NFL 2015

[Chimpy]

The fact that the Patriots were basically statistically 50% less likely to fumble the ball over the last few years than the next team leads me to think that it did actually make a difference.

I can't for the life of me see why the league allows each team to have their own special balls. Both teams should be using the same batch of footballs set to whatever the regulation pressure is.

[Mithas]

Brady and Manning pushed for the change in rules to allow teams to provide their own balls. Prior to that, it was the home team.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/01/22/brady-pushed-for-rule-to-let-visiting-team-provide-own-footballs/

[Shannow]

Kinda hoping Kraft goes full Al Davis here and starts suing the NFL and shit. Should be fun.

[Paelos]

Fuck the Patriots, and fuck Brady for lying. If he came out and said he encouraged guys to take the balls as far as they could within the limits, he'd be fine. Because they'd have to prove texts about the balls were about going outside the limits, and there's no way they could do that.

But he panicked, as liars do, and just started lying harder. He deserves the suspension for being stupid if nothing else.

The Patriots organization as a whole is a bunch of smarmy dicks. They finally got caught with no wiggle room, and their special butt-boy status with Gooddell couldn't save them. I feel no remorse for them finally getting tagged after years of dodging the rules.

[Malakili]

I love how amped up you appear to be about this. It's so damned boring and I can't believe this is getting so much attention 5 month's later.  Whatever, Brady out 4 games.  At least this stupid story is eating up the offseason now, instead of the week before the Super Bowl.

[Paelos]

I love how amped up you appear to be about this. It's so damned boring and I can't believe this is getting so much attention 5 month's later.  Whatever, Brady out 4 games.  At least this stupid story is eating up the offseason now, instead of the week before the Super Bowl.

Why wouldn't I be amped? Remember, it's not about the actual act, it's about lying. The Patriots lie when they wake up. It's so natural to them that politicians go, damn son, might want to dial it back.

I'm glad they finally got a boot in the ass for the systemic bullshit they pull. And the first round pick is real issue more than anything. They can go 0-4 to begin the season and still probably win that QB-depressed trainwreck of a division.

[Malakili]

And players act incredulous and insist they didn't just commit that holding penalty right before we see that they did it in crystal clear HD slow motion replay. 

[Paelos]

And players act incredulous and insist they didn't just commit that holding penalty right before we see that they did it in crystal clear HD slow motion replay. 

You know the difference between on field penalties and intentionally, systematically trying to gain an advantage before the game starts. You're not dumb.

[Malakili]

And players act incredulous and insist they didn't just commit that holding penalty right before we see that they did it in crystal clear HD slow motion replay. 

You know the difference between on field penalties and intentionally, systematically trying to gain an advantage before the game starts. You're not dumb.

Both are examples of ignoring the rules to gain an advantage. The difference is mainly in scale. I have no problem with the penalty or punishment because I realize that this is as much a penalty for the Patriots long term "fuck you, we do what we want" attitude as it is anything. The presumption is that they've been doing this long term and I think that plays into the punishment.

The actual example I'd use is something like using a stick with too much curve in hockey. It's a deliberately gaining an advantage by intentionally using illegal equipment.  If you get caught with that it's a two minute penalty just like roughing or hooking or slashing.  You aren't suspended, your team doesn't lose draft picks.  The Patriots could have gotten a 15 yard penalty to start the second half of the Colts game.

[Paelos]

And hockey handles that the wrong way in my mind. If you get caught with illegal equipment that shouldn't be a slap on the wrist penalty. But the reason it is a slap on the wrist is because they all realize the rule is completely antiquated to stop shots going at a goalie's unmasked face, and they are too lazy to rewrite the rules. Most hockey fans would admit this.

A better example is corking the bat in baseball. The rule says it's a mandatory ejection from the game, and then later in a guy like Sosa's case, he was suspended for 8 games. That's basically 5% of the games. But that was after Sosa turned over all his bats and they came back clean, and after he openly apologized with the excuse that it was a BP bat for fun. It would have been much worse if he stonewalled and acted like a dickhead.

[Malakili]

I mean, fine. I'm not really disagreeing with you on any point except for that this whole thing has taken up WAY too much of our collective time already.  I also cynically believe that basically all teams are stretching the rules at all times to try and gain any advantage they can.  In something so inconsequential as sports I just do not care.

[Paelos]

I don't disagree that it takes up time, but you can't throw your hands up and say everyone is doing it so don't punish them harshly, especially when they went out of their way to lie about it and then had the gall to demand a formal apology from the NFL. I mean, really?

The key is that you're dealing with stuff the directly affects the game on the field. If fans start to honestly believe the game is rigged, or that the game isn't fair, or that the league won't police itself? They'll stop watching the product.

[01101010]

I don't disagree that it takes up time, but you can't throw your hands up and say everyone is doing it so don't punish them harshly, especially when they went out of their way to lie about it and then had the gall to demand a formal apology from the NFL. I mean, really?

The key is that you're dealing with stuff the directly affects the game on the field. If fans start to honestly believe the game is rigged, or that the game isn't fair, or that the league won't police itself? They'll stop watching the product.

I'd point out the fact that Brady's stats between home and away games don't really show a difference of an advantage, but you have a thing for the Pats so I'll just sit back and watch....

[HaemishM]

I mean, fine. I'm not really disagreeing with you on any point except for that this whole thing has taken up WAY too much of our collective time already. 

The NFL WANTS this story. This is a good story for them. They get to show they WILL punish their golden boy face of the sport for cheating. That way, they don't have to deal with the very uncomfortable specter of the #1 draft pick and new face of the NFL/franchise Jameis Winston being dragged into civil court for rape.

[Paelos]

I'd point out the fact that Brady's stats between home and away games don't really show a difference of an advantage, but you have a thing for the Pats so I'll just sit back and watch....

Well for one thing almost every top QB has a large difference between home and away QB rating, so I'm not sure what you mean. I don't think you can say this didn't play a part in what happened in the field because...

If it's no big deal why bother with this? Why go through it, send texts about it, complain to people about it, demand your equipment staff do it, pay them off with bribes, and then lie repeatedly about it when asked? When asked, every NFL QB would tell you a less inflated ball is easier to throw and catch.

Or rather, here's some science http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2015/01/20/378581349/scientists-say-the-nfls-deflate-gate-isnt-all-hot-air

[Malakili]

It's clearly an advantage.  Although if deflating the ball a little leads to that much of a higher quality team, I'd say the NFL should just lower the PSI standard, because I'd rather watch Patriot quality football than the Browns v. the Bengals.

[K9]

Clearly that advantage was lost in the second half of the colts game 

[01101010]

I'd point out the fact that Brady's stats between home and away games don't really show a difference of an advantage, but you have a thing for the Pats so I'll just sit back and watch....

Well for one thing almost every top QB has a large difference between home and away QB rating, so I'm not sure what you mean. I don't think you can say this didn't play a part in what happened in the field because...

If it's no big deal why bother with this? Why go through it, send texts about it, complain to people about it, demand your equipment staff do it, pay them off with bribes, and then lie repeatedly about it when asked? When asked, every NFL QB would tell you a less inflated ball is easier to throw and catch.

Or rather, here's some science http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2015/01/20/378581349/scientists-say-the-nfls-deflate-gate-isnt-all-hot-air

http://mmqb.si.com/2015/05/11/dante-fowler-jaguars-tom-brady-deflategate-nfl-peter-king/

Yeah, he's a Pats homer, but the numbers on the front page do tell a story, or lack of. Not much of a difference in the passing numbers for Brady home vs away.

[Mithas]

I guess I don't see why there would be a difference. He can bring his own balls to an away game.

[Bungee]

I guess I don't see why there would be a difference. He can bring his own balls to an away game.

This. 

[TheWalrus]

Brady has yet to bring balls to any game.

[01101010]

I believe the point is with the lack of a ball boy at away games that could possibly scamper off with them. The balls are only handled by home team personnel and officials. Thus negating the deflating factor. 

[Shannow]

Brady has yet to bring balls to any game.

Giselle keeps them in a box.

What this all boils down to is that it's the Patriots. Any other team and no one cares anywhere near as much.

[Malakili]

Brady has yet to bring balls to any game.

Giselle keeps them in a box.

What this all boils down to is that it's the Patriots. Any other team and no one cares anywhere near as much.

Case in point:

http://espn.go.com/blog/minnesota-vikings/post/_/id/11218/nfl-aware-of-game-ball-incident-during-panthers-vikings

[Paelos]

Brady has yet to bring balls to any game.

Giselle keeps them in a box.

What this all boils down to is that it's the Patriots. Any other team and no one cares anywhere near as much.

It's entirely because it's the Patriots. People feel they have been getting away with crap for years

[sickrubik]

They aren't appealing.

"Robert Kraft says he will 'accept reluctantly' Deflategate penalties, says Patriots will not appeal"

https://twitter.com/BreakingNews/status/600712248152166403

Edit: The NFLPA still moving forward.

In case anyone is wondering: The NFLPA plans to go forward with the appeal of Tom Brady's four-game suspension.

https://twitter.com/AlbertBreer/status/600711840021270528

[Mithas]

So Kraft accepts it because he knows Goodell will give Brady a break on the 4 game suspension?

[sickrubik]

Honestly, the draft pick hit probably hurts more medium to long term than the fine or the suspension does.

[Paelos]

Honestly, the draft pick hit probably hurts more medium to long term than the fine or the suspension does.

A lot worse. That division is a trainwreck. I've said it before but the Pats can go 0-4 and still make the playoffs there.

[K9]

I don't know, this year might actually be stiffer than usual for the Pats. The Bills still lack anything resembling a viable offense, while having arguably one of the best defenses in the league. The jets on the other hand are looking pretty scary, their only position of weakness is QB, and while that's a big fucking hole, the amount of talent they've stockpiled across both sides of the ball is pretty impressive. The dolphins aren't complete, although they've done well to lock up Tannehill (who I think will be a solid starter for them for years to come, potentially maturing to be an Eli Manning, Joe Flacco level player) and they've beefed up on defense. They're not going to compete for the division yet, but they're not going to roll over either. They need to ditch Philbin too, and get someone else in.

The Pats will still be great, but they're not looking great in the secondary, although I expect BB to work his usual magic and Tom Brady will reliably pull 2-3 wins out of his arse.

[Paelos]

You don't regularly win a division with a non-functional QB. The odds are so stacked against it. Just because the Jets and Bills have decent other elements to their teams, that key part is still bad, and that key part is 50% of the battle on an NFL team.

Miami is the only team that solved the QB issue, and their coaching is a greasefire. Buffalo is going to deal with the offense that only Rex Ryan could love. The Jets are the Jets, they'll fuck it up because that's what they do.

Pats glide to 9-10 wins and get the division.

[Rasix]

Clady out for the season. Assume the position, Peyton.

[Sir T]

Saw this on cracked today and thought it was relevent here

[Mithas]

Could have picked a better matchup...

[Cyrrex]

Yeah, that reeks of wanting it to fail.