Will Tom Brady be suspended for opening game versus Steelers?

[Born2Steel]

You guys make sense. This is at least as serious, and proven, as bountygate. The Saints lost a draft pick, their head coach for a season, 2 defensive starters were suspended games, the GM was suspended games, and the DC lost his job. I understand it was supposed to be about player safety so that's why it was soooo serious and harsh. I think deflategate is very serious as well, who knows how long this has been going on? It's a known rule that was broken with full knowledge and forethought. Definitely an integrity of the game offense.

And....the owner was fined.

[Lady Steel]

I would love to see both Brady and Belichick suspended, but not for the same games. It would be great having Brady playing in a game in which Belichick is suspended and vice versa.

[cold-hard-steel]

Not to mention the fact that steroids were not banned by the NFL at the time.

Taping 2 fingers together was cool too .Now that is an advantage if you ask me .

[Craic]

You guys make sense. This is at least as serious, and proven, as bountygate. The Saints lost a draft pick, their head coach for a season, 2 defensive starters were suspended games, the GM was suspended games, and the DC lost his job. I understand it was supposed to be about player safety so that's why it was soooo serious and harsh. I think deflategate is very serious as well, who knows how long this has been going on? It's a known rule that was broken with full knowledge and forethought. Definitely an integrity of the game offense.

And....the owner was fined.

Gotta disagree with you there. The Saints putting bounties on players = hurting human beings for money. The Pats* could have paid the refs to throw the game, and it wouldn't be as serious as literally paying people for hurting others.

I do, however, believe this is a serious problem, and haven't changed from my earlier statement.

[hawaiiansteeler]

Patriots Are Nixon of the NFL

By Ed Bouchette Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Good morning,

Some stuff pertaining to the hot topics of the day:

--- That is now two convictions for the Patriots for cheating. One more and the three-strikes-and-your-out rule should prevail and they should join their tight end in the pokey down the road.

--- Robert Kraft’s outburst against the NFL is laughable. First, in January, he said the NFL should apologize if investigators found no evidence that the footballs were intentionally deflated for what the Patriots “have had to endure this past week” before playng in the Super Bowl. Should that be a written apology, Bob, or is the Wells Report enough?

And then after reading that report, Kraft came to an entirely different opinion about who did what to what than just about every other fooball person and fan not living in New England: The Patriots did nothing wrong. Again.

--- Maybe not all of the Patriots did anything wrong, maybe Kraft knew nothing about what was going on. It is hard to believe that micro-managing coach Bill Belichick knew nothing, but even if he did not, at least three Patriots employees knew and one of them is named Tom Brady. They worked for the Patriots and cheated to try to get an edge.

--- Robert Kraft should hire Louis Freeh to do his own internal report on the matter. He’ll get out the facts, for sure.

--- Patriots fans, of course, will point to the lopsided score run up by their favorite team in the second half against the Colts in that AFC championship game after the balls were re-inflated by the officials at halftime. This is supposed to prove what? That they did not need to cheat to beat the Colts? True, but it does not erase the fact they DID cheat, just as they did with Spygate.

Richard Nixon did not need to cheat in 1972 to beat McGovern either but he did, he got caught and he paid a big price. Watergate. It was the start of all the Gates.

--- Bill Belichick or Tom Brady should stand at the podium and announce “I am not a crook.’’

--- Do not think for a minute that the AFC championship game was the only time Brady had those boys deflate footballs. Coaches on other NFL teams can tell you many times all of the shady goings on that occur when they play in New England, including the sudden loss of radio communications.

--- The NCAA calls it lack of institutional control. It’s time the NFL hit the Patriots with the same and issues strict punishment. Loss of draft picks, heavy fines and at least a two-game suspension for Brady. What, they did not come up with solid proof against Brady? They had none against Ben Roethlisberger either and it did not stop Roger Goodell from giving him a four-game suspension.

to read rest of story:

http://sportsblogs.post-gazette.com/...s/201505060006

[katmandu]

Check out Brady"s NON-response....

http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/07/us/nfl...ort/index.html

But when Brady was asked to comment on the "Deflategate" scandal and the recently released report that said it was likely he knew New England Patriots staffers were altering footballs outside NFL rules, the four-time Super Bowl winner dodged.

"I don't have really any reaction," he told sports reporter Jim Gray, who asked Brady a few questions before the Patriots' star quarterback spoke at Salem State University in Massachusetts.
"Our owner commented on it yesterday. It's only been 30 hours so I haven't had much time to digest it fully but when I do I'll be sure to let you know how I feel about it," he said to loud cheers.

30 hours to think of a way to respond ?? Meaning he needs to consult his lawyers and needs time for his PR Team to devise a plan to deal with all the coming fallout !

Any normal person that is NOT Guilty of a crime and knows it would immediately respond ! Brady acts like the whole thing is a phuching joke !

Man up Pretty Boy!

My prediction is GOD-ell slaps Brady's knuckles with a ruler and then .........(well, I can't post what I'm thinking... LMAO! Maybe get a fine which would be a complete joke.

My hope he gets suspend at least (1) game against US ! LOL !

Seriously though, the credibility of GOD-ell and the NFL is at stake on this one. The spotlight is shining right of GOD-ell's bald spot !

[teegre]

Patriots Are Nixon of the NFL

Belichick = Nixon
Brady = Pete Rose
Kraft = the information minister for Iraq

[tube517]

Belichick = Nixon
Brady = Pete Rose
Kraft = the information minister for Iraq

Bellicheat = Darth Sidious

[katmandu]

Brady = Pete Rose

No, no, no.

Pete Rose never cheated to gain an advantage for his team to Win. He gambled for his OWN financial gains.

Also, unlike Pete Rose NOT getting into the Baseball Hall of Fame, Pretty Boy already has a bust made and is sitting in a backroom in Canton waiting for the day Brady retires.

[zulater]

Patriots Are Nixon of the NFL

By Ed Bouchette Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Good morning,

Some stuff pertaining to the hot topics of the day:

--- That is now two convictions for the Patriots for cheating. One more and the three-strikes-and-your-out rule should prevail and they should join their tight end in the pokey down the road.

--- Robert Kraft’s outburst against the NFL is laughable. First, in January, he said the NFL should apologize if investigators found no evidence that the footballs were intentionally deflated for what the Patriots “have had to endure this past week” before playng in the Super Bowl. Should that be a written apology, Bob, or is the Wells Report enough?

And then after reading that report, Kraft came to an entirely different opinion about who did what to what than just about every other fooball person and fan not living in New England: The Patriots did nothing wrong. Again.

--- Maybe not all of the Patriots did anything wrong, maybe Kraft knew nothing about what was going on. It is hard to believe that micro-managing coach Bill Belichick knew nothing, but even if he did not, at least three Patriots employees knew and one of them is named Tom Brady. They worked for the Patriots and cheated to try to get an edge.

--- Robert Kraft should hire Louis Freeh to do his own internal report on the matter. He’ll get out the facts, for sure.

--- Patriots fans, of course, will point to the lopsided score run up by their favorite team in the second half against the Colts in that AFC championship game after the balls were re-inflated by the officials at halftime. This is supposed to prove what? That they did not need to cheat to beat the Colts? True, but it does not erase the fact they DID cheat, just as they did with Spygate.

Richard Nixon did not need to cheat in 1972 to beat McGovern either but he did, he got caught and he paid a big price. Watergate. It was the start of all the Gates.

--- Bill Belichick or Tom Brady should stand at the podium and announce “I am not a crook.’’

--- Do not think for a minute that the AFC championship game was the only time Brady had those boys deflate footballs. Coaches on other NFL teams can tell you many times all of the shady goings on that occur when they play in New England, including the sudden loss of radio communications.

--- The NCAA calls it lack of institutional control. It’s time the NFL hit the Patriots with the same and issues strict punishment. Loss of draft picks, heavy fines and at least a two-game suspension for Brady. What, they did not come up with solid proof against Brady? They had none against Ben Roethlisberger either and it did not stop Roger Goodell from giving him a four-game suspension.

to read rest of story:

http://sportsblogs.post-gazette.com/...s/201505060006

I'm glad someone besides me has finally made the Ben Roethisberger connection as pertaining to less than concrete evidence needed to suspend a player. As Bouchette says the league had no evidence of wrongdoing by Ben outside of questionable judgement in his personal life. Something probably 3/4 of the league has been guilty of at one point or another.

Getting back to Brady though. Precedent has been set. The commish can not duck this for lack of convictable evidence. The preponderance of evidence in this case clearly suggests Brady had complicity in this case, and common sense would further suggest he orchestrated it.

[dislocatedday]

Check out Brady"s NON-response....

http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/07/us/nfl...ort/index.html


30 hours to think of a way to respond ?? Meaning he needs to consult his lawyers and needs time for his PR Team to devise a plan to deal with all the coming fallout !

Any normal person that is NOT Guilty of a crime and knows it would immediately respond ! Brady acts like the whole thing is a phuching joke !

Man up Pretty Boy!

You nailed it Katmandu. That is exactly what I thought when I read Brady's initial response last night.

Is Brady an all-time great NFL QB? Yes

Is Brady a cheater? Yes

Is Brady a baby who whines to the refs when he gets hit in a game? Yes

He is all three of these, and his legacy is tainted despite being a great passer......at least outside of the portion of the New England fanbase that thinks he and the Patriots do no wrong (despite the abundance of evidence).

[fansince'76]

I'm glad someone besides me has finally made the Ben Roethisberger connection as pertaining to less than concrete evidence needed to suspend a player. As Bouchette says the league had no evidence of wrongdoing by Ben outside of questionable judgement in his personal life. Something probably 3/4 of the league has been guilty of at one point or another.

Getting back to Brady though. Precedent has been set. The commish can not duck this for lack of convictable evidence. The preponderance of evidence in this case clearly suggests Brady had complicity in this case, and common sense would further suggest he orchestrated it.

Be that as it may, Roethlisberger has also never been pimped as one of the "faces of the league." Ever. Not once.

I'll believe Brady gets suspended when I see it. I think the (intentionally) ambiguous verbiage of the Wells Report gives Goodell enough wiggle room to BS his way out of it.

[zulater]

Be that as it may, Roethlisberger has also never been pimped as one of the "faces of the league." Ever. Not once.

I'll believe Brady gets suspended when I see it. I think the (intentionally) ambiguous verbiage of the Wells Report gives Goodell enough wiggle room to BS his way out of it.

I think that may have been the original intent, but this story has grown too strong of legs for Goodell to cover up. If he doesn't suspend Brady at all he'll become a joke in 31 NFL cities. Er make that a bigger joke.

[katmandu]

I think that may have been the original intent, but this story has grown too strong of legs for Goodell to cover up. If he doesn't suspend Brady at all he'll become a joke in 31 NFL cities. Er make that a bigger joke.

I agree.

This story has really grown legs and "may" become too big for even GOD-ell to poo-poo off.

"IF" (AND WHEN) he does slap Pretty Boy's knuckles (and makes him cry), he and the whole NFL hierarchy (owners included) will be come one, big freaking joke.

This is GOD-ell's big chance to get it right. He will not get another opportunity such as this...EVER.

[teegre]

No, no, no.

Pete Rose never cheated to gain an advantage for his team to Win. He gambled for his OWN financial gains.

Also, unlike Pete Rose NOT getting into the Baseball Hall of Fame, Pretty Boy already has a bust made and is sitting in a backroom in Canton waiting for the day Brady retires.

Allow me to clarify.

The similarirties between Brady & Rose are exclusively in terms of "integrity of the game." Neither were murderers or wife-beaters, but their infractions were "worse" for the image of the game.

Trust me: I grew up being told "Play like Charlie Hustle." And, that's how I will coach my children. There is no better baseball player (IMO) than Pete Rose.

[katmandu]

There is no better baseball player (IMO) than Pete Rose.

I agree. Rose should have been reinstated and place in the HOF many years ago. It would have been a great thing overall for Baseball IMHO.

Big difference between Baseball's Commissioner and the NFL's Commissioner huh ?

[teegre]

I agree. Rose should have been reinstated and place in the HOF many years ago. It would have been a great thing overall for Baseball IMHO.

Big difference between Baseball's Commissioner and the NFL's Commissioner huh ?

Exactly

[fansince'76]

I think that may have been the original intent, but this story has grown too strong of legs for Goodell to cover up. If he doesn't suspend Brady at all he'll become a joke in 31 NFL cities. Er make that a bigger joke.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell released a statement to address the investigation's conclusion but did not give a specific timeframe for potential discipline.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/...nv4l?ocid=iehp

Translation: I'm going to stall for as long as I possibly can in the hope that it's eventually forgotten, courtesy of the very short attention span of the general public overall and the even shorter attention span of the sports media.

Like I said, I'll believe he's getting suspended when I see it. There's a reason this report was made public in the general lull between the draft and training camp, and not a minute before or after.

Hey, look! American Idol is on!

[TD's & Beer]

Vegas betting - over-under on Brady’s game suspension at 3.5 games

[venom]

[polamalubeast]

6-8 games?


Sources: Patriots fear lengthy suspension for Brady

http://www.csnne.com/new-england-pat...-for-tom-brady

[hawaiiansteeler]

by Bob Labriola
Steelers.com

* Whaddya think of opening in New England now?

* Back in 1963, the NFL Commissioner was Pete Rozelle, and he faced a situation in which the highest-profile player on a two-time defending championship team coached by the legendary Vince Lombardi was suspected of betting on his own club and said to be associating with “known hoodlums.” Paul Hornung said he bet on his Green Bay Packers with “friends” for $100 or $200. Rozelle said the bets actually were for as much as $500 with the implication that Hornung’s “friends” were ne’er-do-wells.

* A classic case of he-said, he-said, but Rozelle still suspended Hornung, who had set an NFL record with 176 points in 1960 and been the league’s MVP in 1961, for the entire 1963 season. The entire 1963 season.

* I cannot get myself to believe Roger Goodell will make the kind of statement Rozelle did back in 1963, and there can be debate over whether tampering with footballs rises to the same level of impugning the integrity of the sport as players betting on the outcome. But there has to be a suspension, maybe two.

* In my mind, the team that could be watching this very closely is the New Orleans Saints. The Saints had their head coach suspended for an entire year for BountyGate, and even though Sean Payton claimed to be completely unaware of the particulars of the violations, Goodell essentially ruled that ignorance is no defense against wrong-doing.

* The Wells Report concluded that Bill Belichick was largely unaware of footballs being deflated, but if ignorance was no defense against wrong-doing when Payton got suspended for a full year, then that same standard should apply here. And since the NFL already found Belichick guilty in SpyGate – the $500,000 fine the league levied against him points to his guilt – is this a second offense? In a court of law, a second offense typically brings a harsher punishment.

http://www.steelers.com/news/article...4-b9ba46c60944

[fansince'76]

* A classic case of he-said, he-said, but Rozelle still suspended Hornung, who had set an NFL record with 176 points in 1960 and been the league’s MVP in 1961, for the entire 1963 season. The entire 1963 season.

Rozelle also wasn't a media-driven sock puppet of the team owners - one owner in particular.

The Wells Report concluded that Bill Belichick was largely unaware of footballs being deflated...

Despite being the biggest ball-busting micromanager in the league. I have some prime beachfront property in Arizona I'd like to sell to anyone who actually buys that one...

[steelreserve]

I agree.

This story has really grown legs and "may" become too big for even GOD-ell to poo-poo off.

"IF" (AND WHEN) he does slap Pretty Boy's knuckles (and makes him cry), he and the whole NFL hierarchy (owners included) will be come one, big freaking joke.

This is GOD-ell's big chance to get it right. He will not get another opportunity such as this...EVER.

Since when does he care about getting it right? Your mistake is assuming he does. Right or wrong, whatever he decides is going to be exclusively for political reasons.

According to Goodell's logic, affecting the integrity of the game is a lot easier to sweep under the rug. After all, TMZ and the Huffington Post will put you on the front page for domestic violence, but if it's just cheating in a football game, nobody outside the sports media will make a big deal.

Hell, even a lot of the sports media has been setting things up to leave him an out on this one, saying various versions of, "Yeah, it's damning evidence BUT do we really have proof Brady was directly involved?" Or, "Yeah, they cheated BUT it probably doesn't affect the game as much as some other things could, so it's not really BAD cheating ..."

I will be surprised if Brady is suspended at all, and if he is, as I said, it would be for political reasons. Goodell has no dick, so he'll aim to do the least possible unless he's forced to, and neither the media nor the owners look to be doing that here.

[polamalubeast]

According to reports that I have read, it would be very surprising if Brady is not suspended.The question is how many game Brady will be suspended?......It could be 2-4 games or it could also be 6-8 games.

The NFL is going to make their decision next week

[hawaiiansteeler]

According to reports that I have read, it would be very surprising if Brady is not suspended.The question is how many game Brady will be suspended?......It could be 2-4 games or it could also be 6-8 games.

The NFL is going to make their decision next week

over 40% of people polled believe Shady Brady* deserves more than a 4 game suspension:

What should Tom Brady’s punishment be?

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...punishment-be/

[zulater]

If I were commissioner this is what I would do. I would call Brady in and give him one last chance to come clean, first to me, then to the public at large. If he did so and showed some contrition I would suspend him for 3 games. If he didn't, then I would suspend him 8 games. Then I would suspend Bellichick for the entire 15 season. Sean Payton got suspended a season for something he claimed to know nothing about. So the precedent is there. Plus the Patriots are repeat offenders, so whether he knew or not he gets a year. Then for the team. I would make the Patriots forfeit next year' 1st round draft pick, and then I'm going to fine Kraft 1 million.

[Craic]

Be that as it may, Roethlisberger has also never been pimped as one of the "faces of the league." Ever. Not once.

I'll believe Brady gets suspended when I see it. I think the (intentionally) ambiguous verbiage of the Wells Report gives Goodell enough wiggle room to BS his way out of it.

Um, no.

The verbiage is anything but ambiguous. In fact, it's very damning. It's greater than "a preponderance of evidence" we hear in court rooms, and that's exactly what Goodell wants. Here's a letter he wrote about 7 years ago.

One person familiar with Goodell's proposals said the new threshold for imposing punishment for a rule violation would be closer to a preponderance of the evidence than beyond a reasonable doubt.

"Too often, competitive violations have gone unpunished because conclusive proof of the violation was lacking," Goodell wrote. "I believe we should reconsider the standard of proof to be applied in such cases, and make it easier for a competitive violation to be established. And where a violation is shown, I intend to impose more stringent penalties on both the club and the responsible individual(s). I will also be prepared to make greater use of draft choice forfeiture in appropriate cases. I believe this will have the effect of deterring violations and making people more willing to report violations on a timely basis."

From that, I think my guestimation of lost first round draft pick and Brady being suspended at least one, maybe two or three games is right. What we also have to remember is that Brady has never been implicated yet, so he does get a "first-timer" leniency. However, based on what some other first-timers have received lately, it won't be that much.

EDIT: In fact, a "preponderance of evidence" comes about when the "proposition is more likely to be true than not." Or, there's a greater than 50 percent chance that it is true. The wording was very specific to mean that if this was a civil trial, he's found culpable and must pay damages. There's no "wiggle" room here.

[zulater]

Um, no.

The verbiage is anything but ambiguous. In fact, it's very damning. It's greater than "a preponderance of evidence" we hear in court rooms, and that's exactly what Goodell wants. Here's a letter he wrote about 7 years ago.


From that, I think my guestimation of lost first round draft pick and Brady being suspended at least one, maybe two or three games is right. What we also have to remember is that Brady has never been implicated yet, so he does get a "first-timer" leniency. However, based on what some other first-timers have received lately, it won't be that much.

EDIT: In fact, a "preponderance of evidence" comes about when the "proposition is more likely to be true than not." Or, there's a greater than 50 percent chance that it is true. The wording was very specific to mean that if this was a civil trial, he's found culpable and must pay damages. There's no "wiggle" room here.

Brady clearly lied to the league about his role in this. Going back to Vick lying was cited as one of the reasons for bringing the hammer down so hard, Same with the Saints and bounty-gate. Not cooperating or offering misleading testimony weighs heavily against the offender in this league's eyes. That's why I think Brady needs to come clean soon and throw himself on the mercy of the league.

[fansince'76]

Um, no.

The verbiage is anything but ambiguous. In fact, it's very damning. It's greater than "a preponderance of evidence" we hear in court rooms, and that's exactly what Goodell wants. Here's a letter he wrote about 7 years ago.

One person familiar with Goodell's proposals said the new threshold for imposing punishment for a rule violation would be closer to a preponderance of the evidence than beyond a reasonable doubt.

"Too often, competitive violations have gone unpunished because conclusive proof of the violation was lacking," Goodell wrote. "I believe we should reconsider the standard of proof to be applied in such cases, and make it easier for a competitive violation to be established. And where a violation is shown, I intend to impose more stringent penalties on both the club and the responsible individual(s). I will also be prepared to make greater use of draft choice forfeiture in appropriate cases. I believe this will have the effect of deterring violations and making people more willing to report violations on a timely basis."

From that, I think my guestimation of lost first round draft pick and Brady being suspended at least one, maybe two or three games is right. What we also have to remember is that Brady has never been implicated yet, so he does get a "first-timer" leniency. However, based on what some other first-timers have received lately, it won't be that much.

EDIT: In fact, a "preponderance of evidence" comes about when the "proposition is more likely to be true than not." Or, there's a greater than 50 percent chance that it is true. The wording was very specific to mean that if this was a civil trial, he's found culpable and must pay damages. There's no "wiggle" room here.

Um, yes.

From what I have read of it, there are big enough holes in the Wells Report to drive a semi through, and, IMO, that was by design. "Well, I'm not gonna say for sure he cheated, but he probably did." Wow, real conviction there. And I won't be the least bit surprised if Brady takes the NFL to court over it and not only wins, but wins in resounding fashion if he is suspended. The caliber of lawyers Brady can afford live to rip the kind of wishy-washy language contained in the Wells Report to shreds.

A letter he wrote 7 years ago? I'm gonna defer to steelreserve's post above at this point. If (and it's still a BIG if, IMO) Goodell does suspend Brady, it's going to be strictly for political expediency. Nothing more, nothing less. What the last 7 years of observing Goodell's actions since he wrote that has shown me is that he doesn't care a whit about doing the right thing. He's ALWAYS taken the path of least resistance, and that's the main reason the NFL has had the PR nightmares of the last year to deal with. If he would have laid the hammer down on Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson from the get-go, the NFL wouldn't have the black eye it has now.

Personally, I'm glad this whole thing is blowing up in the league's face as well, because frankly, just like the Rice and Peterson debacles, Goodell deserves this too. And maybe, just maybe if he hadn't played pattycake with them 8 years ago by basically sweeping Spygate under the rug, they might have thought twice about pulling this crap.