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Just guessing, but perhaps TB told others about what he was doing--like his coach.if the investigators got the phones of the two stooges that deflated the balls? Wouldn't any evidence of Brady texting them be on their phones as well?
It's not a bid deal if you ask me. I wouldn't have given them my phone, either. What I find ridiculous is that I heard an interview with Tom Wells yesterday where he said that it wouldn't have changed his report had Tom Brady given him access to his phone but then went on to say that the fact that he didn't give him the phone played a role in his findings. So basically it didn't matter and it did. He also went on to say that the NFL was alerted to this before the Colts game but there was no sting operation in place to catch the Patriots. Am I really to believe that the NFL was e-mailed about the PSI being lowered by the Patriots after the refs approve the balls and believe it's totally coincidental that the NFL looked into it immediately after it happened? It sounds EXACTLY like a sting operation. He spoke out of both sides of his mouth.
Frankly the NFL has become a circus. We never talk about football when talking about the NFL anymore. The focus is always on something else. Tom Brady is likely the greatest QB to ever play. Anyone that thinks the amount of air (give or take 1PSI) in a football makes a difference should have their head examined. I can't believe there has been so much focus on this.
it was actually noble of brady to protect belichek.
One thing everyone forgets, in this country you are guilty until proven innocent. Especially in the eyes of the media and the unknowing public. In the courts, innocence is assumed but the media could care less. It makes better headlines, especially when high profile people are involved.Brady was not legally required to give up his phone, because it is his phone and not the property of the Patriots (unlike the other phones that were turned over). Per the report, he was asked to give up his phone to a third party investigation company that presumably would do a forensic data draw as they did with the other phones. The proposed deal with Brady was that he could have his attorney review and approve any data being turned over to ensure that no information unrelated to the issue was involved.
I don't blame Brady for not turning his phone over. He appears to have been informed of the potential consequences for failing to turn it over. He had his own legal counsel involved, and he made his decision. I doubt very much that he or his advisers are surprised at all that (a) the Report said he failed to cooperate by not turning over the phone data; and (b) that he was punished more severely for not cooperating fully.
I suspect that Wells did not dwell on the issue, because he had sufficient information from the other phones to implicate Brady. The Patriots, on the other hand, were really in a Catch 22 position as the phones for the equipment guys were the property of the Patriots. They could, of course, elect not to turn them over but the failure to do so would have likely meant some very severe sanctions as their franchise agreement requires them to cooperate in any NFL investigation. Even still they elected to run the risk of a finding that they failed to fully cooperate when they refused to make the main guy, McNally, available for a second interview by Wells' team - after the forensic work on the phones was complete. Again, the Patriots had their own legal advisers looking at the matter and presumably they made the decision that it was better to accept a finding that they failed to fully cooperate in the investigation than to allow McNally to be questioned about all the discovered texts.
My guess is that the Patriot's management really were surprised to learn the extent of the "deflation" activities, and that the balls were deflated after they were supposed to be the possession of the game refs so mid-investigation, after the bad texts became known to them, their initial approach of being fully cooperative became a bit of a problem.
It's not a bid deal if you ask me. I wouldn't have given them my phone, either. What I find ridiculous is that I heard an interview with Tom Wells yesterday where he said that it wouldn't have changed his report had Tom Brady given him access to his phone but then went on to say that the fact that he didn't give him the phone played a role in his findings. So basically it didn't matter and it did. He also went on to say that the NFL was alerted to this before the Colts game but there was no sting operation in place to catch the Patriots. Am I really to believe that the NFL was e-mailed about the PSI being lowered by the Patriots after the refs approve the balls and believe it's totally coincidental that the NFL looked into it immediately after it happened? It sounds EXACTLY like a sting operation. He spoke out of both sides of his mouth.
Frankly the NFL has become a circus. We never talk about football when talking about the NFL anymore. The focus is always on something else. Tom Brady is likely the greatest QB to ever play. Anyone that thinks the amount of air (give or take 1PSI) in a football makes a difference should have their head examined. I can't believe there has been so much focus on this.
it was actually noble of brady to protect belichek.
Exactly. Those arguments are as lame as "the calls even out" arguments the Big 10 mafia makes when we get hosed by the referines.I love the "it doesn't even help anyway" arguments. "Oh, those tapes of other team's practices don't help you make the plays on the field." "Those steroids don't help hand/eye coordination." "A couple PSI difference doesn't change anything."
What those defenders ignore is the enormous risk those cheaters take to do those things the defenders say don't make a difference. Why would they risk their integrity/reputation/health for those different efforts to cheat if they didn't really make a difference. They obviously do.
According to Wells, he asked Brady's agent to provide relevant e-mails or text messages and would accept his representation that these were the only ones of that nature and Brady and his agent refused. He was never asked or expected to turn over his phone. He was and is, however, required under league rules to cooperate with an investigation and my guess would be that the league didn't think this met that criteria. Finally, this is not a criminal matter, so this is not a guilt/innocence issue, but merely whether there was sufficient evidence and/or non-cooperation to warrant punishment under league rules. IMO Brady got what he deserved.If it was his personal phone, and not provided by and paid for by the Patriots, I don't blame him. I would have done the same. That's an invasion of his privacy and since you can't prove a negative anyway handing it over would do nothing to prove his innocence, even if they didn't find anything.
Sounds like the pernicious "no snitching" code popularized to protect criminals in the inner city now extends to pretty boy QBs. Brady is an O GWow. Society's definitions of things like 'noble' and 'heroic' seem to have taken a serious U turn over the years.
If it was his personal phone, and not provided by and paid for by the Patriots, I don't blame him. I would have done the same. That's an invasion of his privacy and since you can't prove a negative anyway handing it over would do nothing to prove his innocence, even if they didn't find anything.
What is next? Based on your logic, a player should be able to refuse a drug test without punishment because it is an invasion of privacy?
One thing everyone forgets, in this country you are guilty until proven innocent. Especially in the eyes of the media and the unknowing public. In the courts, innocence is assumed but the media could care less. It makes better headlines, especially when high profile people are involved.
Point is..it is about the media and sensationalism. pro football is a business and the stars bring headlines. Only point to be made in the post.You're innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The constitution requires no such standard for allowing you to have an opinion. There's no court or governmental involvement here, so not sure what your point is.
Point is..it is about the media and sensationalism. pro football is a business and the stars bring headlines. Only point to be made in the post.
if the investigators got the phones of the two stooges that deflated the balls? Wouldn't any evidence of Brady texting them be on their phones as well?
Good for Brady and other that won't contribute to the trash that want to use them for their own gain. Just like the scum and other authorities that use folks blunders to increase their fame as they did in the Sandusky scandal, there will be those that do it the every other person that is questioned in a situation. Long ago I thought It was good to cooperate with authorities, that is until you get burned for trying to do the right thing. Humans are constantly trying to beat people down for their own advantage. Guilty or not you take the 5th amendment and lawyer up because very bad things can come from trying to do the right things.
What does cooperate mean if he is innocent and has nothing to provide?According to Wells, he asked Brady's agent to provide relevant e-mails or text messages and would accept his representation that these were the only ones of that nature and Brady and his agent refused. He was never asked or expected to turn over his phone. He was and is, however, required under league rules to cooperate with an investigation and my guess would be that the league didn't think this met that criteria. Finally, this is not a criminal matter, so this is not a guilt/innocence issue, but merely whether there was sufficient evidence and/or non-cooperation to warrant punishment under league rules. IMO Brady got what he deserved.
Nekid pictures of his wife no doubtif the investigators got the phones of the two stooges that deflated the balls? Wouldn't any evidence of Brady texting them be on their phones as well?
Haha. "The New Yorker" web site had a spoof article saying that the NFL had sentenced Brady to play for the Jets for a year.By the way he is guilty as sin. Four games was not enough! He should be traded to the stillers as punishment