Patriots being investigated for Deflating footballs.....(Mega Merge)

[BlacknGold77]

It's called integrity

 

aw, thats cute.  still believe in Santa too?

[jvan1973]

No just called perspective.

its called trying to minimize cheating. If players can be suspended for adderal use, bb should certainly get a sean payton type suspension

[jvan1973]

aw, thats cute. still believe in Santa too?

no, i believe in integrity

[amfootball]

its called trying to minimize cheating. If players can be suspended for adderal use, bb should certainly get a sean payton type suspension

He may but this is no way in the same ball park as bountygate .... or spygate for that matter.

[jvan1973]

Well Kraft has Brady's $24 mil in cash to pay it ...

you mean the million dollar raise Brady got?

[GoPats]

Well... balls.  ;)

 

A few Pats fan thoughts:

 

1. If Mortenson's sources are correct, then of course the Patriots should be held accountable. I'm not sure that we (Patriots fans) have just blindly defended the team here... we just asked that people reserve judgment until the facts come out. But I'm not going to sit here and argue the merits of the rule and the alleged violation. 

 

2. Very disappointed as a fan, only because BB has got to realize that after Spygate, everything the Patriots do is (deservedly) under the microscope. Why even risk it at this point? Once you're embroiled in any sort of controversial situation, controversy will always follow you. BB needed to keep his nose, and his team's nose, clean for the duration of his run here, and he didn't do that. It's pathetic on a lot of levels and I can't believe I'm actually considering the notion of Kraft firing him for it, but I am. 

 

3. While in my heart of hearts I don't believe for a second that this ultimately impacted the outcome on Sunday, the Patriots owe the Colts an apology. I heard this morning that one Colts player (they didn't name him) tweeted out that this didn't swing the game, and that the Patriots would have won if they used a bar of soap instead of a football (great line whoever that was). But still, any deliberate manipulation of the balls makes an apology necessary. When they're done with that, the next one should go out to us, their fans. All I do is park myself on a comfy couch about once a week between September and mid-winter to watch games. We've supported them all along. And this type of nonsense not only impacts the players, it impacts us. 

 

4. If you're a Colts fan or fan of another team who is enjoying this, can't say I blame you. Have a blast. There's no excuse for what NE allegedly did and here's your chance to pile on. 

 

5. I've been wondering this morning if the fumbles in the Ravens game (one by Amendola, recovered, one by Edelman, recovered, and one by Vereen that was reviewed and overruled) had something to do with this. Ball security was an issue in that game, and BB harped on it all week prior to the AFCCG. If it's been a longstanding practice it just seems odd that it would only come out now, especially given the points I mentioned in bullet #2. 

 

 

To my fellow Pats fans:

 

There is no point at this stage of the game in presenting any strawman arguments or pointing to other instances where the rules about ball prep may have been broken by other teams. Yes, it seems unjust on a lot of levels that it's made out to be a big deal because it's New England. But that is what Belichick's actions have brought upon the fan base. 

 

The simple fact is that it certainly appears as though there was a deliberate violation of the rules. If they're exonerated somehow of course this is all null and void, but from what we know this morning, they appear guilty. And the violation of the rules last Sunday has nothing to do with anything that any other team or QB has done. If you get pulled over for speeding, it doesn't help your case to say, "Well I bet some guy drove through here 10 minutes ago going even faster than I did!" 

 

No matter what other people tell you, there is no asterisk next to the previous NE championships. If they win a week from Sunday, there will be no asterisk next to that one either. 

 

I'm a lifelong New Englander and will be rooting for them a week from Sunday. Don't get me wrong. But at this point, with everything that's happened, the Patriots were foolish to put themselves in this spot and deserve whatever punishment they get. 

[jvan1973]

He may but this is no way in the same ball park as bountygate .... or spygate for that matter.

this is his second offense for cheating

[HoggHannah]

if it doesn't matter, why do it?

 

It's conjecture and you can take this to any level you want.  The Pats performance improved when these balls were removed.  Anecdotal evidence has been used for years to paint all the Pats championships as tainted.  Well they won, so they must have cheated!  If you play that game, then the reverse must be true too.  See how that works?

[amfootball]

you mean the million dollar raise Brady got?

No the $24 mil in guaranteed money he gave up/freed up that is now in Kraft's pocket ...

[mintor]

Patriots should be held accountable

 

http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/new-england-patriots/post/_/id/4776756/patriots-should-be-held-accountable

[amfootball]

this is his second offense for cheating

Sure. heavy fine, maybe a pick but still the offense itself is not major.

[jvan1973]

No the $24 mil in guaranteed money he gave up/freed up that is now in Kraft's pocket ...

he still gets the money in the same amount of time he would have plus an extra million dollars

[amfootball]

he still gets the money in the same amount of time he would have plus an extra million dollars

lol. I was not pumping Brady. I was saying Kraft has plenty of money to pay now that the $24 mil is in his pocket and not in escrow.

[jvan1973]

It's conjecture and you can take this to any level you want. The Pats performance improved when these balls were removed. Anecdotal evidence has been used for years to paint all the Pats championships as tainted. Well they won, so they must have cheated! If you play that game, then the reverse must be true too. See how that works?

please reverse it and tell me how it works

[bababooey]

He may but this is no way in the same ball park as bountygate .... or spygate for that matter.

coupled with spygate plus the fact it was a championship game....you are correct that no it's not the same ballpark, that's a little league field compared to yankee stadium

[18Manning]

As a Colts fan, I certainly never liked New England. They have stood in our way so many times it's ridiculous. However, I respected the organization. This deal with the deflated balls is really disappointing. I suspect Brady knew the balls weren't up to par as did everyone else that handled the ball. If the Colts' DB could feel something was off after intercepting, why wouldn't NE players? Obviously, this game was a blowout. Colts probably would have lost anyway, but who knows? If the same was happening in the Baltimore game, that was close enough it could have made a difference. If Baltimore won, we would have the Championship game at home. This coupled with the "Spygate", brings much in to question. NE is good enough without having to do something like this (assuming this was intentional by someone in the organization). Either way, NE players had to know that balls weren't inflated properly.

[chrisfarley]

Cheaters gunna cheat.  BB will be exonerated as they find a corrupt ball boy or something.  You know they will find a great excuse for it, you just feel it coming.  NFL will get BB over this, it's good for ratings even though they hate him.

[House]

Gotta say. I'm only going to assume it's select posters on this board, but the "Cult of the Pats" is strooooooooooooooooooooong in this thread.

[BlacknGold77]

oh no...yawn.

 

I dont care what anyone else thinks of the Pats, just keep on winning.

 

Haters gonna hate

[House]

oh no...yawn.

I dont care what anyone else thinks of the Pats, just keep on winning.

Haters gonna hate

So a hater is someone who once had respect for someone else, but then lost said respect upon learning the person, or entity, cheated?

Seems legit.

[ruksak]

oh no...yawn.

 

I dont care what anyone else thinks of the Pats, just keep on winning.

 

Haters gonna hate

....and trolls gonna troll. 

[corgi]

oh no...yawn.

 

I dont care what anyone else thinks of the Pats, just keep on cheating.

 

Cheaters gonna cheat.

You need to spell check cheating. I fixed it for you though.

[jvan1973]

oh no...yawn.

I dont care what anyone else thinks of the Pats, just keep on winning.

Haters gonna hate

and deflaters gonna deflate

[Buck Showalter]

Sure. heavy fine, maybe a pick but still the offense itself is not major.

Exactly why Pats are silly cheaters

why do it then?

pats fans defending it every which way, hillarious...

Turning the NFL into WWE, thanks pats!!

[ruksak]

It's conjecture and you can take this to any level you want.  The Pats performance improved when these balls were removed.  Anecdotal evidence has been used for years to paint all the Pats championships as tainted.  Well they won, so they must have cheated!  If you play that game, then the reverse must be true too.  See how that works?

It is not the result of cheating that is important here, but rather the intent. 

 

When a competitor cheats with the intent of gaining an advantage, it doesn't matter if he wins or losses by a wide margin, the result is a moot point. It's the intent which brings a stinging refrain. When a competitor intends to cheat, nothing he gains in the process should be acknowledged as legitimate. 

[That Guy]

3. While in my heart of hearts I don't believe for a second that this ultimately impacted the outcome on Sunday, the Patriots owe the Colts an apology. I heard this morning that one Colts player (they didn't name him) tweeted out that this didn't swing the game, and that the Patriots would have won if they used a bar of soap instead of a football (great line whoever that was). But still, any deliberate manipulation of the balls makes an apology necessary. When they're done with that, the next one should go out to us, their fans. All I do is park myself on a comfy couch about once a week between September and mid-winter to watch games. We've supported them all along. And this type of nonsense not only impacts the players, it impacts us.

 

The only apology I would accept is to intercept Russel Wilson 5 times and trash his team in this Super Bowl...

[GoPats]

The only apology I would accept is to intercept Russel Wilson 5 times and trash his team in this Super Bowl...

 

I still hope that's the script too, man! 

 

(We may be in the minority here though, lol...)

[dynasty13]

Here's the thing...and trust me I'm not justifying anything please dont mistake my comments for such....but this rule and the breaking of it is nothing more than a speeding ticket. Even the way it is written makes it seem incredibly insignificant. 

 

Especially now hearing all the comments coming from former AND current players about what other stuff goes on and what they used to do with balls...I am honestly convinced that if this wasn't the New England Patriots, there would be 0% national outrage. This is going to spiral and become a 'victory lap' for everyone who hates the Patriots and perhaps that's well deserved...but lets be real here for a second, THIS is not what has made the Patriots so successful over the years.

[Trace Pyott]

I just wish I knew all of the things BB and the pats org has done to cheat no one has noticed or picked up on and how often these type of cheating occasions happen no matter how trivial they appear to be. That's the big ??? To me. If this is true it shows a very troubling pattern one that I feel has been repeated time after time and sadly makes me question a lot of the patriots organizations achievements.

[ruksak]

 THIS is not what has made the Patriots so successful over the years.

Then why do it? 

 

What else are you guys doing that we don't know about? 

[jvan1973]

Here's the thing...and trust me I'm not justifying anything please dont mistake my comments for such....but this rule and the breaking of it is nothing more than a speeding ticket. Even the way it is written makes it seem incredibly insignificant.

Especially now hearing all the comments coming from former AND current players about what other stuff goes on and what they used to do with balls...I am honestly convinced that if this wasn't the New England Patriots, there would be 0% national outrage. This is going to spiral and become a 'victory lap' for everyone who hates the Patriots and perhaps that's well deserved...but lets be real here for a second, THIS is not what has made the Patriots so successful over the years.

I hear ya, but what other rules is he ignoring.

[Buck Showalter]

Here's the thing...and trust me I'm not justifying anything please dont mistake my comments for such....but this rule and the breaking of it is nothing more than a speeding ticket. Even the way it is written makes it seem incredibly insignificant. 

 

Especially now hearing all the comments coming from former AND current players about what other stuff goes on and what they used to do with balls...I am honestly convinced that if this wasn't the New England Patriots, there would be 0% national outrage. This is going to spiral and become a 'victory lap' for everyone who hates the Patriots and perhaps that's well deserved...but lets be real here for a second, THIS is not what has made the Patriots so successful over the years.

More justifying!!!

Awesome, well they cheated, but that rules not a big deal...

Silly cheaters...

[dynasty13]

I hear ya, but what other rules is he ignoring.

 

And thats a fair inquiry at this point...I just hate the response that I know is coming from the 'less informed'....people wanting this vacated and that vacated and this team kicked out and that coach fired....its already reached a new level of hate...brought upon by the team itself and I understand that...but I just hope that the same vitriol shown towards the Patriots because of this is then shown to every other team or player that has commented on other things that have been done to the ball before. 

 

Let's just see if the response is consistent. I'm willing to bet it won't be.

[bababooey]

Here's the thing...and trust me I'm not justifying anything please dont mistake my comments for such....but this rule and the breaking of it is nothing more than a speeding ticket. Even the way it is written makes it seem incredibly insignificant. 

 

Especially now hearing all the comments coming from former AND current players about what other stuff goes on and what they used to do with balls...I am honestly convinced that if this wasn't the New England Patriots, there would be 0% national outrage. This is going to spiral and become a 'victory lap' for everyone who hates the Patriots and perhaps that's well deserved...but lets be real here for a second, THIS is not what has made the Patriots so successful over the years.

But it was the New England Patriots. In a championship game. Under the same coach and QB that were caught cheating before. So Yes you are correct the outrage would be different if it was week 17 titans vs jags. But it's not.

[dynasty13]

But it was the New England Patriots. In a championship game. Under the same coach and QB that were caught cheating before. So Yes you are correct the outrage would be different if it was week 17 titans vs jags. But it's not.

 

So you're admitting that it wouldnt be a big deal if it was another team....but because it is the Patriots, the response is different?

[Trace Pyott]

It's not the offense itself. It was trivial and like a previous poster said it's like a speeding ticket. It's the fact that if BB is willing to do something so trivial and small to give his team the advantage. That shows he thinks of every little thing he can do to give his team an advantage and probably has done way more than just let a little air out a few balls and video taped a few practices.

[The Old Crow]

If this is proven true, and I think the Patriots should get full due process, it is very disturbing. Maybe an apologist could say it didn't make a difference in the Colts game, but how about the Ravens game ? If Flacco was throwing a correctly inflated football, and Brady a deflated one, it calls into question the integrity of the game . If this is proven true after the spygate saga, it would reflect very poorly on the Patriots organization. We don't know about the Ravens game, but is it too much of a stretch if the Colts game reports are found true ?

[mattceinicram]

 

 

How about putting Belichick off the sidelines and away from the game for a year like they did to Payton during the Saints debacle?  

Wow, if that were to happen hypothetically, the AFC would be super interesting next season.

[corgi]

And thats a fair inquiry at this point...I just hate the response that I know is coming from the 'less informed'....people wanting this vacated and that vacated and this team kicked out and that coach fired....its already reached a new level of hate...brought upon by the team itself and I understand that...but I just hope that the same vitriol shown towards the Patriots because of this is then shown to every other team or player that has commented on other things that have been done to the ball before. 

 

Let's just see if the response is consistent. I'm willing to bet it won't be.

Problem is no other teams have been busted for video taping walkthroughs. Patriots have a record of cheating. A very public history of cheating. They deserve more scrutiny than other teams. It's the Patriots fault they are in this mess.

[Gramz]

There is no acceptable reason to defend or justify what they did  (IF proven guilty). 

 

No matter how "minor" the offense seems to some,  it is still AGAINST the rules....  

 

So if you want others to follow the rules,  (I remember earlier in the week Tom Brady telling the Ravens to read the rule book)   then the Pats need to read the rules too.  All of them.   And here's a novel idea,  Abide by them.