NFL Debate #78: Patriot Punishment

[Cory]

Go.

[Mike Powers]

Overkill to the Nth degree.

[Cory]

I think for just deflategate too harsh, but this clearly was viewed as a punishment for a repeat offender.


Personally I would have let them keep the million bucks and rather banned Patriots from having any home playoff games for the next 2 seasons. That way there you properly punish the front office/owners as well as the organization. 1m is nothing for Kraft, and the Pats to their credit rarely ever hit home runs with their high draft picks.

[Mike Powers]

It happens each week in most NFL games, and has for years. Before deflategate went wild, QBs like Aaron Rodgers made comments about liking his balls overinflated. It's a bunch of PR bullshit.

And I'm no Pats fan.

[Jon]

I'm fine with them penalizing the team. But Tom Brady being suspended for 4 games is bollocks.

[Justin]

I'm fine with them penalizing the team. But Tom Brady being suspended for 4 games is bollocks.

But he's the one ordering the balls to be altered.

[Gravedigger]

I don't care anymore. Just want it over.

That said 4 games seems excessive.

[¿PapaPancho?]

Sean Payton wasn't guilty and he got a year ... seems Brady got off easy

[Jon]

Sean Payton wasn't guilty and he got a year ... seems Brady got off easy

Didn't agree with that either.

[The TeeJ of Philly]

Tom Brady was found probable of cheating, the same probable of cheating someone with high levels of testerone.

[Jon]

A few of my favorite quotes about the incident and the Wells Report...

I just read the "More probable than not" Report... So, it took four solid months to figure out that nobody knows what happened?

— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) May 6, 2015

After 4 months of extreme, detailed investigation.. NE might have, probably, possibly, maybe deflated balls... Most likely.

— TJ Lang (@TJLang70) May 6, 2015

But alas... the NFL doesn't need hard evidence to put forth a punishment. Roger Baddell lowered the bar for guilt as he felt too many teams were getting away with breaking the rules and hard evidence couldn't be found.

But I am not the NFL. And when I issue out my punishments, I want there to be evidence or you shouldn't punish someone for thinking they probably had something to do with it. They either did or they didn't. I expect that type of thing to happen with my parents grounding me... but in my workplace, really?

But he's the one ordering the balls to be altered.

Really? That is news to me. What is your source?

Sean Payton wasn't guilty and he got a year ... seems Brady got off easy

I 100% agree with you. In accordance to those penalties being issued. But I disagreed with the whole Saints bounty punishment as well. But it is what it is.

Tom Brady was found probable of cheating, the same probable of cheating someone with high levels of testerone.

Except if they have high levels of testosterone, that is a fact... a measurement found through testing. And if having a high level is against those leagues rules, then that is and should be punishable. Otherwise, I'm not sure what you are getting at.

[¿PapaPancho?]

Split between rallying against a corrupt institution and my hatred for all things east coast .... so i choose the lesser of two evils. fuck tom brady and new england

[Gates]

I think for just deflategate too harsh, but this clearly was viewed as a punishment for a repeat offender.

At first, I viewed it more as a reaction to how poor suspensions were handled last season with the domestic/child abuse. Maybe it's off base, but I think Goodell kind of chose this chance to make a statement...that a lot of people didn't really agree with and still raise an eyebrow at good ole Rodge.

As for the punishment itself...well, considering Brady's isn't for the deflating of footballs as much as it's for lying and refusing to hand over his cell phone (this is what I heard, I haven't given a care for it since they laid out the punishment).