Like it or not Goodell has authority over players and it's the owners fault. Coaches have a slight pull with owners if they are a winner but there is nothing Belichick can do alone to get Goodell ousted. Nobody likes Goodell but people hate Brady worse. And he brought it upon himself.
The hatred bandwagon for the Pats escalated in 07 and has been going strong since. Honestly I wouldn't care if it meant they didn't have a perfect season and got 14-2 because of this. But what the fans do care about from 3 different teams is being cheated out of a ring because every little edge counts. Nobody is talking about the referee calls compared to this is a whole nother dimension of fukkery for New England. Kickers have won and lost superbowls and the difference between the PSIs could matter when it comes to 10mph wind vs. 12 mph.
Anybody that plays the game knows there are a million and one factors but all it takes is one to win or lose and there are battles you should pick and fight, which is why everyone has a bone to pick with this team. Just sheer outlandish bullshyt that clearly affects game outcomes and ultimately money for a lot of people involved in the game and franchise.
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My point is that this is not about the balls and hasn't been for a while...
why wasn't there some sort of protocol as to how the balls are handled before kickoff? like an official walking with the ball boy to the field..
why is tampering with equipment( and yes the balls included) ONLY a $25,000 fine? but this is a million, 2 draft picks and 4 game suspension
why in the Wells report did they say the refs inflated the balls in one game to almost 16.5 psi which is way over the league max but there was no problem...
why aren't the gauge numbers written down when the refs measure them before kickoff?
and BTW the refs handle the kicking balls so the teams don't touch them or bring them to the field....unlike the in game balls.
my point is with all these questions surrounding the balls and as you say this another "dimension" of fukkery you would think that the league would have all this covered but they don't because they don't really deem it to be a big deal hence the $25,000 fine....so all this outcry about the ball being 1 psi below the limit is bullshyt...I bet if this was any other team they would have been fined, non story and that's it...hell the Vikings were caught on camera putting their balls by the heaters in a freezing cold game and received a fined...
This is about tampering with an investigation(breaking his phone), thinking you are above the shield and for owners who felt like they got off easy for Spygate.....that's my point....and I could careless about Brady and the Pats!