2015 NFL Season

[faldor]

That's the thing. If you want to believe that something unnatural happened to those balls that night, that's completely within your right. "The Pash/Wells investigation" (love how Judge Berman changed the name on that "independent investigation") had some things in it that could certainly make you scratch your head. But the NFL needed a fall guy, and who better than the star QB?

It amazes me that some people still believe the NFL after all they've done. Do people just hate the Patriots that much? Don't answer that, it was hypothetical. We are talking about a fractional amount of air that MAY have been released from a few footballs! Yet some people still want to drag Brady through the streets and see him stoned even after the NFL's case was ripped to shreds by the judge. 

Not sure if some of you actually believe the Patriots are the only team who cheats, or does so more than others. You might want to check this site out to see how righteous the team you root for is. Or you can just keep blindly believing what you want to and disregard what you don't. Whatever works best for you.

http://yourteamcheats.com

Edited to add this look back at Deflategate and what a sham it was. I share, because I care.

http://yourteamcheats.com/what-is-deflategate

[JAEBALL]

That's the thing. If you want to believe that something unnatural happened to those balls that night, that's completely within your right. "The Pash/Wells investigation" (love how Judge Berman changed the name on that "independent investigation") had some things in it that could certainly make you scratch your head. But the NFL needed a fall guy, and who better than the star QB?

It amazes me that some people still believe the NFL after all they've done. Do people just hate the Patriots that much? Don't answer that, it was hypothetical. We are talking about a fractional amount of air that MAY have been released from a few footballs! Yet some people still want to drag Brady through the streets and see him stoned even after the NFL's case was ripped to shreds by the judge. 

Not sure if some of you actually believe the Patriots are the only team who cheats, or does so more than others. You might want to check this site out to see how righteous the team you root for is. Or you can just keep blindly believing what you want to and disregard what you don't. Whatever works best for you.

http://yourteamcheats.com

Edited to add this look back at Deflategate and what a sham it was. I share, because I care.

http://yourteamcheats.com/what-is-deflategate

The NFL plays dirty...but feeling sympathy for the pats unless you root for them is simply just not going to happen...

Brady lied... and lied some more... and just because the NFL bungled the whole thing... doesn't change that... I'm not going to feel sorry for Brady because the NFL went above and beyond to stry to screw him.

If that upsets the masses of the greater Boston area... then I don't know what to tell ya.

As my man Lawrence Tynes tweeted out... if the NFL wanted to beat Brady... they shoulda called the G MENNNNNNNNN

[JAEBALL]

The judge may have vacated his suspension but there was still pretty good evidence to suggest he was guilty and public opinion still believes he's guilty.

What evidence? The Wells Report was a joke, the measurement of the balls at the AFC championship was a clown show, no one knows what gauge was used, the measurements pre game weren't recorded... So Wells takes the refs recollection of what they were, but throws out the refs recollection of which gauge he used during half time because the gauge he says he used came up with numbers that support the ideal gas law. So apparently the 'bullet proof evidence' of Brady's guilt are text messages that never actually say anything or implicate Brady in anyway unless you make some fantastical leaps. Which is why it was found it is 'more probable than not that Tom Brady (the quarterback for the Patriots) was at least generally aware of the inappropriate activities of McNally and Jastremski involving the release of air from Patriots game balls'... Which doesn't suggest he was guilty of anything. Are you going to throw away the 2012 Ravens Super Bowl because the team and coaches should have been 'at least generally aware' that Ray Lewis was using Deer Antler Spray (a performance enhancer)... No you aren't because that was a joke, just like the thought that the balls had anything to do with the fact that Andrew Luck is 0-4 against Tom Brady by a combined score of 189-73.

But lets try to explain away the fact that the Pats have won 4 Super Bowls, appeared in 6, appeared in 9 ACF Championships, appeared in the Playoffs in 12 of 14* seasons that Tom Brady has played (missed 2008 while Brady was out with torn ACL).

I don't think the loudest Pat hater would ever deny Brady's on field accomplishments, anybody that would.. is obviously not speaking rationally. Any edge that the Pats have looked for... and it's been many... have nothing to do with his first ballot hall of fame career.

[faldor]

That's the thing. If you want to believe that something unnatural happened to those balls that night, that's completely within your right. "The Pash/Wells investigation" (love how Judge Berman changed the name on that "independent investigation") had some things in it that could certainly make you scratch your head. But the NFL needed a fall guy, and who better than the star QB?

It amazes me that some people still believe the NFL after all they've done. Do people just hate the Patriots that much? Don't answer that, it was hypothetical. We are talking about a fractional amount of air that MAY have been released from a few footballs! Yet some people still want to drag Brady through the streets and see him stoned even after the NFL's case was ripped to shreds by the judge. 

Not sure if some of you actually believe the Patriots are the only team who cheats, or does so more than others. You might want to check this site out to see how righteous the team you root for is. Or you can just keep blindly believing what you want to and disregard what you don't. Whatever works best for you.

http://yourteamcheats.com

Edited to add this look back at Deflategate and what a sham it was. I share, because I care.

http://yourteamcheats.com/what-is-deflategate

The NFL plays dirty...but feeling sympathy for the pats unless you root for them is simply just not going to happen...

Brady lied... and lied some more... and just because the NFL bungled the whole thing... doesn't change that... I'm not going to feel sorry for Brady because the NFL went above and beyond to stry to screw him.

If that upsets the masses of the greater Boston area... then I don't know what to tell ya.

As my man Lawrence Tynes tweeted out... if the NFL wanted to beat Brady... they shoulda called the G MENNNNNNNNN

I can respect your G-Men comments. I have to, since they beat the Pats twice when it mattered most.

But again. What exactly did Brady lie about? Just because you think he did something wrong doesn't make it so, and doesn't mean he lied about anything.

I'm not asking for sympathy nor do I expect any. I'm asking for objectivity. The NFL basically threw someone in jail for going 60 in a 55, regardless of who that someone is. Don't feel sympathy for that person, but you should have serious questions with how the NFL handled this situation and many before it.to say that they've had a few bad years off the field would be a severe understatement. And if you could take your feelings for Brady and the Patriots out of the equation for one moment, I think you could see the picture much more clearly.

[C0ma]

Brady lied... and lied some more... and just because the NFL bungled the whole thing... doesn't change that... I'm not going to feel sorry for Brady because the NFL went above and beyond to stry to screw him.

To echo what Faldor said, I actually enjoy the hatred from other fans around the league. It is sort of fun drinking the tears of other AFC East fans when year after year we hear this is the year for (fill in the blank) and year after year, the Pats win the division and get a first round bye.

BUT... What exactly did Brady lie about, and lie some more (that can be proven in any way)? As I pointed out in my last post, and the judge pointed out in his findings and line of questioning... there is no proof that anything happened to the balls during the AFC championship outside of what can naturally occur due to the ideal gas law. You can arbitrarily go with the recollection of the referee on one point then immediately throw away his subsequent recollection of the same event to make your own predisposed findings work, then pass it off as concrete fact. What can be passed off as fact, is they re inflated the balls at half time and Brady shredded the Colts like they were a D2 college football team.

So don't feel sorry for Brady or the Pats in anyway... Feel sorry for the 16 teams on their schedule that are going to treated as if they are fielding 11 Roger Goodell's on both sides of the ball. They are never going to take their foot off the gas, they are going to look to humiliate the NFL and it's other 31 teams this year.

[JAEBALL]

That's the thing. If you want to believe that something unnatural happened to those balls that night, that's completely within your right. "The Pash/Wells investigation" (love how Judge Berman changed the name on that "independent investigation") had some things in it that could certainly make you scratch your head. But the NFL needed a fall guy, and who better than the star QB?

It amazes me that some people still believe the NFL after all they've done. Do people just hate the Patriots that much? Don't answer that, it was hypothetical. We are talking about a fractional amount of air that MAY have been released from a few footballs! Yet some people still want to drag Brady through the streets and see him stoned even after the NFL's case was ripped to shreds by the judge. 

Not sure if some of you actually believe the Patriots are the only team who cheats, or does so more than others. You might want to check this site out to see how righteous the team you root for is. Or you can just keep blindly believing what you want to and disregard what you don't. Whatever works best for you.

http://yourteamcheats.com

Edited to add this look back at Deflategate and what a sham it was. I share, because I care.

http://yourteamcheats.com/what-is-deflategate

The NFL plays dirty...but feeling sympathy for the pats unless you root for them is simply just not going to happen...

Brady lied... and lied some more... and just because the NFL bungled the whole thing... doesn't change that... I'm not going to feel sorry for Brady because the NFL went above and beyond to stry to screw him.

If that upsets the masses of the greater Boston area... then I don't know what to tell ya.

As my man Lawrence Tynes tweeted out... if the NFL wanted to beat Brady... they shoulda called the G MENNNNNNNNN

I can respect your G-Men comments. I have to, since they beat the Pats twice when it mattered most.

But again. What exactly did Brady lie about? Just because you think he did something wrong doesn't make it so, and doesn't mean he lied about anything.

I'm not asking for sympathy nor do I expect any. I'm asking for objectivity. The NFL basically threw someone in jail for going 60 in a 55, regardless of who that someone is. Don't feel sympathy for that person, but you should have serious questions with how the NFL handled this situation and many before it.to say that they've had a few bad years off the field would be a severe understatement. And if you could take your feelings for Brady and the Patriots out of the equation for one moment, I think you could see the picture much more clearly.

Didn't Brady say he knows absolutely nothing about the situation? Doesn't that make him a liar right there? Or is there no proof that he knew? and that's going to remain u'r story?

No matter what becomes of this in 20 years... I personally can't buy that he did not at the very least wink to the ball guys to deflate the balls... WHICH I DON'T EVEN THINK IS A BIG DEAL ! It certainly did not help them destroy the Colts or any other team.

But don't tell me he didn't know about it , prefer the balls that way or advised them to do it...That's all. Even If nobody can prove it, that's what I believe.

[JAEBALL]

Brady lied... and lied some more... and just because the NFL bungled the whole thing... doesn't change that... I'm not going to feel sorry for Brady because the NFL went above and beyond to stry to screw him.

To echo what Faldor said, I actually enjoy the hatred from other fans around the league. It is sort of fun drinking the tears of other AFC East fans when year after year we hear this is the year for (fill in the blank) and year after year, the Pats win the division and get a first round bye.

BUT... What exactly did Brady lie about, and lie some more (that can be proven in any way)? As I pointed out in my last post, and the judge pointed out in his findings and line of questioning... there is no proof that anything happened to the balls during the AFC championship outside of what can naturally occur due to the ideal gas law. You can arbitrarily go with the recollection of the referee on one point then immediately throw away his subsequent recollection of the same event to make your own predisposed findings work, then pass it off as concrete fact. What can be passed off as fact, is they re inflated the balls at half time and Brady shredded the Colts like they were a D2 college football team.

So don't feel sorry for Brady or the Pats in anyway... Feel sorry for the 16 teams on their schedule that are going to treated as if they are fielding 11 Roger Goodell's on both sides of the ball. They are never going to take their foot off the gas, they are going to look to humiliate the NFL and it's other 31 teams this year.

I don't root against them... I really don;t care whether he plays or not. Truth be told the only thing I care about is now he is available to play against Dallas !

[faldor]

Brady explained his preference for the balls pretty extensively. He said he had no knowledge of what happened when forced to comment on the situation due to the completely erroneous reports leaked by league officials to Chris Mortensen that 11 of the 12 balls were significantly under inflated by more than 2 psi. At that time he was basing his "no knowledge" off of those grossly fabricated figures. Wouldn't you be shocked to find out the balls measured that low? Only thing is, they didn't. I'm not sure that constitutes as lying, more being blind sided by false figures by people looking to tarnish one's reputation, and trying to sort everything out.

[Sober_times]

Didn't Brady say he knows absolutely nothing about the situation? Doesn't that make him a liar right there? Or is there no proof that he knew? and that's going to remain u'r story?

No matter what becomes of this in 20 years... I personally can't buy that he did not at the very least wink to the ball guys to deflate the balls... WHICH I DON'T EVEN THINK IS A BIG DEAL ! It certainly did not help them destroy the Colts or any other team.

But don't tell me he didn't know about it , prefer the balls that way or advised them to do it...That's all. Even If nobody can prove it, that's what I believe.

It is believable he didn't know anything about it.  There are a couple facts here that Coma laid out that I will expand on with a long post and maybe put some perspective to where Patriots fans are and those independent who call this whole thing a farce.

The NFL never wrote down any pregame measurements. They never recorded which of two gauges was used. They had no idea about the ideal gas law or how weather can effect the footballs or about the fact that the footballs can potentially deflate in colder weather and warm up in the locker room even just a few minutes sitting in a room at half-time. This was the first time in NFL history that football pressure was even tested at halftime of a game. 12 of the Patriots footballs were tested at half-time using two different gauges, however only 4 of the colts footballs were tested. The NFL doesn't know how the footballs were tested, rather the Patriots footballs were done first or rather the colts footballs had time to warm up before being tested. They admit to running out of time before all 12 of the Colts footballs were tested. The NFL knew so little about possible deflation they assumed that any deflation must have been the Patriots fault and nothing else was a plausible explanation.

Going on that narrative of the Patriots being at fault the NFL officially sent a letter to the Patriots(we know this because the Patriots published the letter) that stated 11 of 12 Footballs were under-inflated by 2 PSI. They subsequently leaked that information. It was later proved that was a lie. However, the damage was done. The Patriots, internally, were freaking out on how 11 of 12 footballs could have been deflated by 2 PSI(again, the NFL sent them this wrong information). They had those press conferences. Now media reaction to those press conferences was based on 11 of 12 footballs being deflated by 2 PSI(which was an NFL lie). Everybody started the narrative that Brady must have known. That everyone can feel the difference between 12.5 PSI and 10.5 PSI. Again 11 of 12 footballs did not measure 10.5. But that was out there and was used to make the Patriots look incredibly guilty and Tom Brady look like a fool.

Next, comes the Wells report. Looking at it from the angle that the Patriots must have done something wrong there could be some damning stuff here. You have the deflater text, back in May of 2014, followed in a different conversation by the ESPN text. You have Brady signing memorabilia for the these two guys. You have conversations about the Jets game where footballs were over inflated. You have Brady refusing to turn over his cell phone. You have no communication between Brady or the suspects until after the AFC Championship game. You have a scientific report that the footballs were inflated below the ideal gas law.

Now Judge Berman has stated, an independent federal judge, that the Wells Reports was far from independent. The leagues co-counsel Jeff Pash worked on it and a Well's attorney cross-examined Brady during his appeal in front of Goodell. I illustrate this because this is yet another lie from the NFL. The NFL and Roger Goodell claimed the Well's report was an independent investigation to get at the truth when in actuality, it was an NFL investigation to come to the conclusion that the Patriots did something wrong.

Again, this needs to be noted. First they lied to the Patriots that 11 of 12 Footballs were at 10.5 PSI and leaked that information to the media, never correcting it. Next, they hired Ted Wells to do an investigation. They sent press releases, did interviews, had press conferences, touting and talking about how independent this investigation would be and how it will find the truth. However, in reality, it wasn't an independent investigation. That is two huge lies that shaped public opinion. The Patriots or Brady can never recover from that unless people really go back and take a real look at how all of this went down. But everybody believed the NFL at the time. Everybody remembers 10.5 PSI. Everybody still notes how independent Wells was. That is a huge issue with this whole thing and helped shape the narrative the Patriots must have done something wrong.

It's impossible to do now, but I wish people got to look at the Wells report from an independent stand point. The science of it was thoroughly debunked. The Patriots turned over every text message from Patriots employees requested by the Wells Report.  Maybe if the NFL didn't leak out 11 of 12 footballs have 10.5 PSI or didn't state that the Wells report was an Independent investigation or actually state that the science was inconclusive. Then maybe, people would have believed that deflator text was about weight loss considering they ribbed each other about shit all the time(based on Wells Report in Context provided by Patriots). Maybe if the NFL didn't leak out 11 of 12 footballs have 10.5 PSI, or didn't state that Wells was independent, or actually state the truth that the science was inconclusive people wouldn't assume that saying ESPN was about turning someone in instead of ribbing each other as other texts show they do. Maybe if the NFL didn't leak out 11 of 12 footballs have 10.5 PSI or didn't state that the Wells report was an Independent investigation or actually state that the science was inconclusive maybe people believe that 90 second stop to the Bathroom on the way to the field was actually about pissing after the start of the Afc Championship game was delayed several minutes.  Maybe if the NFL didn't leak out 11 of 12 footballs have 10.5 PSI or didn't state that the Wells report was an Independent investigation or actually state that the science was inconclusive. Then maybe people would have looked closely at the Wells report when it states Brady and the Patriots cooperated fully. When it states they have all communication between Brady and the suspects and there is no smoking gun.

My point is every bit of this came from a slant that the Patriots did something wrong. From the moment the Colts took 1 football and said it was deflated till the press release about Goodell upholding the suspension on appeal where the NFL lied again(about Brady's testimony, Cell Phone and other things). This whole thing started from a stand point the Patriots cheated based on incorrect media information never corrected by the NFL. The Patriots did not find out the actual measurements of the footballs until the Well's Report was released just like the rest of us. The damage had been done. People ignore all other plausible explanations and I could go on and discuss how badly the NFL messed up the appeal and mischaractized that. How badly the NFL lied about Brady's testimony. That we found out the NFL wanted the appeal transcript kept sealed yet again lied and said it was the NFL/PA that wanted it sealed. It was lie after lie, mischaracterization after mischaractization.

I don't expect to change anybodies mind with this. I just want to show where I am coming from. Where Patriots fans are coming from. Its not just about homerism. There is legitimate bull shit that happened. There is absolutely no evidence that Brady did anything wrong. And there is absolutely no concrete evidence, science or other wise, that the footballs were even improperly deflated.

[AxlsMainMan]

Go Steelers!!

I know it's only pre season, so you can't put too much stock in anything. But it sounds like the Steelers D got carved up pretty good by a less than imposing Bills offense. Could mean absolutely nothing, but they have been trending to a more offensive oriented team the last few years. Not the big bad Pitt D that they seemed to roll out every year.

Also, Bryant suspended for 4 games. The marijuana suspensions are a joke. Is he a repeat offender? 4 games seems harsh. Pouncey also out to start the season. No Bell or Blount opening night. Maybe no Brady, though I think he'll play. Good thing the NFL can seemingly do no wrong. Fans could care less who is or isn't playing. They'll tune in regardless.

They did indeed. The Steelers' D wasn't anything to write home about last year either and we still managed to win the toughest division in the NFL with a 11-5 record, so I'm not overly concerned as long as Big Ben stays healthy. I'm pretty sure James Harrison lead the team in sacks last year and I wouldn't be surprised if he does again this year. They've spent oodles of 1st round draft picks trying to find someone to replace him, but all so far are yet to live up to the hype and I think they might ultimately have to wheel #92 out in a coffin.

Bryant's suspension will hurt on top of Bell already being suspended 2 games, no doubt. Antonio Brown isn't regarded as the best WR in the NFL for nothing, though. The real concerning thing about Bryant's suspension is that Tomlin says "he has much bigger issues than drugs" He is also a repeat offender and will be suspended for an entire season next time.

Should be a great game, though. The Steelers and Patriots definitely don't play each other as much as they should, and even though Brady has the winning record, Big Ben almost always elevates his game against the Patriots.

[AxlsMainMan]

Probably the best and most comprehensive read to come from ESPN in quite awhile.

Spygate to Deflategate: Inside what split the NFL and Patriots apart:

http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/13533995/split-nfl-new-england-patriots-apart

[Sober_times]

Probably the best and most comprehensive read to come from ESPN in quite awhile.

Spygate to Deflategate: Inside what split the NFL and Patriots apart:

http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/13533995/split-nfl-new-england-patriots-apart

There is nothing earth shattering here. It is tough to separate speculation from fact in the piece that much is clear. The timing of this piece and the SI piece has me smiling a bit. No need for Pats fans to get too worked about it though. Nothing really new here.

The article spends an exorbitant amount of time rehashing what we already knew with Spygate. Rather or not you feel that was some huge misdeed corresponds to how you feel about cheating, what constitutes cheating and exactly what advantage one thinks the Patriots received. Is attempting to steal signs in any capacity cheating? I would say yes. The Patriots did it and were punished for it(I would say the punishment was too harsh). As for what advantage they got? Depends on how often NFL teams changed signals. If they used the same signals, then the Patriots would get an advantage of knowing exactly what was coming. Personally, I find it hard to believe NFL teams wouldn't change their offensive and defensive signals on a regular basis. If they knew what was coming, some old school coaches would say so what? Now they have to execute and/or stop it. 

As for the other stuff, its funny. Its all baseless accusations with no real proof. NFL teams are pretty paranoid about all kinds of stuff, other wise they wouldn't fear lip reading.

[tim_m]

What a shock the Pats in the news again. This time a former employee saying they stole opponents play she sheets. Can these idiots who run this team just not help themselves? They never needed to cheat by spying, deflating balls or stealing plays. They were good enough to win those championships on their own honestly. Fucking morons seriously.

[C0ma]

What a shock the Pats in the news again. This time a former employee saying they stole opponents play she sheets. Can these idiots who run this team just not help themselves? They never needed to cheat by spying, deflating balls or stealing plays. They were good enough to win those championships on their own honestly. Fucking morons seriously.

Like the same former employee that claimed he recorded the Rams walkthrough yet when pressed could never provide the tape he claimed he had. The truly hysterical part is that until the memo went out in late 2006/early 2007 what the Pats did wasn't against the rules. The location where the recording could happen changed, so the 40+ games recorded is a totally invalid argument the only game that matters is the 2007 game against the Jets where Mangini complained. That game and that game only is what the fine (which by the way was record breaking at the time) was levied for.

[AxlsMainMan]

What a shock the Pats in the news again. This time a former employee saying they stole opponents play she sheets. Can these idiots who run this team just not help themselves? They never needed to cheat by spying, deflating balls or stealing plays. They were good enough to win those championships on their own honestly. Fucking morons seriously.

Like the same former employee that claimed he recorded the Rams walkthrough yet when pressed could never provide the tape he claimed he had. The truly hysterical part is that until the memo went out in late 2006/early 2007 what the Pats did wasn't against the rules. The location where the recording could happen changed, so the 40+ games recorded is a totally invalid argument the only game that matters is the 2007 game against the Jets where Mangini complained. That game and that game only is what the fine (which by the way was record breaking at the time) was levied for.

If everything was on the up and up and within the rules then why were these videotapers always in elaborate disguises with any affiliation to the Patriots organization concealed? While you're at it, perhaps you can enlighten us as to when the Patriots will be reinstating "the Deflator" if he did nothing wrong?

[Sober_times]

What a shock the Pats in the news again. This time a former employee saying they stole opponents play she sheets. Can these idiots who run this team just not help themselves? They never needed to cheat by spying, deflating balls or stealing plays. They were good enough to win those championships on their own honestly. Fucking morons seriously.

Like the same former employee that claimed he recorded the Rams walkthrough yet when pressed could never provide the tape he claimed he had. The truly hysterical part is that until the memo went out in late 2006/early 2007 what the Pats did wasn't against the rules. The location where the recording could happen changed, so the 40+ games recorded is a totally invalid argument the only game that matters is the 2007 game against the Jets where Mangini complained. That game and that game only is what the fine (which by the way was record breaking at the time) was levied for.

If everything was on the up and up and within the rules then why were these videotapers always in elaborate disguises with any affiliation to the Patriots organization concealed? While you're at it, perhaps you can enlighten us as to when the Patriots will be reinstating "the Deflator" if he did nothing wrong?

Estrella, who videotaped for the Patriots stood on the Sideline in Patriots gear at times. Walsh, who lied about all kinds of stuff, did turn over some tapes the media got to see which had stuff like Herm Edwards smiling, waving and laughing at the camera. He was also in Patriots gear.

The Patriots suspended the two "suspects" because the NFL told them to according to the Patriots and Adam Schefters reporting. Goodell says otherwise yet his punishment of the Patriots included saying these guys can't be employed in the NFL again without first petitioning the NFL for reinstatement. So regardless of rather they were initially told to or not, the Patriots only did what the NFL was going to do anyway at a time when Kraft was wanting to fully cooperate.

As the Patriots noted, this article about taping and everything else is nothing new. Here is the official response from the Patriots.

?The New England Patriots have never filmed or recorded another team?s practice or walkthrough. The first time we ever heard of such an accusation came in 2008, the day before Super Bowl XLII, when the Boston Herald reported an allegation from a disgruntled former employee. That report created a media firestorm that extended globally and was discussed incessantly for months. It took four months before that newspaper retracted its story and offered the team a front and back page apology for the damage done. Clearly, the damage has been irreparable. As recently as last month, over seven years after the retraction and apology was issued, ESPN issued the following apology to the Patriots for continuing to perpetuate the myth: ?On two occasions in recent weeks, SportsCenter incorrectly cited a 2002 report regarding the New England Patriots and Super Bowl XXXVI. That story was found to be false, and should not have been part of our reporting. We apologize to the Patriots organization.?

?This type of reporting over the past seven years has led to additional unfounded, unwarranted and, quite frankly, unbelievable allegations by former players, coaches and executives. None of which have ever been substantiated, but many of which continue to be propagated. The New England Patriots are led by an owner whose well-documented efforts on league wide initiatives?from TV contracts to preventing a work stoppage?have earned him the reputation as one of the best in the NFL. For the past 16 years, the Patriots have been led by one of the league?s all-time greatest coaches and one of its alltime greatest quarterbacks. It is disappointing that some choose to believe in myths, conjecture and rumors rather than giving credit for the team?s successes to Coach Belichick, his staff and the players for their hard work, attention to detail, methodical weekly preparation, diligence and overall performance.?

[faldor]

Haters gonna hate, hate, hate.

I say keep it coming! I ain't mad at ya! You believe what you want to believe. Believe the lies spread by the mainstream media. The salacious headlines and scenarios. Keep feeding the beast.

I suspect the Patriots give ESPN the cold shoulder this season, if not the middle finger. There are a few level headed guys that still work there, but most are in bed with the NFL.

Forgotten in that article is how the Patriots cheat at the draft too. How else do you explain them drafting Tom Brady in the 6th round, or Edelman in the 7th, Gronk in the 2nd, etc. Obviously they must have stolen other teams draft notes.

This stuff is comical, and most of all, a huge source of motivation. So keep it coming! I beg you.

Alright, back to watching America's Game, the story behind your 2014 Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots. Cannot wait to see that banner unveiled at Gillette on Thursday night! On to Pittsburgh.

[GeorgeSteele]

I agree, same old crap against the Pats, timing is no coincidence, but what I found most interesting is that this story also seems to throw Goodell under the bus, in that we're being led to believe he helped cover up the supposed enormity of the extent of Spygate.  So either this is a case of rogue owners who want him out or Goodell pulling a Jedi-mind trick on the fans to show that DeflateGate was not about him being out to get the Pats because if anything he was always easy on them in the past.
 

[faldor]

I agree, same old crap against the Pats, timing is no coincidence, but what I found most interesting is that this story also seems to throw Goodell under the bus, in that we're being led to believe he helped cover up the supposed enormity of the extent of Spygate.  So either this is a case of rogue owners who want him out or Goodell pulling a Jedi-mind trick on the fans to show that DeflateGate was not about him being out to get the Pats because if anything he was always easy on them in the past.
 

Goodell denied tying the two "scandals" together yesterday, but his reliability level is not at an all time high as far as I'm concerned.

It seems quite clear to me that the harsh treatment for Brady and the Pats this time around was directly tied to Spygate. That's why I don't get how some actually viewed this charade as a fair and just investigation. It was anything but. And now that the Brady suspension was overturned and Goodell's approval rating is dropping fast, ESPN puts out an article rehashing things from 8 years ago. Coincidence? I think not. It truly is comical. Doing whatever they can to tip the scales and gain some popularity points back in the NFL's favor and keeping the Patriots as public enemy #1. And people are eating it up like they've been starving for a week. They had little to crow about after the judge ruled in Brady's favor. Now they got something. Stuff from 8 years ago. Have at it.

Boomer Esiason had an interesting take on the matter this morning on WFAN of all places. Aside from saying all NFL teams look to gain a competitive advantage, and that teams should focus more on not letting their opponents get those advantages. He also theorized that ESPN is angling to become known as more than just a "sports station". All these sensational stories and reporting are used to grab the attention of the casual fan, or even the non fan. Cable TV is going the way of ala carte. Maybe they're looking to expand, or just maintain their viewership. If casual or non sports fans are given the choice to subscribe to ESPN, they probably wouldn't. Sports stations and packages are the most expensive. So maybe they're preparing for that and trying to widen their range. Just a theory, but I can't tell you how many people who could care less about sports have formed and given their opinion on the Patriots over the last 8 months. So it's working, regardless if that's their intent or not.

Remember the St. Louis Cardinals hacking into the Houston Astros computers? That was quite the scandal. Lasted a week at best. Where was the continued outrage there? The Cardinals have been just as successful as the Pats, so you'd think there should be similar reactions to each situation. Who knew NFL fans and media were so much more sensitive and unforgiving as MLB fans and media. The NFL is more concerned with being a soap opera and keeping itself at the forefront of the news on a daily basis. And apparently they'll stop at nothing to accomplish that.

Opening night tomorrow. It can't get here soon enough! I just hope the rain holds off.

Go Pats!!!

[C0ma]

While you're at it, perhaps you can enlighten us as to when the Patriots will be reinstating "the Deflator" if he did nothing wrong?

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/09/09/source-pats-have-requested-reinstatement-of-jastremski-and-mcnally/

Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the Patriots have indeed asked for the employees to be reinstated.

The request was made on or before late Monday afternoon. It definitely was made before Tuesday; it possibly was made before Vincent said the league hadn?t heard from the Patriots.


http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000492190/article/nfl-releases-statement-on-patriots-violations

Patriots owner Robert Kraft advised Commissioner Roger Goodell last week that Patriots employees John Jastremski and James McNally have been indefinitely suspended without pay by the club, effective on May 6th. Neither of these individuals may be reinstated without the prior approval of NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations Troy Vincent. If they are reinstated by the Patriots, Jastremski is prohibited from having any role in the preparation, supervision, or handling of footballs to be used in NFL games during the 2015 season. McNally is barred from serving as a locker room attendant for the game officials, or having any involvement with the preparation, supervision, or handling of footballs or any other equipment on game day.