Worst Play Call in Football History?

[skip-zip]

I have no feelings, either way, regarding the Patriots, Brady, Belichick or the organization. But I do have two thoughts.

1) I agree with those who think it's ridiculous to even mention any connection between an underinflated football, and any effect on the outcome of the Indianapolis game.

2) With nothing more than a report that says that "there was a better chance than not" that Brady was aware of this, what can you really do? He didn't commit the act, and may have just possibly.....possibly...been aware of it? These are the findings that they will use to issue a penalty against him? That's really, really weak in my book.

Whoever you can prove was involved, it's cheating, so penalize them. Whoever you can't prove was involved, you take no action. It sounds like they may have been hell-bent on making a Brady connection instead of focusing on an objective search for the events that took place.

[LZIp]

Tom Brady likes footballs on the low side, so they would probably set their footballs right at the bottom of the allowable range. It is therefore reasonable to expect that, on a cold day, the footballs tested later would be out of range. I have no idea what Andrew Luck likes, but if the Colts' footballs started the game at the middle of the range or near the top, they could reasonably still be in the allowable range, and would be expected to be higher than the Patriots'.

These MIT and Boston U physicists agree.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/01/26/scientists-agree-that-football-will-lose-air-pressure-when-moved-cooler-place/2KfFPHn9dARXXCwMgBMSkO/story.html

[Dr Z]

NFL determines Brady is a cheater, and slaps him on the wrist. The "classy" Patriots and their culture of cheating make fools out of their competition again.

Maybe Brady can use some of those above links in his appeal.

[LZIp]

I'm a little shocked at the suspension. I would have figured if anything, one or two games.

Just another weird suspension by Goodell. Apparently being indirectly involved in altering football air pressure is twice as bad as knocking your fiance out.

[Balsy]

I'm a little shocked at the suspension. I would have figured if anything, one or two games.

Just another weird suspension by Goodell. Apparently being indirectly involved in altering football air pressure is twice as bad as knocking your fiance out.

I think this is sending a message to all teams. Cheating, no matter how little it may seem...or how little your personal involvement...will not be tolerated. For once, I applaud the NFL.

[Dr Z]

Cheating, no matter how little it may seem...or how little your personal involvement...will not be tolerated. For once, I applaud the NFL.

BS. It's absolutely tolerated, the Patriots win Super Bowls while they gain competitive edges! So what? Big deal, a few draft picks? Some money, and one player on your team sits a few games? Whoopty-frigin-do! How many fans of teams would trade that "penalty" for a Championship? Answer, every single one of them. Until the NFL takes away what the Patriots gain from their infractions, it's all meaningless. In what part of life do you get to keep something you cheat for? The NFL.

If fans wanted to send the league a message, they wouldn't show up to any Patriots away games. Empty stadiums in all away games would send a message to the league. The Colts should start it on October 18th. The Patriots are encouraged to bend the rules, from the top employee, to the bottom ones. It is a culture of cheating. I decided after Spygate that in every instance that makes sense, I will not add to the NFL finance monster.

Spygate proved to me what the "game" has become. I can only hope that when the Patriots appeal this in an attempt for reduction (which they will probably get) that more is revealed, but sadly the slap on the wrist they got, will only become lighter. This all seems vaguely familiar, and i'll guess, this won't be the last time, just as I predicted with the last slap on the wrist back in 2007. Players are put in "programs" after repeat offenses of marijuana (which gives zero competitive edge), why aren't franchises put in the same kind of program for cheating (gaining a competitive edge) so the penalties become progressively stiffer instead of these minor slaps on the wrist? Unfortunately, I know the answer to my own question.

I agree with Ian O'Connor, Tom Brady Should Come Clean.

According to NFL executive vice president Troy Vincent, who handed down Brady's suspension, Spygate amounted to a "prior,'' so the Patriots were fined $1 million for Deflategate and docked a first-round pick in 2016 and a fourth-round pick in 2017. You have to give it to Vincent, Goodell and the boys in New York. They know where to hit Belichick where it hurts: his coveted draft picks and his coveted quarterback. When investigators asked for Brady's emails, text messages and cell phones, they were denied. When they wanted to meet with locker room attendant Jim McNally (who referred to himself as the "deflator") for an additional interview, the Patriots told them to forget it. That lack of cooperation and transparency (there's that word again), more than the actual deflation of the footballs, is what has Brady and his team mired in this mess.

Brady's ultimate punishment will be for the Sundays when he won't play football. Since he has no friends, he'll have to sit on the couch and listen to his big mouth wife as his Patriots actually lose a fumble with a properly inflated ball. This is the one that the uninformed tend to miss. Anybody think turnovers are big in football? The Patriots and Tom's deflated balls defy the stats compared to other teams fumbling. They didn't lose a fumble ALL YEAR at HOME. Ever notice how the Patriots make the most average of receivers better, hell even offensive lineman and defensive lineman catch TD passes with Tom's flat balls. Anybody that actually knows their facts, and thinks the league has over reacted, I'm sorry, it just doesn't add up to me. Not that I wish the Patriots antics on any fan base, but in a way I wish this happened to Cleveland's fans. NO WAY does their passion not make this a bigger issue. Browns fans would not put up with getting cheated out of a trip to the super bowl. Browns fans would force the league to do something to make sure it doesn't happen time after time like it has.

My penalty suggestions are still more fitting than what Mr Vincent come up with:

Option 1: Suspend him for only one game...the next time he makes it to a championship game. If he doesn't make it, no suspension, congratulations, you got away with cheating just like your coach. Option 2: Don't suspend him at all, just make him (and his team) play with an overinflated ball. Same amount that was underinflated. The amount was no big deal, right? See how many times they turn the ball over then. Bet it's closer to the league average then what they have been averaging (Zero). They are also going to have to find talented receivers, AND spend money on them. It's going to be a lot harder for you to come up with formations where you can have offensive and defensive lineman catch a flat ball too.

[Hilltopper]

[skip-zip]

Now if someone would just grow some nuts and start lowering the boom on some NCAA basketball and football programs, like they should, programs like Akron might have a chance again.

I keep hearing that the NFL cares too much about money, just like the NCAA, but obviously this was not a money decision. Kudos.

Don't get me wrong. I think Brady conducts himself better than most athletes, and I don't think the evidence really approaches undoubtable evidence, but I like seeing people who aren't afraid to take action to make sure there's equality among teams.

[Dr Z]

BS. It's absolutely tolerated, the Patriots win Super Bowls while they gain competitive edges! So what? Big deal, a few draft picks? Some money, and one player on your team sits a few games? Whoopty-frigin-do! How many fans of teams would trade that "penalty" for a Championship? Answer, every single one of them. Until the NFL takes away what the Patriots gain from their infractions, it's all meaningless. In what part of life do you get to keep something you cheat for? The NFL.

If fans wanted to send the league a message, they wouldn't show up to any Patriots away games. Empty stadiums in all away games would send a message to the league. The Colts should start it on October 18th. The Patriots are encouraged to bend the rules, from the top employee, to the bottom ones. It is a culture of cheating. I decided after Spygate that in every instance that makes sense, I will not add to the NFL finance monster.

Spygate proved to me what the "game" has become. I can only hope that when the Patriots appeal this in an attempt for reduction (which they will probably get) that more is revealed, but sadly the slap on the wrist they got, will only become lighter. This all seems vaguely familiar, and i'll guess, this won't be the last time, just as I predicted with the last slap on the wrist back in 2007. Players are put in "programs" after repeat offenses of marijuana (which gives zero competitive edge), why aren't franchises put in the same kind of program for cheating (gaining a competitive edge) so the penalties become progressively stiffer instead of these minor slaps on the wrist? Unfortunately, I know the answer to my own question.

I agree with Ian O'Connor, Tom Brady Should Come Clean.

According to NFL executive vice president Troy Vincent, who handed down Brady's suspension, Spygate amounted to a "prior,'' so the Patriots were fined $1 million for Deflategate and docked a first-round pick in 2016 and a fourth-round pick in 2017. You have to give it to Vincent, Goodell and the boys in New York. They know where to hit Belichick where it hurts: his coveted draft picks and his coveted quarterback. When investigators asked for Brady's emails, text messages and cell phones, they were denied. When they wanted to meet with locker room attendant Jim McNally (who referred to himself as the "deflator") for an additional interview, the Patriots told them to forget it. That lack of cooperation and transparency (there's that word again), more than the actual deflation of the footballs, is what has Brady and his team mired in this mess.

Brady's ultimate punishment will be for the Sundays when he won't play football. Since he has no friends, he'll have to sit on the couch and listen to his big mouth wife as his Patriots actually lose a fumble with a properly inflated ball. This is the one that the uninformed tend to miss. Anybody think turnovers are big in football? The Patriots and Tom's deflated balls defy the stats compared to other teams fumbling. They didn't lose a fumble ALL YEAR at HOME. Ever notice how the Patriots make the most average of receivers better, hell even offensive lineman and defensive lineman catch TD passes with Tom's flat balls. Anybody that actually knows their facts, and thinks the league has over reacted, I'm sorry, it just doesn't add up to me. Not that I wish the Patriots antics on any fan base, but in a way I wish this happened to Cleveland's fans. NO WAY does their passion not make this a bigger issue. Browns fans would not put up with getting cheated out of a trip to the super bowl. Browns fans would force the league to do something to make sure it doesn't happen time after time like it has.

My penalty suggestions are still more fitting than what Mr Vincent come up with:

Option 1: Suspend him for only one game...the next time he makes it to a championship game. If he doesn't make it, no suspension, congratulations, you got away with cheating just like your coach. Option 2: Don't suspend him at all, just make him (and his team) play with an overinflated ball. Same amount that was underinflated. The amount was no big deal, right? See how many times they turn the ball over then. Bet it's closer to the league average then what they have been averaging (Zero). They are also going to have to find talented receivers, AND spend money on them. It's going to be a lot harder for you to come up with formations where you can have offensive and defensive lineman catch a flat ball too.

Bud Shaw gets it. As for the organization and Tom Brady, they had it coming. I like Joe Banners tweet in the article too.

[Dave in Green]

... When investigators asked for Brady's emails, text messages and cell phones, they were denied. When they wanted to meet with locker room attendant Jim McNally (who referred to himself as the "deflator") for an additional interview, the Patriots told them to forget it. That lack of cooperation and transparency (there's that word again), more than the actual deflation of the footballs, is what has Brady and his team mired in this mess. ...

This is the part that a lot of people are overlooking. They're repeat offenders who got caught red-handed again, and instead of fully cooperating with the investigation they tried to stonewall it. Some are arguing that the punishment is too harsh and some are arguing that it's too light, which likely means that it's about right.

[GoZips]

The NFL did not go far enough. This amounts to a slap on the neighbor's wrist.

The Patriots are laughing all the way to the bankS.

[Hilltopper]

Your Team Cheats

The Biggest Cheaters

#2 The Pittsburg Steelers

[Dr Z]

Good for some fans taking charge.

Now if fans would boycott Patriot away games maybe the NFL will be forced to dish out real punishment instead of slapping their wrists...again.

If Sean Payton got suspended for a year, why didn't Belicheat? I know how Don Shula feels.

Never let the Patriots and their culture of cheating forget Don!

#TomShady

[Dave in Green]

[Hilltopper]

How to reduce the amount of air in a football without letting any air out

Just fill the ball with warm humid indoor air, then when it temperature-equalizes with the 25°F cooler outdoor air on your AFC Championship playing field some of the water vapor in the ball will condense into water, leaving less air in the ball, solving the great mystery: how did the footballs used by the Championship winning New England Patriots show 12.5 psi of inflation pressure in the official pre-game check but only 10.5 psi when checked at halftime?

There is also a decrease in pressure due to the cooling of the molecules that remain gaseous. Those air molecules are not zipping around as fast as they were so they exert less outward pressure on the ball. But according to the ideal gas law, if there were no reduction in the number of gas molecules in the balls it would have taken a large drop in temperature, about 40°F, to cause the observed drop in air pressure. So says Boston College professor Martin Schmaltz:

Carnegie Mellon Agrees

The biggest loser: Bill Nye, the phony-science guy

While real scientists keep acknowledging that the move from inside to outside can cause a substantial drop in football psi, Nye went on national television to proclaim that air must have been taken out of the balls with a needle. So that’s good anyway. Half the Northeast now knows that Bill Nye is an idiot.

After all is said and done, it appears the NFL condoned all this nonsense.

Qbs Get On The Ball, Reach Goal

It easily passed.

[Dr Z]

All the above is addressed in the exact report that found the Patriots and their QB guilty of cheating. It's a good read, take the time. Rif.

The longer Shady continues avoiding to tell the truth, the more of these stories we will continue to hear.

Put an end to it Shady, come clean and get your punishment reduced. Damage control mode to the tarnished image in 5, 4, 3...

“Prior to Tommy and Peyton Manning going to the league and saying, ‘Let us doctor our balls’ we used to all play with the same balls,” Feeley said. “Somehow this beat-up ball from the ball boy was getting thrown in on offense for New England, yet when we were on offense this orange brand new ball was getting thrown in.” Feeley says Brady was getting an advantage, and Feeley had a problem with it. “He’s getting his own balls thrown in on offense,” Feeley said. “That was an issue to me at the time. . . . We saw it then.”

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The below posted May 15th 9:40 am:

Not Much Hope for #TomShady in his Appeal

Q: Is it possible the appeal will backfire on Brady?

A: Yes. Brady refused to turn over his text messages and emails during the Wells investigation. In the arbitration process, he will be compelled to give the NFL the material he did not want the NFL to see. When Brady's emails and texts are added to the texts from John Jastremski, the assistant equipment manager, and James McNally, the locker room attendant who took the footballs into the bathroom moments before kickoff, the case against Brady could easily become stronger and more difficult for Brady to answer.

Brady and his attorneys obviously know he must turn over this material to the arbitrator. They will try to present it in a way that shows Brady is innocent. But if the evidence shows innocence, then why didn't Brady turn over the material earlier?

PS (As I have always predicted) I still think the slap will be lighter when all said and done...just like before.

[LZIp]

Your Team Cheats

The Biggest Cheaters

#2 The Pittsburg Steelers

Interesting that Dr. Z doesn't have any thoughts on this

[Dr Z]

Interesting that Dr. Z doesn't have any thoughts on this

Even if you didn't take intro to psychology, you should be able to recognize this as one of the most common defense mechanisms. As I stated earlier, it's the same rationalization used during Spy Gate. It will continue until the slap on the wrist is reduced. Rinse and repeat.

For entertainment purposes, I heard this clip of Chris Russo speaking about Brady's Dad this weekend. Enjoy.

[Dr Z]

Given the context of the play - goal line, Super Bowl, less than a minute left in regulation - I say it goes down as the worst call in the storied history of the NFL. Period.

Months later, Don agrees, but will it continue to haunt?

EA Sports gets it.

[Dr Z]

The Players Tribune gives Ricardo Lockette the chance to tell his unique story.

[LZIp]

The Doc should like this Players Tribune story. Old, but being promoted by them on Twitter.

http://www.theplayerstribune.com/deflategate/

[Dr Z]

Old, but being promoted by them on Twitter.

New, buried in the league's statement was confirmation that Brady destroyed his cellphone on the same day he met with investigator Ted Wells.

[Dave in Green]

New, buried in the league's statement was confirmation that Brady destroyed his cellphone on the same day he met with investigator Ted Wells.

It's good that the NFL made that little move public, ending any remaining doubt of guilt outside of the most diehard Brady supporters.

[Dr Z]

It's good that the NFL made that little move public, ending any remaining doubt of guilt outside of the most diehard Brady supporters.

Former MAC superstar Julian Edelman texts Tom about that little move.

[LZIp]

A Super Bowl loser's opinion on the matter.

http://deadspin.com/richard-sherman-sticks-up-for-tom-brady-1725344561?utm_campaign=socialflow_deadspin_twitter&utm_source=deadspin_twitter&utm_medium=socialflow