The Dolphins Make Me Cry.com - Forums

It appears a Patriots locker room attendant tried to introduce an unapproved special teams ball into the game as well. There had been a push on Brady taking the blame on this one but given that we now know a special teams ball was part of the plot it goes deeper. I don't see how the Patriots can realistically maintain a defense environmental causes when they tried to introduce a completely different ball that had never been inspected by officials. I hope they drop the hammer.

http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/patriots-locker-room-attendant-put-unapproved-ball-afc/story?id=29040309

They tried to cheat and anyone who keeps trying to defend them just has their head in the sand. Whether it had any effect on the outcome of the game vs the Colts is meaningless. They were cheating. There is no way to spin out of this. Robert Kraft can yell as loud as he wants how this is all nonsense but he just comes off losing all credibility he once had and looks like dumb old man.

This last Super Bowl is tarnished. Because of Spygate and other things their legacy is forever tarnished. When talking about the great dynasty's of NFL history they will be left out of that conversation.

I mean the mountain of evidence against them just keeps growing and if the NFL doesn't come down on them they look awful and it hurts the credibility of the league.

(http://cdn2.sbnation.com/imported_assets/259125/asterisk-706650.jpg?_ga=1.124031433.2116834353.1424275598)

Let's see. Tuck Rule. Spygate. Deflate Gate. That's the trifecta and it's not a winner.

Spygate is actually two separate things, as well. 

And yet the NFL allowed them to win Superbowls in spite of these things.

The lesson the NFL is putting out is cheating pays off.

The lesson is if you have a very powerful owner who has the commisioner on a string you can get away with anything you want in this league

This is an issue with the NFL as an organization, not just the Pats.

Multiple stories have been coming out about cheating and while I don't condone it, it's hard to put an asterisk next to every 'accomplishment' in the NFL record books. It's just easier to leave the asterisk off since everyone was cheating.

If everyone is cheating, then all is fair, right?

This wasn't a "Patriots" thing.  It was an **NFL** employee, who was subsequently fired. 

An NFL employee was taking game day footballs, meant for charity, and selling them for profit.  The **NFL** employee took the football meant for game, did whatever it is he did with it, and handed the incorrect ball to the Patriots equipment manager to toss into play.

So, again, I understand everyone loves to have their torches and axes sharp...but things aren't always as they seem.

http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/12344667/nfl-employee-handed-new-england-patriots-locker-room-attendant-kicking-game-ball-source-says

Patriots are just the most unlucky team ever. Nothing like this ever happens to anyone else. Just them. Always and excuse and a fall guy in arms length as well,...funny how that works

I don't mean this negatively but it seems odd to me that you go out of your way to continue to defend them. It really doesn't seem like something that would normally interest you.

Wasn't he a Boston sports writer or still is? It wouldn't surprise me that much that he has some interest in defending them if that is the case. But I dunno.

Not everyone is getting caught cheating. That's the difference.

No asterisk. Colts and Seahawks losses had nothing to do with cheating.

Not the point! You are lost on the issue.

They might not have been in those games if they didn't cheat all year long. Cheating probably helped them get to that point and in those games.

So 'everyone' might be an overstatement, but so far articles (quickly hidden by the media coverage of the Pats) are showing instances of cheating among SF, ATL, Jags, Sea etc.. etc.. it's probably only a matter of time before more skeletons come out of the closet.

The fact that past players also know about stuff like this, and probably participated in it, only implies (albeit without definite proof) that cheating has been going on for years. And if that's true, then either an asterisk goes on the entire league, or we just call it even, clean up the system and move on.

Also, what if Boomer is on to something.... 
http://larrybrownsports.com/football/boomer-esiason-ravens-colts-embarrass-tom-brady-deflategate/254449

If they had lost to the Ravens, they wouldn't be playing the Colts or Seahawks.  ::)

I agree.  I don't think it devalues the championships, but in the NFL character should count for something.  And if these reports are true, The Patriots clearly have none.

Again, though, I see a new report on this every day, so I don't know who to believe anymore

Not might, it is.

And when they do, they should be punished right along with the Pats.

I just think it is interesting that the NFL identifies one form of cheating (i.e. using unfair methods to gain a competitive advantage over an opponent) as its #1 issue (performance enhancing drugs), and completely overlooks another form of cheating (this scandal).

No proof of cheating against the Ravens.

The Ravens were the team that alerted the Colts of the issue. And it is safe to assume that this wasn't a one time incident by a team that has a long history of cheating.

Might want to get all of the information out there before chiming in.

No, they were not.  The Colts noticed the issue in the first game against the Patriots (in the regular season).

http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/deflategate-baltimore-ravens-indianapolis-colts-deflated-footballs-012115

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/01/21/report-colts-had-inflation-concerns-in-november-matchup-with-patriots/

Might want to get all of the information out there before chiming in.

Did not take to the officials, took it to the Colts staff. After examing the balls themselves, they then brought it up to the officials. There is a chain of evidence issue here.

Not really, since the NE balls that never came into IND's possession were also underinflated.

Hey PAT, try to follow along before chiming in. My response was to the comment that underinflated balls had no impact to the outcome against the Ravens.

Way to miss the mark again, PAT.

And your claim was that the underinflated balls DID have an impact because the Ravens then alerted the Colts.
Who already reported it to the league months earlier.

bsmooth's statement, "No proof of cheating against the Ravens," is 100% factual.  Try harder next time.