2015 NFL Offseason Thread

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by calumniate

After what they did to the saints I'm super happy about this. Coach got suspended for a freaking year

No kidding. Pretty sure Sean Peyton isn't shedding a tear for these guys.

[Flabbibulin]

Originally Posted by OILFAN #81

It's not a joke because he was asked about it straight up and at the press conference just ran around in circles and lied about it. The punishment is more for that then the act itself. He should have just came clean. NE didn't need to cheat to win, they would have won anyways. That's why it's dumb they did it. You can't cheat and then lie about it when asked about it. The ruling is fair IMO. Tom Brady is a great player. He didn't have to cheat and then lie. He's better then that.

In terms of the part I bolded from your response, I think Patriots fans would have been more upset if Tom Brady was given a 1 year suspension over the 1st round pick though right? Like if it was a 1 year suspension for Brady and money (they keep the 1st rounder). Patriot fans would have been even more upset.

I said the team punishment is a joke. You are citing points and evidence against Brady, not the team.

[OILFAN #81]

Originally Posted by Flabbibulin

I said the team punishment is a joke. You are citing points and evidence against Brady, not the team.

I understand what you said. You said the 1st rounder is a joke and the 1 million is a joke. I was saying if NE got to keep those and if Tom Brady was suspended for 1 year instead, Patriot fans in my opinion would have been even more upset.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Great day for NFL fans. The Patriots are the most well honed, organized group of cheaters in football and it's great to see them get caught and pay a price. Does anyone really think that Spygate and Deflategate are the only times they have cheated? Of course not as this team has done everything they can over the years to bend or break the rules like that controversial play they ran three times against the Ravens where they only had 4 offensive linemen and the LT is used as a receiver. Sure it was deemed legal due the the verbiage of the rule but it was cheap and the rule was quickly changed to make sure it never happens again but that's the Patriots. Any little advantage they can gain they will use wether it's legal or not and the cumulation of all these advantages wether it be spying on other teams, deflating balls or anything else they do has contributed to their successes. Best group of cheaters we have ever seen in North American professional sports but cheaters get caught and it's good to see fitting punishment.

What have they been caught cheating on besides spying (which every team does) and deflating balls (tiny advantage)?

http://yourteamcheats.com/NE

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by troutman

What have they been caught cheating on besides spying (which every team does) and deflating balls (tiny advantage)?

http://yourteamcheats.com/NE

You would have to be pretty naive to think that's the stuff they got caught doing is the only times they have broken the rules to gain an advantage.

[Dan02]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

You would have to be pretty naive to think that's the stuff they got caught doing is the only times they have broken the rules to gain an advantage.

And you'd have to be naive to think every team in the NFL isn't doing such things.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Flabbibulin

Integrity of the game? Is there a single person out there right now that thinks integrity when it comes to the NFL? And even if it came down to a question of integrity, it is Brady that should be exclusively punished... Or at the very most, a suspension for Brady and the rule book suggested fine for the team. A loss of a first rounder and the 1mil is a GD joke

here's the problem with that....the Pats have a history of lying to the league and cheating as an organization....when you are a multiple offender you get a harsher sentence.

So if you want to lay blame for the harshness of this ruling...lay it at the feet of Belichik. He was the one who ingrained the fact that getting the edge on opponents, even if it means breaking rules...is OK, and his boss by continuing o employ him.

It may not be fair in your eyes, and maybe it isn't, but its the way these things work.

Im not surprised by the decision, particularly when you take into account the cover-up of a rather minor infraction which made it 100 times worse than it was.

[browna]

Originally Posted by Flabbibulin

I said the team punishment is a joke. You are citing points and evidence against Brady, not the team.

Team punishment (and the severity) is due to the organization being repeat offenders after "Spygate" 8 years ago. Just like Belichek and the guy who had the camera wasn't exclusively punished then (the team was too), neither is Brady the only one singled out here.

[M*A*S*H 4077]

I'm surprised that in all this Belichick wasn't punished individually. The NFL has made it clear that ignorance is not an excuse with the Peyton suspension and various team executives being suspended/fined for teams pumping in crowd noise

[Sainters7]

Originally Posted by Dan02

And you'd have to be naive to think every team in the NFL isn't doing such things.

This sounds like me after the Saints harsh punishment for Bountygate. But, like Payton, the punishment was more for lying and not cooperating with the league during the investigation, than the act itself.

I'm happy with the ruling. Not so much in a "misery loves company" sort of way, but more in the fact that they're at least proving to be consistent in their over the top, team sanctioned punishments.

As a fan of a southern, traditionally off the radar type franchise, I was already resigning myself to the fact that the Pats would just get a slap on the wrist, because of them being more of an "elite" franchise in a large, traditional media market, and the star power of Bill & Brady. Glad to see that wasn't the case.

[GGG]

I'm a Seahawks fan but this is a ridiculous punishment.

It's the equivalent of a corked bat in baseball, a pitcher tarring or sanding the ball or an illegal curve or too wide goalie pads. The most a player was suspended for a corked bat was 8 games or about 1/16 of a season so 1 game seems appropriate.

All the asterisk stuff and legacy change is just garbage. The whole not supporting the investigation is crap too. Essentially there is no probable cause process the league just say do this or get suspended.

How many people remember the gorilla gold towels from a few years ago.

[Stay Golden]

So inflating and deflating footballs by teams is new... lmao.

[Stay Golden]

Brady proved in the Superbowl vs the #1 ranked D that he can shred any team.
Even some of the Indy players on D said Brady could have thrown flat balls or ping pong balls and still beat them that day.
Brady could beat teams throwing hard boiled eggs. The guy is the best this generation has witnessed.
I should hate Brady as a Raiders fan and the infamous mystery tuck rule but I can only admire as a football fan his remarkable career.
When Rogers says he likes the footballs over inflated the NFL did nothing.
QB's have had their trainers over and under inflate balls for decades. This isn't just the NFL this has been going on in the NCAA long before most of us were even born.
This was purely media driven by schmucks and Goodell felt pressured to put a stop to it with all teams and decided to make an example out of Brady because now it is out the open so a precedent had to be set.
Before anyone says with the predictable typical "prove it" internet post.
I just want to say you can't be that naive can you?

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

You would have to be pretty naive to think that's the stuff they got caught doing is the only times they have broken the rules to gain an advantage.

You said "The Patriots are the most well honed, organized group of cheaters in football". Show me some evidence.

The link I posted shows the Pats are in the middle of the pack on "cheating". The Broncos and Steelers are twice as bad. Even your Raiders had a higher cheat score.

I don't know how accurate my link is or how they decided on scores, but it does make the case that all teams have been caught cheating. You are welcome to critique the evaluations (with facts).

[corporatejay]

As seahawks fan, with many seahawks fans on facebook, I find it interesting how many are slamming the Pats. Guys, the Hawks were basically running a pharmacy out of their locker room a couple of years ago...glass houses/stones and all that.

[troutman]

NE schedule (assuming Brady's appeal is unsuccessful):

PIT
@ BUF
JAC
@ DAL

I could see them going 2-2 in those 4 games.

The Pats were 11-5 the year Cassel replaced Brady.

[Flabbibulin]

Good article on all this:

https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nf...233900364.html

[Hatter]

Punishment seems a bit harsh to me. A couple games and a fine probably would have sufficed. Brady could be throwing bowling balls out there and still rack up TDs.

It will be interesting to see how Garropolo fares for the first few weeks.

[Pagal4321]

Hilarious, just utterly and completely hilarious.

I have a feeling this will be the beginning of the end for the commish.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by Pagal4321

Hilarious, just utterly and completely hilarious.

I have a feeling this will be the beginning of the end for the commish.

Doubt it. The owners love him.