Sports: NFL

[kevindola]

I believe some gloating may in order for some who, have indeed, correctly predicted a substitution rule change in regards to the Patriots' formations.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/12...l-substitution

[dok]

I would not gloat over being correct about just that one thing. If I were going to gloat, it would be about that and being correct that they would simplify the receiver possession rules in the wake of the Dez Bryant play.

[Dad_Scaper]

. . . which would still be incomplete, as it should be.

[dok]

Yes, of course. They're just trying to make it easier on the refs to make the call.

[Aldin]

Based on the report, let's assume some level of culpability on the part of Tom Brady, plausibly deniable or not. I wonder what the response would look like if he made a statement that looked something like this:

"I just want to come right out and say it, I screwed up, and I apologize. Worse, my actions are in all likelihood going to cause two men whose primary sin was helping me to lose their livelihoods. I could stand here all day and say that I never asked for the footballs to be underinflated - and that would be true, I never did. But I left no doubt in the mind of my equipment manager that I preferred them that way, and I rewarded him when they were to my liking. I suppose I tried to convince myself that it was okay as long as I didn't 'know' they were illegal. But it wasn't, and now I need to face the consequences of my actions.

First, I apologize to football fans and to Patriots fans in particular. You should be able to enjoy watching the Patriots play football free of scandal. Second, I apologize to my fellow players, to the league and especially to my teammates, by my actions I have tarnished you and made your accomplishments seem less than they deserve. Finally, I apologize to Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft who were not aware of my actions, but were organizationally responsible for them, and therefore are likely to suffer because of them.

I would ask that the NFL restrict punishment to only myself. Whatever punishment they believe appropriate I will accept with good grace, holding no ill will. Further, to the two equipment men who will likely lose their jobs over this, I give the sum of $1 million dollars. This is not in payment for services rendered, but a debt I owe them for making them complicit in my crime.

I ask for and hope for all of your forgiveness, and I stand ready to accept whatever punishment is deemed appropriate."

~Aldin, preferring clean slates

[Kinseth]

From my standpoint, I could careless. Every team tries to cheat/get an edge. Not the first, won't be the last.

[Dad_Scaper]

It's the cover up that gets you. And there isn't plausible deniability.

Regardless, it's not the business with the balls that's the big problem. It's the lying afterward, and the refusal to turn over the phone. It's also, in my opinion, the organization's refusal to make McNally available for a second interview. We'll see what happens. I have no sympathy for cheaters, and the defense that others cheat too is not, IMHO, a defense at all. Others didn't get caught. If and when they do, it'll be their turn.

[Tornado]

The texts are what blow me away. The one guy was known as the 'Deflator'.
Come on. If you are going to cheat at least be smart enough to not text about it.

[Kinseth]

Criminals get caught because they leave behind evidence lol.

[Aldin]

I know it's early. I know the Bucs really are that bad, but still... the Titans won. Won in a blowout. Won with a perfect passer rating for Mariota.

In a way, there's nowhere for him to go but down. He may never have a perfect passer rating again. He may never get pulled at the end of the third quarter in a blowout again. And yet, in a sense, there's still a lot of "up" to accomplish. Can he win two in a row? Can he win at home? Can he beat a better team?

It's hard to stay skeptical, becuase I really want to ride the Mariota hype bus right about now

~Aldin, feeling good watching the Titans for the first time in years

[Tornado]

Not happy with the Lie-Downs. Detroit goes up 21-3 and lie down. Typical.
How do you not just run the ball in the second half? The run game was solid and we have a rising star just waiting for an opportunity. Two catches for Johnson on four attempts, that stinks.
I had high hopes this year, unfortunately the offense and Stafford are still dumb. Defense felt OK except for the littlest guy in the league running it up the gut over and over.
Bitterness.

Props to Mariota. He looked poised.

[IAmBatman]

Originally Posted by Tornado

Not happy with the Lie-Downs. Detroit goes up 21-3 and lie down. Typical.
How do you not just run the ball in the second half? The run game was solid and we have a rising star just waiting for an opportunity. Two catches for Johnson on four attempts, that stinks.
I had high hopes this year, unfortunately the offense and Stafford are still dumb. Defense felt OK except for the littlest guy in the league running it up the gut over and over.
Bitterness.

Props to Mariota. He looked poised.

Not to pile on, but the defense looked pretty terrible to me. They let up an 83% passing completion rate and 400 yards in the air. And, from what I saw, it was mostly yards after contact. IF the defense can remember how to tackle and Stafford and the rest of the offense can get on the same page enough to muster a passing game, I still think we can be good (run game and special teams looked great!). But that's a lot of IFs and I feel like I've been down this road too often as a Lion's fan.

Does any other team in professional sports torture its fans the way the Lions do?