Recent Comments

My beef with this suspension is two part:

1. I have yet to hear any evidence that Brady wanted the balls deflated past legal limits. The leaked text messages and the like have only showed that he likes the ball deflated as compared to normal. Is it unreasonable that he asked to have the balls deflated to the min as opposed to past the limit?

2. Its 25% of the season. Jobs are won and lost in 4 games. It seems egregious to suspend a player for that without having some serious evidence beyond "probable". Also, cheating has levels of severity, its not all in the same boat regardless of how many of you want to say otherwise. He lost 25% of his season because of the air in a ball. FeelsBadMan

But I'm 100% glad I won't have to hear about it anymore.

Just out of curiosity, I know tim settles success will be huge for us landing future blue chippers along the DL, how did nebraska fair along DL recruiting after Suh graduated? Did they kick butt for a few years? I hope settle nails it and we start being able to use that success to help recruit other guys

I appreciate the explanation. Honestly it's an interesting debate and I'm trying to gain a full appreciation of both sides. Let me respond to a few points (hey, it's the offseason, why not?) and if you want to reply, please do. I get that it can be frustrating when a lot of people (safe to say the majority) disagree.

I would argue (and have a longer explanation in another comment in this thread) that having the ball in an unfavorable psi (too underflated, for example) has a much greater negative effect on your game (short accuracy, feel for distance on longer throws) than having the ball inflated to your personal preference (for me, a little overinflated feels good in my hand) has a positive effect on your game. I may like the feel, but it being a little different one way or another to my liking isn't going to affect my play like having a very underinflated or way overinflated ball would affect my game downward.

Sure, it's a matter of preference, but if someone was deflating balls, it wasn't because the players (any of them) didn't want them to. I recall some quotes from anonymous players saying they preferred the ball to feel one way or another, but that's not necessarily conclusive of anything. If any of the Pats players potentially liked the ball a certain way (Brady, the receivers, etc) and anyone took action based on that, we have a problem.

Secondly, this is a small "potential" advantage, as has been stated there is some argument that this is somewhat favorable in the cold. I think on a level playing field, the widespread use of steroids had a much greater effect on the game at large. It tainted an entire era of great hitters because they had artificially enhanced their bat speed, recovery, and healing in a statistically significant way as these guys blew records out of the water and created a "new norm" for power hitters. I don't even believe the ball psi is a serious advantage as stated above.

Any cheating is a form of trying to obtain a competitive advantage and is only ever expressed in terms of potential. You also can't claim that steroids were worse because more people were doing them. We simply don't know what else NFL players might be doing. Consider the micro level, in complete abstract: Player X in the NFL alters the ball because he can grip it better, therefore throw better, or be less likely to fumble. Player Y in the MLB takes steroids to make himself stronger to swing faster and get more hits. The advantage, expressed in these terms, means that each player is more likely to be successful at their respective sport. Now, if player Y can't hit a knuckleball, his "potential" advantage goes out the window. If player X is playing with a steady, hard wind in his face, his advantage largely goes out the window. But the point is that if any one player tries to circumvent any one rule, it is unfair and punishable.

Thirdly, the actual offenses committed. The steroid use was illegal and expressly forbidden. The rules were unclear and in many minds, essentially non-existent as I think we can all admit that MOST of us didn't have any idea there was a set level of psi the footballs should be and that violating this would be a punishable offense.

Ignorance of the rules by spectators is irrelevant to the violation of the rules by those who have signed on to play under those rules.

As a final point, regarding punishment itself, a steroid violation in MLB currently carries a 1/3 season suspension without pay. That sounds pretty comparable to a 1/4 season suspension without pay. Both situations involve the effort to obtain a competitive advantage. From this perspective, I genuinely don't see the outrage. The stuff about Goodell having too much power, doing his own investigation for his own ends, sure, but when you look at the fundamentals of competition and the rules that govern them, I think there is a strong parallel here.

Well part of the not engaging is that I have made multiple other lengthy explanations in this thread.

Here's a continued breakdown of the differences.

I would argue (and have a longer explanation in another comment in this thread) that having the ball in an unfavorable psi (too underflated, for example) has a much greater negative effect on your game (short accuracy, feel for distance on longer throws) than having the ball inflated to your personal preference (for me, a little overinflated feels good in my hand) has a positive effect on your game. I may like the feel, but it being a little different one way or another to my liking isn't going to affect my play like having a very underinflated or way overinflated ball would affect my game downward.

Secondly, this is a small "potential" advantage, as has been stated there is some argument that this is somewhat favorable in the cold. I think on a level playing field, the widespread use of steroids had a much greater effect on the game at large. It tainted an entire era of great hitters because they had artificially enhanced their bat speed, recovery, and healing in a statistically significant way as these guys blew records out of the water and created a "new norm" for power hitters. I don't even believe the ball psi is a serious advantage as stated above.

Thirdly, the actual offenses committed. The steroid use was illegal and expressly forbidden. The rules were unclear and in many minds, essentially non-existent as I think we can all admit that MOST of us didn't have any idea there was a set level of psi the footballs should be and that violating this would be a punishable offense. Nobody was illegally acquiring growth hormone and anabolic steroids from other countries or less than lawful dealers and not extremely aware they were breaking rules and thoroughly cheating. At best, I think this is comparable to a pitcher scuffing a ball or something but maybe not even that.

Honestly, I am a little frustrated, and I do think it is so obvious that it should be unnecessary for me to argue that one of the biggest scandals, that shook the foundation of baseball for years, and is still coming out with more players involved in this and legitimately hurt many players' legacies should even be remotely compared to this obvious power play on behalf of Goodell. I also think the level of punishment is absurd. There are numerous examples stated on here with much more legitimate evil or wrong doing involved that have received lesser or equal suspensions and sometimes just fines. I have a hard time believing any of these people going hard after Tom for this don't have some inherent bias against him or the Patriots.

There.

Your right there are no traditions done multiple times a day.

Update:

Brady has released an official statement to his Facebook account where he has agreed to accept the punishment and will no longer be issuing appeals. His first game will be Week 5 against Cleveland.

That's not lame at all. That's just looking out and good manners.

Whew, what a relief! Now I can FINALLY pull this out and relax

I've never had a comment downvoted like this before. I don't back off my statement that it is absolutely absurd to compare this to the widespread (and illegal) use of steroids in baseball and their effects on their respective games.

Pretty sure the most recent rosters only added the incoming summer freshman, and Adonis/Gaines. All heights and weights from players already on the team didn't change that I saw