The Deflate Gate Thread

**GreatWhiteNorthRaven** · 02-25-2015, 05:32 PM

Originally Posted by Purpleguy

That the Patriots be disqualified from the Superbowl and that the Colts take their place. Surely the cheating didn't impact that game, but cheating should disqualify you. After further investigation they could decide suspensions, fines, and possible league banishments, but the immediate results seem to clearly show cheating and that should result in disqualification. That decision actually could have been made at halftime of the AFCCG when the refs discovered the cheating.

Oh ya that would go over well. They hand out a decision in less than a month and suddenly the Colts are going to the Super Bowl?

**HoustonRaven** · 02-25-2015, 05:33 PM

Originally Posted by GreatWhiteNorthRaven

Oh ya that would go over well. They hand out a decision in less than a month and suddenly the Colts are going to the Super Bowl?

In 30 other cities not named Baltimore, everyone would be screaming that Goodell is in the back pocket of Irsay.

**Bigfish** · 02-25-2015, 05:39 PM

I hope the NFL concludes the investigation before this turns into another 200 page thread of regurgitated points.

**Captain Silver** · 02-25-2015, 05:40 PM

Originally Posted by wickedsolo

How is that a fact?

That's Captain Silver's opinion.

Fact they win all season long and "IF" it is determined they used under inflated balls.

Excuse my wording, but the message is the same.

**GreatWhiteNorthRaven** · 02-25-2015, 05:47 PM

Originally Posted by Bigfish

I hope the NFL concludes the investigation before this turns into another 200 page thread of regurgitated points.

:DeadHorse:

**Purpleguy** · 02-25-2015, 05:47 PM

Originally Posted by HoustonRaven

The NFL has no control over media reaction so their not "letting" anything happen or not happen. It is what is at this point. Now that a bunch of eyeballs are on it, they have to be prudent about the investigation or they face a possible shit storm like they did with Ray Rice.

And I never said it means nothing. I said its nothing major. Yes, the league has though tolerances for a reason. I just don't think a 1 PSI difference on the low end (if thats indeed what happened, again there are conflicting reports on this too) gives a team an advantage one way or another.

By continuing the investigation they are certainly allowing this to fester as it did all the way through their showcase game. If they found nothing that would be an easy investigation to dismiss. You say you think they found something wrong, but you question the malice. Well if the balls are checked prior to the game and they are checked at halftime, and one team has 11 of it's 12 balls deflated and the other team doesn't, then how does it happen? Do you think the league would continue this investigation over one ball? What constitutes malice? It certainly doesn't help that Lady Brady quipped about liking the balls a little soft a couple years ago. I think the likelihood of wrongdoing is greater than this just being coincidence. You mention the Duke Lacrosse team and Ray Lewis as times where investigations have gotten it wrong. I don't know much about the circumstances with the Duke case, but while I don't think Ray Lewis actually stuck a knife in anyone that night, I don't think he was completely innocent either. You know by Georgia law all he had to do is punch or kick one of those men when they were murdered and he would be guilty as well. I'm not saying that's right, but it could have happened.

**GreatWhiteNorthRaven** · 02-25-2015, 05:49 PM

Originally Posted by Purpleguy

By continuing the investigation they are certainly allowing this to fester as it did all the way through their showcase game. If they found nothing that would be an easy investigation to dismiss. You say you think they found something wrong, but you question the malice. Well if the balls are checked prior to the game and they are checked at halftime, and one team has 11 of it's 12 balls deflated and the other team doesn't, then how does it happen? Do you think the league would continue this investigation over one ball? What constitutes malice? It certainly doesn't help that Lady Brady quipped about liking the balls a little soft a couple years ago. I think the likelihood of wrongdoing is greater than this just being coincidence. You mention the Duke Lacrosse team and Ray Lewis as times where investigations have gotten it wrong. I don't know much about the circumstances with the Duke case, but while I don't think Ray Lewis actually stuck a knife in anyone that night, I don't think he was completely innocent either. You know by Georgia law all he had to do is punch or kick one of those men when they were murdered and he would be guilty as well. I'm not saying that's right, but it could have happened.

Oh boy....here we go

**Purpleguy** · 02-25-2015, 05:53 PM

Originally Posted by GreatWhiteNorthRaven

Oh ya that would go over well. They hand out a decision in less than a month and suddenly the Colts are going to the Super Bowl?

What should the punishment for flagrant cheating be? It's tough to say, because it rarely happens. I would think disqualification fits the bill. If it is found that they deliberately took air out of the footballs then everyone outside of New England will know they have been doing it for quite some time, but that can never be proven. The only thing that could be proven is the AFCCG.

**HoustonRaven** · 02-25-2015, 05:56 PM

Originally Posted by Purpleguy

By continuing the investigation they are certainly allowing this to fester as it did all the way through their showcase game. If they found nothing that would be an easy investigation to dismiss.

I am not saying they "found nothing" and even if they did, to announce any findings so quickly and with little to no investigation, coming off the heels of Ray Rice, would be irresponsible.

Originally Posted by Purpleguy

You say you think they found something wrong, but you question the malice. Well if the balls are checked prior to the game and they are checked at halftime, and one team has 11 of it's 12 balls deflated and the other team doesn't, then how does it happen?

We are going in circles so this is the last time I am addressing this with you. The level of deflation and how many balls were under inflated are disputed, depending on the report you read. There's also a Carnegie Mellon report detailing how its totally possible this whole thing was indeed due to the atmospherics.

Originally Posted by Purpleguy

Do you think the league would continue this investigation over one ball?

That's a conclusion-selective question. I don't think when they started the investigation they knew how many balls were involved. I bet they now have an idea how many balls it was.

Originally Posted by Purpleguy

What constitutes malice? It certainly doesn't help that Lady Brady quipped about liking the balls a little soft a couple years ago. I think the likelihood of wrongdoing is greater than this just being coincidence.

I agree.

Originally Posted by Purpleguy

You mention the Duke Lacrosse team and Ray Lewis as times where investigations have gotten it wrong. I don't know much about the circumstances with the Duke case, but while I don't think Ray Lewis actually stuck a knife in anyone that night, I don't think he was completely innocent either. You know by Georgia law all he had to do is punch or kick one of those men when they were murdered and he would be guilty as well. I'm not saying that's right, but it could have happened.

So you're willing to entertain other possibilities in a closed, known murder case but not in an open, yet to be determined scandal involving deflated footballs? Ponderous to say the least.

And yes, I am well aware of GA law on murder. I lived it back in 2001, thanks to all the media falsehoods surrounding it. Ray wasn't anywhere near the stabbings. He was in his limo already only to have the two guys who did do the stabbing (deemed self defense, BTW, and they were both acquitted) jump into the limo.

Maybe its that memory burned into my head is why I am not so willing to condemn anyone based off of conflicting news accounts.

**Uli2001** · 02-25-2015, 05:59 PM

Those who are willing to forgive the Patriots and move on are probably big NFL fans and are doing it out of the desire that the league is not diminished by such a scandal. I suspect that they are even secretly hoping that the investigation doesn't find anything or doesn't try that hard to. However, the public at large, including the casual fans, will not be satisfied with a cover-up. I think that many casual fans may simply stop watching if this is not properly investigated.

**HoustonRaven** · 02-25-2015, 06:01 PM

Originally Posted by Uli2001

Those who are willing to forgive the Patriots and move on are probably big NFL fans and are doing it out of the desire that the league is not diminished by such a scandal. I suspect that they are even secretly hoping that the investigation doesn't find anything or doesn't try that hard to. However, the public at large, including the casual fans, will not be satisfied with a cover-up. I think that many casual fans may simply stop watching if this is not properly investigated.

:grbac:

**Purpleguy** · 02-25-2015, 06:35 PM

Originally Posted by Uli2001

Those who are willing to forgive the Patriots and move on are probably big NFL fans and are doing it out of the desire that the league is not diminished by such a scandal. I suspect that they are even secretly hoping that the investigation doesn't find anything or doesn't try that hard to. However, the public at large, including the casual fans, will not be satisfied with a cover-up. I think that many casual fans may simply stop watching if this is not properly investigated.

I don't think the casual fan cares at all. Maybe very few fans care as long as they can still pick Brady for their fantasy football team next year. I'm probably in the minority, but I am a fan who is just getting sick of the NFL in general. I hate how the rules have made it so pass happy. I'm tired of seeing yellow on every other play. I'm tired of these new misinformed fans that just don't understand anything about the game. Just check out social media today to see the reaction to Jacoby Jones getting released and you will see we have a lot of ignorant fans of our own. I think the NFL is becoming more and more like pro wrestling. The NFL just spent an entire year going off about domestic violence. Do you really think it spared one woman a beating? Probably not, but it certainly made the NFL feel better about themselves and make sure there wasn't a dent in pink jersey sales. The league is becoming a soap opera.