Lamb of BOD wrote:I don't know what the areas of need were for the Rams going into the draft, but I reckon you'll be more than pleased with that pick
O line and receiver I'd have thought. There is no really stand out receiver on the roster. Lots of small zipping guys.
We already have a good young running back in Mason. Looks like Stacey's days are numbered and he's already commented about looking for a trade.
However no point in having two very good running backs if you don't have the guys to block for them.
“The only yardstick for success our society has is being a champion. No one remembers anything else.” - JOHN MADDEN
Deflategate is back! Tom Brady might get a weency slap on the wrists for his part in the affair.
"Based on the evidence, it also is our view that it is more probable than not that Tom Brady was at least generally aware of the inappropriate activities of McNally and Jastremski involving the release of air from Patriots game balls"
.
The investigation team, headed up by Ted Wells, goes on to exonerate Belichick of any knowledge of the ball tampering.
Synopsis from nfl.com here, full inquiry document here.
Avenger wrote:
Given that the report says a lot of this with probably at the beginning, I doubt there'll be much action taken here.
The investigation was conducted pursuant to the Policy on Integrity of the Game & Enforcement of Competitive Rules.
In particular, Section 2 of the Policy provides that: Actual or suspected competitive violations will be thoroughly and promptly investigated. Any club identifying a violation is required promptly to report the violation, and give its full support and cooperation in any investigation. Failure to cooperate in an investigation shall be considered conduct detrimental to the League and will subject the offending club and responsible individual(s) to appropriate discipline.
Section 4 of the Policy provides that “[t]he standard of proof required to find that a violation of the competitive rules has occurred shall be a Preponderance of the Evidence.”
As the Policy makes clear, that “means that, as a whole, the fact sought to be proved is more probable than not.”
Quoted from pages 22 and 23 of the report. The addition of the bold type was mine
The remit of the investigation was to find out what happened, within the boundary of the events "being more probable than not". Throughout the report (admittedly I've only read the first hundred pages up till now - will finish it later) the language used is "more probably than not". The investigators note that the Patriots were not fully compliant with the requirements of the investigation. At this stage, I'd say it's likely that the Patriots organisation as a whole may escape with a fine, but I'd say it's likely that Brady will face a suspension. The report is pretty interesting. If people don't have time to get through the entire document, the abstract is at least worth the 10 mins it would take.
Lamb of BOD wrote:At this stage, I'd say it's likely that the Patriots organisation as a whole may escape with a fine, but I'd say it's likely that Brady will face a suspension.
The Patriots will get an arbitrary fine like $25000 which is pocket change really. Completely a token gesture. This organisation repeatedly bends/brakes the rules. The spy-gate thing was far more serious than this and they pretty much got away with it.
Brady may get a token suspension but I can't see it being more than 2 games.
“The only yardstick for success our society has is being a champion. No one remembers anything else.” - JOHN MADDEN
The NFL announced Monday that Tom Brady has been suspended without pay for four games for violating the NFL policy on the integrity of the game. The team will also be fined $1 million and will forfeit a 2016 first-rounder and 2017 fourth-round selection in the NFL Draft. Brady's agent announced Monday that his client will appeal the suspension.
OK so I slightly under estimated the NFL here.
4 games for Brady - going to appeal.
$1m for the Patriots
And the lose 1st round draft pick in 2016 and 4th round 2017.
Was it worth it? Considering they have another Super Bowl ring, I'd say yes.
“The only yardstick for success our society has is being a champion. No one remembers anything else.” - JOHN MADDEN
The NFL announced Monday that Tom Brady has been suspended without pay for four games for violating the NFL policy on the integrity of the game. The team will also be fined $1 million and will forfeit a 2016 first-rounder and 2017 fourth-round selection in the NFL Draft. Brady's agent announced Monday that his client will appeal the suspension.
OK so I slightly under estimated the NFL here.
4 games for Brady - going to appeal.
$1m for the Patriots
And the lose 1st round draft pick in 2016 and 4th round 2017.
Was it worth it? Considering they have another Super Bowl ring, I'd say yes.
The loss of the first rounder will really hurt. Plus, it'll tarnish Brady's 'Golden Boy' image to an extent - although not amongst his own fans. Definitely worth it considering they won the Superb Owl. Brady and the Pats were previously implicated in a ball deflating incident in (iirc) 2004. They were then given the benefit of the doubt and (again, iirc) received no punishment - on the understanding it wouldn't happen again. It did, and they got sanctioned. I guess the real question is 'has it been going on all the time?' And, if so, how effective will Brady be now he'll have to throw a fully inflated ball from here on in?
The season opener isn't looking quite so tough for the Steelers now. They will be without Bell, who will also be suspended. Those two players are big losses to their respective sides
The NFL announced Monday that Tom Brady has been suspended without pay for four games for violating the NFL policy on the integrity of the game. The team will also be fined $1 million and will forfeit a 2016 first-rounder and 2017 fourth-round selection in the NFL Draft. Brady's agent announced Monday that his client will appeal the suspension.
OK so I slightly under estimated the NFL here.
4 games for Brady - going to appeal.
$1m for the Patriots
And the lose 1st round draft pick in 2016 and 4th round 2017.
Was it worth it? Considering they have another Super Bowl ring, I'd say yes.
The loss of the first rounder will really hurt. Plus, it'll tarnish Brady's 'Golden Boy' image to an extent - although not amongst his own fans. Definitely worth it considering they won the Superb Owl. Brady and the Pats were previously implicated in a ball deflating incident in (iirc) 2004. They were then given the benefit of the doubt and (again, iirc) received no punishment - on the understanding it wouldn't happen again. It did, and they got sanctioned. I guess the real question is 'has it been going on all the time?' And, if so, how effective will Brady be now he'll have to throw a fully inflated ball from here on in?
The season opener isn't looking quite so tough for the Steelers now. They will be without Bell, who will also be suspended. Those two players are big losses to their respective sides
For what it's worth, Monday Morning QuarterBack quoted stats for Brady, home and away, and they were pretty much exactly the same.
Dexter wrote:
For what it's worth, Monday Morning QuarterBack quoted stats for Brady, home and away, and they were pretty much exactly the same.
I'm always open to correction, but my understanding is that the offense provides their own balls for each game - meaning Brady uses Patriots' balls even for away matches
Dexter wrote:
For what it's worth, Monday Morning QuarterBack quoted stats for Brady, home and away, and they were pretty much exactly the same.
I'm always open to correction, but my understanding is that the offense provides their own balls for each game - meaning Brady uses Patriots' balls even for away matches
Both teams use different sets of balls but I presume that the NFL provides the teams with those balls.
“The only yardstick for success our society has is being a champion. No one remembers anything else.” - JOHN MADDEN
dave13 wrote:No, each team brings own balls. Brady was one of the QB's who pushed for the rule change
That is my understanding, too. As it happens, I think the league provides the (6) place kicking balls for each contest. I'm pretty sure they're supplied already inflated by Wilson, each of them inflated to the same standard psi (although I can't remember what that standard is, off the top of my head). This is specifically to prevent any nefarious over-inflation of the balls by the kickers (the more pressure in a ball, the further it will travel).
dave13 wrote:No, each team brings own balls. Brady was one of the QB's who pushed for the rule change
That is my understanding, too. As it happens, I think the league provides the (6) place kicking balls for each contest. I'm pretty sure they're supplied already inflated by Wilson, each of them inflated to the same standard psi (although I can't remember what that standard is, off the top of my head). This is specifically to prevent any nefarious over-inflation of the balls by the kickers (the more pressure in a ball, the further it will travel).
Fair enough, I wondered too..but now I also wonder why MMQB bothered with the piece in that case - it was specifically part of the Deflategate coverage
Dexter wrote:
Fair enough, I wondered too..but now I also wonder why MMQB bothered with the piece in that case - it was specifically part of the Deflategate coverage
It would make sense if the author had an agenda to push. One side of that debate seems to be trying to trivialise the issue and the impact of ball deflation on a match.
Fwiw, it seems to me that ball deflation per se isn't considered such a big issue at all. The Pats have been penalised pretty heavily (loss of draft picks -the fine won't worry them) as much for previous indescretions (Spygate chief amongst them) as for the air pressure in their balls. Brady has been singled out for punishment (the damage is more to his reputation, again the money won't worry him, but he won't want to miss 4 games and there's always the chance that Garropulo will 'do a Brady' and show he's ready to step up to the full time roll. That's unlikely, but it could happen - just ask Drew Bledsoe!) because he was thought to be lying and otherwise not to be co-operating fully with the Wells inquiry.
Dexter wrote:
Fair enough, I wondered too..but now I also wonder why MMQB bothered with the piece in that case - it was specifically part of the Deflategate coverage
It would make sense if the author had an agenda to push. One side of that debate seems to be trying to trivialise the issue and the impact of ball deflation on a match.
Fwiw, it seems to me that ball deflation per se isn't considered such a big issue at all. The Pats have been penalised pretty heavily (loss of draft picks -the fine won't worry them) as much for previous indescretions (Spygate chief amongst them) as for the air pressure in their balls. Brady has been singled out for punishment (the damage is more to his reputation, again the money won't worry him, but he won't want to miss 4 games and there's always the chance that Garropulo will 'do a Brady' and show he's ready to step up to the full time roll. That's unlikely, but it could happen - just ask Drew Bledsoe!) because he was thought to be lying and otherwise not to be co-operating fully with the Wells inquiry.
Yeah it seems the non-co-operation is the real issue, along with maybe paying for past sins. The air pressure thing seems relatively minor, as the QB's can make some alterations/modifications to the game balls anyway. I haven't seen anyone confirm that the lower pressure definitely makes a significant difference.
Dexter wrote: I haven't seen anyone confirm that the lower pressure definitely makes a significant difference.
if nothing else, a less inflated ball is supposedly easier for receivers to catch. It's personal preference amongst QBs: a less inflated ball may not generally make a significant difference, but it would certainly seem to make a difference to Brady.
FFS - the pre-season workouts have only just started and we've just lost our starting left tackle, Will Beatty, for (pretty much) the entire season to a torn pec. The decision to draft Erick Flowers in the first round is looking inspired right about now, but there's probably no way he'll be ready to start week 1.
Lamb of BOD wrote:FFS - the pre-season workouts have only just started and we've just lost our starting left tackle, Will Beatty, for (pretty much) the entire season to a torn pec. The decision to draft Erick Flowers in the first round is looking inspired right about now, but there's probably no way he'll be ready to start week 1.
Jesus, Eli can't catch a break.... that's bad news. Think the Fins play the Giants this year around the middle of the season. Will be interesting to compare Eli's career arc with Tannehill's this year.
Giants had a very solid, Ravens-like draft this year. No curveballs or project players - just very productive footballers with concerns that caused them to drop in the draft. Collins and Owa were something of a steal where they were picked.
Flowers wan't the lineman I liked most in the first round, but he was one of 3 guys that were all pretty top quality after Scherff went (Peat, himself and Humphries).
Very interesting article on the beeb today http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/american-football/33167457. If they're thinking of doing away with helmets, the shoulder pads etc will need to go as well, or at least get a complete overhaul in their size and construction. I've often wondered if there were no helmets would that game be safer -and also if it'd lead to them learning how to tackle? I think no helmets would lead to a better game, but I'm just not sure it'd be safer. After all, helmets were introduced for a reason. Simply making it mandatory to use your arms in a tackle would probably have the desired effect
Helmets help with tissue injuries and maybe skull fractures, but are no help for concussion, apparently. I think the problem is that the head/helmet is a weapon in football, which was never intended. I agree that they should make it mandatory to wrap up in the tackle, which means you can't lead with the head so easily. These cut blocks and tackles at the knee, where the guy launches helmet-first at the guy's legs, are stupid beyond belief.
