NFL zeroed in on locker room attendant

[Shane Bond]

Took a week to find the scapegoat?

[LockeDown]

AFter reading comments from Pats fans on ESPN, Yahoo and the like, it would not be hard for the Pats to find an equipment manager willing to play dirty as well.  Their fans don't seem to have a problem with cheating and all think it's good gamesmanship.  Wow.  I haven't seen one Pats fan who felt bad about this.     

[HOZER]

Probably had to stop at the bathroom and "relieve" some pressure?

[Narcosys]

You know looking back over this whole fiasco, something that seems huge now; Irsay saying he was "confident" in the NFL investigation. He knew way before we did.

I think he meant he was confident the league would be thorough and is investigative process. I didn't get the feeling he knew already.

[The Old Crow]

The ball boy has been identified as Les Airington of Waltham , MA. His confession is featured on YouTube.

[dw49]

Honestly. Does anyone really think something will come of this? The NFL handed down a slap on the wrist and destroyed all the evidence the last time. Even if they take away basically a 2nd rd pick since its so late...the Pats will draft a future pro bowl lineman later anyways. We are talking perhaps the most popular franchise in the NFL for the last decade....almost Cowboy beloved. If people think something will come for this I hope they are prepared for what we will see in a couple weeks. They aren't getting anyone to admit wrong doing and this will get swept under the rug.

 

 

If they know Bill's science is dog poo and they have video of this kid taking the balls into another area... you can bet they are not getting away with this. There is no way in Hades this get's " swept under a rug." They can't possibly say a ball boy did this on his own. How in the world would he even know how much to deflate the balls. No one would be stupid enough to believe he did this without at least Brady's knowledge.

[dw49]

Now we know why Tom Brady looked so guilty in his press conference.....

[CheezyColt]

The ball boy has been identified as Les Airington of Waltham , MA. His confession is featured on YouTube.

 

That has to be a joke.  His name is LES AIRington?  Less air.... surely somebody's joking.

 

Any relation to Buzz Killington?

[The Old Crow]

That has to be a joke.  His name is LES AIRington?  Less air.... surely somebody's joking.

 

Any relation to Buzz Killington?

 

 

I just saw his confession on YouTube. Yes it's a joke, but it's funny. 

[CheezyColt]

, I just looked it up online and saw that it is satire.  I was so ready to believe somebody came forward that I guess even though I caught on to the name it still went over my head.  Good find Old Crow!

[deedub75]

Let's assume that this dude flips and tell the truth, that he was told to deflate the balls by Belichick, they surely lose a 1st round pick right? 

 

1st round pick should go to the Colts.   

[ColtsSouljah]

Now, obviously NO ONE will believe that BB, Brady, and Kraft didn't know about this. However, assuming the low lives which are the pats buy this guy off, that shouldn't make any difference. If ignorance was no excuse for Sean Payton, why would it be for anyone else?

[braveheartcolt]

I don't want no soiled 1st round pick, kick them out the league.

 

And introducing.......the London Beefeaters.....

[Nadine]

We've heard that the ball boy will be sent away to Sicily like Michael Corleone. 

 

OK, I was just beginning to question whether we are all (and I mean as a country) too obsessed with football when we talk this much on all media channels about ball preparation

 

And then I saw this post and I cannot stop laughing.  Thank you

[-JJ-]

I don't want no soiled 1st round pick, kick them out the league.

 

And introducing.......the London Beefeaters.....

Fine- I'll just root for the London "----"  you can lose that name Beefeaters tho. 

London Redcoats?

[The Old Crow]

, I just looked it up online and saw that it is satire.  I was so ready to believe somebody came forward that I guess even though I caught on to the name it still went over my head.  Good find Old Crow!

 

Thanks. It gave me a good laugh also.

[Indeee]

Look they have video of the Patriot attendant taking the balls into another area of facility before the game after they we're checked by officials. This was done way before anyone knew of this, public I mean. Kraft, Brady, Belicheck and organization doesn't have a leg to stand on here. Common sense says no ball attendant will alter game balls without a reason. Logically makes no sense. Pats are screwed and it couldn't happen to better bunch of punch-holes.. Now hopefully the punishment will be harsh

[The Old Crow]

OK, I was just beginning to question whether we are all (and I mean as a country) too obsessed with football when we talk this much on all media channels about ball preparation

 

And then I saw this post and I cannot stop laughing.  Thank you

 

 

Yeah, the technical aspects of the PSI stuff gets boring sometimes. Glad to lend a laugh. 

[Iancolts]

Lol where is AMFOOTBALL at now?

[bap1331]

The best part is that the nfl knows they need a harsh punishment after a horrible year troubles with the law

[Jules]

OF COURSE someone higher up told the locker room dude to do this. Jesus Christ. Do people think this dude woke up the morning of the AFCCG and said "I gonna steal the Pats balls and deflate those puppies for fun." NO NO NO NO NO.

 

And this morning Brady I hear had the nerve to say his feelings were hurt due to accusations.

 

This organization makes me sick........literally sick. 

[hawkeyes]

WOW so they are going to take some random person possibly a made-up person blame it all on them as if they acted all on their own and tell the public that they have been fired dealt with etc etc all to appease the public ... then the guy will commit suicide and be buried without ever answering one question and the patriots will be deemed completely innocent of any wrong-doing?

Are we really going to believe that farce of a story?

[Hoosier]

OF COURSE someone higher up told the locker room dude to do this. Jesus Christ. Do people think this dude woke up the morning of the AFCCG and said "I gonna steal the Pats balls and deflate those puppies for fun." NO NO NO NO NO.

 

And this morning Brady I hear had the nerve to say his feelings were hurt due to accusations.

 

This organization makes me sick........literally sick. 

I totally get your exasperation.   There are some Pats fans who will buy the "rogue ball boy" story and defend it to their last breath.

[Buck Showalter]

so awhile back in an interview, Mark Cuban predicted that the NFL would 'implode' in a decade...

I believe Cuban's stance was on the basis that the NFL was just 'too greedy', now it looks like it just might implode because Goodell is letting the league turn into the NFL, & it may take place ALOT sooner than a decade...

 

http://espn.go.com/dallas/nba/story/_/id/10662203/dallas-mavericks-owner-mark-cuban-says-greedy-nfl-10-years-away-implosion

[ColtsSouljah]

so awhile back in an interview, Mark Cuban predicted that the NFL would 'implode' in a decade...

I believe Cuban's stance was on the basis that the NFL was just 'too greedy', now it looks like it just might implode because Goodell is letting the league turn into the NFL, & it may take place ALOT sooner than a decade...

 

I think the league would still have a ways to go, because it's just too popular. HOWEVER, if they do not handle this situation, this will certainly push it further down the path until at some point people will have had enough. A fine? A draft pick or two? That won't be even be close to doing enough. Have a spine, NFL. Have a spine and suspend the patriots from post season play for at least two years.

[Jules]

I totally get your exasperation.   There are some Pats fans who will buy the "rogue ball boy" story and defend it to their last breath.

 

Sadly many will believe it. Because they want to believe their fantasy that the Pats are this legit model class franchise.

 

Well lets see where this ends up too in the end. I can't imagine that anyone with half a brain can even think that this guy did have orders. The only way he lies is if he is being threatened by the Patriots mafia.

 

 

If this team does not get a harsh punishment I am so tired of them I don't even want to watch another game they play in again. I will watch 31 NFL teams and thats it.

 

 

Sean Payton got the year suspension. I am sure Bill B. will just get banned from his favorite donut shop in Boston as harsh punishment.

[ColtsSouljah]

Sadly many will believe it. Because they want to believe their fantasy that the Pats are this legit model class franchise.

 

Well lets see where this ends up too in the end. I can't imagine that anyone with half a brain can even think that this guy did have orders. The only way he lies is if he is being threatened by the Patriots mafia.

 

 

 

I truly wonder if they really believe it. I wonder if it is a case of so much denial for so long that it's easier to say what they do rather than admit the truth. I wonder because if people actually believe what they are saying, that is truly, truly scary. Hopefully if they actually do believe it, they only use that type of "logic" in connection with football.

[Gramz]

Seriously...... Who didn't see this scenario.??

 

Of course some locker room boy will take the fall.  We all knew this would be the answer.

 

I wonder when they'll share the video or if it will be destroyed?

[Moose Of Woe]

  I wonder when they'll share the video or if it will be destroyed?

The latter. Just like before because there's "nothing there."

 

Wouldn't want the world to see all that "nothing" though.

[scooter4910]

Reports say Belichick and Brady are upset that the ball boy is airing out his grievances !

I thought that occurred during Festivus?

[Gramz]

 can't stop laughing at all the science projects being done this week.  

[Buck Showalter]

I think the league would still have a ways to go, because it's just too popular. HOWEVER, if they do not handle this situation, this will certainly push it further down the path until at some point people will have had enough. A fine? A draft pick or two? That won't be even be close to doing enough. Have a spine, NFL. Have a spine and suspend the patriots from post season play for at least two years.

Right & I get that, but Cuban's basis was that the over-saturation would get to a 'burn-out' point, and ultimately negatively affect popularity to the point of an exponential exodus of fandom...

 so add the fact that this season saw domestic violence, child abuse, & not addressing blatant cheating, so the popularity & overall perception may take a bigger hit than expected, or as projected by Cuban who was basing his declaration of the demise of NFL strictly on it's over exposure during the season...

 

We are posting on a teams fan forum here, so we are a bit more 'tuned-in' than an average fan, that's who the league's decline will start with...

anyways, I just thought it was interesting...

food for thought...

[ColtsBlueFL]

I'm sure Brady and Belichick have no knowledge of this either...lol

 

Exactly! For what we may have here is the 'Chowda' version of Steve Bartman...

 

 

I hope it doesn't come down to just blaming a rogue ball boy and wiping of the hands.

 

And the Seahawks defeat the Pat's and New England is headhunting this 'ball boy'

[Flying Elvis]

Les Airington! Ha ha! You had me there for a minute.

[coltsfanmilyman]

Fine- I'll just root for the London "----" you can lose that name Beefeaters tho.

London Redcoats?

I think if they did that, USA would officially hate the team. Battle cries of kill the redcoats on Sunday is just not family friendly lol

[buccolts]

So, sometime early in the game should Pete Carroll have a ball pulled for eval?

Just to mess.

[Gabriel Alexander Morillo]

Well, as potentially obvious as it is that Bellicheck had this dude as his fall guy...nothing will come of it. you can't prove He or Brady had jack to do with it. The league can't punish him, but we'll know the truth and hopefully Pats fans at least recognize that this scumbag did in fact deflate footballs thus messing up the integrity of the game.

[jvan1973]

Well, as potentially obvious as it is that Bellicheck had this dude as his fall guy...nothing will come of it. you can't prove He or Brady had jack to do with it. The league can't punish him, but we'll know the truth and hopefully Pats fans at least recognize that this scumbag did in fact deflate footballs thus messing up the integrity of the game.

if it's a patriots employee, the team can still be fined and lose draft picks

[Hoosier]

If this team does not get a harsh punishment I am so tired of them I don't even want to watch another game they play in again. I will watch 31 NFL teams and thats it.

Sean Payton got the year suspension. I am sure Bill B. will just get banned from his favorite donut shop in Boston as harsh punishment.

 

 

Just came across this article in the Washington Post.  The author dug up an interesting segment from a memo Goodell issued to the competition committee in 2008, in the aftermath of SpyGate.  I think it will be up to pressure from the media and public to hold him to this sentiment.

“Too often, competitive violations have gone unpunished because conclusive proof of the violation was lacking,” Goodell wrote in that memo. “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.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/sports/wp/2015/01/26/first-and-10-deflategate-guilt-could-lead-to-harsher-penalties-for-patriots-based-on-goodells-post-spygate-statement/

[bavanlan]

Q: Which attendant?

 

A: The one loading their things into the brand new Mercedes.