Mike Francesser was actually right last week when he said the NFL is no longer a sport, its entertainment. When you look at major league baseball, they tried their best to go after everyone using steroids and despite the "everyone was doing it" excuse. MLB was trying to maintain the integrity of the game even if it involved tough decisions and taking down its stars. The NFL will never do that, not when one of their beloved Patriots are in the Super Bowl. They are afraid of the repercussions from advertisers and the like if there were suspensions. Not to mention their favoritism of the New England Patriots and their market is blatant at this point. Seems like people don't even watch for the football anymore, just for stupid commercials and Katy Perry. The sport is so tainted right now, I can't see the die-hards putting up with this shit much longer.
Halftime is when it's time to fix up some more snacks and bathroom break. I can't remember the last time I watched that halftime pig slop.
Its beyond dumb. Not to single Katy Perry out, but as a 26 year old male who is really into the game of football, she is not what me and my friends want to watch (though she is easy on the eyes). I would assume the same goes for most posters here. Hence why the NFL is alienating its base as it seems like the NFL is on TMZ just as much as its on ESPN.
They aren't alienating their base. They HAVE their base. You and I and millions of fans just like us will tune in irrespective of the half-time show. Could be dogs taking shits and we'll still watch the game. It's the non to casual fan they are catering to. Katy Perry will draw those viewers. _
Exactly! As meticulous as Belicheat is, there is no way that he doesn't know the process that is in place for the balls. When he said he didn't I knew right there that he was lying like a motherfucker.
The QB HAD to know. BB probably knew too, since he is the man at the controls. He is the ultimate control freak.
My guess is that Belichicken is not being entirely truthful on this one. He has admitted to practicing with crappy footballs to simulate poor whether conditions. Since he is such a vaunted genius with an unmatchable attention to detail, he probably had a discussion with Brady at some point about how Brady likes the condition of the football. Belichicken is a very good public liar and he has the benefit of an ass-kissing press that doesn't hit him with the right questions. They probably never discussed the technical aspects of ball inflation which probably allowed Belichicken to lie with some measure of plausible denial. As for Brady, that worthless POS is a liar. Every kid from the time they started playing football knows that an underinflated football is far easier to throw that a fully inflated football. You can't on one hand discuss how great and meticulous a QB Brady is with his preparation and on the other hand attempt to claim he had no knowledge that the footballs were underinflated. For a man who gets paid millions of dollars to throw a football with his level of expertise, he would definitely notice the difference. To say otherwise is absurd. In Brady's close-door meeting with the team, according Mevi$, Brady said that he likes the footballs "a certain way." This is tantamount to an admission of wrongdoing. He is admitting that he knows there is a difference in condition of footballs AND that he understands that difference by stating he likes his a "certain way." His answers in the press conference were more telling. When asked if he is a cheater, he responded "I don't think so." That is a YES or NO answer and innocent people respond "NO." The guilty person responds with a wishy-washy response that they think will make them appear innocent. Plus how do you not know if you are cheating? Doesn't Brady read the rulebook as he recently admonished the Ravens? When asked if he deflated the balls, he responded "I would never do that." That is a YES or NO answer and innocent people respond "NO." The guilty person responds that they would "never" do something like that because it answers the different question of "would you ever" while giving the appearance of answering the question of whether they did or not. In both instances those types of responses allow the individual to rationalize lying because they are technically not answering the questions directly. Of course now with reports today that Brady's feelings were hurt are designed to make people doubt their assessment of him and his credibility. Essentially it is tactic to go on the passive-offensive and make people feel guilty for questioning Brady and bring doubt into their assessment. I have done adversarial interviewing my entire professional career and have 1000s of hours of training and experience. Just like Brady may be an expert in throwing in the football, I do this for a living and Tom Brady is lying. As for what actually happened? The easiest explanation is generally the answer. Given both Belichicken and Brady's attention to detail, my guess is that they have experimented with footballs in different playing conditions in the past. Overtime, the ballboy and/or equipment management know how Brady likes the underinflated ball in adverse weather conditions and prep the balls accordingly during pregame. Then they ask Brady to check how they "feel" and he picks out the ones he likes best. It would not surprise me to learn that Brady likes an underinflated ball all the time. Not only can you grip the ball better but it is both easier to catch and hold during a run. Amazing considering the statistics that were just released on how the Patriots are significant statistical outliers on fumble stats the past decade. There is a reason the NFL has a proscribed inflation pressure on the football and why Brady likes his footballs below that mark: BECAUSE IT GIVES AN ADVANTAGE. The really sad thing about this is that the NFL has interviewed 40 people except for the one who knows - Tom Brady. And the reason is that we all know what happened but if they interview him before the game they can close their case with the conclusion that he cheated. They can't have that before the Super Bowl so they will slow roll the investigation into after the Super Bowl has been played. My guess is that the investigation's conclusions will be that either a ballboy or equipment manager tampered with the ball and that they will take the fall and be terminated with the team fined and docked a draft pick. Brady and Belichicken will not be found to have had knowledge even there is more than enough proof - based upon the civil standard of a preponderance of the evidence - to conclude they did. The league will say that the ball provided no competitive advantage in the Colts game due to the outlandish score and the fact that fully inflated balls were used in the 2nd half. That, plus using closely regulated balls in the Super Bowl, will allow no one to question the results of the Super Bowl game. I am also sure at some point in the future that the ball-boy who is the fall boy will have a nice sizable college tuition paid for from the Kraft Foundation or the equipment manager will be allowed to retire with a handsome retirement package. Also don't be surprised to see Bob Kraft stepping up to the plate to defend Roger Goodell again in the near future.
True but being overly friendly with an owner who's team is (it seems) associated with being cheaters is just plain stupid. There are articles running through the internet on his friendship with Kraft.
All bullshit aside, this guy Goodell needs to be investigated. Fuck the Patriots, this is the root of all the problems concerning "integrity" in this NFL. Goodell has used his power as Commissioner to protect his 'friends' and destroy the "integrity" of the game. This is outrageous
Have we not see this movie before? In line with a history of deceit by the Pats and spineless actions by the NFL, BB and Tom Brady will allow the blame to drift solely to the equipment manager, the poor bastard whose job is to follow orders and make the aforementioned cheaters successful at all costs. Add insult to injury that slime ball GM will, true to form, allow the organization and the weasel owner to escape unscathed basically once again. While in all probability the poor equipment manager will be crucified by all and possibly fired. Wouldn't that be the lowest, most despicable form of shame even for the Pats?
Bill Nye attacked things that Belichick never said. For a science guy he needs to take a remedial reading course. Belichick did say that when they turned the balls over to the officials, they instructed the officials to put 12 1/2 ponds of air in them, which is their prerogative procedure. In the cold 12 1/2 pounds would deflate the balls at least 1 pound. Apparently the Colts gave no such instruction to the officials, they didn't lose 45 - 7 by being the most intelligent team on the field. I also don't think the ball boy taking a pee changed the balls much. I think the officials screwed up changing the pressures and that's that. The league has hired a high priced defense attorney to defend them.
Oh and it wasn't just Bill Nye.... you can also add Neil Degrasse Tyson and Wilson (you know the company that makes the footballs) call bullshit on Bellicheat as well
Hey guys, the NFL commissioner works for the league owners, they hired him, they pay him, they have dinner with him, YOU DIDN'T KNOW THAT?
That's cool, the night before the AFC championship game with bob kraft, at bob krafts house... No conflict of interest by the commish; totally unbiased