As expected, the NFL has suspended New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and imposed team sanctions for “deflategate.” As we discussed this week, the NFL investigation found rejected the claims of innocence in all of the balls being deflated after inspection in the New England’s AFC title game against Indianapolis in January. The NFL report stated “We found these claims not plausible and contradicted by other evidence.” The report found that Brady “was at least generally aware” of all the plans to prepare the balls to his liking and that it was “more probable than not” that two Patriots employees – officials’ locker room attendant Jim McNally and equipment assistant John Jastremski – carried out the plan. McNally is accused of demanding expensive shoes and signed footballs, jerseys and cash. Now, Don Yee, the agent for New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, has lashed out at the NFL and suggested a bizarre pre-game collusion between the NFL and the Colts.
The sanction against the team is tough, though some felt that Brady should have been banned for the year. Most people agree that the deflation of these balls were not some colossal coincidence but an act of cheating by a team that has a checkered history of violations. Indeed, the Patriots are viewed by some of having a problematic team culture in terms of allegations of cheating. That may have deepened the resolve of the NFL to come down hard in this case. The Patriots will lose their first-round selection in the 2016 NFL Draft and fourth-round selection in the 2017 draft. The team will also pay a $1 million fine and locker room attendant Jim McNally and equipment assistant John Jastremski have been indefinitely suspended. However, it was the four game suspension of Brady that was the step too far for Yee.
Yee insisted that Brady did cooperate with the investigation and that the investigation lacked standards and objectivity. However it is this ditty that most surprised me:
“The report also presents significant evidence the NFL participated with the Colts in some type of pre-AFC Championship Game planning regarding the footballs. This fact may raise serious questions about the integrity of the games we view on Sundays.”
What exactly does that suggest? It sounds like Yee is alleging a trap set for the Patriots and Brady. That seems more than paranoia. It seems positively delusional.
Yee then states “[t]he NFL has a well-documented history of making poor disciplinary decisions that often are overturned.” Of course, the Patriots have their now damning history of cheating that makes the teams a recidivist in the eyes of many football fans. If one assumes that this was no coincidence and that the balls were intentionally deflated for a quarterback who previously stated a preference for under-inflated balls, it does not matter that the Patriots were clearly the stronger team in the championship game. It was an act of cheating. The team sanctions in that sense are unassailable except to the extent that they are viewed as too lenient. The report clearly does not include smoking gun piece of evidence tying Brady to the deflation. However, absent a confession, it was unlikely to find such evidence. The assumption is that the deflation was not just done for Brady (who will be unpaid for the four games) but that he had to notice the difference (as other players and the referees). It also did not help that Brady not only called the whole matter “ridiculous” and denied any knowledge of pressure issues related to the balls — a press conference people found highly implausible and evasive. Nevertheless, that case against Brady is clearly a circumstantial case however.
Yee accused the NFL of “playing games on Park Avenue” but fails to explain what the point of this game would be. It is hard to believe that the NFL relishes such actions. The question is what is to be done when there is strong circumstantial evidence of cheating.
What do you think?
Here is the entire Yee statement:
“The discipline is ridiculous and has no legitimate basis. In my opinion, this outcome was pre-determined; there was no fairness in the Wells investigation whatsoever. There is no evidence that Tom directed footballs be set at pressures below the allowable limits. In fact, the evidence shows Tom clearly emphasized that footballs be set at pressures within the rules. Tom also cooperated with the investigation and answered every question presented to him. The Wells Report presents significant evidence, however, that the NFL lacks standards or protocols with respect to its handling of footballs prior to games; this is not the fault of Tom or the Patriots. The report also presents significant evidence the NFL participated with the Colts in some type of pre-AFC Championship Game planning regarding the footballs. This fact may raise serious questions about the integrity of the games we view on Sundays. We will appeal, and if the hearing officer is completely independent and neutral, I am very confident the Wells Report will be exposed as an incredibly frail exercise in fact-finding and logic. The NFL has a well-documented history of making poor disciplinary decisions that often are overturned when truly independent and neutral judges or arbitrators preside, and a former federal judge has found the commissioner has abused his discretion in the past, so this outcome does not surprise me. Sadly, today’s decision diminishes the NFL as it tells its fans, players and coaches that the games on the field don’t count as much as the games played on Park Avenue.”
Jim22:
Great comment but it would seem to be a worthy “goal” to teach kids sportsmanship and that the ends don’t justify the means, since the next generation will be our future leaders, doctors, lawyers, judges and legislators.
Or we could teach the next generation how to bribe a little league umpire to be more reality based and better prepared. Even if we fall short of meeting the goal, sportmanship should at least be the goal in my view.
You’re right, the real role models are those veterans and other public servants that serve at great risk with little or no personal reward.
Jim22
Rick, No, but you wrote that the equipment managers removed the air. I’m just wondering how you know that.
1. The balls were initially properly inflated.
2. The person who refers to himself as “The Deflator” was the only person in possession of the football outside the presence of numerous others.
3. Sometime after #2 the footballs were found to contain less air.
4. Scientific evaluation has ruled out the possibility the volume of air loss could have occurred naturally.
The NFL didn’t prove anything but their own incompetency.
Ross,
I wouldn’t get too upset about the roll model thing. People have been cheating/bending the rules in their favor long before last fall. There is very little of anything honest about sports. Money wins in most cases and it is all about money. If people want to show their kids a true roll model hero, bring them to a WWII vet. I got to meet my friends dad, a P-51 pilot, who flew on Normandy among other missions. It was the most humbling experience I’ve had. I walked away from that with a major adjustment of who I would think a true hero’s is.
Nick, I was wondering if you you were a Gaylord Perry fan. I assume you know where I’m going with this kind of question.
Rick, No, but you wrote that the equipment managers removed the air. I’m just wondering how you know that.
Nick,
Really? I couldn’t disagree more. I don’t own one but if I did, the only way I would give up my cell phone information would be if the law required me too. Prove Brady is guilty with evidence and then get back to me with your punishment.
Jim22
The equipment managers admitted to deflating the balls after inspection?
Are we to believe admissions are the only forms of evidence?
Rick,
The equipment managers admitted to deflating the balls after inspection? I did not no this.
The movie “Fair Game” about Plame and Wilson is a great movie about cheating.
I don’t quite get how Brady can be suspended when there’s no evidence
There is evidence he conspired with the equipment managers to deflate the footballs.
Ross
Shouldn’t the refs bear most of the responsibility? Why didn’t they examine the equipment prior to the game and fix it before the game started?
The refs did examine the equipment prior to the game and determined they were inflated within the legal range. They then delivered the balls to the equipment managers whose job it is to ensure the appropriate footballs are ready at the appropriate times during the games. The Patriots equipment manager then let some of the air out of the Patriots footballs (except the kicking ball).
Despite corruption in government, sports was the one place most Americans thought it was a fair game with legitimacy. It was a model for young children for sportmanship regardless of whether you win or not.
Sports had non-secret written rules and impartial referees with full transparency for all spectators to see. Very sad to see this perception of professional sports.
It is my understanding Brady refused to turn over his cell phone for examination. All of the texting info was obtained from the two equipment men. This is not a court of law. This is a business disciplinary hearing. I find refusing to turn over your cell phone tantamount to an admission of guilt. I go w/ what I said last week I think should be the punishment. Brady should be suspended for 10 games. Belichick, for creating this climate, suspended for 4. I thought the team should forfeit a first round. I see that happened, and as well as a 4th round pick in 2 years. Good. All this said, the NFL is horribly dysfunctional vis a vis discipline. They are inspired w/ marketing, and it is for that reason Goddell has a huge contract. He is a buffoon. But, he is the owner’s buffoon. He comes from a political family. His old man was a US Senator. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
On a related topic. Other quarterbacks, coaches and owners have their sphincter’s clenched. The dirty secret that has leaked out is that this is common. Indeed, a couple of the Colt’s balls in the game in question were out of compliance. The INSANITY is no one has suggested the system is corrupt. Allowing each team to supply it’s own balls is ludicrous. In baseball there is obviously no inflation. The balls come from the same manufacturer. For decades, before each MLB game, the UMPIRES, non partisan officials, took possession of the new balls in boxes. They would rub down a designated number of balls, I think about 100, w/ mud from the Delaware River in NJ. This takes off the sheen, making it easier to grip and throw. In recent years, the umpires, have gradually passed down that dirty duty to home team officials. If I were commish, I would tell the umps they need to start once again wallowing in the mud before each game. But, this won’t happen. Professional sports are reactive, not proactive. And their reactions are almost always flawed.
Tom Brady needs to get a new agent. Yee’s cockamamie conspiracy theory is not only unbelievable, but seriously undermines the public’s ability to take him or Brady seriously.
I think refs should start using the “more probable than not” template during games now. I could just see on a big running play the refs throwing a flag and stating to the crowd, “We feel it is more probable than not that there must have been holding on the play, 10 yard penalty, repeat 1st down”. The NFL is done.
To me it is more probable than not that the NFL participated with the Colts in some type of pre-AFC Championship Game planning regarding the footballs.
This whole thing is so stupid it hurts. The NFL got caught with its pants down on a stupid rule and got exposed for not having a good “system” of regulating the balls. So instead of blaming themselves, they have to go after the patriots.
I don’t quite get how Brady can be suspended when there’s no evidence he instructed those guys to deflate the balls below the legal pressure limit. This should be overturned on appeal.
Shouldn’t the refs bear most of the responsibility? Why didn’t they examine the equipment prior to the game and fix it before the game started?
It was a vast left-wing conspiracy by persons who don’t like the name “Patriots”.