't tryin'". The problem is this silly notion that sports stars are somehow supposed paragons of virtue, which leads to endless, hand-wringing articles like this one.
Professional athletes who achieve Brady's level of success are hyper-competitive people. Even if you took the obscene money out of the game, there would still be athletes trying to sneak little advantages in every sport. It isn't just the athletes either; coaches are often the same way, and even league management. Baseball's leadership (and the beat writers) looked the other way for decade while steroids sold tickets, only to traffic in outrage now that the reality of what went on is known by the public.
Any ideal of sportsmanship has long been replaced by the ethic of "if you ain't cheatin', you ain't tryin'". The problem is this silly notion that sports stars are somehow supposed paragons of virtue, which leads to endless, hand-wringing articles like this one.
2
Physics is only one perspective on this matter. Did anyone think to test the state of the inflation equipment just prior to or during the game, to assure it's proper calibration and functioning? Also, who is responsible for providing, checking and securing this equipment for the use by the persons who make use of it to inflate the game balls?
All balls for both teams were inspected by officials BEFORE the game and then given back to the teams. All balls were reinspected later and only the Patriots were not to standards
If this were college football, the NCAA could vacate New England's wins for the period in question, including the play-offs and Super Bowl. Just look at what happened to the University of Southern California.
The question is, does the NFL have the moral compass and courage to do so?
The question is, does the NFL have the moral compass and courage to do so?
"If this were college football, the NCAA could vacate New England's wins for the period in question, including the play-offs and Super Bowl. Just look at what happened to the University of Southern California. The question is, does the NFL have the moral compass and courage to do so?"
You put the words "NFL" and "moral compass" in the same sentence! C'mon man!
You put the words "NFL" and "moral compass" in the same sentence! C'mon man!
Rather than claim about asterisks, and play with "more probable than not" simply the NYT needs to write about sports with the same level of integrity as they write about other news.
Simply, where is the evidence? Which of Mr. Brady's statistics have been inflated by deflated balls? And to what an extent? What precise plays would he have failed otherwise? How come it seems that Mr. Brady performed not just as well, but actually better, when footballs were properly inflated?
And, can we state unequivocally that New England is the only team that had preferences on ball pressure and the only team that *might* have acted on them? Quite the contrary, quarterbacks want their footballs a certain way, and in general, everybody plays along because only said quarterback thinks it makes a difference... everybody just shrugs it off...
Until now, of course, but it has to be said that if football pressure is to be elevated to sacred status, and a byline turned into a crucial rule, from now on the league and its officials will need to measure, re-measure, and certify footballs and their chain of custody --something that they did not care to do as they too thought it irrelevant.
Yet something tells me that in this new environment Mr. Brady and the Patriots will continue to excel, to the furious chagrin of their detractors...
Simply, where is the evidence? Which of Mr. Brady's statistics have been inflated by deflated balls? And to what an extent? What precise plays would he have failed otherwise? How come it seems that Mr. Brady performed not just as well, but actually better, when footballs were properly inflated?
And, can we state unequivocally that New England is the only team that had preferences on ball pressure and the only team that *might* have acted on them? Quite the contrary, quarterbacks want their footballs a certain way, and in general, everybody plays along because only said quarterback thinks it makes a difference... everybody just shrugs it off...
Until now, of course, but it has to be said that if football pressure is to be elevated to sacred status, and a byline turned into a crucial rule, from now on the league and its officials will need to measure, re-measure, and certify footballs and their chain of custody --something that they did not care to do as they too thought it irrelevant.
Yet something tells me that in this new environment Mr. Brady and the Patriots will continue to excel, to the furious chagrin of their detractors...
Depressing indeed. Gee, are there no longer any people who rise with blessed success and more money that they could ever need, who are grateful and behave honorably? Instead they turn into a sort of meth head only substitute greed for drugs, a deepening lust for more, bigger, better but always more. It's everywhere. I didn't see this one coming. Truly gets one feeling badly.
Oh my hell! It's only a guy lying about a few pounds of air in a ball--not an impeachment hearing. If only you wrote so passionately and showed your disappoint in the NFL lying about its domestic abuse problem, drug addiction, and leaving fatherless children throughout the nation. Afterall, this is the same corporation that pays no taxes and covered up medical evidence of concussions. I don't condone Brady's actions, but your maudlin piece makes it sound like he broke your heart and is the greatest failure of an athlete known to man. This article "is more probably than not" short on psi.
1
Most teams try to get an unfair advantage, Al Davis notoriously put helium in the balls his kickers used. That's bad, but it's worse getting caught and the Patriots have had trouble with that. We really don't know if game balls were deflated in the Raven game the week before, but the Pats were life and death to win it so that's likely. Now that the NFL has done its investigation its findings can't be overlooked. Punishment has to be meted out, even the own accepts that. BTW the lying and coverup attempt by Brady only makes the punishment worse.
Why do they let a team handle the footballs for a game? Shouldn't the venue control all of the equipment to provide a level playing field if you will? I think the balls should be provided by an impartial source. Sorry if I am missing some major NFL protocols here. I just think a team's providing the balls is an opportunity to cheat, and here it has been taken advantage of.
Yes, I'm a Pat's fan, but I'm also a thirty-year devoted reader of the Times, and I've never seen the paper stoop this low, pandering to an audience that belongs with another NYC paper. This, quite simply, isn't journalism, although it's presented as such: in fact, it's wildly prejudiced opinion. It may be that Brady lied--and that's a significant thing that I assume will find a reckoning, if it turns out to be so--but to suggest, snidely, that his legacy as a quarterback is to be called in question based on this report is absurd, particularly without bothering to mention that all the Colts' balls measured that night were also under-inflated. Subscription cancelled. What a sad day for the Times and for respectable journalism generally.
3
"More probable than not..." In other words the preponderance of evidence, shows that Brady cheated.
2
Maybe it is time for a mea culpa. I know--we don't apologize in our society, but it would be refreshing to hear one for a change.
More likely we will just hear more denials, excuses, etc.
More likely we will just hear more denials, excuses, etc.
15
That's changed. We apologize all the time now. Usually after we're caught. And then we don't really mean it.
Perhaps years of being tackled has caused some damage to his brain. By ignoring the 'soft' footballs Mr. Brady has shown very poor judgement. He should retire.
10
Well, as a Patriots fan this is not easy to read, but I think Juliet has it right. Brady has diminished his legacy by pushing past the edge of the rules. The only good I can get out of this is the object lesson for my daughter - no matter how much money or fame you have, a damaged reputation is very hard to repair. So be very thoughtful about the decisions you make.
Brady's a great quarterback and by all reports a good guy. But crossing this line is going to cost him big time.
Brady's a great quarterback and by all reports a good guy. But crossing this line is going to cost him big time.
85
Entropic: yours is one of the better reasoned comments I've read here. Like you, I've always liked Tom Brady and admired his play. So, this whole thing makes me a bit sad . I don't know what bothers me more, his apparent cheating or his apparent lying about it. If he did cheat and if he had quickly admitted it and taken his punishment , the incident might have actually enhanced his legacy.
9
I've just read the Times' article, but has anyone raised the question as to just how long has he been doing this? Are we to believe that this just suddenly occurred during the last few games of the 2014 season? As great as his record is can this be just a one time "mistake"
When I first heard about this I thought it was ridiculous. Why would such a superstar of football player pull such a stunt? Has he become too arrogant or influenced by his coach's win-at-any cost attitude? Take away his Super Bowl ring and his bonus money. He doesn't deserve it. And put an asterisk beside his name so that history will reflect that he cheated.
35
The Jets cheated by tampering with Revis, right? So let me hyperventilate like many commentators. The Jets are cheaters, cheaters, cheaters! They should be banned from winning the Super Bowl! No, they should be banned from playing - they should just forfeit every game from now until eternity! Cheaters, cheaters, cheaters! Liars, liars, liars! Scumbags!
C'mon guys, not every misdeed is a felony.
C'mon guys, not every misdeed is a felony.
16
no, but every misdeed is an offence and ought not be swept aside with the waive of the hand.
at the same time this type of thing has been around in football since pop warner. it's as if it were part of the game itself.
at the same time this type of thing has been around in football since pop warner. it's as if it were part of the game itself.
In the midst of a blow out, why would he cheat?
Makes you wonder if any shenanigans happened in much closer games like stealing calls in the most recent Super Bowl.
It's a game, yes. But for Tom Brady, it's also his profession. If he cheats, he's a professional cheater.
Makes you wonder if any shenanigans happened in much closer games like stealing calls in the most recent Super Bowl.
It's a game, yes. But for Tom Brady, it's also his profession. If he cheats, he's a professional cheater.
1
We're talking about the Patriots, not the Jets.
1
We absolutely need a congressional investigation, with weeks of hearings. That is, once our politicians get to the bottom of baseball steroids and other pressing matters they've taken on.
12
If you hire a law firm they will couch their work product in legal methods and language. I'm surprised so many evaluate the report as farcical guess work. If you read throuh the legal language its judgment is very clear and unambiguous, Brady was in on it.
66
Obviously you are a Seahawks fan. I can understand that. However, there is no scientific data provided in this report. NONE AT ALL. It is all speculation based on some text messages. The Ideal Gas Laws do give data for a drop in pressure due to ambient temperature changes. That is a fact. The drop was enough to go below the regulation limit. I did the calculations myself. This article states that science refutes the Ideal Gas Law, but with NO SCIENTIFIC DATA provided. They did NO SCIENTIFIC experiments as part of this evaluation for the NFL. There is no "there" there. It is purely a political witch hunt, initiated by a Sea Hawks equipment manager after they lost the Super Bowl. Sour grapes, poor sportsmanship, and a smear against a very decent guy.
We pay these trolls so much money, I can understand the temptation to cheat. Remove the ludicrous money, and you will get more Tom Landry's and Johnny Unitases.
6
When "deflategate" broke, the owner Robert Kraft immediately tried to raise the bar as to the level of proof that would be required. Even though the accepted standard in a civil matter is "more likely than not", Kraft self-righteously said he would demand an apology if it was not "definitively proved".
Kraft did the same thing today saying that there wasn't any " incontrovertible or hard evidence". Mr. Kraft has tried to force the NFL to meet an impossible standard that has no precedence in law. I can only conclude that he knew what the evidence was from the very beginning.
Kraft did the same thing today saying that there wasn't any " incontrovertible or hard evidence". Mr. Kraft has tried to force the NFL to meet an impossible standard that has no precedence in law. I can only conclude that he knew what the evidence was from the very beginning.
49
Especially when his star player, Brady, refused to cooperate in the investigation. You would think that, if the allegation was "ridiculous", Brady should have fully cooperated in the search for truth.
28
Good thing our legal system doesn't work on "more likely than not."
Kraft is diminishing himself every time he opens his mouth. His disappointment is understandable, but he's got to realize the integrity of the game is at the heart of its business model. The owners are on a slippery slope of losing their credibility and the game as golden goose is at stake - there are too many loose issues to be a loose cannon about.
After he retires, Tom Brady has a great future career as a New Jersey Governor, and we can ask whether he had knowledge of the mischief his underlings were undertaking on his behalf.
69
because both of these stories are more important than a cabinet secretary who may have sold her office to foreign interests illegally.
Give it a rest. Not everything is partisan politics. This nonsense is pathetic.
Yes, I'm a Bostonian. But I have to say this looks like "Patriot derangement syndrome". Footballs inflated or deflated by a few PSI? Foolishness. What the league isn't saying is that every team does this. And more. If deflated footballs (or inflated footballs) were a serious advantage, the league would be much more controlling in monitoring the PSI of game balls. But they are not - - because it is not. NFL solution: Next season it will.
26
What a dumb comment. Yeah he cheated but so does everyone else? Yeah he cheated but it didn't really help?
Drink the Patriots coolaid much?
Is this the standard you would set for your kids?
Drink the Patriots coolaid much?
Is this the standard you would set for your kids?
1
Failure to see the corruption makes you corrupt too.
1
Yes, your reasoning is explained by your fandom.
1
Simply a reflection on our societies faults and shortcomings, not just Brady and the NFL.
7
I nominate Brady for the Lance Armstrong Sportsmanship Award.
155
How is using a deflated football supposed to have helped Tom Brady? If it's deflated enough to enhance his grip it loses some aerodynamic property and won't fly as far or as straight. Ms. Macur should try it herself sometime.
12
But maybe not so much if one regularly practices with deflated balls as well as using them on game day.
10
If you actually knew how to throw a football, you wouldn't be asking this. It's a huge advantage both for the QB as well as everyone catching or holding it.
Your claim is is interesting. What evidence do you have that the ball won't fly as far or straight?
1
As a Jets fan, it would not be my place to defend Tom Brady. But Tom Brady is a very smart guy. Would he be stupid enough to really tell the equipment guys to break the rule on football pressure? I don't think so. But I think he harassed them so much that they sought comic relief in making jokes about him behind his back, while making sure that his wishes for softer balls were met.
The analogy that fits here is where a leader makes his wishes known to his underlings, and to them falls the burden of doing the dirty deed, while the leader enjoys deniability. So in this case, Brady can honestly deny he had anything to do with deflating footballs, while still be liable for creating a mini-culture of cheating by doctoring the balls.
Should Brady be punished? Well, they pay Roger Goodell $40 million a year to make these kinds of decisions.
The analogy that fits here is where a leader makes his wishes known to his underlings, and to them falls the burden of doing the dirty deed, while the leader enjoys deniability. So in this case, Brady can honestly deny he had anything to do with deflating footballs, while still be liable for creating a mini-culture of cheating by doctoring the balls.
Should Brady be punished? Well, they pay Roger Goodell $40 million a year to make these kinds of decisions.
9
Will no one get rid me of these inflated footballs?
Didn't work out so well in the end for Henry II either.
Didn't work out so well in the end for Henry II either.
12
Pete Rose is a really smart guy. Would he be stupid enough to really bet on his team? I don't think so. The fact that I don't think so has no bearing on what really happened.
But the report didn't say Brady directly instructed them to deflate the ball. It said it has more probable than not that Brady generally was aware of the inappropriate activities. If he suggests or implies something indirectly and the situation magically improves, he's still complicit in the activities even without direct knowledge who did what.
This is a football player - a guy that throws footballs once a week, that gets paid millions of dollars, and whom we are ready to cast into the depths when we think he might have done something to tip the balance to his favor. And yet, we'll readily, and daily, give someone like, oh, say, Hillary or Bil Clinton, a universal wink and nod, along with our best wishes, as they take their ill-gotten milions toward another run at the most powerful political office in the country. As far as I'm concerned, a Tom Brady can deflate all the footballs he wants -- it doesn't hurt me, or the US, or the world. But elect a lying, cheating, stealing criminal to lead the country? Now, that might be important.
13
Good for you.
Wow you really need to let this go! Couldn't you at least have added an additional comment about twice elected president Obama?
2
You mean like Dick Chaney?
Performance enhancing drugs are a much bigger problem in professional sports, especially football. The NFL just started testing for HGH in 2014. Each year many players are found to be using PEDs, including a few years ago, many on the Seattle Seahawks. Brady and the team played much better in the second half against Indy with NFL balls and had regulation balls for the Super Bowl. Cheating isn't right or good, but from Wall Street (high frequency trading) to taxes to almost every human endeavor, people try to use any edge they can get away with.
9
Sue is so right. It's a chemical league, a sham league. History truth: in 1970 there were just three 300 pound players in the entire NFL. Today there are about 180. A reality as ugly as Boxing and Horseracing. The Brady controversy is gamesmanship by comparison.
Cheating isn't an "edge"; out-thinking your competition, is.
In a perfect world, Tom Brady would step up and admit that he'd cheated and then lied about it. His reputation is already tarnished forever. Coming clean is the only way to turn this around. It would take world-class humility and courage that no one would ever forget. It's your chance to be great after all, Tom Brady. Your choice.
49
If he admits cheating, he'll lose his chance of getting into the Hall of Fame. If he doesn't, the Hall could easily overlook it because of the ambiguity of the findings.
In a country where a teacher can't make a decent livable wage, we pay these entertainers absurd amounts of money and what do they bring to society? Yes they are talented at what they do... But c'mon folks... Politicians lie and cheat on a regular basis and for the most part get away with it. They are in positions to make decisions that affect us all. What's the biggest decision Tom Brady has to make? Deflating a football??? It's entertainment.... If you're disgusted with it, than do the only thing that will truly elicit change... Don't buy the merchandise... Don't watch the games...don't buy the tickets... Once affects the bottom line, see how it all changes....until then? Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz
17
The reason that teachers can be paid at ALL is due to folks like Tom Brady creating wealth and then paying taxes.
The entire US justice system is based on reasonable doubt. Yeah, it says more probable than not, and really that is exactly ZERO. Just gossip columnist news. To tarnish someone's career for "more probable than not" just shows how little and frustrated people really are. Get a life!
8
Your understanding of the legal system and relative burdens of proof is woefully lacking.
1
The U.S. criminal justice system is based on reasonable doubt. The civil court system is based on preponderance of evidence, or, to put it another way, more probable than not. No one is arguing a statutory crime was committed, but, a cheater is a cheater, more probable than not.
Tom Brady will be thrown under the bus only if it adversely impacts revenues to NFL, until then nothing meaningful will happen.
9
I played football (albeit only rough-touch) nearly every day of my kidhood. We cheated all the time, in every way we could. It was a totally expected and accepted part of the game. And it added a lot of interesting aspects to the game, like recognizing the importance of having a kid on your side who was quick at math keep score. Anyone not accepting of cheating -- we thought of it as outwitting the other guys --would have immediately been invited to go play with the girls. Brady just wanted to win. Good on him for not forgetting what football and a big part of life are all about.
7
So football is about sexism and cheating? And this is a big part of life. Can't argue with you there, you seem to be on to something. Not sure I can share your enthusiam though.
You my friend should Google the term sociopath.
As part of your childhood games, would you then pretend to be at a press conference, answering questions with lies that would neve be forgotten?
Ted Wells is a superstar lawyer but is no superstar astrophysicist.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/30/sports/football/deflation-experiments-...
Only thing that counts is the integrity of the point spread.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/30/sports/football/deflation-experiments-...
Only thing that counts is the integrity of the point spread.
6
Elite athletes seek any advantage they can get away with. I wonder how many pitchers in the Baseball Hall of Fame threw spitballs or otherwise doctored the ball? If this report is correct, Brady sought a similar advantage to enhance his grip of the ball to what a major league pitcher does when he scuffs the ball. I've never heard of a star MBL pitcher having his career tainted because he was caught doctoring a ball so it was easier to grip.
Brady is a big name and talking heads will blather on about the latest "cheating scandal" as long as public interest feeds their ratings. In the end however this is simply the latest example of an elite athlete pushing the limits to gain a slight advantage, something that happens every day in every professional sport as well as in every business and in just about every human endeavour that involves competition. Big surprise.
Brady is a big name and talking heads will blather on about the latest "cheating scandal" as long as public interest feeds their ratings. In the end however this is simply the latest example of an elite athlete pushing the limits to gain a slight advantage, something that happens every day in every professional sport as well as in every business and in just about every human endeavour that involves competition. Big surprise.
14
You call breaking the rules "pushing the limits to gain a slight advantage, something that happens every day." The rest of us call it what it truly is: Cheating.
It is not surprising how the Tom Brady apologists are coming out of the woodwork to gloss over his misdeed by making it somehow virtuous, or American, or by saying everyone else does it. It's not virtuous, and everybody else does not do it. Tom Brady cheated.
It is not surprising how the Tom Brady apologists are coming out of the woodwork to gloss over his misdeed by making it somehow virtuous, or American, or by saying everyone else does it. It's not virtuous, and everybody else does not do it. Tom Brady cheated.
Best comment!
I am not suprised by Brady. I would be surprised if it were Eli. By the way, he risked (and most likely cost) the careers of 2 men who needed their jobs.
We have no one to blame but ourselves. In a culture that idolizes sports, winning, and being #1 over everything... over restraint and integrity, humility and character... in a culture in which everything is permitted and nothing is forgiven... what else do we expect?
21
My response: this is all a big nothing. I don't think his legacy should be tarnished at all. Why didn't the refs catch it anyway during the game? This story to me is a non-story..And I'm a NY Giants fan. I wasn't even rooting for the Patriots.
25
"Is it now up for debate whether he is one of the greatest quarterbacks ever?"
If you really have to pose this question you either don't know football, or you are a hack. Tom Brady may be a liar, and a cheater, but he is still the greatest of all time, no question.
If you really have to pose this question you either don't know football, or you are a hack. Tom Brady may be a liar, and a cheater, but he is still the greatest of all time, no question.
16
I agree he's the greatest cheater of all time. He's been getting away with deflated balls for years. I always wondered how the Patriots were so successful holding on to the ball in stormy New England weather.
1
Are your standards so low? Can you be the greatest runner if you cheat the first half of a race but not the latter part? Stop making excuses. Cheat at anything and your accomplishment is tarnished.
2
Uh, no. Montana owns that. Or Unitas. Or Namath. Or a dozen other HONEST players.
Actually, this is not Brady's problem, but our society's Brady Problem.
We measure everything to an ever increasing degree of quantum precision, yet also believe in "authenticity" or "true value," ending up trying to "measure" a person's singular "talent" without defining either one, except in terms of money.
This societal contradiction can negate every "authentic talent" in any profession that we care to measure precisely. It is the infinite regress of a society based on "precise measurements of value" based on money, which is based on....?
We measure everything to an ever increasing degree of quantum precision, yet also believe in "authenticity" or "true value," ending up trying to "measure" a person's singular "talent" without defining either one, except in terms of money.
This societal contradiction can negate every "authentic talent" in any profession that we care to measure precisely. It is the infinite regress of a society based on "precise measurements of value" based on money, which is based on....?
1
Reminds me of Iran-Contra scandal and "deniability" strategy of Regan administration. We were a country of Protestant work ethics and common sense morality. Now at every level, in every arena of life, and within every heart, no one knows any responsibility, justice, or fairness.
What has become of us? We are not exceptional, we are down in the gutter with the rest of the world.
What has become of us? We are not exceptional, we are down in the gutter with the rest of the world.
5
it's just a football. and he's just a football player. good lord, calm down!
12
If there is no punishment or penalty, then the league will only invite more of this sort of behavior. Cheating without a downside risk is a recipe for moral hazard of some sort.
10
He refused to turn over his text messages and emails.
40
Winning isn't everything - it's the only thing.
Cheating to win isn't just acceptable at that level. It's the normal, predictable course of affairs with stakes that high. Unless the penalty for cheating is a loss/ disqualification. And it won't ever be so.
Integrity and honor are an after thought.
Cheating to win isn't just acceptable at that level. It's the normal, predictable course of affairs with stakes that high. Unless the penalty for cheating is a loss/ disqualification. And it won't ever be so.
Integrity and honor are an after thought.
6
Once upon a time, star athletes were role models for kids. Now, the opposite is true, and parents have to undo the damage these posers do.
What a prescient bit of film Charles Barkley's Nike "I am not a role model" commercial turned out to be.
What a prescient bit of film Charles Barkley's Nike "I am not a role model" commercial turned out to be.
5
I may be a little naïve, but isn't it up to the referees to check the inflation level of the footballs used in pro. football at every game? Why wasn't this done?
In hockey, the refs check the nets at each game, to ensure they are the proper height, and width. I suspect they also check the pucks, and they check the sticks of players with suspect sticks to ensure they are in compliance with the rules. Football should be no different...
In hockey, the refs check the nets at each game, to ensure they are the proper height, and width. I suspect they also check the pucks, and they check the sticks of players with suspect sticks to ensure they are in compliance with the rules. Football should be no different...
7
The old adage "If you ain't cheat in' you ain't trying" is applicable to all sports. The sports governing body is responsible for the integrity of the game. There is no explanation for teams being able to provide the footballs while on offence. It is clear such a rule is ripe for abuse. Can the NFL not afford to have its official supplier provide footballs to the referees as MLB does for baseballs. By now we know athletes take performance enhancing drugs knowing there is a risk of being caught, batters cork bats, pitchers use foreign substances, great receivers push off knowing they will rarely be caught, great basketball players travel regularly for the entertainment value. The NFL should have anticipated this, and it looks bad because it did not.
There is no proof that Brady ever asked for the balls to be under-inflated. The equipment manager was mandated to inflate the ball to 12.5 psi and nothing in the report says otherwise. Brady himself has admitted that he likes the balls to be in the lower side of the allowed range. It is unfortunate that in today's cynical society everything is viewed with jaundiced eyes. The 240 pages report (which I have read and encourage everyone interested to read) is written in tortured legalese - in a way a lawyer with an agenda usually would write. There is no evidence apart from some text messages which say very little apart from jealousy inspired vituperative comments on Brady. The lawyers twist these texts to suit their narrative through some really imaginative thinking. Three or four of the Colts balls were also found to be under inflated. No wonder the legal profession is in such disarray these days
10
Well said!! What is most concerning is how so many are ready to "hang him high" without out proof. Would any of these judging people like to be on the other end of the stick and have their professional reputations slandered over speculation and conjecture? Me thinks not. Brady has a lot at stake over his reputation and he is very intelligent. I find it hard to believe that he would risk all for a marginal psi difference. All these people throwing stones...it is truly sad.
I am paraphrasing but years ago Walter Cronkite described the super bowl as irrelevant, but fun. Football is a game that has little to no relevance to real life. Quite frankly, who cares what Brady did or did not do.
4
If he "probably" cheated, he "probably" shouldn't be eligible for the Hall of Fame.
6
What is wrong with Roger Goodell? "More probably than not" is a load of garbage. Do you have evidence or not? If your going to destroy a person's reputation at least be definitive about it. They need to deflate Goodell for the good of the NFL.
12
Is there a rule in football about this? It's a game that has evolved through new plays, that later were ruled illegal or acceptable, ie. the forward pass, running out and in bounds again. If this is a rule book issue, Brady is a cheat. If not, it was a good play.
1
Now it would be satisfying if the M.I.T. professor who produced the little white-board calculations and concluded that there was no evidence of tampering with the balls would also get called out. If you find an image of that white-board notice that he falsified his data. He said that the air temperature at game time was much colder than it was. He also based his calculations on the balls' air pressure being only 1.0 psi under regulation than the actual 2.0 to 2.5 psi that they were deflated by. Using his falsified data he reached a false conclusion, then using his M.I.T. credentials he tried to sell them to the public. Lying QBs and arrogant team owners who demand apologies from those who call them out are in one category. Pompous PhD's who falsify data are in another.
5
Why doesn't somebody just put out the official report saying that professional athletes have always and will always cheat in every way they can, including drugs and rule-bending; which makes them the exact moral equivalent of the people watching them perform.
6
The notion that Brady's legacy is tainted is absurd and blown way out of proportion. Deflate gate essentially is the Bengazhi of the NF: a whole lot to do about nothing blown way out of proportion by the media. Have any of these people even thrown a football before. 2 PSI has literally no effect. Aaron Rodgers openly admitted that he likes his over inflated. There was no scandal about that. Half the Seahawks team has been caught doing PED's that is much more serious than a little deflation.
"Tom Brady, who holds the records for most postseason passing yards. * Possibly accomplished by cheating with deflated footballs."
Really infinitesimally deflated balls allowed that to happen? During the AFC champion ship game, the balls were changed after halftime, because the refs became suspicious. It was at this point that Tom Brady and the Patriots really started to dominate. At half time with deflated balls it was Patriots 14, Colts 10, and Tom Brady looked pedestrian. During the second half the Patriots out scored the Colts 28-0 and Tom Brady was flawless with normal balls. Every team does these things you just don't hear about it, because they aren't the Patriots. Saying that Tom Brady only got those touchdowns because of the deflation would be like saying a student only got a 2400 sat because they brought an extra eraser. It makes no difference. And for those of you that still think spy gate and deflate gate were legitimate scandals: http://yourteamcheats.com
"Tom Brady, who holds the records for most postseason passing yards. * Possibly accomplished by cheating with deflated footballs."
Really infinitesimally deflated balls allowed that to happen? During the AFC champion ship game, the balls were changed after halftime, because the refs became suspicious. It was at this point that Tom Brady and the Patriots really started to dominate. At half time with deflated balls it was Patriots 14, Colts 10, and Tom Brady looked pedestrian. During the second half the Patriots out scored the Colts 28-0 and Tom Brady was flawless with normal balls. Every team does these things you just don't hear about it, because they aren't the Patriots. Saying that Tom Brady only got those touchdowns because of the deflation would be like saying a student only got a 2400 sat because they brought an extra eraser. It makes no difference. And for those of you that still think spy gate and deflate gate were legitimate scandals: http://yourteamcheats.com
17
It seems now that after America condemned a Southside Chicago Little League baseball team for violating residential requirements. Not equipment tampering, drug enhancing, or" over- aged" players; a residency violation. Wrong? Absolutely, certainly unnecessary they have loads of talent, why cheat on residency?
They them of their title, awarded to a team they beat decisively, and were vilified by Americans. Well actually, primarily white Americans. Once again wholesale castigation on"black morality".
How about Tom Brady,"Mr. Pro Football ", does he represent white morality?
Anyone that breaks the rules must suffer consequences, lets see if two faced America demands for the championship back from the patriots?
America stridently demanded it back from the National Little League champions of Southside Chicago, is there some difference here...?
They them of their title, awarded to a team they beat decisively, and were vilified by Americans. Well actually, primarily white Americans. Once again wholesale castigation on"black morality".
How about Tom Brady,"Mr. Pro Football ", does he represent white morality?
Anyone that breaks the rules must suffer consequences, lets see if two faced America demands for the championship back from the patriots?
America stridently demanded it back from the National Little League champions of Southside Chicago, is there some difference here...?
1
Seriously this is a total non-issue. The Seahawks didn't lose the game due to the condition of the footballs, they lost the game because their idiot coach decided to throw the ball instead of handing it to the running back.
Only the self-important world of sports would pay attention to such utter non-sense as this.
Just another example of how totally frivolous Americans are that anyone could or would even be thinking about this or that some nitwits did a 243 page "report" about it.
Only the self-important world of sports would pay attention to such utter non-sense as this.
Just another example of how totally frivolous Americans are that anyone could or would even be thinking about this or that some nitwits did a 243 page "report" about it.
14
OJ has been exposed once again...
Okay, more like Tiger Woods, and his scandal, but when other national teams have been affected (and the possible trade reprocussions), and titles are now questioned... isn't it time for a closer look at our beloved NFL???
Okay, more like Tiger Woods, and his scandal, but when other national teams have been affected (and the possible trade reprocussions), and titles are now questioned... isn't it time for a closer look at our beloved NFL???
2
Football's equivalent of the spitball and the sensationalists drag out the red letter "C" for cheat - because a high profile quarterback is in the spotlight? Quarterbacks are all-american boys. Superman can't ever cheat.
Linemen cheat all the time, some are famous for it. Fake injuries forcing time-outs? Grabbing jerseys in a clinch? Americans have perfected "a little to the side - slides"; and while "honor" is not a quality of the American yeoman's hero" - "winning" is.
Linemen cheat all the time, some are famous for it. Fake injuries forcing time-outs? Grabbing jerseys in a clinch? Americans have perfected "a little to the side - slides"; and while "honor" is not a quality of the American yeoman's hero" - "winning" is.
6
Brady has turned into an smug, arrogant, and unlikeable character.
I like low-profile guys like Luck, Wilson, and Mariota
I like low-profile guys like Luck, Wilson, and Mariota
8
Yes, his agent just released a statement condemning the report. He complains, like other goofballs in the media (e.g., Mike Barnacle), that the probable cause standard is ludicrous. (Brady is not only a cheater, he is also a coward.)
Here is a news flash - in civil litigation, countless individuals and companies have been forced to fork over millions and millions of dollars under the probable cause standard. It is the standard of proof for civil litigation used in all US courts.
Here is a news flash - in civil litigation, countless individuals and companies have been forced to fork over millions and millions of dollars under the probable cause standard. It is the standard of proof for civil litigation used in all US courts.
They paid all that money to get this conclusion? "It is more probable than not that Brady was at least generally aware of the inappropriate activities." Are you kidding me? How many equivocations can we count? Talk about clarifying nothing. The Pats decimated the Colts so it hardly seems consequential unless there's "preponderance of evidence" or anything else that looks like a decision of guilt.
7
More likely than not and pt ponder acne of the evidence mean the same thing in our legal system. They are the level of proof required in civillage actions.
It's not about how Brady ended up performing. It's about implementing something beforehand, when he apparently didn't have complete faith in how he would perform without an advantage. It's about hiding the balls when they were to be checked. It's about what happened before the game began.
Nixon didn't have to do Watergate to win his election, but he did it.
Nixon didn't have to do Watergate to win his election, but he did it.
14
Have you ever even thrown a football. 2 Psi Makes literally no difference. It's a silly rule and I'm sure that just about every player has violated something like this. Like wearing a banned flack jacket or special nose tape. It really makes no difference. If the NFL wants to be fair, they should conduct sting operations on every team. Then we'd discover That really everyone cheats.
http://yourteamcheats.com
The Broncos are the worst.
http://yourteamcheats.com
The Broncos are the worst.
Many commenters assert that the Patriots would have won even without deflating all of their footballs.
Why do they assume the Patriots' cheating stopped there?
Why do they assume the Patriots' cheating stopped there?
10
Why would you assume that out of 32 NFL teams, only one of them cheats?
So you want me to believe that this has been going on since before the start of the 2014 season and not one team other than the Colts reported an issue? Baloney. If Rex even had a sniff of this, he would have been all over the NFL
Tom Brady "probably" cheated and he "probably"lied about his relationship with the men who did it. Don't know their names. Bigger things on my mind. Sounds like Chris Christie on the bridge scandal.
5
Well. Now we know why the NFL report took so long.
They had to wait for the draft to be over so as to avoid the issue of possible draft pick losses.
Why can't they ever do anything forthrightly?
They had to wait for the draft to be over so as to avoid the issue of possible draft pick losses.
Why can't they ever do anything forthrightly?
17
I think Brady should come clean and apologize in public for these shenanigans. Otherwise, the NFL should impose a stiff financial penalty on Brady and lock him out of 3 games in the 2015-2016 season. That may get Bill Belichik's attention and force Brady to come clean.
Without taking positive and decisive action that helps to strengthen the integrity of the game, the NFL will be damaging itself.
Without taking positive and decisive action that helps to strengthen the integrity of the game, the NFL will be damaging itself.
4
Admission just won't cut it. The only way we can be sure that Brady doesn't continue his clearly proven assault on American virtue is if the referees check the inflation of the ball before every offensive snap where he touches the ball. No wait--because who knows if this reprobate might figure out how to deflate 1 or 2 psi between taking the snap and either passing or handing off, the NFL should insist that the psi be checked after each play as well. Only if the ball meets the NFL's exacting standards before _and_ after every play can we be certain that Brady (the incorrigible violator of all that is sacred to America) hasn't shredded the US Constitution. By the way, anybody notice that his wife is a foreigner? What's the over-under on whether or not he's been influenced by German-Brazilian undercover agents to discredit the growing global dominance of the NFL?
I suspect Mr. Brady will be booed everywhere he plays next year. Except, of course, at home.
7
This is more than a Tom Brady story.
The lack of forceful action by the NFL on this issue after a four-month investigation is similar to their inaction on the more important issue of concussions experienced by players and the lack of compensation to injured players after they are forced to retire from concussions. It took an investigation lasting four-months to find out that the balls were deflated. WHAT !?!?
The NFL is an irresponsible organization that has growing revenues as its first and only priority.
The NFL is a disgrace !!!
The lack of forceful action by the NFL on this issue after a four-month investigation is similar to their inaction on the more important issue of concussions experienced by players and the lack of compensation to injured players after they are forced to retire from concussions. It took an investigation lasting four-months to find out that the balls were deflated. WHAT !?!?
The NFL is an irresponsible organization that has growing revenues as its first and only priority.
The NFL is a disgrace !!!
9
It seems the cheating went on ALL season, the lying all post-season. A page from the Lance Armstrong playbook.
13
Derek Jeter, the legendary Yankee captain, has admitted on videotape faking getting hit by a pitch in order to secure first base. Tom Brady likes throwing a ball that is just so slightly under inflated. Which is worse?
6
Deflating the football is much worse.
I agree.
Neither is "worse" to me, a die-hard Yankees fan, because neither is an infraction, IMO. I do not grind the axe Ms Macur and so many commentors grind. The reactions, and their collective comparisons to the decline of Western civilization, are a bit out of whack considering the NFL's real issues.
Brady did nothing different from any experienced, informed QB in the league. For reference point, see Brad Johnson, who gave interview admitting paying $7,500 to have footballs adjusted for his Super Bowl win. That gets a collective "meh" response.
Neither is "worse" to me, a die-hard Yankees fan, because neither is an infraction, IMO. I do not grind the axe Ms Macur and so many commentors grind. The reactions, and their collective comparisons to the decline of Western civilization, are a bit out of whack considering the NFL's real issues.
Brady did nothing different from any experienced, informed QB in the league. For reference point, see Brad Johnson, who gave interview admitting paying $7,500 to have footballs adjusted for his Super Bowl win. That gets a collective "meh" response.
Just like a car tire they should just install a TPMS or tire pressure monitor system into the foot ball and use a remote to sense and readout the air pressure in the football. THAT should be done on the field for each play everytime to assure that there is no monkey business involved. Each ball should have a set PSI within a certain agreed upon tolerance agreed by the NFL.
This article is so funny, I'm going to use "more probable than not" all the time now #flyeaglesfly
5
So I've read the report and don't agree with the conclusion. The text messages are either mostly joking or simply imply the 2 workers deflate balls that are too high. As for the phone calls from Brady to them -- that's consistent with him simply wondering and asking how the balls got under-inflated. And I did not see any investigation into possible tampering with the balls after they were collected. The one thing that I would like to see from Brady is to volunteer his texts/emails to a third party or his lawyer.
3
His cheating became more likely than not such a part of his routine that he may truly not consider it cheating. It's just the way he wants the ball and what King Tom wants he gets.
Slightly under regulation air pressure in the Patriots' footballs seems minor compared to all of the performance enhancing drugs in the NFL (and other sports). I mean really, this is small stuff compared to the much bigger scandal of HGH, steroids, etc., that are an integral part of professional football.
Do people really believe that when they watch the games on Sundays that the players are not chemically enhanced? Where is the front page news and 243 page report about the rampant cheating of performance enhancing drugs? Does under regulation air pressure merit more attention than the real scandal?
Do people really believe that when they watch the games on Sundays that the players are not chemically enhanced? Where is the front page news and 243 page report about the rampant cheating of performance enhancing drugs? Does under regulation air pressure merit more attention than the real scandal?
6
I love piling on the Patriots as much as the next fan not from Boston but the schadenfreude is getting a little much. Every team has incidents of this level in their past. The zinger for Brady is that it came out just before the Super Bowl. Any other time and he could laugh it off. Maybe they don't get past some of the close playoff games playing it straight but this isn't on par with steroids.
5
The only "evidence" cited were conversations between two guys who boasted about giving Brady OVERinflated balls. The fact that he preferred balls on the low side of the allowable range does not make him a cheater. "More probable than not" -- is that really the best the NFL could do after four months of investigations and millions of dollars spent. This is all about the NFL trying to cover up its ineptitude for blowing this issue way out of proportion and tarnishing the Super Bowl week with leaks and innuendos sparked by defeated opposing teams. "Could Brady have thrown all of those touchdown passes in the playoffs without deflated footballs?" The answer was provided in the game under question when Brady did much better in the second half when the allegedly fully inflated balls were used. This is an embarassment for the NFL that they would go after their best player on such flimly and unsubstantiated grounds as the conversations of two ball boys who are clearly full of their own egos.
10
This whole story is unfortunate. The fact of the matter is quarterbacks across the NFL --- past and present --- have the footballs they use "prepared" in ways that are to their liking before the game, and many, including fellow superstars like the Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers have publicly admitted this in the wake of the Deflategate scandal. The other part of this whole story that has rung hollow with me since January is that NFL officials in the game in question handled the footballs before and after every single possession. Every single possession. If something was wrong at the time, they should have known, rather than let an entire half of a football game taking place before they "took action." This means either the NFL officials were complicit, or (more likely) they couldn't tell the footballs were deflated, reinforcing my view that the slight deflation of footballs makes no significant difference whatsoever in the outcome of the game.
9
Our dream is shattered once again.
Baseball, America's game, is so tainted it's dying. (And no, Virginia, it's not because it's boring, it's because people cheated and no one cared until the negative publicity out beat the dollars in).
Basketball? Who are we kidding? One or two dirty refs, cheap shots in the inside, and multi-million dollar deals. How deep is your love?
Now this. Is nothing holy? Everyone, I mean EVERYONE has to game the system???
Seriously. Citizens United? A chief justice married to a lobbyist/"policy wonk" who won't recuse himself from cases where there's a conflict??
This is not the America I grew up in. This is not the America our founding fathers imagined. Once, not too long ago, we could dream. Once, we could, in middle America, from humble beginnings, believe that, with hard work and perseverance, we could achieve and ascend.
But that dream is quashed, regularly and consistently. And our once-upon-a-time heroes - Aaron, Mays, Unitas, Starr, Byrd and even Johnson - now see their records, records built on grit and determination, undermined by drug-loaded, morale-bereft wannabes.
It's time we all wake up. The glorification of the Almighty Dollar needs to end. The "success at any cost" mentality needs to be met with an appropriate response.
So BOO, and boo loudly at Brady, at A-Roid, at anyone who has bought into the NIMBY world. WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. And fair is fair. Let's make it that way again.
Baseball, America's game, is so tainted it's dying. (And no, Virginia, it's not because it's boring, it's because people cheated and no one cared until the negative publicity out beat the dollars in).
Basketball? Who are we kidding? One or two dirty refs, cheap shots in the inside, and multi-million dollar deals. How deep is your love?
Now this. Is nothing holy? Everyone, I mean EVERYONE has to game the system???
Seriously. Citizens United? A chief justice married to a lobbyist/"policy wonk" who won't recuse himself from cases where there's a conflict??
This is not the America I grew up in. This is not the America our founding fathers imagined. Once, not too long ago, we could dream. Once, we could, in middle America, from humble beginnings, believe that, with hard work and perseverance, we could achieve and ascend.
But that dream is quashed, regularly and consistently. And our once-upon-a-time heroes - Aaron, Mays, Unitas, Starr, Byrd and even Johnson - now see their records, records built on grit and determination, undermined by drug-loaded, morale-bereft wannabes.
It's time we all wake up. The glorification of the Almighty Dollar needs to end. The "success at any cost" mentality needs to be met with an appropriate response.
So BOO, and boo loudly at Brady, at A-Roid, at anyone who has bought into the NIMBY world. WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. And fair is fair. Let's make it that way again.
5
So your theory is that the NFL wants to make passing harder so that the game looks sloppy and inefficient because that will attract more fans? Sheer idiocy. The league chose the 12.5-13.5 standard because in the era when the home team supplied all game balls it needed a consistent standard to prevent home teams from surprising visitors with oddly inflated balls, and it felt that 12.5-13.5 psi made the balls EASIER to throw than any other pressure.
Since 2006 visiting teams supply their own balls, so there's no longer any need for a standard. The rule is a meaningless relic which should have been revoked, but wasn't because rules, once written, just tend to stick around.
This is a ridiculous, meaningless witch-hunt boiled into a frenzy by low-information, casual observers like the writer of this article.
There is NOTHING to it. So just stop.
Since 2006 visiting teams supply their own balls, so there's no longer any need for a standard. The rule is a meaningless relic which should have been revoked, but wasn't because rules, once written, just tend to stick around.
This is a ridiculous, meaningless witch-hunt boiled into a frenzy by low-information, casual observers like the writer of this article.
There is NOTHING to it. So just stop.
9
When we've been getting told for months about QBs who have done this down through the years--that it was a kind of untalked-about NFL tradition? And when the NFL has let home teams pump up the balls? Rather a credulous take from Ms. Macur.
3
Are you kidding me?
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
The best insult anyone can craft against Tom Brady is, he maybe knowingly used under inflated footballs.
Are you people insane?
Get out of here with that crap, go find me some steroids or abusing his wife, go find me something that even remotely comes close to a dent in this guys record.
Other players that day stated the balls seemed fine to them, on the opposite team!
So embarrassing to have to read this as a loving sports fan in NY. Are we now that desperate for some good sports news that we are saying Tom Brady is NOT an all time great?
Because of this?
LOL
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
The best insult anyone can craft against Tom Brady is, he maybe knowingly used under inflated footballs.
Are you people insane?
Get out of here with that crap, go find me some steroids or abusing his wife, go find me something that even remotely comes close to a dent in this guys record.
Other players that day stated the balls seemed fine to them, on the opposite team!
So embarrassing to have to read this as a loving sports fan in NY. Are we now that desperate for some good sports news that we are saying Tom Brady is NOT an all time great?
Because of this?
LOL
21
Nobody is perfect, not even Tom Brady. Now, more probably than not :
51% chance of probably, 49 % of probably not ? When we do the math,
how much of an advantage did the "cheating" give him ? Everyone makes mistakes. and I am sure the media loves this. "Forgiveness" ? Do we do that in modern America ? NO WAY !
51% chance of probably, 49 % of probably not ? When we do the math,
how much of an advantage did the "cheating" give him ? Everyone makes mistakes. and I am sure the media loves this. "Forgiveness" ? Do we do that in modern America ? NO WAY !
1
Just now on the national nightly news, Bob Costas tried to spin this as mere "gamesmanship." He seemed to try to deescalate this, not that big of a deal and all that. But it is a big deal. The covert nature reeks of raw cheating, not gamesmanship. The balls were altered after the refs made an official check. Brady knew.
The story will soon be: what should be the appropriate punishment? The spin is on to let this legend off the hook. But, was A-Rod let off the hook? Was Pete Rose? Coach Peyton?
Making your footballs more nerf-like is really unfair. Receivers can catch it easier, RBs get a better grip, and QBs have more control. How often did the Patriots have this advantage? How often did they cheat?
The NFL should drop the hammer based on the probable evidence discovered. Fines, suspensions, Hall of Fame rights, asteriks on the books--all of it on the table.
The story will soon be: what should be the appropriate punishment? The spin is on to let this legend off the hook. But, was A-Rod let off the hook? Was Pete Rose? Coach Peyton?
Making your footballs more nerf-like is really unfair. Receivers can catch it easier, RBs get a better grip, and QBs have more control. How often did the Patriots have this advantage? How often did they cheat?
The NFL should drop the hammer based on the probable evidence discovered. Fines, suspensions, Hall of Fame rights, asteriks on the books--all of it on the table.
4
Your reaction is so disproportionate to the alleged crime (one that the report did little to actually establish--though it had plenty of speculation) that it suggest a lack of information. Your claim that the footballs (under-inflated as were 3 of the 4 Colts' footballs that were tested--a fact conveniently left out of the article) were "nerf-like" is an exaggeration to say the least. No other players--including the Colts player who intercepted the ball that starting the "scandal" noticed the ball was different. In other words, it couldn't possibly have felt "nerf-like." Likewise, an empirical trial of your claim about ball control would suggest the opposite of your conclusion: clearly Brady et al. on the Patriots team had more control of the ball in the second half with the balls more inflated. So any advantage is speculative at best.
My footlong Subway sandwich was only 11-inches long . . . why hasn't Subway been fined for false advertising, stripped of its business license, and been served a class-action law suit by all customers who ever ate a footlong sub (whether or not they can establish if the sandwich was undersized)?!! That's about as proportional as your judgment about the PSI of footballs.
My footlong Subway sandwich was only 11-inches long . . . why hasn't Subway been fined for false advertising, stripped of its business license, and been served a class-action law suit by all customers who ever ate a footlong sub (whether or not they can establish if the sandwich was undersized)?!! That's about as proportional as your judgment about the PSI of footballs.
I find it odd that so many see this as such a horrible offense to the honor of the game, yet the NFL has previously set it as a $25K fine. Clearly in the eyes of the NFL, over or under inflating the ball is not a big advantage. Fine them if that will calm the mass hysteria and move on. There is undoubtedly a rule or two that every team has pushed the envelope on. The penalty is already in the rule book, so enforce it and play ball (in Aug)
8
So, take away all the points scored with the under inflated balls and award them to the opposition. If the Colts would have won, then award them the victory and let them play Seattle in the pre season to decide last year's champs. "More probably than not" does not sound very definitive.
1
According to your remedy, awarding NE's first half points to INDY results in a 28-24 NE victory. So now what?
Once again, it is not the crime, offense et al but the cover up.
So, it not just Brady's side stepping the rules but standing up there speaking earnestly
and lying about it. That is more egregious, imo, than the deflated ball question.
Some of his fans the NE Pats loyal supporters may see no issue. Perhaps it is all about winning the game.
Others, will often wonder about the legacy when a player and a team have to 'cheat' to score.
Bob Costas gave his view with an answer during the evening news that this may only result to a hefty fine for Brady and perhaps similarly for the team.
At the end of the day, this is not just about the Patriots, the NFL it is how America views gamesmanship vs sportsmanship. More often, it is the former that is more important.
So, it not just Brady's side stepping the rules but standing up there speaking earnestly
and lying about it. That is more egregious, imo, than the deflated ball question.
Some of his fans the NE Pats loyal supporters may see no issue. Perhaps it is all about winning the game.
Others, will often wonder about the legacy when a player and a team have to 'cheat' to score.
Bob Costas gave his view with an answer during the evening news that this may only result to a hefty fine for Brady and perhaps similarly for the team.
At the end of the day, this is not just about the Patriots, the NFL it is how America views gamesmanship vs sportsmanship. More often, it is the former that is more important.
6
You don't know he's lying.
Why should we care?
This is just a game.
If they cheat it may win them more money, but we will not have to pay any more for tickets. (Nothing at all if you are smart enough to not care.)
There are more important issues in the real world. War, earthquakes, lost at sea, starving, sick.
This is just a game.
If they cheat it may win them more money, but we will not have to pay any more for tickets. (Nothing at all if you are smart enough to not care.)
There are more important issues in the real world. War, earthquakes, lost at sea, starving, sick.
3
save it, mike, please. just because you aren't interested, believe it or not, doesn't mean others aren't.
Sorry to see the NY Times partaking in such cheap sensationalism. As was clearly admitted at the time,"Spygate" was something every team did, taping opponent's signals, they chose to make a rule against it and enforce it against a team everyone feared and many hated for their success. As a few real ex-football player analysts said, every QB gets the balls the way he wants them. Again, it's pretending only Brady and the Patriots are witches and we must burn.
Even Andrew Luck said, "With the score they beat us by, a deflated ball or two would have made no difference whatsoever with the score." Actually, the Patriots points increased and the Colts collapsed even more after the "official NFL balls" were used. Go figure.
Even Andrew Luck said, "With the score they beat us by, a deflated ball or two would have made no difference whatsoever with the score." Actually, the Patriots points increased and the Colts collapsed even more after the "official NFL balls" were used. Go figure.
37
You know, I'm still looking for the NFL rule that says participants can't remove air from the footballs.
6
NFL rules state that footballs MUST have air pressure between 12.5 PSI and 13.5 PSI.
You are welcome!!
You are welcome!!
I don't even like the Patriots, but this is a flawed article. Brady used stringently measured balls for the 2nd half of the AFC championship and the Superbowls and his statistics were off the charts. He's two fluke plays away from winning 6 Superbowls. This isn't ISIS - no one's dying.
23
And one fluke play from being 3 and 3 in SBs.
This is unbelievably embarrassing for the NFL. What a stupid story!
The ball is a couple of ounces lighter and the Pats run the ball down the throat of the Colts in a curb-stomp game. Who knew that that was all it took...
The ball is a couple of ounces lighter and the Pats run the ball down the throat of the Colts in a curb-stomp game. Who knew that that was all it took...
10
When you are part of a cheating culture (the Patriots), there is a slippery slope toward cheating yourself. This organization has been a cancer for the NFL for years, and nobody has done anything meaningful about it.
23
These responses are hysterical. The Patriots are a cancer? No more than the way the Redskins play...they are just awful. For the rest of the whiners from the North West, there will be no asterisk and Tom will be in the Hall of Fame. Let's see how many RW can win. The balls were checked and Tom still came back from 14 points TWICE. Maybe you think you would have won if you played the Ravens? Doubt it, they are good and very tough to beat. Let's see what happens next season, although my closet is getting stuffed with championship gear.
They are afraid to call Tom Brady a cheater? Then please allow me to do it. Tom Brady is a cheater.
His face might look pure and innocent, but now we know he plays by his own dishonest rules. Great example for his kids.
His face might look pure and innocent, but now we know he plays by his own dishonest rules. Great example for his kids.
29
So is every player who jumps off-sides and then does not proceed to turn himself in also a cheater?
Using a slightly deflated football in the NFL is akin to using a slightly inflated corked bat in MLB. Both infractions, while ever so slight, can dramatically affect the outcome of play.
Once a hitter is caught with a corked bat all of his previous records become suspect. The same should hold true when a quarterback is caught using an altered football.
The challenge for the NFL now is what they are going to do about it. Will they uphold the integrity of the game or will they succumb to the pressure of the almighty dollar? At the same time, Brady should save everyone the trouble, come clean on his own, and live up to the image that he has cultivated over the years.
The League and most assuredly the Fans, who have made him rich and famous, deserve to know the truth. And it would be nice to hear it from Brady himself.
Once a hitter is caught with a corked bat all of his previous records become suspect. The same should hold true when a quarterback is caught using an altered football.
The challenge for the NFL now is what they are going to do about it. Will they uphold the integrity of the game or will they succumb to the pressure of the almighty dollar? At the same time, Brady should save everyone the trouble, come clean on his own, and live up to the image that he has cultivated over the years.
The League and most assuredly the Fans, who have made him rich and famous, deserve to know the truth. And it would be nice to hear it from Brady himself.
17
What should we do with Aaron Rogers then?
If the NFL where to enlist the FBI to help them discover every little petty infraction the entire NFL would be guilty. Just about every team does this. Even Aaron Rodgers admitted it.
The punishment by the NFL needs to be severe and that goes right to the coaching staff in addition to Tom Brady. The level of cheating here is to strip them of that Super Bowl title and vacate the championship because I don't think the Seahawks would want to take it given these circumstances.
While the type of cheating done by Lance Armstrong in the TDF involved drugs instead of deflated footballs, the motivation behind it was the same: to get an edge over the competition. Both have hurt their sport.
While the type of cheating done by Lance Armstrong in the TDF involved drugs instead of deflated footballs, the motivation behind it was the same: to get an edge over the competition. Both have hurt their sport.
9
More probable than not? Is that 70/30, or 51/49? What exactly is the probability? Is it more probably than not that anyone who hates the Patriots would call Tom Brady a cheater based on anything circumstantial? 90/10? Then you have "at least generally aware". Let's put it together. More probable than not at least generally aware. Sounds pretty convincing to me. Sounds like he ought to be "Pete Rose'd" from football based on that, right? For comparison to this situation, let's look at the definition of cheating - breaking the rules in an attempt to gain an unfair advantage in a competitive situation. So by definition, defensive or offensive holding is cheating. An illegal block is cheating. In fact, by definition, many players cheat multiple times during a game, seen by the officials and caught on camera. Many comments on this situation are that Tom Brady should forfeit a Super Bowl win, be banned for half the season, etc, based on "more probable than not at least generally aware". So let's put some hard penalties on players who are actually caught cheating on tape multiple times. For five defensive holdings by one player, which is multiple fact based cheating on tape, gone for the year. Ten cheating episodes by a team, coach banned two games for support of cheating. I'm not saying Brady didn't do it. Just give me something more definitive than "it's looks like it" and don't act like an attempt to cheat doesn't happen every game.
9
Infractions during the course of the game are penalized on the spot. Probably players weigh the benefit of doing the infraction against the likely penalty and decide if it's worth it.
The diff here is, if Brady cheated, there'll be no meaningful penalty, certainly not one that affects the outcome of the game he cheated in.
The diff here is, if Brady cheated, there'll be no meaningful penalty, certainly not one that affects the outcome of the game he cheated in.
1
Legally, more probable than not is 51/49, or perhaps more accurately, more than 50.
Tom Brady should get a coffee with Lance Armstrong - you know...to compare notes. Maybe co-author a coffee table book on cheating and duping. I can see it now, splayed on tables from Coast to Coast. Good morning America.
5
Nonesense. I don't live in New England, nor have I ever. Not a crazed NFL fan to begin with. But there is no doubt that Brady is one of the best quarterbacks ever. These are no more than unproven allegations, slings and arrows from losers. But more to the point, NE did not win by just a few points, they crushed their opponents -opponents who had ample opportunity to question the inflation of the footballs. This is about sore losers unable to humbly accept their clear cut defeat. This is not a black mark on the record of Brady, but another instance of losers seeking to deflect responsibility.
35
People are sneaking around with a needle and deflating footballs against the rules, its a fact. So what do you mean?
The point is not whether or not the cheating affected the outcome. The point is the cheating. The weight of the evidence is clear.
@ Peter B — Are you under the impression the report was authored by the Indianapolis Colts???
— Brian
— Brian
1
Despite hailing from Cape Cod MA, I neverthought much of Brady, who I always saw as a hollow machine...this finding/violation in no way surprises me. Now, Drew Brees on the other hand has the mind, heart, and spirit of a true winner, an unfettered, ethical leader. Brees...there have been few who have risen to my lofty ideal of a sportsman for the ages, but there he is. In reality...
2
I can't tell if you are being serious or facetious. I hope it is the latter. Drew Brees, leader of a team that put bounties out to maim opposing players so that they had to be carted off the field? More probable than not that he heard bounty discussions in the locker room.
This is such a non-issue it is absurd. Throwing a football with a pound or two of pressure more or less is hardly the ticket to a super bowel. While it is likely that a runner will hold on to a less inflated ball that is wet, throwing one more accurately is not a given. And Brady did a little thing like beat (more like kill) the Colts and play quite well against the SeaHawks. Every team does what it can do to gain the edge as does every politician and every hedge fund manager, and probably the guy who sells ice cream from the good humour truck. Let us worry about ourselves and if you really want to shed a tear over something important, send some money to Nepal.
13
I think many people consider this whole thing to be no big deal. However, a sports contest is merely a contrived conflict. There are rules made up so that the competition can exist. If you allow cheating or don't deal with it severely, the entire exercise becomes moot.
It's one thing to come up with tactics that have not been addressed by the rules.That is cleverness. Breaking written rules is not clever but sinister.
It's one thing to come up with tactics that have not been addressed by the rules.That is cleverness. Breaking written rules is not clever but sinister.
12
This controversy is a contrived event.
Tom Brady is a rich and famous celebrity athlete - the odds of him suffering any serious consequences are extremely small. As a society we fawn over and coddle our athletic heroes while readily vilifying and condemning the less fortunate when they transgress.
11
Are there more players in the NFL that use tactics to gain an unfair advantage?
More probable than not.
Are there other QB's in the NFL that tamper with footballs to make them easier to throw?
More probable than not. This takes away from him being the best QB of all time? I guess Jerry Rice coating his gloves in stickum takes him out of the debate for greatest WR in NFL history.
More probable than not.
Are there other QB's in the NFL that tamper with footballs to make them easier to throw?
More probable than not. This takes away from him being the best QB of all time? I guess Jerry Rice coating his gloves in stickum takes him out of the debate for greatest WR in NFL history.
4
If players could not tell the difference between under inflated and properly inflated balls, why did they do it? Yet the opposing team noticed a difference...
4
Why is the report being so reverential to the NFL and the Patriots?
This is not the Federal Reserve Economic report!
Make a black and white statement “The game balls were intentionally underinflated at the request of the quarterback” – end of story
This is not the Federal Reserve Economic report!
Make a black and white statement “The game balls were intentionally underinflated at the request of the quarterback” – end of story
3
Tom Brady is a cheater? Next you're going to say that Lance Armstrong took steroids. That Pete Rose gambled on baseball games. That Rosie Ruiz didn't actually win the Boston Marathon.
My late father always said that winners never cheat and cheaters never win. I guessing my dad is doing about 3500 rpm in his grave right now. And to think that this group of lowlifes calls themselves the "Patriots".
My late father always said that winners never cheat and cheaters never win. I guessing my dad is doing about 3500 rpm in his grave right now. And to think that this group of lowlifes calls themselves the "Patriots".
16
The virtual pathology of competition must be held partly to blame. I realize we live in a capitalist culture and that America prides itself, wrongly or not, on being built by fair competition, but when I listen on ESPN to what some of these athletes say about their desperate need to win and the look in their eyes as they say it, it's frightening. And it's as sad as it is lucrative.
3
WHERE is the connection that Tom Brady knew?
"Instead, the investigators found that Brady knew that two Patriots employees — Jim McNally, a locker room attendant, and John Jastremski, an equipment assistant — had released air from the footballs for that A.F.C. title game against Indianapolis in January."
Really? How _exactly_?
"The saddest part of all this is that this scandal will diminish his legacy."
Nope, nice try though at pushing your opinion though.
He either did, or he didn't. If the evidence is so compelling, come out and say he did it. They can't, because he didn't.
"Instead, the investigators found that Brady knew that two Patriots employees — Jim McNally, a locker room attendant, and John Jastremski, an equipment assistant — had released air from the footballs for that A.F.C. title game against Indianapolis in January."
Really? How _exactly_?
"The saddest part of all this is that this scandal will diminish his legacy."
Nope, nice try though at pushing your opinion though.
He either did, or he didn't. If the evidence is so compelling, come out and say he did it. They can't, because he didn't.
18
read the report. it's all there. this author didn't read the report, or at least hasn't cited it.
1
Where is the connection that Tom Brady knew?
Somewhere in all those emails and text messages he refuses to turn over.
Somewhere in all those emails and text messages he refuses to turn over.
Sure he/they did...not a surprise after videogate. The patriots didn't really WIN the Super Bowl, Seattle lost it. Go back and take a look at Brady in the last minutes of the game. He looked petrified until the interception occurred. My bet is there was a video camera peeping from some unknown place but that's more of a joke than a fact.
this article does not change my opinion one iota of the quality of the person or the accomplishments of the quarterback who is Tom Brady. He is one of the greatest of all time. He did not get there because of an under inflated football. Your article is a waste of time.
24
And let's be totally honest: he's married to a lingerie model and since that makes him the envy of every man alive, no one will ever criticize him seriously. Who cares if he cheated -- look at his wife!
The only people who care about this "scandal" are people who already had something against Tom Brady. How can you throw TB into the same group as baseball 'roiders and bicycling dopers? The closest comparison would be a pitcher greasing a baseball, but all a pitcher does is throw pitches. Quarterbacks have to be pretty versatile. And it seems pretty unlikely that every ball Tom ever threw was under-inflated. Makes for a good news article though....
8
"Nobody called Brady a cheater directly..." And they don't need to. Like the videotaping that has stuck to Belichick like dog mess, this will stick to Tom. Of course, without definitive proof, he'll deny, deny, deny. But we'll know.
And it was so unnecessary. But desperate people do desperate things, and I guess Tom was desperate after his long SB drought. As if the health and the beauty and the fame and the skills and the beautiful kids and Giselle and the millions weren't enough.
Tommy, Tommy, Tommy. You're a heartbreaker. And a fool.
And it was so unnecessary. But desperate people do desperate things, and I guess Tom was desperate after his long SB drought. As if the health and the beauty and the fame and the skills and the beautiful kids and Giselle and the millions weren't enough.
Tommy, Tommy, Tommy. You're a heartbreaker. And a fool.
10
"...more probable than not that Brady was at least generally aware of the inappropriate activities.” is hardly as damning as the headline suggests.
And "latest kooky eligible-receiver-turned-ineligible formation" is hardly a objective view. If anything is shows a bias by the reporter against the Patriots organization.
And "latest kooky eligible-receiver-turned-ineligible formation" is hardly a objective view. If anything is shows a bias by the reporter against the Patriots organization.
6
Engrave an asterisk on the Vince Lombardi trophy, for starters.
1
Its the ball. It was a cold day.
No mention about how balls are normally treated.
The NFL has never (ever!) measured balls at the end of a game, let alone a cold rainy day.
Ever get those balloons for your kids birthday, flat after a couple of hours.
Let's' be real here. Its a game, hardly worth all the posturing.
Basically, I don't care.
No mention about how balls are normally treated.
The NFL has never (ever!) measured balls at the end of a game, let alone a cold rainy day.
Ever get those balloons for your kids birthday, flat after a couple of hours.
Let's' be real here. Its a game, hardly worth all the posturing.
Basically, I don't care.
5
Yawn! Let's see, in the second half of the Colts game, when the balls were not underflated, the Pats outscored the Colts 28-0, I believe.
And who won the Super Bowl with fullly inflated balls?
New York, eat your heart out. The Patriots are the team of the century.
And who won the Super Bowl with fullly inflated balls?
New York, eat your heart out. The Patriots are the team of the century.
15
But do they get past Baltimore the week before, a game that went down to the last play?
What???
everyone gets off with no consequences?...like returning rings, forfeiting titles, criminal charges for fraud......
athletes can do anything with impunity..... and now Pete Rose will probably be reinstated (there is even a street named after the crook in his hometown)
why is it that assault on a sports field is somehow not treated as assault and battery?
why is it that we adulate cheaters, thieves, wife-batterers, etc., etc. as long as they play on a professional sports team whose home field(most likely) is paid for or heavily subsidized by tax payers who cannot afford to take their own family to a game)
Rather than making us proud, professional sports are becoming our shame.
and then what do we say to our children?
everyone gets off with no consequences?...like returning rings, forfeiting titles, criminal charges for fraud......
athletes can do anything with impunity..... and now Pete Rose will probably be reinstated (there is even a street named after the crook in his hometown)
why is it that assault on a sports field is somehow not treated as assault and battery?
why is it that we adulate cheaters, thieves, wife-batterers, etc., etc. as long as they play on a professional sports team whose home field(most likely) is paid for or heavily subsidized by tax payers who cannot afford to take their own family to a game)
Rather than making us proud, professional sports are becoming our shame.
and then what do we say to our children?
5
Perhaps we could say to our children that the world is an imperfect place and it's best to choose your personal role models with care and a sense of meaningful integrity, not have them recommended/sold to you by pop culture businesses.
Hard to understand why Brady would do it. There was no way his team would lose - they won by a large margin . Good looks. Talented. Model wife. He has it all and yet he cheats to get every advantage. The adulation he has received has gone to his head. Time to hang it up, Tom.
8
...and if only Brian Williams could have broadcast this bit of salacious "news" on NBC rather than sitting out his suspension...
Seriously though, the NFL spent countless millions to produce a 243 page report with a 68 page scientific appendix on this? Where is the comprehensive NFL officially sanctioned report on the ravages of playing NFL football, the willful exploitation of female "cheerleaders", the glorification of beer culture that permeates the mob mentality of the masses who attend these games?
And why in the world does the NFL let each team supply its own "prepared" footballs? This is a multi-multi-billion enterprise that regulates team uniforms to the exact inch of sock height. Can't the league spring a few bucks to have a couple of independent league employees prepare and provide the footballs for each game?
Seriously though, the NFL spent countless millions to produce a 243 page report with a 68 page scientific appendix on this? Where is the comprehensive NFL officially sanctioned report on the ravages of playing NFL football, the willful exploitation of female "cheerleaders", the glorification of beer culture that permeates the mob mentality of the masses who attend these games?
And why in the world does the NFL let each team supply its own "prepared" footballs? This is a multi-multi-billion enterprise that regulates team uniforms to the exact inch of sock height. Can't the league spring a few bucks to have a couple of independent league employees prepare and provide the footballs for each game?
20
Hello, New England. Bye-bye, Canton.
1
how tight were his shoelaces? We're his socks pulled up high enough? We're his shoulder pads improperly laced? People. Mr. Brady has been kicking your team's collective butt for so long your judgment is skewed. He jaywalked. So now we're going to execute him? Get a grip.
13
Funny how the NFL comes up with absolutely nothing and the story is about Tom Brady. I agree with Tom Sr., this whole facade is Framegate. Better to have the press talking about Tom Brady's balls than domestic violence, murder, child abuse, concussions, brain injury etc., etc.
14
@ Will — Your argument makes sense only if a fundamental tenet of your belief system is that it’s impossible to walk and chew gum at the same time.
— Brian
— Brian
Dear Tom -
Liar, liar, pants on fire. Your legacy is hanging by a wire.
Regards,
Pete Rose
Liar, liar, pants on fire. Your legacy is hanging by a wire.
Regards,
Pete Rose
20
This will diminish the legacy of Tom Brady for two groups of people; those who enviously hate the Patriots and those who know nothing at all about football. Or both. I don't know which camp Ms Macur falls into, but this is ridiculous. The score alone in the game during the second half belies her ridiculous statements here. "Probably" is not definitely and most importantly, ball inflation has no real impact on the game. PERIOD. This is not what people want it to be, as much as a we all love a good scandal, its just not.
11
Girls should not report on sports. They get excited only by the melodramatic soapy aspects, not the stats.
This being the second time the Patriots have been caught cheating put an asterisk next to their record.
Put an asterisk next to Brady's too.
Sorry Patriot fans, they let you down.
Case closed.
Put an asterisk next to Brady's too.
Sorry Patriot fans, they let you down.
Case closed.
36
Makes you wonder what else they've done and gotten away with.
NYG fan here. Is an interior lineman who holds a cheater? It happens on every play. It's the refs job to catch it and penalize them. Brady is smarter than the rest of the bunch. Huge Eli Manning fan here, but listen to him bumble away about how ball PSI doesn't affect anything. Turns out it does, and only Brady realized it. Good for him.
10
Eli — You’re essentially espousing a cynical position that, “It’s cheating only if you get caught.” I don’t think one has to be naïve about the realities of sport to find your position unsatisfactory — and, indeed, evasive. Yes, linemen could probably be flagged for holding on every play. But that shouldn’t prevent one from making a mature determination that that sort of gamesmanship is “cheating” on a different order than, say, a hitter’s corking his bat.
Part of having grown-up intelligence is developing the analytical capacity to discriminate between play that is a technical breach of the rules but is nevertheless part of the game, and violations of the rules that actually undermine the integrity of the game.
— Brian
Part of having grown-up intelligence is developing the analytical capacity to discriminate between play that is a technical breach of the rules but is nevertheless part of the game, and violations of the rules that actually undermine the integrity of the game.
— Brian
I just finished reading the entire report and I'm not 100% certain Brady or anyone on the team is guilty of anything. Remember the report said "more probable than not" and not "they are guilty of cheating". There are a lot of holes in the scientific data. The only thing the scientific data proves is that the psi of a ball measured at room temperature will decrease over time in a colder environment. We all already know that. Remember none of the people interview were sworn in. Go back and read the report and yes I'm a Patriot fan.
21
If you read the entire report, you would know that it showed much more than psi declines in cold weather. I'm a Pat's fan also, but let's not kid ourselves.
The question I have is how many other teams are doing it? And how much difference does it make? I think we have a pretty good idea why Brady would release his emails and texts.
The question I have is how many other teams are doing it? And how much difference does it make? I think we have a pretty good idea why Brady would release his emails and texts.
Step back a moment and ask yourself ...
How many professional athletes am I aware of who really are role models for something good and positive?
(I admit that they exist. I do not admit that they are the dominant type.)
How many professional athletes am I aware of who really are role models for something good and positive?
(I admit that they exist. I do not admit that they are the dominant type.)
10
Unless Roger Goodell takes away the Patriots AFC championship and thus their Super Bowl victory, Tom Brady's legacy hasn't taken a hit; Commissioner Goodell's legacy has.
20
Exactly, and that's what Goodell's job is -- taking the heat to protect the game. He's head spear-catcher.
Nice article, Ms. Macur. But more probably than not, Brady will be handed a token suspension, the locker room attendants will take a full-on hit, Belichick we already know skates right on through, and by Week 4 this year all will be forgotten, at least by the NFL and its Newspeak Department.
However, for those of us not beguiled by the NFL propaganda machine, Brady now moves into the same column as Mark McGuire, Barry Bonds and A-Rod (different sport, yes, but similar deceit). There may never be any asterisks in the official record books, but they exist just the same.
However, for those of us not beguiled by the NFL propaganda machine, Brady now moves into the same column as Mark McGuire, Barry Bonds and A-Rod (different sport, yes, but similar deceit). There may never be any asterisks in the official record books, but they exist just the same.
65
It's probable - it's likely - maybe? What ever happened to your innocent until PROVEN guilty? Nothing has been PROVEN but because it's probable, likely and maybe, that makes Brady guilty? The NFL and many sports writers in the media have now convicted Brady...who said we have come a long way since the Salem witch trails.
19
This is NOT a criminal matter......guilty as charged
@ Freer Huguenot — You’re yet another commenter here who’s showing he doesn’t understand what “proof” means. You seem to believe that something can be considered “proven” only when not even the slightest shadow of a doubt remains. Well, the world would grind to a halt if we attempted to conduct our lives that way — especially when so many people (perhaps yourself included) will kick and scream and throw a monstrous tantrum, rather than admit a truth that they don’t like.
The biggest problem with the Salem witch trials was not the standard of proof required in court, but the fundamental conceptual one: the belief that the accused persons had inflicted loss, illness, or death on others, by summoning black magic through the practice of witchcraft! We view those proceedings as shameful because they accused people of things that, we now believe, no one could •possibly• have done.
So, Freer, are you telling us that you believe it’s simply not •possible• that a team staff member could have surreptitiously deflated game balls? Do you believe it’s simply not •possible• that someone in the NE organization could have cheated???
— Brian
The biggest problem with the Salem witch trials was not the standard of proof required in court, but the fundamental conceptual one: the belief that the accused persons had inflicted loss, illness, or death on others, by summoning black magic through the practice of witchcraft! We view those proceedings as shameful because they accused people of things that, we now believe, no one could •possibly• have done.
So, Freer, are you telling us that you believe it’s simply not •possible• that a team staff member could have surreptitiously deflated game balls? Do you believe it’s simply not •possible• that someone in the NE organization could have cheated???
— Brian
McNally would not deflate the balls unless the orders came from Jastremski. Jastremski would not give orders unless directed by the coach Belichick without involvement of Brady. If Robert Kraft was a man of integrity he would not have associated himself with Belichick after the Spygate incident. Additionally, Kraft would have apologized after the release of this report if he has kept in the dark. Finally, the very fact Brady refused permission for his text messages and emails be viewed is enough proof that he has something to hide. No smoking gun, but Kraft, Belicheck and Brady's hands are covered with gunpowder. Goodell should give a death penalty to the Patriots, have them forfeit all wins of last season including the Super Bowl to retain the integrity of the game.
23
I'm no Brady fan. But who really cares? It will tarnish his legacy only that someone will always try to bring it up...but it will never really gain traction. It won't prevent him going down as one of the greats (whatever that really means in a society that has an ever-shrinking attention span) and won't keep him out of the Hall of Fame.
9
No football fan believed that Brady didn't know the footballs were deflated He was handling them on every play. How dumb could he be?
39
So were the refs. No proof only speculation.
When are athletes or anyone for that mater going to realize that in this day and age there is no where to hide when you cheat. (either in sports, school, work, your spouse, etc) The truth always comes out.
13
I'm a lawyer and a Jets fan and I simply can't see how this is a big deal at all. "More probable than not" is simply a 50.1% likelihood. That's a civil standard, something that goes to liability, but it says absolutely nothing about Brady's character itself. Then there's the basic question I'd want answered before any talk of diminishing Brady's legacy -- how unusual is his alleged behavior? Is he the only QB who might (not did, might) have altered the pressure of his footballs? And did other players at other positions do equivalent things? I've always assumed stuff like this goes on at every team and in every era. How can you say anything about Brady's legacy as an NFL great without knowing how unusual is his behavior that we don't even know he actually did, but just suspect he might have done?
80
This not a court of law. It is the court of public opinion. Tom Brady is probably a cheater. Sounds like enough to cast doubt on the character of the man, the team and pro football. If others have done the same, then pro football really looks likes like a sham.
7
Exactly. The NYT writer, for whatever reason, seems to have such a bias in arguing his case. Geez, I wonder if he's a Jets fan? At least do a retrospective study on other QBs (Aaron Rodgers stated he like his footballs at maximum pressure) to see if any of their footballs were not within the required psi. Then, why not thoroughly investigate whether or not wide recievers (jerry rice) have EVER used stickum or a foreign substance that helped them grip or catch a football.
1
You are a great lawyer. Just what this discussion needed.
1
It's becoming more and more apparent that a large part of becoming successful seems to involve cheating...both in sports and business.
It's just not that easy to "make it big" (or make it at all) legitimately.
It's just not that easy to "make it big" (or make it at all) legitimately.
10
Tom Brady is still one of the all-time greats, in spite of the possibility he may have used slightly deflated footballs. If using slightly deflated footballs is all it takes to go to 6 Super Bowls and win 4 of them, then it sure doesn't take much.
13
This is exactly what many of us cycling fans say about Lance Armstrong. Cheat or no, he was the best of those years.
1
Thank you!
1
His reputation is tarnished. Who knows how long he's been cheating? How many of Barry Bonds' homeruns were due to steroids and how many were due to his natural ability?
1
One must suspend all belief in reality and human nature to think that Tom Brady, who joked about the "deflator" and talked to his clubhouse agents frequently, one of them daily during the season, didn't know what was going on, maybe even directed the enterprise.
Let's put it this way: when 2 guys get together in the locker room and joke about the opposite of what is supposed to be happening or what the rules require, they are communicating and sharing knowledge about a conspiracy they are involved in to break or skirt the rules. That's the way it goes in the locker room or the clubhouse or the backside of the race track. It's something guys learn to do in grammar school, and they do it most of their lives until their wives, girlfriends, or lawyers catch them.
Brady and the Patriots require significant discipline if the NFL is not to look like a fraud, too. I will wait to see what they do, but I haven't seen any evidence that the NFL has made its own integrity a priority or even placed a high premium on it. Perhaps they will do something meaningful, although the likelihood is that they will do . . . nothing meaningful.
Why expect integrity from the NFL after all we know about how they have managed scandals and player medical issues over the few number of seasons.
Let's put it this way: when 2 guys get together in the locker room and joke about the opposite of what is supposed to be happening or what the rules require, they are communicating and sharing knowledge about a conspiracy they are involved in to break or skirt the rules. That's the way it goes in the locker room or the clubhouse or the backside of the race track. It's something guys learn to do in grammar school, and they do it most of their lives until their wives, girlfriends, or lawyers catch them.
Brady and the Patriots require significant discipline if the NFL is not to look like a fraud, too. I will wait to see what they do, but I haven't seen any evidence that the NFL has made its own integrity a priority or even placed a high premium on it. Perhaps they will do something meaningful, although the likelihood is that they will do . . . nothing meaningful.
Why expect integrity from the NFL after all we know about how they have managed scandals and player medical issues over the few number of seasons.
30
So, the nfl can come and go as it pleases and they get rewarded with not having to pay taxes... How nice, typical arrogant corporate mentality and we, kids too, get to watch it every sunday, monday and thursday on national TV...
1
Ever since this began, I have wondered; why doesn't the NFL control the balls, from beginning to end? Why don't they inflate them, then check them, quarter after quarter? Brady and Belichik may be classic cheaters, but it's the league who bears the ultimate responsibility to make sure their games are played on a level playing field.
144
Me too, Clyde! Even as a life-long football fan it was a revelation to learn that the actual BALLS are so casually managed!
I understand. B & B are victims!
1
Yes, I stole your new car, but it's you who bears the ultimate responsibility for securing the car in your garage or parking lot.
1
I think we should point the finger at Belichik, whether he knew about the balls (likely) or not. The coach created the win- at- any- cost culture there. Spying on the Jets' practices and stealing teams' signals were the actions of a criminal mind. Brady just got caught up in it.
24
BB is a genius and the rest of the league can't stand it
1
I wish this unreal state of naïveté about football as it exists today would come to an end. It's not a sport, it's entertainment. Tom Brady is a very talented entertainer. We can't apply standards of sportsmanship to the game as it exists and its players. It's apparently all about the money.
What evidence is there of the Patriots spying on anyone's practices?
Cheater, lier, unethical, what does it matter what you call him. Not only for him, but the entire NE team and crew.
100
*liar
I am shocked, I tell you, shocked to find out that there has been cheating in the NFL. I thought it was nothin but a bunch of hardworking, decent woodsmen who make their own beds, keep their guns clean, treat their women well and love their children dearly.
Next thing you're going to say is that there was something funny about Barry Bonds, Lance Armstrong or the NY legislature.
Next thing you're going to say is that there was something funny about Barry Bonds, Lance Armstrong or the NY legislature.
1
Harbaugh fan, apparently.
Wow, good thing our justice system doesn't convict people due to this "more probable than not" method. Might as well go back to throwing people in the lake and claim they are a witch if they drown. This is slanderous and sounds like a lot of guess work. Additionally, this type of investigation needs to be conducted on all the NFL teams and if not, it is most certainly a witch hunt after all. He has had a stellar career and reputation, I will trust in that.
112
If it's slanderous, Brady can always sue.
39
Actually, D. Brown, our justice system does produce verdicts based on “more probable than not” factual determinations, in civil cases. That standard of proof is appropriate in cases where life or liberty are not in the balance, but just money, property, and privileges. It also appropriately reflects the limitations borne by the investigators, who lacked the power of issuing subpoenas, and thus, for example, could not compel Brady to hand over his text messages and emails.
— Brian
— Brian
10
Have you read the report? Obviously not.
1
This is part of the reason why I stopped watching football last year. The Players constantly try to cheat on the field, but we can see them cheat in the replays...and we can see their "i didn't do anything" response to the ref. Its pathetic and the fans are ok with it. On top of that the game has become a breading ground for activism, from the players to the announcers. And The refs can't call the game with such ambiguously drawn lines in the rules. Then there are the rules themselves. I can go on and on.
I am awaiting a new, rougher, old school football league to emerge, perhaps arena football? Who knows.
The game is just too frustrating to watch anymore. There is no joy anymore. And yes, Brady should be treated like Jon Jones got treated for his mis-step.
I am awaiting a new, rougher, old school football league to emerge, perhaps arena football? Who knows.
The game is just too frustrating to watch anymore. There is no joy anymore. And yes, Brady should be treated like Jon Jones got treated for his mis-step.
21
Rougher? Good luck with the direction concussion studies are going. It seems much more likely that you'll have no football at all.
If you're not cheating, you're not trying to win.
16
The mantra of American big business. Congrats!
1
Yeah, the corporado motto.
Awe c'mon. Is that what its about to you? Cheat to win? Do you really think you've won if you cheated?
1
Like Nixon in 1972, he did not have to cheat to win but did it anyway. He has a flawed character.
175
The smug attitude of Belichik and the Patriots fans ("oh, we won by 27 points") is annoying.
Does anyone care if Lance Armstrong won the Tour by a large margin or beat cancer and won it by a few seconds?
Cheating is Cheating - period
Does anyone care if Lance Armstrong won the Tour by a large margin or beat cancer and won it by a few seconds?
Cheating is Cheating - period
1
Memo to Alan: I agree that it fascinates me that people with everything, show their true character in the end. Again, Nixon only won 49 states in the 1972 election, however his paranoid flaw did him in. Brady could never get over being a 6th round draft choice and his ego flaw did him in.
They have no proof. Does it LOOK bad? Sure! No proof. Nothing but assumptions. The NFL has chosen to ruin a few lives and reputations without PROOF by publishing this document. This makes Roger Goodell, and the NFL organization, look like idiots. Have other teams broken the rules in the past? Of course! The NFL said "Don't do that again", and they were never heard of again. But this? It's the Patriots. Everybody's hated team because they are so successful. Enjoy it haters! I hope the Patriots and Tom Brady sue the NFL and rip them to shreds.
64
"Nothing but assumptions"? That's not quite right...they have evidence. That isn't proof , but it's quite a bit more than assumptions.
2
Actually, there's tons of evidence. Maybe you should actually read the report and stop living in denial.. They cheated - and were caught, again. Their reputation, legacy and SB wins are all tainted. And the worst part is that they ARE an amazing team with a great QB and coach - which makes their history and culture of cheating so much more perplexing (in that they probably didn't need to cheat to win, but they cheated anyway).
2
Sue the NFL? Surely you jest. The report is chock full of incriminating text messages from the guy who deflated the balls for Brady. The Pats have no leg left to stand on.
2
Give me a break, half a psi does not make that much of a difference.
64
Then why did NE staff go to the trouble of violating NFL rules to accomplish something inconsequential?
— Brian
— Brian
1
RJ you don't know what you don't know. Not only did Brady get an unfair advantage it's proven that there are fewer fumbles with a deflated ball. Brady wouldn't have cheated and lied to cover this up if he didn't think it would help him in a game of inches and now psi.
1
Apparently it does for Brady.
28 - 0 in the second half with properly inflated balls. Just say'n.
140
What does the score have to do with anything? If he knowingly cheated, especially when he didn't have to, his credibility has taken a serious hit. It's of zero consequence what he did when he wasn't cheating.
2
Completely missing the point, per usual for all the Pats fans in denial... and who says they didn't also cheat against the Ravens, a much closer game?
3
That makes it even worse, doesn't it? It wasn't some last ditch attempt to gain a desperately needed edge -- sounds more like it was just a habit to bend the rules. Like taping the Jets' signals -- they didn't need to do that in order to beat the Jets. Which makes it seem even worse that they did do it -- cheating because it's a habit, because the rules don't matter to them.
2
Obviously the writer is a NY fan and NE hater. Brady's legacy is just fine. He could have beaten the Colts with a whiffle ball. He was not proven guilty of any wrongdoing in fact. He MAY have done what many other QBs, including Aaron Rodgers, have done. We will never know the whole story but Brady is clearly one of , if not the best QB to ever play the game. This does not change that fact.
97
obviously you're very partisan is you think that from reading this story. I don't care a fig who wins the super bowl. if I had to choose between the two super bowl teams, I might've had a very slight preference for NE. however, the evidence seems pretty strong. 243 pages seems over the top, but it's America's secular religion you're talking about.
What do you mean "we will never know the whole story"? This exhaustive 243 page report explain exactly what happened: two underlings underinflated the balls all season with the knowledge and complicity of Tom Brady, if not direct orders. When caught Brady lied about it, even pretending not to know who the equipment assistant is. Frankly, he gave himself away at his own press conference, acting nervous and utterly unconvincing as he lied through his teeth.
Remain a fan; he's obviously among the best quarterbacks. But he's also a cheater and a liar. The tragedy is that he probably didn't need to, although before this past year, it had been a long time since his last SB win.
Remain a fan; he's obviously among the best quarterbacks. But he's also a cheater and a liar. The tragedy is that he probably didn't need to, although before this past year, it had been a long time since his last SB win.
2
to win at any cost, yes, he is one of the best at that.
1
Cheaters never win.
27
Well, actually, in this case, the cheaters did win.
4
"Probably" not.
Except 4 Super Bowls.
You mean this is more serious than discovering that Whitey Ford threw a spitball and Gaylord Perry used Vaseline?
51
It's on the same level as a corked bat.
And Willie Mays drank a mixture of amphetamine "red juice" before games. Who cares? It's entertainment not brain surgery.