A guy with a PhD in Physics from the University of Chicago weighs in on why the most logical interpretation of the data shows that no tampering took place. It’s quite readable:
The Chicago physicist link is very interesting because he’s an expert in pressure. He also says something I never realized, that the Report doesn’t follow Walt Anderson’s recollections at all but says he must have used the other gauge and says, “In other words, they think Anderson used the Non-Logo Gauge (despite the fact that he actually claims otherwise) only because the Non-Logo Gauge produced lower pressure readings.” If that goes before an arbiter, it’s going to be a bad day for the NFL.
@Lergnom, if you’re at all interested in this, you should take the time to read the full rebuttal. It’s a bit long and could have been better organized, but I found it very impressive. Far more impressive than Don Yee, who I think on balance has been a liability in his efforts to defend Brady. Yee is too shrill and not conversant enough with the facts. The lawyer who did the rebuttal is methodical and logical and basically eviscerates the Wells report. I had been willing to accept the “more probable than not” conclusion that McNally had deflated the footballs, but thought the Wells Report evidence and conclusions on Brady were really weak. After reading the rebuttal, I think that the Wells Report evidence and conclusions on Jastremski and McNally are really weak too.
Yee made the assertion that Wells had presumed guilt and then twisted and distorted all the evidence to reach his conclusion, but Yee didn’t provide all the backup, which made the assertion just sound shrill. The rebuttal makes a pretty compelling case that this is precisely what happened. The league had concluded that the Patriots were guilty before they asked Wells to investigate, and Wells set out to prove the conclusion (taking millions of dollars of the NFL’s money in the process). Except the “proof” has more holes than a piece of Swiss cheese. If this gets to an arbitration in front of a truly independent arbitrator, I think the house of cards will come tumbling down.
And if McNally and Jastremski are innocent, and at this point I really think they are, the NFL owes the two of them the biggest apology of all.
I don’t care enough to read the entire thing. But I read Mike Reiss’ quick points - he’s a great reporter - and these jumped out at me:
"Likewise, revisiting the scene in which McNally took the footballs from the officials locker room -- walking by numerous league officials in the process after hearing word the game would soon be starting -- was effective in countering the narrative that McNally sneakily took the footballs without consent." I've heard often that the footballs suddenly went missing and that this was a rare event but it seems that wasn't true.
"On Thursday, the Patriots provided their version of context to the texts, saying McNally only referred to himself as the "deflator" once, and he was referring to losing weight. Meanwhile, "I'm not going to espn........yet" was McNally's response to Jastremski when they were discussing the possibility of Jastremski getting a pair of team sneakers for McNally without his boss' consent. And the text about needles was, according to the team, a running joke between the two based on McNally sometimes being sent back to the Patriots' equipment room by officials before games for another needle." I note that on the same website there was an opinion piece that asserts there were texts from Brady to these guys. Not true. There's a lot of untrue stuff being said.
"When Wells initially interviewed McNally, it was based on the understanding that barring unanticipated circumstances, it would be the final interview (at that time, investigators already had McNally's phone, all text messages, and interviewed him for seven hours). When Wells investigators requested another interview, the Patriots refused for two reasons: 1) McNally and his family had endured media harassment as a result of leaks regarding his name and hometown; 2) There was no explanation of what unanticipated circumstance had occurred to lead to the follow-up request. The Patriots also said they suggested other ways to help Wells investigators ascertain what they needed from McNally but didn't get a response." How is that obstruction?
If this report is accurate - saying that Goodell is going to hear the Brady appeal himself - then he’s essentially conceded that the Wells Report cannot be defended to an independent arbiter. What a joke! Although I know it wouldn’t be good for either the Patriots or the NFL, I really hope Kraft takes him to court.
My thought was this will lead to a lawsuit. By Brady not the team.
As a note, the way things are written is absurd. I read that AJ Feely said the Patriots put in their own balls on offense in 2004 and that was reported as “Brady deflated balls in 2004”. Not what he said. He said they put roughed up balls in the game. I assume they did because that was and is standard practice - except for kicking balls now. BUT and this is a big BUT, the rule change in 2006 allowed teams to bring their own balls and before that the home team provided both teams’ footballs. That was the rule change; it allowed teams to prep their own footballs rather than rely on the other team. So if Feely was using a ball out of the box, then he’s a freaking moron and his team is run by idiots because your offense got your footballs from your ball boys not from the Patriots. But the headline reads, “Former NFL quarterback AJ Feeley claims he WITNESSED Tom Brady using illegal deflated footballs way back in 2004”.
As I’ve thought about this further, I’ve decided that I don’t mind that Goodell has appointed himself to hear the appeal of his decision. By doing this, he is telling the world that he knows how ridiculously weak the Wells Report is. And he has also made crystal clear that this is all about his absolute power and control, even over the supposedly powerful Robert Kraft, which I think will ultimately lead to his own downfall.
So let him have his kangaroo court and uphold the suspension. The obvious lack of due process should lessen any taint on Brady. Garoppolo will be fine for four games and Brady will come back more motivated than ever. And at this time next year, we’ll be marvelling over how the Pats had to go through everything they had to go through and still won Super Bowl 50.
And with that, I’m taking a vow to stop thinking about this, talking about this or writing about this. It’s just too much of a farce for me to care any more.
Brady’s lawyers have said they intend to make Goodell testify and that he’s therefore unable to be an arbiter and must recuse himself. The message I’m taking from this is that Brady isn’t looking for a compromise, like a reduction in suspension, but that he wants the entire thing tossed and his name cleared. Or he intends to make a huge stink in that direction. I noted I thought this would lead to a lawsuit and this is exactly why.
Also from Mike Reiss, reporter for ESPN who covers the Patriots:
"Wells report investigators said part of why they didn't believe Tom Brady was that he said he didn't know McNally, which they said was contradicted in testimony from others. But that might have been because Brady only knew McNally by his nickname -- "Bird." Brady actually referred to him as "Burt" when asked by investigators about his nickname, which the Patriots said reflected how little he knew about McNally." In other words, the investigators don't get that to Brady a guy like McNally is like the guy who delivers packages in the office; you know who he is by sight but you may only know him as "Buck" when that isn't even his real name.
"Jim McNally allowed himself to be interviewed by NFL security the night of the AFC title game, doing so without a member of the organization present. That isn't necessarily consistent with someone who has something to hide."
"In a letter to attorney Ted Wells detailing their level of cooperation, the Patriots pointed out evidence that Jacksonville personnel had seen Indianapolis ball boys with needles hidden up their sleeves. Our hunch on that one: A former Patriots equipment assistant spent one season in Jacksonville a few years ago and that might explain how that came up in the report."
I also note the NFLPA says Goodell can’t hear the appeal and that he violated the CBA by having another person issue the discipline. That means this may go to court quickly.
Well, the NFL upheld Brady’s four-game suspension. Brady actually destroyed his cell phone, which supposedly was a key piece of evidence, the very day he met with investigators. Say what you will, that’s pretty bad. How does anyone defend that?
It is hard to defend, except that 1) nothing in the CBA actually allows the NFL to compel a player to offer up their personal property, and 2) maybe he decided there was too much other personal stuff on there that he didn’t want anyone to see, even his own lawyers or representatives, under any circumstances.
Given the relentless stream of leaks out of the league office, it’s hard not to agree with a decision to not let anyone see the phone.
Anyway, any texts he sent would still be on the other co-conspirators’ phone, and they did turn their phones over, and nothing was found.
I’m sorry about the pensive avator @Hayden but it’s been that kind of a week. I lost my dearest friend to a sudden medical event last week so I’m feeling down and so is kitty.
