04/25/24
February 08, 2022
SportsFilter: The Tuesday Huddle:
A place to discuss the sports stories that aren't making news, share links that aren't quite front-page material, and diagram plays on your hand. Remember to count to five Mississippi before commenting in anger.
From the 'Assault on an Expired Equine' department, Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio exposes the NFL's suppression of evidence that would have cleared New England of wrongdoing in the Deflategate affair. We Spofites made reference to the Ideal Gas Law at the time the story first broke, and it turns out that the NFL figured out that it was valid. Is there no end to the corruption that seems to exist in the league?
posted by Howard_T at 04:59 PM on February 08, 2022
Howard, "Assault on an Expired Equine" reminds me of my friend the retired USAF Colonel who seemed to have a limitless supply of phrases similar to that. When faced with a task that he found challenging, he would often say that he needed to "get his fecal matter collated".
Speaking of tasks, one of my favorite phrases of his is:
"A task transferred is a task completed".
posted by beaverboard at 07:25 PM on February 08, 2022
cleared New England of wrongdoing in the Deflategate affair
Interesting post, but please already. They cheated. They know they cheated. The refusal to admit that is what tarnishes the legacy of all involved.
posted by cixelsyd at 08:38 PM on February 08, 2022
Interesting that the Florio link is broken. Was the content taken down? If so, by whom? Is there an alternate source available?
Regarding the incident in question, the league conducted themselves like a latter day Warren Commission. The use of two inexpensive, dissimilar, uncalibrated pressure gauges to gather info is where the unamusing comedy of errors begins.
Both sides did stupid things and got lots of bad advice. When it's arrogant shmucks versus clumsy clowns, there's no one to root for.
If I'm Tom Brady, the only way the commissioner gets to see my cell phone is when I use it to take his rectal temperature.
Taking the long view of the trajectory of orchestrated fate, the Spygate evidence was destroyed, the Deflategate evidence was suppressed, and Kraft's massage parlor video was disallowed as he avoided suspension from the league.
Even taking into account that the Patriots forfeited 2 draft choices, a million bucks and four games of Tom Brady's services in the middle chapter of that sequence, in the final tally, Robert Kraft still comes out solidly in the plus column. Considering how appallingly each of those episodes was handled, there is nothing whatsoever about his ability to survive and prevail that Kraft can take pride in.
posted by beaverboard at 10:52 PM on February 08, 2022
I remember the media takeaways from the Ted Wells report on Deflategate being pretty damning. I wonder how I'd feel after a full read now that we're so far removed from the controversy.
Ultimately the Patriots, Belichick and Brady have suffered little to no harm to their legacies from the two gates. Even Robert Kraft hasn't taken a bit hit from his rub and tugs. Ultimately winning cured it all.
posted by rcade at 11:05 AM on February 09, 2022
Interesting that the Florio link is broken
Would it surprise anyone that the NFL had something to do with the link being taken down?
The Tom E. Curran Podcast with Mike Florio is still available here. The Deflategate part begins at about 3:30. The issue is not whether or not the balls had been deflated. Rather, it is about the conduct of the NFL in deliberately spreading disinformation (to Chris Mortensen of ESPN), and later suppressing the results of the testing that possibly disproved wrongdoing by New England. This story, as well as the more recent news about hiring practices of the clubs, puts a glaring light on the NFL operations.
posted by Howard_T at 01:45 PM on February 09, 2022
Be sure to send your money in so we can obtain temporary rights to rename SoFi Stadium to SpoFi for the Super Bowl. It's a one day deal, so it may only cost a few hundred thousand.
I hope SoFi has LoBlo capability. Gameday temperatures may reach the upper 80's.