Deflategate basically over after today's press conf

[furi0usbee]

Yes, it's always so reliable when a team investigates itself for cheating. "No really - we inflated the balls in a sauna and then put them in a freezer after the refs inspected them! It was just shrinkage!"

Point taken! However, I find it even more strange that the NFL is sitting on some damning evidence (maybe?) and they will wait until after the SB to release it? At this point, I'll listen to either party as long as they are telling me something. If NFL has something to go on, release it. If it shows the Patriots cheated, fine, suspend, make an example out of them. I'm OK with that. But it's hard to get both sides of the story when one side refuses to talk, and is only leaking bits here and there.

 

[furi0usbee]

I'm sure the Patriots didn't need any motivation, but I'm sure they'll put a little more sugar on their hits come next Sunday. I know one thing, I haven't seen this much hate for two teams by the general public/country in a long time. Whatever you want to call this game, it's gonna be entertaining that's for sure. I really like the matchups, and hopefully Seattle injuries can make the day a bit easier.

I'm not going to pretend that no Seahawks fans would ever secretly hope for some Pats injuries to make the game easier, but it's pretty classless to come to our message board and outright admit it.

Did you do that on purpose? I'm clearly speaking of Sherman and Thomas, who already have injuries. I know you probably hate Patriots fans right now, but I would never wish injuries on any player. So I'll accept your apology in your zeal to swat another Pats fan, as I'm sure some of us have deserved it lately.

Sherman and Thomas will be fine. Get scared now.

Well since we have a TE (Gronk) that isn't that good, I've been scared since about the Q3 of the AFC Championship game.

 

[furi0usbee]

Are the mods going to start an official game day thread? I'd rather start posting about the game than "deflategate."

 

[Northhawk]

As someone who is in PR and, before that, a reporter, it appears this news conference was clean-up from Bellichick's last where many thought he threw Brady under the bus.

There was nothing new offered today other than the fact the accused team ran some tests which proves to themselves they're innocent. That's like an accused murder acting as the pathologist in his own murder investigation (not that under deflating balls is as serious as a murder) and saying his tests results prove he's innocent.

This was about being aggressive and trying to change the narrative. And, except for delusional Pat's fans, no one is buying it. It screams "Methink ye protests too much."

On the good side, given it's less than 10 days from SB and this is Bellichick's second newser, one can only hope this whole thing is cutting into their prep time and focus.

That said, I don't want the league to do anything to NE until the SB is over.

 

[DohBoy]

Well since we have a TE (Gronk) that isn't that good, I've been scared since about the Q3 of the AFC Championship game.

Well don't be too scared...it's not like your previous TE is on the loose again with a gun.

 

[RunTheBall]

Well since we have a TE (Gronk) that isn't that good, I've been scared since about the Q3 of the AFC Championship game.

Hopefully Gronk plays like just he did in his last Super Bowl... he disappears with everything on the line.

 

[hawk45]

Belichick must be desperate to get this thing killed by Media Day, because that dude never talks this much. He probably just backfired it and added fuel to the fire, so have a fun week, Patriots.

I'm going to enjoy the blood vessels in his forehead pulsing when he realizes, with the first question asked him during media day, that all his effort here was wasted. This is Belichick's personal hell scenario, and taking media questions seriously as much as he has this far has to be redlining his blood pressure.

:242733:

 

[furi0usbee]

Well since we have a TE (Gronk) that isn't that good, I've been scared since about the Q3 of the AFC Championship game.

Well don't be too scared...it's not like your previous TE is on the loose again with a gun.

LOL. But anyway, I'd really like to talk football.

 

[tacomahawk]

So even if we go all scientific on this, why wasn't the 12th ball like all the rest of them? Seems to me that that kind of shoots a big hole in Darth Belicheat's theory? This thing isn't even close to over.

Kind of reminds me of Barry Bond's gigantic head. I suppose that was just to do with weather as well.

 

[furi0usbee]

Well since we have a TE (Gronk) that isn't that good, I've been scared since about the Q3 of the AFC Championship game.

Hopefully Gronk plays like just he did in his last Super Bowl... he disappears with everything on the line.

Gronk is 100% this time around my friend Maybe when Lane was pontificating on Gronk, he was watching some old film? Needs to pop in some 2014 film.

 

[hawk79]

Pats called a pc today. Belichick detailed a series of experiments the team performed the past couple of days. The main news was that the prepping/rubbing of the footballs, which occurs just prior to turning them over the ref for measurement, causes the psi to go up by 1 full psi. So if they do that and turn it over the ref at 12.5 psi, after a while of sitting, the balls will lose that 1 psi down to 11.5. The diff in temps from indoors to outdoors accounts for additional .5 psi change. So the psi went down in their experiments by a total of 1.5 psi. They were able to duplicate this for multiple footballs.

Very convincing, and I'm sure they documented the crap out of everything they did. It's over, the league will have to back off, though I won't hold my breath for the apology they owe.

Convincing for you. What else would anyone here expect you to say. Keep drinking the cool aid.

 

[furi0usbee]

Hey, credibility shoutout. Richard Sherman is a great player and I'd love to have him playing on my team. Can I get some reciprocation?

 

[furi0usbee]

So even if we go all scientific on this, why wasn't the 12th ball like all the rest of them?

Well I keep hearing reports that 12th ball was thrown to a fan. But since the NFL is all tight-lipped, I have no explanation for that.

 

[SnoCoHawk]

Yes, it's always so reliable when a team investigates itself for cheating. "No really - we inflated the balls in a sauna and then put them in a freezer after the refs inspected them! It was just shrinkage!"

Point taken! However, I find it even more strange that the NFL is sitting on some damning evidence (maybe?) and they will wait until after the SB to release it? At this point, I'll listen to either party as long as they are telling me something. If NFL has something to go on, release it. If it shows the Patriots cheated, fine, suspend, make an example out of them. I'm OK with that. But it's hard to get both sides of the story when one side refuses to talk, and is only leaking bits here and there.

The NFL is a bureaucracy and most of those just don't move very quickly. Sure, they're Johnny-on-the-spot when it comes to fines, but that's what they do every day. This situation is far outside of their comfort zone and they don't want to pull another Ray Rice and make a hasty move before all the relevant facts come in. They know they're under a microscope here and it's been a bad year for them looking, well...bad. Add to that the terrible timing with the upcoming Super Bowl, the fact that the potential cheaters are playing *in* the Super Bowl and it's a very tricky situation indeed.

I think they're stalling, they're sifting through evidence, and maybe even holding their breath waiting for something damning to come out of tabloid sites that would make them look stupid or corrupt (like happened with the Ray Rice tape and the Adrian Peterson beaten child photos). Can you imagine how much a site like TMZ would pay a ball boy or equipment manager to come forward (or leak anonymously) admitting that the ball were deflated intentionally and on the orders of Brady and/or Belechick? It might be enough money to make up for being fired. The fact is that if it's true, then numerous people know about it. Equipment guys, every player that touches the ball regularly...that's a lot of people to trust to keep a secret.

 

[Morpheus08]

Well since we have a TE (Gronk) that isn't that good, I've been scared since about the Q3 of the AFC Championship game.

Well don't be too scared...it's not like your previous TE is on the loose again with a gun.

LOL. But anyway, I'd really like to talk football.

How do you like the Patriots chances now that most of their illegal advantages have been removed?

 

[LickMyNuts]

At one time I heard that BB could beat anybody with two weeks to prepare. Now that they have been distracted by their deflating balls they have the motivation to win.

This is all spin for the Pats homers.

 

[furi0usbee]

Do you guys think Pete Carroll may have a hard time keeping this game all business, and not delving into a personal mission to beat his former team/employer? Carroll always had success early in the season with us, but fell off the radar at the end. Obviously he would love to win the game for the game's sake, but I wonder if he will try a little bit harder to show us up.

 

[Hawknballs]

What is it about the playoffs that brings out the worst/dumbest of opposing team's fans? All season long we've had good visiting fans, then the playoffs hit and everyone goes full r-word.

 

[furi0usbee]

Well since we have a TE (Gronk) that isn't that good, I've been scared since about the Q3 of the AFC Championship game.

Well don't be too scared...it's not like your previous TE is on the loose again with a gun.

LOL. But anyway, I'd really like to talk football.

How do you like the Patriots chances now that most of their illegal advantages have been removed?

Great question! This will be the fairest NFL game *ever* played. Seattle and Patriots have no fears of cheating in this one! But to answer your question, believe it or not, I am liking this matchup even more than I was looking forward to Green Bay. I see the fast defense you guys have, but I also see matchup problems and size matchups I think we can win. Also, if we can get your D line in a bad rotation and get into our no huddle, and maybe cheat with some eligible ineligible players, I think it can be a good day.

 

[SnoCoHawk]

...It screams "Methink ye protests too much."

“The more you leave out, the more you highlight what you leave in.”
-Henry Green, author