2014 Official NFL Thread

[Merlot]

Heeeeey guys,

NFL's top 10 players in 2015 (NFL Players Vote)

http://www.nfl.com/photoessays/0ap3000000500306

Every year the NFL players vote on who they think are the very best in the sport. Last year Brady came out 3rd. This year facing an avalanche of bitter haters and cheating accusations you wouldn't be thinking straight of you didn't expect a backlash of huge resentment and doubt against Brady with all the STUFF that went on. So you know Brady got kicked off the list of the best, right. In fact with the torrent of abuse caused by a questionable leak of air and a habit of suspicions against the team there's NO WAY any Patriots players could make it. NOOOO WAY!!! The result: Gronkowski came in at #9 just ahead of Richard Sherman. Well, it seems no one can get enough of the "GRONK" so we'll give him a pass. What about Brady. GONE? No. Brady dropped one place to #4. In spite of everything the RESPECT and AWE survives intact among those who play and know the game best. HATERS...you'll just have to live with that FACT.

Brady The BEST EVER

DIG IT.

:thumb:

Merlot

 

[Vercingentorix]

Heeeeey guys,

NFL's top 10 players in 2015 (NFL Players Vote)

USELESS BS NOT USED TO SAVE BANDWIDTH

:thumb:

Merlot

M, you PROMISED TO IGNORE ME. Guess it's like all of your other promises, total BS......ROFLOL can't stop.

 

[daydreamer41]

M, you PROMISED TO IGNORE ME. Guess it's like all of your other promises, total BS......ROFLOL can't stop.

Oh he complains when others answer him, but he has free license to do what he wants.

Haha, Bandwidth???? Who produces the longest posts saying the least? Shall we have a poll here? :lol: No need. We know who would win that contest. :nod:

 

[Merlot]

Sports posters,

Roger Goodell could rule on Tom Brady, deflate-gate appeal 'soon'

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-s...ady--deflate-gate-appeal--soon-152837689.html

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell told CNBC that he could rule "soon" on the appeal of the four-game suspension for New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady over the deflate-gate incident.

Of course, we've grown weary at the NFL's and Goodell's definition of "soon" — applied to many league issues over the recent past, including player discipline cases, an HGH policy, discipline for Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay, a team (or teams) landing in Los Angeles or London and the like — when reality says we should learn to get comfy.

Along the same lines, Goodell also has said he's available to the media almost every day of the year. It's a droll and enchanting NFL universe he oversees.

For Goodell, a "soon" response has been his go-to boilerplate stiff arm over the years, roughly translating to "it'll happen when I say it happens," much in the same way that parents respond to their kids' backseat inquiries of "Are we there yet?" Essentially, he could rule on Brady at any time he pleases.

But assuming there's truth to this "soon" (and good lord, we'd hope a ruling would come down before the Patriots report to camp on July 29, which is 20 days from now) then it will be interesting to see what the result might be now that Brady has been knocked off the top of the fold by a pair of bizarre pyrotechnics accidents.

We do know that Goodell and Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who had been traveling in Israel until recently, are in the same place according to the Boston Globe's Ben Volin. And even though Kraft bowed out of a fight against the league after Goodell (or, rather, minion Troy Vincent) handed down his draconian sentence of a suspension for Brady, a $1 million fine and two lost draft picks for the Patriots, you know Kraft will find a way to seek an audience with Roger somewhere on the sundeck or perhaps at the spa.

Whatever alleged friendship Goodell has with Kraft, Goodell has to decide between saving face with the rabidly hating public majority who want heavy retribution for unproven or maybe phony football leaks, or saving face with the plain facts of the situation which is the entire process from handling footballs during games to shoddy biased investigation was a total BOTCH JOB! Expect Goodell to bend to hate for profits and his own ego while keeping most of the penalties in place.

Truly,

Merlot

 

[Doc Holliday]

Luv ya, buddy. Yes, even if you're more into women's soccer. :lol:

By the way.....PATRIOTS SUCK!!!!! :thumb:

 

[Joe.t]

M, you PROMISED TO IGNORE ME. Guess it's like all of your other promises, total BS......ROFLOL can't stop.

You must be joking? did you really expect a person who continuously defends and supports a convicted, suspended, fined cheater to keep his promise?, the man has no honor just like the person that he continues to defend. :nono:

 

[Merlot]

ROFLMAO,

...to keep his promise?,...

As is Joe.t pledging to honor a bet.

,,,the man has no honor...

As in the boy Joe.t who got suspended for flaunting his welching disgrace. Of nearly 70,000 members STILL the only member ever suspended for that offense. SHAME! Dude, you talking about honor is like a vampire walking in the sun.

YOU AND YOUR PALS CLEARLY AREN'T HAPPY THERE HASN'T BEEN ANY SHIT GOING ON.

:noidea:

Merlot

 

[Merlot]

Honest NFL fans,

NFL Power Rankings: 30 Greatest QBs Of All-Time

http://nflspinzone.com/2015/03/06/nfl-power-rankings-30-greatest-qbs-time/2/

30. Ken Stabler (1970-84)

29. Bobby Layne (1948-62)

28. Ben Roethlisberger (2004-Active)

27. YA Tittle (1948-64)

26. Warren Moon (1984-2000)

25. Dan Fouts (1973-87)

24. Joe Namath (1965-77)

23. George Blanda (1949-75)

22. Len Dawson (1957-75)

21. Sammy Baugh (1937-52)

20. Sid Luckman (1939-50)

19. Bob Griese (1967-80)

18. Terry Bradshaw (1970-83)

4 Championships
68 Winning %
3 Time All-Star
70.9 QB Rating
27,989 Passing Yards
212-210 TD/INT

Terry Bradshaw is only one of three quarterbacks who have won four Super Bowls. His abilities as a leader cannot be matched.

The talent that surrounded him though cannot be ignored. His team featured the best defense in the history of the NFL which was always the catalyst for their so many successes.

Bradshaw’s stats do not stand out, and for that he cannot be considered in the top 10. He’s a great quarterback, but partly a bus driver as well.

Not all was rosy for Bradshaw in Pittsburgh though. As the number-one overall draft selection in 1970, Bradshaw struggled mightily as a rookie.

17. Norm Van Brocklin (1949-60)

16. Jim Kelly (1986-96)

0 Championships
63 Winning %
5 Time All-Star
84.4 QB Rating
35,467 Passing Yards
237-175 TD/INT

There are a few guys on this list that would be thrust into a better ranking if they could’ve just broke through once. If it hadn’t been for a “wide right” in Super Bowl XXV, Jim Kelly would be perceived differently.

Fearless leader of the K-Gun, Kelly’s passing wizardry was amazing. If he just played in the NFL in 1984-85 instead of with the Houston Gamblers in the USFL, Kelly’s stats would be even more impressive.

15. Troy Aikman (1989-2000)

14. Kurt Warner (1998-2009)

13. Aaron Rodgers (2005-Active)

1 Championship
67.9 Winning %
4 Time All-Star
106 QB Rating
28,578 Passing Yards
226-57 TD/INT

Just take a look at that career passer rating of 106. Simply ridiculous.

Sure, Aaron Rodgers plays in the pass-happy era of the NFL, but the back of his football card simply cannot be explained. He’s probably the best quarterback to ever feel pressure around him, navigate through the pocket and throw a dime on the run.

At only 31-years of age, Rodgers has a ton more damage to do on this list.

12. Steve Young (1985-99)

11. Fran Tarkenton (1961-78)

10. Bart Starr (1956-71)

5 Championships
64 Winning %
4 Time All-Star
80.5 QB Rating
24,718 Passing Yard
152-138 TD/INT

Before there was Rodgers, there was Bart Starr and his dominant Green Bay Packers teams of the 1960’s.

Vince Lombardi swore by him as a leader and he delivered in the most clutch of ways as the MVP of the first two Super Bowls. And no football fans, the Super Bowl wasn’t the first championship in NFL history. Rather Starr won three NFL Championships prior to the merger.

Starr will forever be remembered as one of the greatest leaders to ever play the game.

9. Brett Favre (1991-2010)

8. John Elway (1983-98)

7. Roger Staubach (1969-79)

6. Peyton Mannning (1998-Active)

1 Championship
69.9 Winning %
14 Time All-Star
97.5 QB Rating
69,691 Passing Yards
530-234 TD/INT

Simply put, Peyton Manning is the greatest NFL regular season player of all-time. The consistency week in, week out that he proved with the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos was remarkable.

It lead to epic seasons of not once breaking the single-season touchdown record, but twice (2004, 2013).

He is now the all-time leader in passing touchdowns and is on the brink of becoming the yards leader.

While playoff success has eluded Manning, his one Super Bowl keeps him safe on this list.

5.Dan Marino (1983-99)

0 Championships
60 Winning %
9 Time All-Star
86.4 QB Rating
61,361 Passing Yards
420-252 TD/INT

In the 1990’s Dan Marino broke almost every conceivable passing record Tarkenton once held. He was Favre and Manning before they came around, and he did it during the 80’s which proved to be a much tougher era for quarterbacks to navigate through.

Only Namath rivals the actual passing arm Marino possessed.

Unfortunately, his only Super Bowl appearance came as a rookie and when the NFC was far superior to the weaker AFC. He broke records without ever having a single Hall of Fame weapon on his team.

His quick release alone should have a separate wing in Canton.

4. Tom Brady (2000-Active)

4 Championships
77.3 Winning %
10 Time All-Star
95.9 QB Rating
53,258 Passing Yards
392-143 TD/INT

If the 2014-15 NFL Playoffs proved one thing to us, it’s that while Manning owns the regular season, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady owns the postseason.

No quarterback and coach tandem is better at executing a specific strategy-filled gameplan than Brady and Belichick. Brady’s attitude lends to such characteristics as fiery, fierce, emotional, yet calm.

When John Madden suggested the young quarterback kneel on the ball in his first Super Bowl appearance against the St. Louis Rams, he did the exact opposite and drove them to an Adam Vinatieri championship winning kick.

His winning percentage is second best on this list as he slowly creeps up the leader-board in many categories.

It is very conceivable that when it’s all said and done, Brady could top this list.

3. Otto Graham (1946-55)

7 Championships (in 10 years)
79 Winning %
7 Time All-Star
86.6 QB Rating
23,584 Passing Yards
174-135 TD/INT

If winning is associated with Brady, then dominating is associated with Otto Graham.

Seven championships is what Graham brought to the city of Cleveland during his short 10-year career, and his winning percentage of 79 is absurd. Don’t be fooled by looking at these stats and shaking your head, his 23,584 passing yards and 174 touchdowns was considered insane during those days.

Much like Luckman in Chicago, Graham was another converted college tailback. His amazing operating of the Cleveland running game was just as impressive as his passing accolades.

2. Johnny Unitas (1956-73) (a personal favorite)

3 Championships
65 Winning %
10 Time All-Star
78.2 QB Rating
40,239 Passing Yards
290-253 TD/INT

The mystique of Johnny Unitas is enough to get any old-time football head going nuts, especially considering he was a measly nine-round pick in the NFL Draft.

During a time that featured rugged defense and dominating running (Jim Brown), Unitas quickly rose to the top as the best signal caller of all-time. Unitas was the winning quarterback in the 1958 NFL Championship that most consider “The Greatest Game Ever Played.”

“Johnny U” was an NFL MVP three-times while taking home All-NFL recognition six times.

1. Joe Montana (1979-94)

4 Championships
71 Winning %
8 Time All-Star
92.3 QB Rating
40,551 Passing Yards
273-139 TD/INT

Joe Cool took once glance at John Candy in the stands and proceeded to drive the team on an epic 11-play, 93-yard drive that still ranks as one of the best in Super Bowl history. It was of course Super Bowl XXIII where he found John Taylor on a slant in the end-zone.

A big factor in ranking Montana over Brady includes this drive. Montana’s drive ended in a touchdown while Brady’s two ended in field goals while the game was tied. Another factor is the eras that each played in.

Montana finished with four championships in total. He still ranks 13th all-time in yards and 11th in touchdowns. He did it in an era that allowed his receivers to be mugged at times and where real punishment was dished out on the field general, instead of a defender’s hand glancing a quarterback’s helmet yielding a 15-yard flag.

Cheers,

Merlot

 

[daydreamer41]

Honest NFL fans,

NFL Power Rankings: 30 Greatest QBs Of All-Time

http://nfl[SIZE=6]spinzone[/SIZE].com/2015/03/06/nfl-power-rankings-30-greatest-qbs-time/2/


Cheers,

Merlot

Very interesting web address as a source of your information. I imagine the website owner or author or both are from New England ways.

 

[Vercingentorix]

Now the truth is that I've had Merlot on ignore since I posted my "on ignore" list years ago. While I've taken most people off the list, he remains. Not because I don't read his posts, but rather that I can block my own exposure to the absolute crap he posts. That and it's easier to read everyone else's posts when you're able to shorten the thread by half. So I glance at his posts, usually reading the first line or so. Then I skip to the bottom and then put it back on ignore. Thus why you see the "Useless BS" inserted when I copy his posts for response. He usually goes "Hello Guys. Blah...Blah....Blah etc...etc..Cheers, Merlot". :lol::amen:

 

[Vercingentorix]

P.S. I predict that the Fins will pick up Evan Mathis prior to the beginning of Summer Training. I further predict that Caleb Sturgis will not be on the Fins payroll and we'll see a Cinderella Story happen with Andrew Franks. Now if we can get rid of Philbin we'll have a real contender.

 

[Merlot]

Guys,

NFLPA investigating potential collusion between Denver Broncos and Dallas Cowboys

http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl...-dallas-cowboys/ar-AAcOLWT?ocid=mailsignoutmd

By Vincent Frank

The National Football League Players Association is clearly ready to play hardball this summer. With the union engaged in several collective bargaining issues with the league, ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting that it could potentially bring a collusion case against the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos relating to the two teams potentially discussing the contract situations of their top receivers.

Per Schefter:

“NFLPA is reviewing information to determine whether there was collusion between the Denver Broncos and Dallas Cowboys on the unsettled contractual situations of franchise WRS Demaryius Thomas and Dez Bryant, per an NFLPA official.”

The root of the union’s information gathering process seems to be potential contact between Denver and Dallas relating to two players currently not under contract.

Schefter continued:

“The NFLPA believes the Broncos and Cowboys had contact about each players’ contract when the collective bargaining agreement prohibits such contact. The NFLPA now is trying to determine if collusion did occur and when to possibly file a claim.”

The current collective bargaining agreement — signed back in 2011 — clearly prohibits teams from having contact with one another relating the contract situations of players around the league. Though, there seems to be a fine line here. Neither Thomas or Bryant are currently under contract. They have until July 15 to sign the franchise tag tenders that were given to them back in March.

Why would Denver and Dallas engage in conversations that are likely against the rules? What would each team have to gain by doing this? Outside of them potentially discussing a Bryant-for-Thomas deal (really unlikely), it’s possible they are in cahoots in attempting to set a market for each players’ long-term contract.

Equal in terms of production on the field over the past couple seasons, whoever signs a long-term deal first will likely set the market for the other receiver. That could obviously play a role in these discussions.

If true it's going to be interesting how Goodell handles this one.

:thumb:

Merlot

 

[Vercingentorix]

 

[daydreamer41]

Guys,

NFLPA investigating potential collusion between Denver Broncos and Dallas Cowboys

http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl...-dallas-cowboys/ar-AAcOLWT?ocid=mailsignoutmd

By Vincent Frank

The National Football League Players Association is clearly ready to play hardball this summer. With the union engaged in several collective bargaining issues with the league, ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting that it could potentially bring a collusion case against the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos relating to the two teams potentially discussing the contract situations of their top receivers.

Per Schefter:

“NFLPA is reviewing information to determine whether there was collusion between the Denver Broncos and Dallas Cowboys on the unsettled contractual situations of franchise WRS Demaryius Thomas and Dez Bryant, per an NFLPA official.”

The root of the union’s information gathering process seems to be potential contact between Denver and Dallas relating to two players currently not under contract.

Schefter continued:

“The NFLPA believes the Broncos and Cowboys had contact about each players’ contract when the collective bargaining agreement prohibits such contact. The NFLPA now is trying to determine if collusion did occur and when to possibly file a claim.”

The current collective bargaining agreement — signed back in 2011 — clearly prohibits teams from having contact with one another relating the contract situations of players around the league. Though, there seems to be a fine line here. Neither Thomas or Bryant are currently under contract. They have until July 15 to sign the franchise tag tenders that were given to them back in March.

Why would Denver and Dallas engage in conversations that are likely against the rules? What would each team have to gain by doing this? Outside of them potentially discussing a Bryant-for-Thomas deal (really unlikely), it’s possible they are in cahoots in attempting to set a market for each players’ long-term contract.

Equal in terms of production on the field over the past couple seasons, whoever signs a long-term deal first will likely set the market for the other receiver. That could obviously play a role in these discussions.

If true it's going to be interesting how Goodell handles this one.

:thumb:

Merlot

The #1 Defender of the #1 Cheater Team casting stones =

You all know how this adds up

#1 HYPOCRITE ​

 

[Joe.t]

The #1 Defender of the #1 Cheater Team casting stones =

You all know how this adds up

#1 HYPOCRITE ​

Or as in Merlot's world a team with "HONOR".

 

[Vercingentorix]

I just hope the Fins Football is half as hot as the Dolphin Cheerleaders:

[video=youtube;fvIUuyEiQpw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvIUuyEiQpw#t=44[/video]

 

[Merlot]

Honest fans,

With Greg Hardy's suspension reduced to four games, does it help Tom Brady?

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-s...r-games--did-it-help-tom-brady-214934862.html

In the NFL's scattershot discipline system, it is dangerous to play the tit-for-tat game and assume a level playing field of equality.

It's just not there.

Since Roger Goodell has become commissioner, his arbitrary and wildly variant discipline range — especially in terms of number of games suspended — has given us Tanard Jackson (20 games for substance abuse), Johnny Jolly (three years for the same), Ben Roethlisberger (four games for an alleged rape for which he was never charged), Terrelle Pryor (five games for breaking NCAA rules) and plenty more.

And you know about Ray Rice (two games before the world went ballistic) and Tom Brady (currently sitting at four for ... well, we're not exactly sure what he's being punished for).

So yeah, trying to extrapolate what Greg Hardy's suspension reduction from 10 games to four and what it might mean for Brady is tricky business. That said, Hardy and Brady now are both set at four games.

But can commissioner Roger Goodell keep Brady at four? He might have told a ballboy to let a little air out of hit footballs; we can't say with any certainty. He might have come off as a little guilty by not handing Goodell his cell phone. Right now, his suspension is on equal footing to that of Hardy, who was convicted, via bench trial, of domestic violence charges in North Carolina's unsual two-pronged legal system before having the case thrown out when the key witness, Hardy's ex-girlfriend, refused to cooperate.

If you've noticed, Goodell's record on these things is awful. He has essentially been overturned on pretty much every major discipline decision of this magnitude he's handed down the last several years, going all the way back to the New Orleans Saints' bounty incident. Does Goodell jump the gun and reduce Brady to two games (or one?) as a public-relations gambit? Or does he hold firm and essentially dare Brady and Co. to take him to court and risk losing time later?

Either way, Friday's reduction of Hardy's suspension gives us another arbitrary example of how out of whack the league's dart-board discipline remains.

I predict Goodell will be consistently inconsistent. Since even the Wells Report couldn't be sure what Brady knew and never actually accused him of DOING anything the only thing to discipline is refusing to cooperate by holding back a cell phone. The NFL fine Brett Favre $50,000 for that offense. The only thing that could make his fans a little sour about Brady would be failing to take Goodell all the way to court.

Thanks for helping me out Roger buddy.

Cheers,

Merlot

 

[Vercingentorix]

 

[Merlot]

Honest Fans,

How will Roger Goodell rule on Tom Brady appeal? The way he thinks makes him look best

http://www.boston.com/sports/2015/0...m-look-best/FSbthb3DxfXHcRLgNSnEkI/story.html

By Chad Finn
Boston.com Columnist | 07.15.15 | 12:00 AM

COMMENTARY

In a vague sense, we know exactly what to expect from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell whenever the wanna-be omnipotent one gets around to revealing his ruling on Tom Brady’s appeal of his four-game suspension for “general awareness” that the Patriots “more probably than not” fiddled with the air pressure on footballs.

When Goodell deigns to let us commoners know whether the Patriots quarterback’s suspension will be trimmed or whether he stands by the original ruling enacted with his ball-peen hammer of justice, we know the decision will not be about doing the right thing, but about doing what appears to be the right thing for his and the league’s image.

He will do what allows him to soliloquize about protecting the shield. It’s as if the league’s logo is a life-form unto itself and not a neat, ultimately irrelevant icon designed by some p.r. flack somewhere – you know, someone just like what Goodell used to be before he improbably tripped up the corporate ladder.

He will talk about how Tom Brady did or did not look him in the eye, dependent upon which action jibes better with his decision. Reading souls is way more fun for Goodell than reading the Wells Report. Probably provides more accurate information, too.

He will do what allows him to throw around the word “integrity” until we’re briefly bludgeoned into believing the commissioner might actually possess some. He’s Exhibits A-Z in my newfound theory that the more you talk about integrity, the less you have personally.

He may even reveal that he is posthumously suspending former Raiders quarterback Ken Stabler for all of these reckless transgressions that he is just learning about. Man, if he’d only had the chance to look The Snake in the eye, imagine the truths he could have learned.

What we don’t know is what matters the most around here: Will he reduce Brady’s suspension? And if so, by how many games?

Conventional wisdom suggests that Goodell’s ruling will come down from the ivory tower soon, perhaps as early as Wednesday. That theory is in part based on an offhand remark Goodell made while walking away from a CNBC reporter last week in which he vaguely indicated it could – could—happen this week.

It’s also based on the league’s standard operating procedure when sharing information with the public. If the topic is news the league prefers to downplay, 6 p.m. on a Friday is typically a swell time to issue a press release. Actually, let’s make it 6:30, just in case there’s still a straggling reporter who hasn’t left the office for happy hour yet.

When sharing news it doesn’t mind discussing, the league will take advantage of a slow news day for maximum exposure. Wednesday is the day after the MLB All-Star Game. There is less than nothing going on in the sports world. The NFL would love to steal a Wednesday in the summer.

We’re ready for it, whenever it comes. But what should we be ready for? Goodell’s rulings on various matters traditionally have been scattershot and arbitrary, seemingly based on an often inaccurate reading by the league office of what public reaction will be.

Remember – as if anyone could forget – that former Ravens running back Ray Rice was initially suspended two games for punching out his then-fiancee, now-wife in a casino elevator. It was only after the tsunami of backlash—and the release of video of what happened inside that elevator—that Goodell decided to get tough in the … what did he call it? Right – the “domestic violence space.”

In the aftermath of that shameful mess, then-Panthers linebacker Greg Hardy was suspended 10 games in April for “conduct detrimental to the league” after an investigation into a domestic violence incident with his girlfriend. After his own appeal, Hardy’s suspension was reduced to four games last Friday by an independent arbiter.

Which brings us to Brady, and our collective attempt at speculating with accuracy at what Goodell might do. Brady’s transgression falls under the category of “the ball-deflation space,” a misdemeanor at best nowadays, and a moment of charming gamesmanship in another era (namely, Stabler’s). Not even a Jets fan would suggest what he is accused of doing – again, without convincing evidence—belongs in the same category as what Hardy was convicted of doing.

Yet at the moment, the punishments are the same. Four games for Hardy. Four for Tom Brady.

Even Goodell must see the ridiculous imbalance of justice and logic in that.

So does he reduce it to three games? That seems an unlikely scenario, because it seems the most sure-fire way to get Brady to take the league to court beyond not reducing it at all. Brady’s lawyer, Jeffrey Kessler, is an accomplished NFL nemesis, having played a crucial role in getting Goodell’s BountyGate punishments against the New Orleans Saints thrown out in court. It’s hard to figure Goodell, who has been pummeled like a tomato can in matters in which is authority has been challenged in court, desires a rematch.

How about two games? This is the betting man’s pick for how it goes down. It halves the suspension, which looks like a compromise to some degree. It may reduce the possibility of Brady taking it to court. It gets one of the sport’s marquee players on the field for two more games, which the league won’t mind. It also appeases the other 31 franchises, many of whom would like nothing more than to see Tom Brady disappear for a chunk of the season. (It should be noted that the trial balloon for two games was floated in Peter King’s The Monday Morning Quarterback column this week. It’s unknown at this time whether Goodell whispered it into his ear over another bowl of Skyline Chili.)

One game? Well, cutting it to a single game is the most likely way to keep this out of court, and unless the NFL is intent on turning Brady into some kind of martyr – still a distinct possibility—this would make a lot of sense. Goodell could say he’s suspending Brady for refusing to cooperate by handing over the requested information from his cell phone. Brady would in essence be exonerated from any involvement in deflating the balls. It’s not win-win, but it’s not a loss for either side either. It’s palatable. It makes the most sense. Which is as good a reason as any, given whom we’re dealing with here, why it probably won’t happen. It still think he cuts it to two, and Brady tells Kessler he’s not just ready to fight, he wants the fight.

Zero games? That’s a Patriots fan’s pipe dream. Might as well ask him to restore the lost first-round pick, too, which remains the most damaging aspect of the punishment. Goodell is not going to disavow the conclusions and the science (or science-fiction, as it were) of the Wells Report given the resources that were put into it. The league had to pay. Because of that, Brady must pay in a different way.

All of the evidence from his tenure’s controversies suggests that his how Goodell thinks, how he operates, and so as we wait for the ruling, we can never overlook who is doing the ruling.

No matter what Goodell decides, it’s not going to be about doing the right thing.

It never is, never has been. It’s about looking omnipotent, never impotent, even as his precious shield takes another dent from his trusty ball-peen hammer.

OFFENSE AND PUNISHMENT:

Brett Favre - Jets: Refusing to turn over his cell phone hindering the investigation of proven sexual harassment sending creepy voice mails, x-rated texts and pics to a female team employee - $50,000 fine assessed by Goodell.

Greg Hardy - Cowboys: Found guilty in court of assault and threatening the life of his girlfriend with firearms - 10 game suspension by Goodell overturned by arbiter to 4 games suspended.

Tom Brady - Patriots: Refusing to turn over his cell phone hindering the Wells investigation which concludes Brady more likely than not suggested slight deflation of footballs - 4 games suspension by Goodell who also controls the appeal hearing (includes $1,000,000 team fine and two lost top drafts picks).

:noidea:

Merlot

 

[Joe.t]

This betting man says that Goodell does absolutely nothing and lets that dirty, rotten, dishonest cheater(who will rot in hell because that's where all of the bad, dishonest people end up when they die) serve out the already light suspension that he deservedly got, that's what this betting man says and this betting man's record speaks for itself.:nod: