Page 228 of Wells report -

[ericstratton-rushchairman]

"In sum, the data did not provide a basis for us to determine with absolute certainty whether there was or was not tampering as the analysis of such data ultimately is dependent upon assumptions and information that is not certain."

This statement tells you all you need to know.

Pressing the ball handlers to bring the air pressure down to lowest allowable limits is not cheating. If there is a range of psi allowed then any team should be allowed to place balls into play within those limits. It is clear to me that is what was supposed to happen and after a quarter of play the balls fell below the legal limit. No where does is it clear TB pressed to have balls deflated below legal limits. Tampering with the balls after inspection is a violation and should be dealt with.

But nowhere is it even close to proven that TB wanted the balls below legal limits nor specifically asked that the balls be tampered with after inspection. There is a lot of weird $hit going on with this report and I believe it has nothing to do with deflated footballs.

 

[Op2]

Hey, Tom Brady's agent, how ya doin'?

Exactly what kind of evidence would the need to make the conclusion with absolute certainty anyway? If balls naturally lose that much air then I guess the Colts balls were overinflated at the start of the game. And I guess they called that one guy "the deflator" not because he deflated balls but because he didn't over-inflate them.

 

[Lion8286]

This probably explains, in part, why Brady wouldn't cooperate with the investigation by turning over his texts, phone records, and e-mails. I mean why should an innocent person cooperate?? it's probably just all a big misunderstanding.

 

[demlion]

"In sum, the data did not provide a basis for us to determine with absolute certainty whether there was or was not tampering as the analysis of such data ultimately is dependent upon assumptions and information that is not certain."

This statement tells you all you need to know.

Pressing the ball handlers to bring the air pressure down to lowest allowable limits is not cheating. If there is a range of psi allowed then any team should be allowed to place balls into play within those limits. It is clear to me that is what was supposed to happen and after a quarter of play the balls fell below the legal limit. No where does is it clear TB pressed to have balls deflated below legal limits. Tampering with the balls after inspection is a violation and should be dealt with.

But nowhere is it even close to proven that TB wanted the balls below legal limits nor specifically asked that the balls be tampered with after inspection. There is a lot of weird $hit going on with this report and I believe it has nothing to do with deflated footballs.

Yeah it is not absolutely certain. But it is more likely than not. And as we discussed in another thread, "More likely than not" is the standard in this matter. I realize that to people like TB being called "probably a liar and a cheat," is okay so long as you know they cant prove it absolutely certain. He wins in that instance, because he knows he is in fact a liar and a cheat and anything less than absolute certainty in the investigation will allow him to continue to lie about lying and cheating...or better yet, to have someone like you lie for him about his lying and cheating.

 

[nittanymoops]

Mr Chairman,

I agree with your post, and want to offer a hat tip for making it through the entire report. Tom Brady is not "beyond a reasonable doubt" guilty.

However, that's not the burden of proof on the NFL/Goodell. The term Wells used -- ''more probable than not'' -- has been the standard of proof the NFL has used for competitive violations for several years, according to Bill Polian.

Further, the Pats reputation offers RG little leeway in punishment. And, as you said, tampering with the balls IS a violation. So RG has little choice. Further, given the Pats' past, it'll likely be on the harsh side, not lenient. I also think other fan bases might not be so harsh if it weren't for Spygate and, especially, the destruction of that evidence. (That struck a lot of people as odd, I'm sure.)

I sympathize with Pats fans, as you are the ones under siege (sort of similar to the anvil wrapped around PSU's neck, as far as national opinion, since Nov. 2011). Bob Kraft can wrap himself in billions and Lombardis and sleep well (although I don't think he would as I view him as honorable -- especially after what he did for Devon & Leah Still). The fans are the ones torn up/targeted by other fan bases.

However, everyone outside of that fan base sees things a little differently. While it's "not ISIS" as TB said, it's still a competitive violation of NFL rules. And, does anyone really think this wasn't done at TB's urging, since he and the Pats were behind the move in the mid 2000s to allow teams to prep balls for game play? The texts are not fatally damning, but these two bozos are probably not doing it on their own.

The preponderance of evidence is clearly stacked against NE/TB. Further, TB and the Pats were not entirely cooperative, another factor in RG's likely measure of punishment.

Finally, I'll say this: Perhaps there is SOMETHING else going on with this report. Given the texts about TB's preferred softness, and the ball boys' giving TB the occasional hard time about it (get ready for rugby/watermelons this week was unintentionally hilarious. The other possibility that I can think of is gambling/betting lines. If that WAS the case, I suspect the NFL/RG and ex-PSP commissioner Jeffrey Miller (now NFL head of security) would do just about anything to bury that.

BTW, I'm a Seahawks fan. I don't think the Lombardi should be in the PNW (you guys won it on the field), but it would've been nice to see what would've happened had Lynch gotten the ball and not some idiotic slant over the middle. Either way, it was a great game to watch. And I think we can all agree that JoePa would've panned that play call as low percentage where a lot of bad could happen -- and it did. Just not from your side of the field. Peace.

 

[Fayette_LION]

"In sum, the data did not provide a basis for us to determine with absolute certainty whether there was or was not tampering as the analysis of such data ultimately is dependent upon assumptions and information that is not certain."

This statement tells you all you need to know.

Pressing the ball handlers to bring the air pressure down to lowest allowable limits is not cheating. If there is a range of psi allowed then any team should be allowed to place balls into play within those limits. It is clear to me that is what was supposed to happen and after a quarter of play the balls fell below the legal limit. No where does is it clear TB pressed to have balls deflated below legal limits. Tampering with the balls after inspection is a violation and should be dealt with.

But nowhere is it even close to proven that TB wanted the balls below legal limits nor specifically asked that the balls be tampered with after inspection. There is a lot of weird $hit going on with this report and I believe it has nothing to do with deflated footballs.

One thing for sure, if the NFL punishes TB, the next negotiations between the players Assoc and the NFL will define some legal means for guilt. Too much in the hands of one guy at this time.

 

[really?????]

its the NFL they don't need 100% proof. There is no question brady was involved. How come everytime the pats win a super bowl they are caught cheating? Brady gone for the year just like the saints. Its not the crime its the coverup. The fact that brady decided not to cooperate is enough to punish him, it is not a courtroom.

 

[Dr. Feelgood]

The only people that think Brady is clean in this are Boston fans.

 

[wbcincy]

"In sum, the data did not provide a basis for us to determine with absolute certainty whether there was or was not tampering as the analysis of such data ultimately is dependent upon assumptions and information that is not certain."

This statement tells you all you need to know.

Pressing the ball handlers to bring the air pressure down to lowest allowable limits is not cheating. If there is a range of psi allowed then any team should be allowed to place balls into play within those limits. It is clear to me that is what was supposed to happen and after a quarter of play the balls fell below the legal limit. No where does is it clear TB pressed to have balls deflated below legal limits. Tampering with the balls after inspection is a violation and should be dealt with.

But nowhere is it even close to proven that TB wanted the balls below legal limits nor specifically asked that the balls be tampered with after inspection. There is a lot of weird $hit going on with this report and I believe it has nothing to do with deflated footballs.

If all they wanted was to bring the air pressure down to the lowest allowable limit, why would they need to wait until after the refs have checked the balls before making the adjustments? If all they were being asked to do by TB was something fully within the rules, why would the ball handlers be receiving "extras" on the side for their efforts? Why would TB have no phone contact with these ball handlers for months, then suddenly be on the phone with them 6 times in the days immediately following the break of the scandal, if there was nothing nefarious to discuss?

As demlion has said, the standard of proof here isn't "beyond a reasonable doubt," it's "preponderance of the evidence," and that's what they found. By the preponderance of the evidence, TB was involved in cheating. That's the statement that tells me all I need to know.