NFL: 2014 Season

[Birdie Num Nums]

Whatever happened to "Deflategate"?

Here's the latest, as of today:

• 'NFL official fired in deflate-gate case for selling football': The deflate-gate madness — a story seemingly with no conclusion — has taken yet another bizarre turn. It was reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter that an NFL official might have sold one of the New England Patriots footballs from the AFC championship game and lost his job because of it...."

• 'There's a new report that the Patriots were caught trying to use an illegal kicking ball in the AFC Championship game':

...While previous reports focused on the 12 balls used by Tom Brady and the offense, a new report says the Patriots were caught trying to put an unapproved kicking ball into play during the game.

Kicking balls, also known as "K balls," are used by special teams and differ from balls used by the offense because they can't be altered in any way before the game. Teams can alter the balls used by the offense as long as they still look relatively new and have the proper amount of air pressure.

A source for "Outside the Lines" said a 48-year-old Patriots attendant assigned to the officials' locker room gave an alternate official in charge of K balls a football that had not been pre-approved.

The official reportedly became suspicious when he noticed the ball did not have markings indicating it had been inspected. He also found it strange that a locker room attendant was handling balls on the sideline, something that would not
normally happen, according to the ESPN report....
​

And in somewhat related news: "Based on 2014 results, the Seahawks will have the NFL’s fourth toughest schedule in 2015. The Patriots will have the 22nd toughest schedule, even though both teams finished the regular season 12-4." What's up with that?

 

[Corporateburnout]

I'm glad the league is conducting this investigation with the utmost professionalism and confidentiality

 

[Midpack]

Here's the latest, as of today:

You're joking right? With all the conflicting information that's already been reported (some supporting, some condemning the Pats) what makes you think your source is accurate? We know there's been as much misinformation as presumably accurate, but we still don't know which is which.

I hope something conclusive comes of all this, come what may for the Pats, but I'm not holding my breath. Goodell and his administration has as little integrity as they can get away with.

 

[Birdie Num Nums]

You're taking all this much too seriously. Did you even read the comments to the first item?

In other news: 'Cleveland Browns set to unveil new primary logo': "

The new logo is part of an overhaul and re-branding of the Browns that reportedly will include “logos, script word markings, modified helmet and uniforms,” per the report.

The team’s helmet will nevertheless remain the same, per a promise made to former owner Randy Lerner as a condition of his sale of the team, but the new logo will replace the iconic orange helmet as the team’s official logo."​

 

[Midpack]

You're taking all this much too seriously. Did you even read the comments to the first item?

Yes, I read them...

 

[Chuckanut]

What is a 'Brown'?

 

[pb4uski]

A friend sent me this yesterday. The headline was "Pete Carroll leaving the Seahawks".

Pete Carroll, former head coach of the Seattle Seahawks, is reported to be very near to signing on as a special consultant to The Pope in Vatican City. The Pope looks to recruit Carroll to be a spokesman for the Catholic Church because he is the first man in history that made 100 million people jump up and yell "Jesus Christ!" at the same time.

 

[Corporateburnout]

A friend sent me this yesterday. The headline was "Pete Carroll leaving the Seahawks".

Hilarious

Thank you Pete.

 

[eytonxav]

A friend sent me this yesterday. The headline was "Pete Carroll leaving the Seahawks".

And I thought they jumped up and yelled SOB.

 

[pb4uski]

Saw this today and thought it was funny. I feel sorry for Bear fans.

Jay Cutler has to feel pretty deflated after hearing this. The Chicago Tribune reports that the Anti-Cruelty Society of Chicago recently held a auction back on March 26 to raise money for the pet-adoption charity, and one of the items was a Cutler signed football. It receved (sic) zero bids at the asking price of $100.

 

[easysurfer]

Definitely a sign of "his days are numbered" for Cutler.

 

[Corporateburnout]

Saw this today and thought it was funny. I feel sorry for Bear fans.

I think Cutler should reimburse his fans $100 for every football he signs.

 

[pb4uski]

Well, he certainly has the funds to do that with that rich contract the Bears gave him last year.

Jay Cutler signed a 7 year, $126,700,000 contract with the Chicago Bears, including $54,000,000 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $18,100,000. In 2015, Cutler will earn a base salary of $15,500,000 and a restructure bonus of $5,000,000.

 

[Birdie Num Nums]

'Super Bowl XLIX voted greatest game of all time', per NFL.com:
"The greatest football game of all time was decided by our readers this weekend. It was down to two options: Super Bowl XLIX between the Patriots and Seahawks and Super Bowl XLIII between the Cardinals and Steelers. And the winner is ... Super Bowl XLIX...."

It set the record for the most-watched game (TV show) in history.

 

[pb4uski]

I agree, but as a Patriots fan I may be biased but I thought it was a very entertaining game the way momentum see-sawed to and fro.

 

[utrecht]

A game that is fresh in our memory has a huge advantage when voted on by fans. I have to go with Pittsburgh / Arizona. I mean come one, the Steelers had a 100 yard int return for a TD with no time on the clock in the first half by a LB. They also had the last minute go ahead TD in the back of the end zone with Santonio Holmes barely dragging his feet in bounds. Both halves ended with huge drama.

 

[utrecht]

The NFL has concluded that is more probable than not that the Pats intentionally deflated the balls and that Tom Brady probably knew about it. Discipline is being discussed. I hope they hammer the hell out of them. How many times are they going to get caught cheating?

 

[easysurfer]

The NFL has concluded that is more probable than not that the Pats intentionally deflated the balls and that Tom Brady probably knew about it. Discipline is being discussed. I hope they hammer the hell out of them. How many times are they going to get caught cheating?

The irony of this is that the [-]Seahawks[/-] Patriots are the Superbowl champs.

Had they lost, the deflated balls story would've probably faded away.

 

[marko]

The NFL has concluded that is more probable than not that the Pats intentionally deflated the balls and that Tom Brady probably knew about it. Discipline is being discussed. I hope they hammer the hell out of them. How many times are they going to get caught cheating?

But will anyone in Foxborough lose any sleep over it? Ummmm....Nah.

Discipline, smishipline. "Who do I make the disciplinary fine check out to?"

 

[dtbach]

The NFL has concluded that is more probable than not that the Pats intentionally deflated the balls and that Tom Brady probably knew about it. Discipline is being discussed. I hope they hammer the hell out of them. How many times are they going to get caught cheating?

Will probably lose a 6th round compensatory pick. There THAT will show them.

 

[utrecht]

Will probably lose a 6th round compensatory pick. There THAT will show them.

Last time, the Pats were fined $500,000. Belicheck was fined $250,000, and their first round pick was taken away. This time it should be worse. Of course they already waited until the draft was over so at worst, if they lose a pick it will be next year.

 

[marko]

Last time, the Pats were fined $500,000. Belicheck was fined $250,000, and their first round pick was taken away. This time it should be worse. Of course they already waited until the draft was over so at worst, if they lose a pick it will be next year.

The transcript I just read implies that McNally (guy who deflated/inflated the balls) had some gripe against Brady and was trying to hurt Brady's passing stats to get even.

Belichik was exonerated. It claims that Brady was 'generally aware' of soft balls but that could mean "hmmm, nice and soft" rather than a conspiracy; sounds like just the opposite.

 

[Jaded salami]

As a big Steelers fan, I believe this merits a one game suspension for Brady.


As a comedy fan, I want to see more emails between the Patriot equipment team about Brady, pure comedy gold.

 

[Corporateburnout]

What an investigation........More probable than not but not conclusive. Typical NFL investigation.

Meanwhile they still won the SB with properly inflated footballs and Brady was the MVP. They will continue to win and Brady will be the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time)....

 

[marko]

What an investigation........More probable than not but not conclusive. Typical NFL investigation.

Meanwhile they still won the SB with properly inflated footballs and Brady was the MVP. They will continue to win and Brady will be the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time)....

"More probable than not", Brady will wear ring #5.