Jim Gray: Brady suspension 'will not hold up' under appeal

[Jeff]

They are going to sit Brady for 4 games a fine for the team and they lose 2 draft picks, all this because they did something that allowed them to earn millions, the punishment doesn't seem to fit the crime. What I don't understand is how Brady has gotten pulled into it, they say he didn't hand over his phone but they also say he wasn't told to do so. This whole thing seems fishy. IMO if they had proof that this team cheated and it helped them win the championship they shouldn't of been allowed to play in the bowl, if they didn't get this info until afterwards then they should have the championship stripped from them.

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[Gunny]

They are going to sit Brady for 4 games a fine for the team and they lose 2 draft picks, all this because they did something that allowed them to earn millions, the punishment doesn't seem to fit the crime. What I don't understand is how Brady has gotten pulled into it, they say he didn't hand over his phone but they also say he wasn't told to do so. This whole thing seems fishy. IMO if they had proof that this team cheated and it helped them win the championship they shouldn't of been allowed to play in the bowl, if they didn't get this info until afterwards then they should have the championship stripped from them.

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Brady got pulled into it because he refused to knuckle under to the Nazi rule of the NFL. I can't stand the Patriots, but I'll give him creds for not backing down to a bully. The NFL, NCAA and MLB are tyrants. They think they can do whatever they want for whatever dumba$$ reason.

If I was him I'd sue the NFL. They can't prove jack sh*t. Oh, except that he told the NFL to f- off.

[Bilgerat]

[darin]

Brady got pulled into it because he's a fucking cheater. For a long time Brady has been complaining to the Techs to lower the ball air pressure. Things came to a head in the AFC championship game - but AFTER, when he lied about having any knowledge of the situation.

Brady didn't hand over his phone - but also refused to have HIS lawyers there, going through it to protect the private aspects of his phone. Brady claimed to not even know the name of the Tech, then later MENTIONED the tech to another person. Brady blew up the guy's phone immediately after this came out, too. Plus, Brady gave the guy merch that could reach values of tens of thousands of dollars. Brady got dragged into it because Brady is CENTRAL to the whole thing.

Brady knew the rules. He colluded with others to break the rules. He then lied about it.

Sucks. A lot. Not as bad as barry bonds, but brady's reputation from here to forever is tarnished just a bit.

My view? Abolish the stupid rule about air pressure. Air pressure - or lack thereof - of a football does NOT hurt the opposite team. Has no bearing on them.

Baseball and other sports where everyone uses the same ball? Okay - have ball-rules. Football? Nope. Get rid of them - but If the NFL does not come down hard on this (hehe...hard on) like they did, they'd have even less credibility.

This is worse - in terms of the intergrity of the game - than domestic violence, drunk-driving, and even dope-smoking. This affects ON-FIELD stuff.

[Gunny]

Brady got pulled into it because he's a fucking cheater. For a long time Brady has been complaining to the Techs to lower the ball air pressure. Things came to a head in the AFC championship game - but AFTER, when he lied about having any knowledge of the situation.

Brady didn't hand over his phone - but also refused to have HIS lawyers there, going through it to protect the private aspects of his phone. Brady claimed to not even know the name of the Tech, then later MENTIONED the tech to another person. Brady blew up the guy's phone immediately after this came out, too. Plus, Brady gave the guy merch that could reach values of tens of thousands of dollars. Brady got dragged into it because Brady is CENTRAL to the whole thing.

Brady knew the rules. He colluded with others to break the rules. He then lied about it.

Sucks. A lot. Not as bad as barry bonds, but brady's reputation from here to forever is tarnished just a bit.

My view? Abolish the stupid rule about air pressure. Air pressure - or lack thereof - of a football does NOT hurt the opposite team. Has no bearing on them.

Baseball and other sports where everyone uses the same ball? Okay - have ball-rules. Football? Nope. Get rid of them - but If the NFL does not come down hard on this (hehe...hard on) like they did, they'd have even less credibility.

This is worse - in terms of the intergrity of the game - than domestic violence, drunk-driving, and even dope-smoking. This affects ON-FIELD stuff.

Making excuses for your team getting whipped?

He refused to turn over his stuff. I would too and I NEVER needed to cheat at football. So did Johnny Unitas over-inflate his footballs to stand on the 10 yard line and nail a 90 yard pass?

This is something in the "who gives a f-" category. I played middle LB from age 8 to 18. Also played in the Corps for my battalion until I was 24. I didn't give a crap what your ball weighed. Nobody ever weighed enough to not get knocked off their asses with their under-inflated football.

[Bilgerat]

This is another take on things

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-sh...233900364.html

[darin]

Making excuses for your team getting whipped?

He refused to turn over his stuff. I would too and I NEVER needed to cheat at football. So did Johnny Unitas over-inflate his footballs to stand on the 10 yard line and nail a 90 yard pass?

This is something in the "who gives a f-" category. I played middle LB from age 8 to 18. Also played in the Corps for my battalion until I was 24. I didn't give a crap what your ball weighed. Nobody ever weighed enough to not get knocked off their asses with their under-inflated football.

Bringing up my team because your team sucks?

Tom Refused to have his text/phone records of convo between he and the techs looked-at. By that he attempted a cover up.

And Tom Broke the FUCKING GOD DAMN RULES for game play.

He's a cheater.

[darin]

Oh. And I KILL at Madden on the PS3. Nobody is better

[jimnyc]

There very well may have been other issues in football that was treated in a lighter manner. But first off, it shouldn't have been. They need to come down HARD on any team/players found to be cheating. If small, and you allow it, then it only gets worse. And secondly, the Patriots history since Brady was on the team. I think his suspension is where it should be, and the rest to the team as well.

It would suck if it's lifted after appeal. As many have stated, Ray Rice knocked his woman out cold and got 2 games. They need to start handling these things properly.

[Bilgerat]

And Tom Broke the FUCKING GOD DAMN RULES for game play.

He's a cheater.

Were you this excited when the Panthers and the Vikings were caught warming up their game balls during the game?

That's against the rules, but all they got was a warning.

And in 2012 when the Chargers used towels with an adhesive on their game balls. They didn't turn the evidence over immediately when ordered to do so.

The punishment there, a piddling 20K

This is going to be challenged in court and the Commissioner will again look like a fumbling, bumbling idiot.

[darin]

Were you this excited when the Panthers and the Vikings were caught warming up their game balls during the game?

That's against the rules, but all they got was a warning.

And in 2012 when the Chargers used towels with an adhesive on their game balls. They didn't turn the evidence over immediately when ordered to do so.

The punishment there, a piddling 20K

This is going to be challenged in court and the Commissioner will again look like a fumbling, bumbling idiot.

Who is excited? I don't hate the Deflatriots. And I have no problem with Tom Brady. I know he's Psssssst at the situation and things like this can be deflating for a person's morale - even in the off-season.

What are we talking about - Rule violations in the history of the NFL or Tom Brady's role in actively and covertly violating the rules and subsequently lying about it?

[jimnyc]

Were you this excited when the Panthers and the Vikings were caught warming up their game balls during the game?

That's against the rules, but all they got was a warning.

And in 2012 when the Chargers used towels with an adhesive on their game balls. They didn't turn the evidence over immediately when ordered to do so.

The punishment there, a piddling 20K

This is going to be challenged in court and the Commissioner will again look like a fumbling, bumbling idiot.

I think they screw up all the time. The Panthers/Vikings should have been fined an awful lot, as the rules are the rules, and bypassing like they did might have giving them an edge on the playing field. The Chargers should have received an even larger fine, as I believe something like that was even more blatant and more likely to give an edge. But the rules are the rules regardless, and they didn't follow them. The team and the players involved all should have been fined. I think the Patriots fines/suspensions in this case were correct.

They screw up all the time as I said. Look at Adrian Peterson. They have rules in effect, give out a suspension. Then they change it. In that case it was also turned over in court. They need 100% established rules and follow them 100% and stop with the PC crap and little slaps on the wrists for some, and coming down hard on others.

Regardless of which team though, and even my beloved Steelers, the one thing that can't and shouldn't be tolerated in the slightest bit is any form of cheating. And that should go for all professional sports, IMO.

[jimnyc]

Tom Brady's role in actively and covertly violating the rules and subsequently lying about it?

That's one thing that I think shows guilt more than anything, was his refusal to cooperate and for over pertinent records, because then it reeks of him trying to hide something. It's the text messages that put me over the edge in believing he had a part in this and requested this in some manner.

[darin]

That's one thing that I think shows guilt more than anything, was his refusal to cooperate and for over pertinent records, because then it reeks of him trying to hide something. It's the text messages that put me over the edge in believing he had a part in this and requested this in some manner.

Bingo. We should remember the standard here:

. the greater weight of the evidence required in a civil (non-criminal) lawsuit for the trier of fact (jury or judge without a jury) to decide in favor of one side or the other. This preponderance is based on the more convincing evidence and its probable truth or accuracy, and not on the amount of evidence

Not irrefutable proof.

[jimnyc]

Bingo. We should remember the standard here:



Not irrefutable proof.

But with opinions and desires aside, Bilgerat very well may be correct, that this gets overturned in court. Based in rules, CBA, prior suspensions around the league, what solid proof they have, and don't have... A lot will go into it if he should take it that far. And then based on 'precedent' against others that Bilgerat gave examples of... While not identical, they are similar, and the penalties are in different stratospheres. The league is it's own worst enemy. Frickin idiots.