2014 Official NFL Thread

[Doc Holliday]

Just heard a good one on radio:

"Should people let their kids cheer for the Patriots?"

and

"If your kids cheer for the Patriots, what do you tell them?"

 

[wolfie7]

LMAO. It is pretty amusing just how much everyone hates the Patriots. So much pent-up vitriol out there. It's like the Yankees of yesteryear...

 

[Merlot]

BOYZZZ!

It had no outcome on the final score. That is what makes it a non-story. If the balls were that different the officials would have determined that by handling them and not let them into the game. That was the purpose of my entire post. If there is no competitive advantage gained than the point is moot.

LMAO. It is pretty amusing just how much everyone hates the Patriots. So much pent-up vitriol out there. It's like the Yankees of yesteryear...

Guys, it's hilarious. You have a lot of former pro players saying any advantage is questionable at best, including numerous Hall of Fame players and coaches, but no matter what the experts say the haters can't accept it. Besides that, suddenly none of the skills of the players count, none of the coaching, training, planning, scouting, strategies or anything counts. Never mind the Patriots won by 38 points and Luck couldn't have found the end zone if New England had walked completely off the field...the only thing that matters is the ball was slightly soft. :lol:

So future games, since the inflation of the ball counts for so much, let's put the teams on the field...get a professionally calibrated certified pressure gauge...and determine who wins the game by who has the most accurately inflated football. That would absolutely solve all the concussion damage issues while satisfying those who believe THE PRESSURE IN A FOOTBALL CHANGED A 38 POINT ANNIHILATION OF THE OPPOSITION. Good one Doc.

Just as I predicted, bitterness has replaced any logic.

NEWS FLASH FOR THE HATERS: Colts Player Says The Patriots Were Using The Wrong Game Balls In The 1st Half

http://www.businessinsider.com/dqwell-jackson-patriots-used-colts-balls-2015-1

D'Qwell Jackson, the same player who intercepted Brady to start the controversy, has stated he noticed the Patriots were using COLTS BALLS in the 1st half of the game not their own. New England's balls were not even in the game before halftime, until they were properly inflated in the 2nd half. How that happened we don't know, but it suggests the Patriots may never have used under-inflated balls during the game.

Indianapolis Colts linebacker D'Qwell Jackson told NFL.com's Jeff Darlington that he noticed the New England Patriots using Colts game balls at one point during the first half of the AFC Championship Game, a 45-7 Patriots victory.

It's an odd development. Each team brings 12 balls to games and uses its own on offense. Eleven of the 12 Patriots balls were found to be underinflated, while the Colts' balls were legal.

Jackson says there was a sequence late in the first half in which the refs couldn't find any balls to use, and so the Patriots started using the Colts' balls. From NFL.com:

Jackson does, however, recall one interesting moment during the first half that has something to do with the latest controversy. He recalls, during a television timeout, there was an especially long delay that prompted him to approach an official.

The game official mentioned something about their efforts to locate a usable football. Shortly after, Jackson noticed that the Patriots were using the Colts' footballs late in the first half. Jackson said it was odd to him that New England couldn't find a football to use, especially in the AFC Championship Game.

Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reported on Wednesday that the NFL planned to test the air pressure of New England's footballs at halftime after getting "tipped off" that they were improperly inflated. According to Glazer, the Patriots' balls were reinflated at halftime and used in the second half.

It's unclear whether any abnormal New England balls were taken out of play before halftime. That could account for why the refs were unable to locate a usable game ball, but we don't know whether that's the case.

Bill Belichick and Tom Brady on Thursday denied any involvement in the scandal. Belichick said he hadn't heard about the allegations until Monday morning and that he didn't even know the ball-procedure rules.

Brady said he didn't even notice that the balls were underinflated. Some former players later said it was impossible to believe that a quarterback whose livelihood depended on the quality of the football wouldn't notice whether it had been altered. If the Patriots were really using Colts balls at one point, it stands to reason that Brady would have noticed the difference.

Jackson also told NFL.com that he didn't notice that the ball was underinflated when he made an interception in the second quarter. According to Newsday's Bob Glauber, the entire controversy started when a Colts equipment manager (whom Jackson gave the ball to after the interception) noticed that it felt light.

Since all quarterbacks are allowed to prep balls for feel prior to the game without deflating or over-inflating them it partially explains why Brady had a tougher time during in the 1st half of the game, though it's still all about skills. With this new revelation it looks like Brady had a disadvantage not an advantage. AND, if the Patriots were using Colts balls it means Brady and Belichick were being truthful while it makes FOOLS out of Mark Brunell & Jerome Bettis on ESPN. BWAHAHAHAHA!!!

Now what will the Patriots haters do??????????

Cheers BOYZ!

Merlot

 

[wolfie7]

ROFLMFAO. That news flash is hilarious! Good find, Merlot. (Oh, and just noticed the new footer, love it!)

 

[Doc Holliday]

LMAO. It is pretty amusing just how much everyone hates the Patriots. So much pent-up vitriol out there. It's like the Yankees of yesteryear...

I believe it has more to do with all the cheating going on since Bill Belicheat joined them (and got caught for it). Nobody likes cheaters.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Here's a question for you sports gamers out there. I'm about to play Madden 15 and will take turns playing as the Cheatriots and as the Seahawks. I'll be New England in my first game.

Does anyone familiar with Madden 15 know if there's a way you can change the settings and deflate the footballs? I want Tom Brady to be able to throw the ball against Sherman and the Seahawks defence, so i want him to be at his best.

Thanks.

p.s. Many experts don't expect Deflate-gate to be resolved by Super Bowl time. For strategic reasons, of course.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Hall of Famer Troy Aikman joined the fray in addressing Deflategate. In his weekly interview on SportsRadio 1310 AM and 96.7 FM in Dallas, Aikman said "it's obvious that Tom Brady had something to do with this."

"I know going back to when I played, they've loosened up the rules in terms of what each team is able to do with the footballs coming into the game. Used to, the home team provided all the balls. And now, each team brings their footballs the way they like them and break 'em in," Aikman said. "Used to you couldn't break them in. So for the balls to be deflated, that doesn't happen unless the quarterback wants that to happen, I can assure you of that. Now the question becomes did Bill Belichick know about it."

 

[Doc Holliday]

Ex-GM on Pats: Culture of cheating

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The "Deflategate'' controversy in New England resurrected questions former Carolina Panthers general manager Marty Hurney had about the Patriots after losing Super Bowl XXXVIII.

Hurney, now the host of a weekday radio talk show on Charlotte's ESPN 730 AM and an ESPN NFL Insider, shared those questions on Thursday regarding Carolina's 32-29 loss to the Patriots on Feb. 1, 2004.

"There isn't a day that goes by since [then] that I haven't questioned ... that there were some things done that might have been beyond the rules that may have given them a three-point advantage,'' Hurney said during his radio show.

"And I can't prove anything, and that's why I'm very angry. And the anger has come back over the last couple of days that commissioner Roger Goodell decided to shred all of the evidence after 'Spygate,' because I think there were a lot of things in there that would bring closure to a lot of people.''

The NFL is investigating why 11 of 12 football used by the Patriots in Sunday's 45-7 win over Indianapolis in the AFC Championship Game were underinflated significantly below the league requirements.

"To me this isn't about 'Deflategate', this isn't about anything having to do about any particular game last week,'' Hurney said. "And it certainly isn't fodder to get by the first week before the Super Bowl.

"This is about a culture. Is there a culture of cheating at probably what most people look at as the best franchise in the National Football League?''

It was revealed in 2007 that the New England Patriots were caught illegally taping sideline defensive signals from New York Jets coaches during the team's opening week game. The "Spygate" controversy led to accusations that such activity has been going on since 2000.

"There are people who swear to me that the Patriots taped our practice down in Houston during Super Bowl week," Hurney said. "I can't prove it. I don't know. And I hate talking like this because I feel like a bad loser, but it just gnaws at you and this latest incident brings it back up.

"You go to 'Spygate' after our Super Bowl and things came out about a rumor about a video guy, and he had tapes and he goes to Hawaii and kind of disappears. ... These are all rumors and I can't substantiate any of this. But it gnaws at you."

Hurney made it clear the Panthers weren't completely innocent of violating rules during their Super Bowl year. He brought up a report that came out after the season which said several Carolina players bought steroids from a South Carolina physician.

Among those cited in the report were three of the five starting offensive linemen.

"That was wrong," Hurney said. "The organization didn't know anything about it, and we took steps and we addressed that. We weren't going to put up with that. [Team owner] Jerry Richardson wasn't going to put up with that.

"To me, this isn't about deflating balls; it's about a continuing culture of alleged cheating, and to me, everybody's talking about [coach] Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. When is Robert Kraft going to come up and explain why, if they are found guilty of this, why do these things keep happening in this organization?"

Hurney said the current allegations against New England aggravate him because "it really pulls up some pretty big scabs.'' He admittedly kept track of New England's playoff record after "Spygate."

"They were 6-6 in the playoffs," he said. "Now they're getting to the Super Bowl and you're saying this is all behind them and this comes up. This isn't about deflating balls; this is about is there a culture of cheating that they'll do anything to get an edge.

"This is a bigger issue, and I think most people are missing the issue. It's an issue of if there is a culture of cheating at the organization that most people look at as the gold standard in this league. Is there a culture of cheating and breaking the rules?''

Hurney wasn't surprised that Belichick denied any knowledge of wrongdoing.

"What did you expect him to say?" he said. "I don't expect the league to come out and say anything before the Super Bowl. I hope they do, but I still go back to why were all the documents shredded after that investigation if there weren't highly damaging facts about what the Patriots did.

"... You go to people and teams, people that have played them and feel like I do that they might have had an unfair advantage. You're going to feel that way. But winning that Super Bowl, when you work in the National Football League, that completes your career and that's all you work for. And when there's a question about it, that's why I wanted to see the evidence, and that's why I'm so upset about the evidence being shredded.''

Hurney said the history of the Patriots under Belichick makes him wary of what the coach says.

"I know I don't trust anything that Bill Belichick says because of all the rumors that are out there,'' he said. "That's why I want to see the report. I want to see what they did or what they didn't do.

"I can't prove any of this. But where there's smoke, a lot of times there's fire.''

Ex-GM on Pats: Culture of cheating

Make sure you also watch the video. Very informative.

 

[Doc Holliday]

NFL: Balls were delfated after inspection

Early evidence has concluded that the New England Patriots used underinflated footballs during Sunday’s AFC Championship victory, though it’s still unclear whether the balls were intentionally deflated (or if the Pats knew). “While the evidence thus far supports the conclusion that footballs that were underinflated were used by the Patriots in the first half,” the NFL said in a statement Friday, “the footballs were properly inflated for the second half and confirmed at the conclusion of the game to have remained properly inflated.” The NFL said the goal of its “investigation will be to determine… whether any noncompliance was the result of deliberate action.” The league said at least 40 interviews have been conducted and video evidence collected.

Read NFL Official Statement

So the balls were deflated after they official inspection, they played the entire first half with the deflated balls and after the Patriots lead the Colts after the first half, they were then re-inflated for the second half. Hmm.....sounds pretty suspicious if you ask me!

Cheaters!!!! :amen:

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

NFL Investigating Whether Patriots Played Game With Properly Inflated Vince Wilfork

 

[daydreamer41]

NFL: Balls were delfated after inspection

Early evidence has concluded that the New England Patriots used underinflated footballs during Sunday’s AFC Championship victory, though it’s still unclear whether the balls were intentionally deflated (or if the Pats knew). “While the evidence thus far supports the conclusion that footballs that were underinflated were used by the Patriots in the first half,” the NFL said in a statement Friday, “the footballs were properly inflated for the second half and confirmed at the conclusion of the game to have remained properly inflated.” The NFL said the goal of its “investigation will be to determine… whether any noncompliance was the result of deliberate action.” The league said at least 40 interviews have been conducted and video evidence collected.

Read NFL Official Statement

So the balls were deflated after they official inspection, they played the entire first half with the deflated balls and after the Patriots lead the Colts after the first half, they were then re-inflated for the second half. Hmm.....sounds pretty suspicious if you ask me!

Cheaters!!!! :amen:

Absolutely. If the NFL was upright, the Indianapolis Colts would be playing the defending champions Seattle Seahawks in 2 Sundays.

 

[Merlot]

BOYZ!

...they played the entire first half with the deflated balls

So now it's just total LIES to dodge the facts from post 432. Reading is fundamental. But I guess some haters need to CHEAT to make a point also. U-R-D-E-S-P-E-R-A-T-E!!!

http://www.businessinsider.com/dqwell-jackson-patriots-used-colts-balls-2015-1

D'Qwell Jackson, the same player who intercepted Brady to start the controversy, has stated he noticed the Patriots were using COLTS BALLS in the 1st half of the game not their own. New England's balls were not even in the game

before halftime, until they were properly inflated in the 2nd half. How that happened we don't know, but it suggests the Patriots may never have used under-inflated balls during the game.

Jackson says there was a sequence late in the first half in which the refs couldn't find any balls to use, and so the Patriots started using the Colts' balls. From NFL.com:

Jackson does, however, recall one interesting moment during the first half that has something to do with the latest controversy. He recalls, during a television timeout, there was an especially long delay that prompted him to approach an official.

The game official mentioned something about their efforts to locate a usable football. Shortly after, Jackson noticed that the Patriots were using the Colts' footballs late in the first half. Jackson said it was odd to him that New England couldn't find a football to use, especially in the AFC

Championship Game.

Rumples...HYSTERICAL! :lol:

Cheers,

Merlot

 

[Special K]

So, has there been any solid 100% proof that someone, anyone affiliated with the Pats intentionally removed air from any footballs? Is there video somewhere that the NFL or all the witchhunters are hiding from everyone? Sure would be nice to see some unquestionable, caught in the act proof of this. Otherwise, everyone can blow it out their deflated asses

Lastly, I'm not one that usually makes predictions, unless of course it's that the Maple Leafs will continually SUCK until the end of eternity, which goes without saying, but, I will predict at this point that the Patriots are going to whoop the shit-talking asses of Seattle come next Sunday. Oh man, they're gonna be playing with a chip on their shoulders!

 

[lgna69xxx]

This whole thinks makes ya wonder if the Cheatriots were cheating agaist the Ravens a week earlier. That is the team i feel sorry for the most right now, only losing by 4 points to a team that most likely cheated then as well as many other times. Karma's a bitch, boyzzz

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

So, has there been any solid 100% proof that someone, anyone affiliated with the Pats intentionally removed air from any footballs?

Easy answer: no.

 

[lgna69xxx]

Boyzzz!

ya know something, I have watched bradys presser a few times and besides him lying (which is almost as obvious as belicheats lying press conference) the only other thing i get out of it is that he really loves his balls. Here, watch for yourselves and decide


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOtvWNZ_9xA

I wonder if maybe giselle did not deflate toms balls if so, she should be punished with a "stiff" sentence...Hungry101, would you like to "lay" down the discipline?

 

[lgna69xxx]

The NFL has hired a CSI team to get to the bottom of it, but how conveniently that the investigation likely wont be over until after the Super Bowl....

The NFL is loving this tho as this SB will likely be the most watched one in history I heard today. Goodell will screw up on this latest black eye on the league to, just like the Ray Rice incident and others. The silver lining tho is maybe he will come down hard on the Cheatriots to make up for his other debacles.

What likely will happen is some poor equipment manager or assistant just doing what he was told to do will end up being the fall guy and lose his job while the real cheaters will get away with it. Just like in spy-gate, an assistant video guy got the axe for something he was told to do. It is a F'ed up world ain't it?

So, has there been any solid 100% proof that someone, anyone affiliated with the Pats intentionally removed air from any footballs?

 

[Doc Holliday]

What likely will happen is some poor equipment manager or assistant just doing what he was told to do will end up being the fall guy and lose his job while the real cheaters will get away with it. Just like in spy-gate, an assistant video guy got the axe for something he was told to do. It is a F'ed up world ain't it?

I suspect that some form of discipline will be handed out once the Superbowl is over. It's now rather obvious that the Cheatriots were party to something crooked going on. Eleven out of twelve footballs simply didn't deflate & reinflate themselves.

The only thing that wills save the Cheatriots from any wrongdoing will be OMERTA.

p.s. And you are correct, Mister 69. The day i heard Mr. Phony throw the poor equipment guy under the bus during his press conference was when i realized that poor sap would likely be made the fall guy.

 

[Doc Holliday]

So, has there been any solid 100% proof that someone, anyone affiliated with the Pats intentionally removed air from any footballs? Is there video somewhere that the NFL or all the witchhunters are hiding from everyone? Sure would be nice to see some unquestionable, caught in the act proof of this.

Since none of us work for the NFL (as far as i know), it's impossible for anyone to answer this question. I doubt that anyone will find ONE HUNDRED PERCENT proof of any wrongdoing. However, the league has supposedly interviewed over 40 persons in regards to the scandal. It's strange that the likely suspect, Mr. Phony, wasn't yet interviewed. Was he lying again or are the NFL investigators keeping their #1 suspect for last?

But even though it's likely that they'll never have ONE HUNDRED PERCENT proof that Mr. Phony & Mr. Belicheat had anything to do with it, they likely already have plenty of circumstancial evidence pointing to their guilt. As the great Sherlock Holmes would often say, it's ELEMENTARY.

However, in order to save the Superbowl & not create a bigger scandal than it has already become, the NFL will wisely delay any announcement in regards to their investigation until after the Superbowl is completed.

But who knows, it's also entirely possible that OMERTA was followed to the letter & that no discipline will come forward for lack of concrete proof. It's likely not the first time that a Belicheat team will escape the hand of justice. Therefore, an announcement clearly the Cheatriots of any wrongdoing could happen prior to the big game. If not, it would almost appear that the NFL has the proof needed to hand out some discipline.

But even if the NFL were to judge that they don't have enough proof to convict Belicheat's Cheatriots, it doesn't mean that they are innocent. Remember that Gov. Chris Christy was cleared of any wrongdoing in New Jersey's infamous "Bridgegate" scandal. Most people still believe he was behind it, even if he was found innocent. It likely has caused him any chance of ever being able to run for POTUS. But that's an entirely different story.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Former NFL referee & current tv officiating expert Mike Pereira was just interviewed on CNN's "Smerconish" and had a very good explanation why none of the officials noticed during the game that the footballs were deflated.

He said that the footballs had already been inspected and marked by the officials prior to the game, so they had no reason to expect that anyone would tamper with the footballs afterwards. He said that the referees don't spend their time checking the footballs when they're handling them during the games...especially when they have no reason to....and stated that referees are not like the average grocery store shopper who spends time squeezing vegetables (i think he said avocados) when picking which ones to purchase, etc.

Pereira came out very credible & everyone one who follows football (incl. Cheatriot fans) regard him as being very professional and having very good judgement.

So this is where we stand right now:

1) The footballs were tested and ruled to be legal prior to the game.
2) After the first half, 11 out of 12 footballs were tested and ruled to have been deflated.
3) Miraculously, those same footballs managed to inflate themselves during the second half once NE was leading and were back to being at the legal limit once the game was over.
4) Tom Brady told the media that he never noticed anything wrong with the football during the game. However, it only took seconds for the Colts player who had intercepted Brady to notice that the ball was deflated. That player wasn't even a player that is used to touching the ball during a game. HE WAS A LINEBACKER.
5) Bill Belichick denied knowing anything about the deflated footballs. He basically told the media to talk to his QB about it.
6) Brady was evasive during his presser & was not believable. He then basically threw the equipment manager under the bus.
7) So far, the NFL has interviewed over 40 people. We've since learned that there have been inconsistencies in regards to the footballs & that tampering with the footballs is strongly suspected.
8) Media people & former & current players have taken sides. Some say that Bill Belichick imposed a culture of cheating around the Patriots since his arrival there. Others have said that Brady was full of shit in his presser & that he appears to be the most guilty party. Others have taken his side (such as former teammates) and others have said the media is making a big thing out of nothing.
9) Many suspect that results of the investigation will not be made until after the Superbowl in order not to ruin the big event and/or prevent any of the guilty from participating should any such discipline warrant so.
10) The bottom line is that whether or not the Patriots are found guilty of any intentional wrongdoing, in the eyes of many football fans (and non-football fans alike), they are already guilty and will always be looked upon as a bunch of cheaters no matter what the outcome. Sadly or not, this is the truth of the matter.