-OPINION September 4th 2015
By Theron K. Cal Managing Editor, RBRN
After a year of speculation, Judge Richard Berman delivered a blow to the NFL that we 12’s(the Seahawks retired the number 12 before the 1984 season for their fans) have been living with ever since Head Coach Pete Carroll didn’t watch the 08′ Patriots, Giants Superbowl. In the final seconds of that game Belichick let Giant running back, Ahmad Bradshaw waltz into the end zone with 3 and a 1/2 minutes left in the hopes of giving Brady a chance to win the game with his arm.
Brady was unsuccessful on that effort but had successfully completed the feat in 2002, driving to within’ Adam Vinatieri field goal range in Super Bowl 36 the first of what would be four championships for Brady and the Patriots.
There were reports that if the league and Brady didn’t come to an amicable agreement by September, Berman would side with Brady. I was skeptical, this is the big bad NFL, a monopoly, Billionaire White owners who are the epitome of White privilege & power.
If the NFL wanted to look like they were cracking down on one of their premier athletes regardless if he was a good racist-who refused to go the the White House and shake the hand of a Black genius President-by golly they were gonna do it and no Judge-even one hand picked by Commissioner Goodell-was gonna stop them.
While the lie being told is; the NFL didn’t properly handle what has come to be known as #Deflategate is the lie they’re all telling the truth is most on the Brady side believe if you’re White and you’re superior then what difference does it make if you cheat a lil’ bit? Most Conservatives believe, if you can’t prove it then its OK. Many believe its much to do about nothing just like they think of Hillary’s emails…OK bad example.
So what are the facts? In the first half of the AFC Championship game Colts strong Safety Mike Adams intercepted Brady twice. Each time he brought the footballs to the sideline to keep as souvenirs. Initial reports were that Adams noticed the balls we’re under inflated, but Adams told Mike Florio of Pro football dot com that he was full of two much adrenaline to notice anything strange about the footballs.
Adams picks started it all
The discovery something was amiss, we later learned came from Colts ball boys and equipment manager who then alerted Colts GM Ryan Grigson who then conferred with game Referee, Clete Blakeman who subsequently had all 24 game footballs tested, finding that 11 of the 12 Patriot footballs were under inflated.
NOTE: There have been a number of reports that as few as only one Patriot football was under inflated but that’s just Patriot fans lying.
Before the 2nd half kickoff all 24 footballs had been properly inflated.
I had just made it to the Olympic Sports Bar, across from my RBR Network sales offices in time to see Patriot Center, Bryan Stork stop play to point out something was wrong with the football. Commentators speculated; maybe the ball was wet as it had been raining in Foxborough. Blakeman tossed the football to a ball boy who replaced it with another.
Stork didn’t flinch, knowing the gig was up play resumed. That the Patriots starting center noticed the game balls felt different in the second half if not a smoking gun, is at least gun powder residue all over his and Brady’s hands.
At the heart of Brady’s defense and Berman’s ruling is Brady had no knowledge that balls were being deflated therefore he’s innocent and can’t be suspended. That’s totally wrong for a number of reasons but the main one is; if you send twelve men into the huddle but didn’t know you did does that negate the penalty?
The issue is not whether or not Brady “did it” or “knew about it” the issue is; were the balls deflated? And the answer is yes so they penalty must be applied whether Brady knew about it or not. Also at issue is texts between Brady and John Jastremski and Jim McNally, who were in charge of preparing the footballs hours before the AFC Championship game, clearly show and Brady admits he had relayed to them how he “liked” the footballs.
“Brady admits he likes footballs that are under inflated like Gaylord Perry liked baseballs that were a lil’ moist.” ~RB
So with the facts clearly showing that Brady was playing with illegal footballs-and before you start Denver Broncos receiver Demaryius Thomas and cornerback Chris Harris Jr. separately in interviews with Pro Football Talk make similar charges that in a game earlier in December, they felt the Patriots footballs were under inflated-the question has to be asked why are they letting Brady off the hook?
While Goodell vows he’ll appeal the Courts decision he has no grounds other than Brady did it. Did it doesn’t matter because Berman ruled that Brady’s rights under the collective bargaining agreement of the NFLPA were violated making any possible grounds for appeal moot.
Can you name another instance where the league has punished a player for a clear violation of the rules and a court ruled that that player was denied due process because he was punished? Brady wasn’t fighting whether or not he “did it” he was fighting the four game suspension. In every other case the suspension was reduced.
Goodell won’t attend Patriots-Steelers opener
Even the decision to force the league to accept Brady’s terms for settlement smacks of pushing the extra point back to give White kickers more say in the out come of NFL games. Goodell continues to posture as if he’s going to continue this fight but we know its over he and the NFL lost.
Goodell and the league aren’t the only losers the assault on Black players continue as society tries to stem the wave of Black quarterbacks in the age of Obama. The lack of integrity of the league along with the merger of Direct TV and AT&T will no doubt make the games less accessible to so many.
And God help them if they botch the NFL’s return to Los Angeles.
If there’s a silver lining to Deflate gate, its that the NFL regular season is upon us and Russell Wilson has one last chance to get to the White House, shake Obama’s hand and present him with a second Seahawk jersey. Other than that, I’m kinda’ cool on Roger Goodell… does Condi Rice still want to be NFL Commissioner? If so, maybe now’s a good time.
Those are my thoughts as usual, I invite yours.
TKCAL
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