Stephen A Smith reporting Brady suspension to stand

but not this one.

That's baffling to me.

over the past week or so. I'll wait for an actual decision. Sucks if true though.

I heard it was possible, sounds like he's saying it's likely.

succumb to the fine and loss of draft pick, was huge....

It's quite possible the NFL is holding back some info, and sandbagging Brady in the process...

but I had heard that Brady wasn't going to accept a reduced suspension - it was either 0 games or court.

Honestly if the NFL and the Pats were to downplay it from the beginning and just fine the team and not give such a large suspension, it would blow over within a few weeks. The NFL dug their own grave by dragging this out and making this a big deal IMO.

As noted above, the fact that Hardy got the same number of games is just scary.

SAS isn't the most reliable source however.

Opening day, and fans around the world are waiting to see if a restraining order will be granted on an expedited basis to permit Brady to take the field? ha

I wonder if the courts will even accept jurisdiction if NFLPA/Brady pursue a judicial remedy. Wonder how a challenge to Goodell's ruling fits in the CBA language and whether appealable, hearable judicially

In comment 12388778 pjcas18 said:

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I heard it was possible, sounds like he's saying it's likely.

Yeah that wasn't a shot at you. ESPNs bottom line has been saying this the past few days, various reports last week said it too. Steven A is "hearing" the same.

and I agree with his suspension. The wrench is Hardys reduction. You can't possible give these two infractions the same punishment, what message does it send to the league? Better yet, to kids?

Goodell still can't get it right. It's fuckjng embarassing.

if he was suspended for any amount of time, so Goodell probably figures he mines as well uphold the suspension and not look weak to the rest of the league/owners.

It was that dumbass arbitrator. I think Hardy should have been barred from ever playing again, but I guess it's the law so...

Hardy and Brady's case are two entirely separate issues, though. They shouldn't have any effect on one another whatsoever, and let's not forget that Brady may have been doing this for years. I'm glad the suspension stands.

and Brady aren't not even comparable.

What is the penalty in MLB for PED's vs domestic violence?

people take adderall and are suspended longer than Hardy.

the victim failed to cooperate, the league, without video evidence like in the Ray Rice case, can't really overstep that and suspend a player, at least I don't think. Sucks, but I don't think it's uncommon in cases of domestic violence.

if it's upheld, he broke a story. if it is modified, he didnt report that it was 100%, just likely. Doesnt even tell you who the sources is, specifically or vaguely, so for all we know the source is his mother. Journalism!

The courts arent going to care if its a bad decision. Bad decisions happen all the time. If Brady got all the due process he had coming and there was no abuse of discretion, litigating isnt going to get Brady and the Pats where they want to be. That being said, if the judge says, hey guys, go settle this, or neither of you are going to like what i have to say, maybe it gets worked out. We will see if Brady wants to take a shot.

is more for lying and impeding the investigation than for the actual cheating.

reducing Hardy from 10 games to 4 and upholding Brady's suspension. Please explain to me how the league does not favor the Cowboys. Who does NE play week 4? Dallas.

This is why the Commissioner waited so long to rule. It puts the season in jeopardy if Brady takes them to court. The Pats are much better off taking their medicine in September than risk a ruling against him in November/December.

that Lebron was coming to the knicks.

Goodell knows too well the impact of the PR fallout especially after the Ray Rice scandal. He knows that this will be compared to the Hardy reduction fair or not.

No way he lets Brady serve the same amount as a domestic abuser.

In comment 12388845 Jay on the Island said:

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reducing Hardy from 10 games to 4 and upholding Brady's suspension. Please explain to me how the league does not favor the Cowboys. Who does NE play week 4? Dallas.

Hardy appealed his conviction (with the law) and had it overturned. According to the state of North Carolina he was not convicted of a crime.

the victim fails to cooperate.

It's very dangerous IMO without any other evidence (like the Ray Rice video) for the league to suspend him more than they have.

even after conducting their own investigation, since they don't have to go by the law, what can they say "we know you really did this, even though you skated with the law, so we're suspending you - but we have no evidence.

In comment 12388832 pjcas18 said:

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and Brady aren't not even comparable. What is the penalty in MLB for PED's vs domestic violence? people take adderall and are suspended longer than Hardy. the victim failed to cooperate, the league, without video evidence like in the Ray Rice case, can't really overstep that and suspend a player, at least I don't think. Sucks, but I don't think it's uncommon in cases of domestic violence.

Legally they're not, but it's not a good look for public perception/fan interest. It looks uneven.

If the system allows the victim to be bought off in lieu of testifying what is the NFL supposed to do? The arbitrator was in a bad position and imo his hand was forced into a radical reduction under the circumstances.

...is that instead of warning the Patriots that officials would be closely monitoring football pressure in the AFC championship game, the NFL played gotcha, caused an embarrassing sideshow during SB week, and now will be suspending one of their biggest starts.

What complete idiot could possibly think that this would be good for the brand? Oh, right, Goodell.

In comment 12388868 Britt in VA said:

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In comment 12388832 pjcas18 said: Quote: and Brady aren't not even comparable. What is the penalty in MLB for PED's vs domestic violence? people take adderall and are suspended longer than Hardy. the victim failed to cooperate, the league, without video evidence like in the Ray Rice case, can't really overstep that and suspend a player, at least I don't think. Sucks, but I don't think it's uncommon in cases of domestic violence. Legally they're not, but it's not a good look for public perception/fan interest. It looks uneven.

Britt I agree, and I also agree that Hardy should be in jail, but I don't see how the league can act differently.

the biggest issue I see is consistency, but the Pats always push that envelope. there was no pre-established penalty for spy-gate and there is no pre-established penalty for this.

the lack of guidelines causes the inconsistency.

Maybe if Belichick tells Goodell what he's up to next they can document the penalty beforehand.

Brady destroyed his cell phone AND that there is language in the SpyGate settlement, that if Belichick is involved in another cheating scandal he would be banned for life from the NFL.

In comment 12388881 sb from NYT Forum said:

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...is that instead of warning the Patriots that officials would be closely monitoring football pressure in the AFC championship game, the NFL played gotcha, caused an embarrassing sideshow during SB week, and now will be suspending one of their biggest starts. What complete idiot could possibly think that this would be good for the brand? Oh, right, Goodell.

The NFL didn't play gotcha.

last week because Goodell has nothing to lose here. If he cuts or reduces the suspension it will be heavily criticized. But if he upholds it, he knows Brady and the NFLPA will take it to court where it will most likely be overturned.

Thus, he can go back to fans and other NFL owners and say his hands were tied and nothing he could do. After all the stuff that has gone on the last two years, he comes out still looking a lot better than if he withdrew or cut the suspension.

the same as Hardy's, I don't think the league should be influenced by the appeal ruling in what they do with Brady. They suspended Hardy for 10 games. They're not responsible for the arbitrator's reduction of that, and they're free to disagree with it. If there's any comparison to be made, it's 4 games for cheating to 10 games for domestic violence. Maybe those relative suspensions are reasonable, maybe they're not. But I don't think the league should base Brady's suspension on what they view as an inappropriate reduction in Hardy's.

In comment 12388881 sb from NYT Forum said:

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...is that instead of warning the Patriots that officials would be closely monitoring football pressure in the AFC championship game, the NFL played gotcha, caused an embarrassing sideshow during SB week, and now will be suspending one of their biggest starts. What complete idiot could possibly think that this would be good for the brand? Oh, right, Goodell.

Stop acting like the NFL caused Brady and the Pats to cheat. Every one of your posts on the subject has been exonerating Brady of any and all wrongdoing when that has been proven not to be the case. He cheated. Now, he is being punished. You sound like my Pats fan friends jfc.

is that the Hardy case was heard, under the terms of the CBA, by a third-party arbitrator. The Brady case, again under the terms of the CBA, has been heard by Goodell. So the arbitrator, not the NFL, reduced Hardy's suspension and is not necessarily a precedent for Goodell's decision on Brady.

In comment 12388846 Torrag said:

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This is why the Commissioner waited so long to rule. It puts the season in jeopardy if Brady takes them to court. The Pats are much better off taking their medicine in September than risk a ruling against him in November/December.

I think they are done if Brady takes the suspension.

If he does take them to court, is the suspension on hold?

If he's gone for 4 games, if I'm the Patriots I start playing for draft picks and go all Major League on the season. But I'm petty like that.

In comment 12388933 732NYG said:

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In comment 12388881 sb from NYT Forum said: Quote: ...is that instead of warning the Patriots that officials would be closely monitoring football pressure in the AFC championship game, the NFL played gotcha, caused an embarrassing sideshow during SB week, and now will be suspending one of their biggest starts. What complete idiot could possibly think that this would be good for the brand? Oh, right, Goodell. Stop acting like the NFL caused Brady and the Pats to cheat. Every one of your posts on the subject has been exonerating Brady of any and all wrongdoing when that has been proven not to be the case. He cheated. Now, he is being punished. You sound like my Pats fan friends jfc.

Have they proved that Brady cheated? To quote a friend on a different thread, "is there a smoking gun"?

..and were warned that any further incidents would result in harsh discipline. So what do they do? Concoct a conspiracy to tamper with footballs in championship play. Why should the league have to warn these cheating morons again? How many times is enough for these clowns?

what the issue is with this? There was no "smoking gun" needed in this investigation as that was not their standard of proof. From everything I've read, the conclusion of "more probable than not" seems to make logical sense based on the findings so, as a result, Brady was punished, end of story. The Hardy case was dismissed in court and has nothing to do with this. Are people suggesting that Brady had no idea that this was going on and was merely chatting up the "inflator" as he usually does after games? Are we to totally discount Brady refusing to cooperate with his phone/texts?

In comment 12388933 732NYG said:

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In comment 12388881 sb from NYT Forum said: Quote: ...is that instead of warning the Patriots that officials would be closely monitoring football pressure in the AFC championship game, the NFL played gotcha, caused an embarrassing sideshow during SB week, and now will be suspending one of their biggest starts. What complete idiot could possibly think that this would be good for the brand? Oh, right, Goodell. Stop acting like the NFL caused Brady and the Pats to cheat. Every one of your posts on the subject has been exonerating Brady of any and all wrongdoing when that has been proven not to be the case. He cheated. Now, he is being punished. You sound like my Pats fan friends jfc.

For me it's got nothing to do with the Pats but everything to do with the hypocritical NFL. This shit is standard operating procedure in the NFL, either underinflate or overinflate. The penalties are minor, about the same as wearing sneakers from a non-sanctioned source. Goodell responded harshly because the media blew it out of proportion; in typical fashion he just makes shit up as he goes along, doesn't follow the rules or any precedent.

You think it's fine now because it's the Pats, but just wait until someone the Giants get bitten in the ass because some sore-loser coach or GM from a rival complains about a minor violation that the media blows all out of proportion.

I think Brady refused to turn over his cell phone because it would implicate Belichick. There is not way he didn't discuss this with him when it happened.

In comment 12388951 Bill L said:

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In comment 12388933 732NYG said: Quote: In comment 12388881 sb from NYT Forum said: Quote: ...is that instead of warning the Patriots that officials would be closely monitoring football pressure in the AFC championship game, the NFL played gotcha, caused an embarrassing sideshow during SB week, and now will be suspending one of their biggest starts. What complete idiot could possibly think that this would be good for the brand? Oh, right, Goodell. Stop acting like the NFL caused Brady and the Pats to cheat. Every one of your posts on the subject has been exonerating Brady of any and all wrongdoing when that has been proven not to be the case. He cheated. Now, he is being punished. You sound like my Pats fan friends jfc. Have they proved that Brady cheated? To quote a friend on a different thread, "is there a smoking gun"?

Well besides the fact that this isn't a criminal investigation and absolute proof isn't necessary to reach a decision, you can go read the Wells report if you're looking for a smoking gun. Saying the patriots and Brady have been less that cooperative is an understatement. If Brady destroyed his phone, that's pretty damning. Kinda hard to have a smoking gun when you destroyed the damn thing. Texts from McNally implicating Brady and referencing deflating balls. All the excuses, the bad science they tried to pin the whole thing on, it's obvious. If you can't see that Brady did it, you don't want to see that Brady did it. I don't know what else to tell you.

brady cheated, plain and simple. and in a way that can have a direct impact on the game on the field.

in how they're making these calls.

In comment 12388973 sb from NYT Forum said:

Quote:

In comment 12388933 732NYG said: Quote: In comment 12388881 sb from NYT Forum said: Quote: ...is that instead of warning the Patriots that officials would be closely monitoring football pressure in the AFC championship game, the NFL played gotcha, caused an embarrassing sideshow during SB week, and now will be suspending one of their biggest starts. What complete idiot could possibly think that this would be good for the brand? Oh, right, Goodell. Stop acting like the NFL caused Brady and the Pats to cheat. Every one of your posts on the subject has been exonerating Brady of any and all wrongdoing when that has been proven not to be the case. He cheated. Now, he is being punished. You sound like my Pats fan friends jfc. For me it's got nothing to do with the Pats but everything to do with the hypocritical NFL. This shit is standard operating procedure in the NFL, either underinflate or overinflate. The penalties are minor, about the same as wearing sneakers from a non-sanctioned source. Goodell responded harshly because the media blew it out of proportion; in typical fashion he just makes shit up as he goes along, doesn't follow the rules or any precedent. You think it's fine now because it's the Pats, but just wait until someone the Giants get bitten in the ass because some sore-loser coach or GM from a rival complains about a minor violation that the media blows all out of proportion.

Deflating footballs to gain an unfair advantage is a lot different than wearing unsanctioned shoes, and if you can't realize that, you should probably go find another sport to follow. Deflating footballs to the degree they were deflated(and somehow now the kicking ball) absolutely 100% has a tangible effect on the game. Go try it for yourself and you'll see there is a big difference in how they are able to be gripped. This aids not only in throwing the ball, but also in catching, preventing fumbles, gaining a better grip in poor weather situations, the list goes on. For anyone who says this isn't a big deal, I don't understand how you can come to that conclusion especially considering we have no idea how long this was going on for. This was a big fucking deal, it effected outcomes of games, I guarantee it. Football is a game of inches, and one less fumble here, one more catch there, determines a win or a loss.

In comment 12388881 sb from NYT Forum said:

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...is that instead of warning the Patriots that officials would be closely monitoring football pressure in the AFC championship game, the NFL played gotcha, caused an embarrassing sideshow during SB week, and now will be suspending one of their biggest starts. What complete idiot could possibly think that this would be good for the brand? Oh, right, Goodell.

From what I've read, the NFL DID warn the Pats about this. That is one of the reasons they came down on them so hard, aside from Spygate of course

How often leaks come from the NFL.

is that Stephen A Smith doesn't type with CAPS LOCK.

goes up this year it will be very telling.

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...if you can't realize that, you should probably go find another sport to follow...

Do you think it would be possible to have a difference of opinion without posting nonsense like that? Seriously, kneejerk invective and hyperbole get very tiresome around here.

Anyway, the penalty for altering ball pressure is $50,000. So regardless of whether you think it's a big F'ing deal, the NFL's $ penalty doesn't reflect that.

Past infractions violating fair competition are considered(Spygate, etc), and refusal to cooperate results in serious discipline in it's own right. You can't ignore all the cumulative factors when deciding on how to rule in this case. It's not just this one incident and it's not just deflating balls in championship play.

In comment 12389086 sb from NYT Forum said:

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Quote: ...if you can't realize that, you should probably go find another sport to follow... Do you think it would be possible to have a difference of opinion without posting nonsense like that? Seriously, kneejerk invective and hyperbole get very tiresome around here. Anyway, the penalty for altering ball pressure is $50,000. So regardless of whether you think it's a big F'ing deal, the NFL's $ penalty doesn't reflect that.

Fine, I'll change what I said.

If you can't tell the difference between wearing unsanctioned shoes(!!!) and altering the pressure of the football you are playing with to gain an unfair advantage over the other team, then you are dumb.

Better?

guessing -- and that he has no sources -- as per usual
Link - ( New Window )

You can't pay off an under inflated football.

...and for proving my point. Because the NFL has roughly the same penalties for wearing the wrong sneakers as they do for doctoring footballs, then they are dumb.

suspended 4 games for wearing the wrong shoes.

Underinflated balls compared to beating people up, DUI's etc. He's a clown. Goodell that is...well so is Smith for that matter.

Cry baby Brady is bitchng that he would not accept any reduction unless it was for all 4 games. He would sue, so then why reduce his suspension and make Brady's case better. This sounds like ARod all over, he was going to sue everyone, MLB dug their heals in and won. Hope the same thing happens in the NFL. Brady just needs to shut up take his medicine and move on.

"Did Stephen A mention whether or not Brady's phone was asking for it?"
Link - ( New Window )

In comment 12389127 sb from NYT Forum said:

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...and for proving my point. Because the NFL has roughly the same penalties for wearing the wrong sneakers as they do for doctoring footballs, then they are dumb.

I've never seen anyone suspended for wearing the wrong shoe..........

Brady and Hardy situations.....

One case was decided by an arbiter, the other by Goodell....

One was for an incident outside of football.....

The other was for possible cheating in the NFL....

Two completely different situations, and one having nothing to do with the other....

Should penalties for "transgressions outside of football" be handled the same for potential cheating in football?

I don't think so....the Brady situation is a whole new ball game, and the penalty for it will be the benchmark for future situations....

SAS nailed it.

In comment 12389110 gidiefor said:

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guessing -- and that he has no sources -- as per usual Link - ( New Window )

I guess Florio is going to need to eat his words -- LoL