ESPN Investigation into NFL/Patriots

[NC Raven]

:word

As The Fanatic said: The 31 other owners should band together and hire their own investigators.

Only reason you need Congress or law enforcement to do it instead: they can force people to turn over documents, and give testimony under oath, via subpoena.

Everybody else is just pissing on their own legs in terms of investigative power. If there's no fear of going to jail, there's no need to tell the truth, or turn over the information, or even talk at all.

Deflategate and Spygate have now both been investigated by the NFL, with its very limited power to punish for non cooperation. The little power it had now seems to be gone. Judge Berman's ruling seems to indicate that since Brady didn't know there was a punishment for destroying evidence, he can't be punished. That should tell us a lot about how the next couple of investigations are going to end up. Smashed phones galore, and nobody serving a single game for anything.

So a clique of angry owners isn't going to revisit this, nor will they have better luck getting "cooperation" from anyone. Nothing short of the fear of perjury will get a better result.

That said, there are more important things for Congress to focus on. Not that they will focus on any of those more important things, but still.

[ERey]

Goodell really screwed up by covering up SpyGate. It made the Patriots think that the rules don't apply to them. That has perpetuated the arrogance of Brady, Belichick, Kraft, and that entire organization that they can continue to skirt the rules with impunity.

Look at all of the other teams who have recently won multiple Super Bowls (ie. "dynasties"). Between the Cowboys, Steelers, 49ers, and Patriots, only the Patriots have had a lot of smoke around them related to cheating. A lot of other teams won a lot, so these charges aren't due to other teams/fans being "jealous" of the Patriots success. Where there is this much smoke, there is usually fire.

Goodell does exactly what the owners tell him to do. Goodell's purpose is to make the owners money. The NFL can't make money if fans believe one team cheated to win Super Bowls. It's why Ray Rice is sitting home and Tom Brady is playing on Thursday. It doesn't matter what Tom Brady did, the NFL will be able to market this game much more with Brady playing. Goodell with never have a consistent policy because punishment is dictated by $$$ and what's best for the owners.

We as fans can complain all we want about the NFL, but nothing will change as long as we buy tickets, jerseys, watch on TV, etc. The owners have to feel it in the wallet before anything changes.

[Jsmoove]

Lol these motherfuckers just don't stop dont they...smh

[WxKevin]

Fanatic is dead on about "the smoke". Regardless of the authors, ESPN is not the only outfit that has looked into these allegations. There are way, way too many people saying that something went on. There may not be concrete evidence for everything that has been said, but that doesn't mean they are not true. The only reason Brady's suspension was lifted for Deflategate was because of the "lack of evidence". I can't possible see how anybody in that organization would do anything to a ball without the consent of their HoF QB.

Regardless, I still hope they beat the crap out of the Inbreds this Thursday night.

[GOTA]

Won't happen. Not until money is lost.

Very true. If the ratings for the opening game are way down then firing Goodell becomes a topic. I just don't see it happening. There is no Lance Armstrong here. The revenue stream of the NFL isn't getting hit.

[Paintballguy]

Nothing is going to happen. I just hope they remember this stuff when it comes time to vote for Brady and Belichick for the HOF.

[HKusp]

Interesting, but still a bunch of conjecture and unnamed sources. Towards the end the back off almost all of the "hard hitting" points made in the beginning.

[HoustonRaven]

Very true. If the ratings for the opening game are way down then firing Goodell becomes a topic. I just don't see it happening. There is no Lance Armstrong here. The revenue stream of the NFL isn't getting hit.

Agreed.

As you point out, he works at the behest of the membership. Now that he's taking on the Pats and all of their nonsense plus publicly stating he's willing to remove himself from the discipline process, he's only solidifying his position amongst them.

[BlackBeak]

From an article on Boston.Com ...

//

Brady kept his feelings in check when pressed to respond to the theory that Deflategate was a set-up between the Indianapolis Colts, Baltimore Ravens, and the NFL, who worked together to conspire against him.

“I’ve got a lot of personal feelings about things and I think to get into every conversation that everybody want to have in a way I’ve had a lot of these conversations with different people over seven months,” Brady said. “You get kind of brought back into those emotions and those haven’t been the best emotions and they certainly don’t serve me as quarterback of the New England Patriots this week, so I’ve got to put whatever feelings I have aside and I’ve got to go out and do my job.”

//
Brady is a self serving prick. Doesn't mind cheating the rules and rebuke the Ravens for not reading the rulebook. And then this non-denial/accusation is a transparent re-direct to get his Bostin minions to look away at the real enemy, those punchy punch stabby stab Ravens.

[WrongBaldy]

Key points of OTL/Mag Pats investigation

During Spygate investigation, Roger Goodell ordered NFL execs to stomp 8 videotapes to pieces.
From 2000-07, the Patriots recorded opposing coaches’ signals for at least 40 games.
During Pats early SB runs, a low-level Patriots employee would sneak into visiting locker rooms and steal play sheets during pregame warm-ups.

[NCRAVEN]

From an article on Boston.Com ...

//

Brady kept his feelings in check when pressed to respond to the theory that Deflategate was a set-up between the Indianapolis Colts, Baltimore Ravens, and the NFL, who worked together to conspire against him.

“I’ve got a lot of personal feelings about things and I think to get into every conversation that everybody want to have in a way I’ve had a lot of these conversations with different people over seven months,” Brady said. “You get kind of brought back into those emotions and those haven’t been the best emotions and they certainly don’t serve me as quarterback of the New England Patriots this week, so I’ve got to put whatever feelings I have aside and I’ve got to go out and do my job.”

//
Brady is a self serving prick. Doesn't mind cheating the rules and rebuke the Ravens for not reading the rulebook. And then this non-denial/accusation is a transparent re-direct to get his Bostin minions to look away at the real enemy, those punchy punch stabby stab Ravens.

Conspired against him? You mean tipped off the league to his cheating ways? What a bunch of shit.

[Jsmoove]

The pats and brady reminds me of ex wife.. Stay doing shit and stay getting away with it.