CrackerDog

If I'm the Pats I want this to go away faster. Goodell is the Commissioner and any decision he makes regarding one team or another is going to be dissatisfactory to that team. Most of the other execs from around the league I've heard talk about this are with Roger. The Pats look like huge assholes in this and dragging it out will only make that worse. Now I'm disappointed he didn't suspend Brady for a full season. At least then all this whining would make some sense.

Yep. Contrary to the bad feelings of one member of this board, I really can't find fault in anything Pace has done thus far. I think he's done an A+ job. Time will certainly tell, of course, but who can complain about the coaching, scouting or personnel decisions made at this point? I never thought it could all be done in one season but I'm starting to think that despite a grinder of a schedule we might be able to get back to respectable this season. And after that, with the pieces he's put in place, I think we've got a professional staff that could lead this team to great things.

#Bears hired Anthony “Champ” Kelly to become their new director of pro personnel. Kelly was previously with the Broncos. - Dan Durkin Ravens national scout Joe Douglas, who has been with team for 15 years, is going to Chicago Bears as college scouting director, per source. - Adam Schefter

Stan Thomas

Yeah, the idea that there's no detectable difference is ludicrous. And for Jason to say he handles thousands. Yes, they're all likely properly inflated! Unless he was officiating a Patriots game, that is! Look, I think most of us have played a little football here and there. Some more than others. And when I play with an official ball, properly inflated, my hand isn't strong enough to grip it well for a consistent spiral. So I take a pound or two out to make it fit my hand better. I'm a 50 year old suburban dude, not an NFL QB. If you can't play with the ball as specified in the god damn rules, hang em up sport! You're done. And then all this BS with the Pats now saying the deflator, a guy they suspended, was calling himself that because he was losing weigh. PLEASE! They're embarrassing themselves now. Just shut up and take your punishment like a man. Geez.

Good point. I think the Pats and Brady are very unlikely to drag this into court. But they could appeal via the union and regular appeals process for Brady. That way he can likely keep his secrets. But the more I think about this the more they complain and drag this out, it lengthens the black eye they're taking here. So unless they want to wage a war over "principle" I doubt they push this crybaby routine for much longer. They KNOW they cheated and they don't want to keep driving that point home for any longer than necessary. I expect they'll take their medicine and STFU pretty soon. But I could be wrong.

Does that matter? No. Paying someone else to manipulate the tools of the game is clearly a violation of the integrity clause. And in the estimation of the Commish, that's enough to levy the fines he hit them with. All of the side arguments about whether it would've changed the results of the game are straw men.

It'll be interesting to see if these fines get reduced on appeal. I'm one that thinks they won't be. I realize that's the trend but those instances are typically players, through their union, doing something outside the game where there's precedent set. This is honestly one of those occasions where the Commissioner has discretion and there's nothing else to compare this to other than New Orleans who was fined much more severely.

Fact is it sounds like Brady was paying (signed items, etc.) for those chumps to do his dirty work with the balls. That's enough for me to say he's got to get some sort of penalty. He paid someone else to break rules. Talk about integrity of the game. The team deserves a penalty because there's clearly been an orchestrated effort by the Pats to keep evidence away from the league. Despite that, the league found enough evidence to find them guilty. Therefore, because they're guilty and because they're trying to cover it up, they should get punished. Not sure if the penalty was harsh enough, not sure if it's too harsh. That's why the league gives that discretion to a commissioner. What I do know is that both sides will have their "day in court" because the Pats aren't going to let this go without a fight.

Looks like they only have 1 first rounder and everyone else is saying they lost two total picks. Just bad writing by PFT. But, with Brady out for four games, the pick they're losing is bound to be higher than it would've been. That's good news!

My thoughts exactly. Brady got off easy compared to the team. The PFT article says first round PICKS as in plural. I assume they only have one pick in next year's first round but if they have two and they lost them both, that's very harsh. But well deserved, to be certain.

#Bears Grasu on @Ky1eLong: "When you get in a fight, he'll pull you off & go after the guy." #BearsTalk

We don't really disagree here. I didn't say Brady didn't tell those dopes exactly what to do. I absolutely think he did. But since the only evidence is them talking about it in texts, and as you admit, they aren't likely to throw Brady under the bus, this isn't going to hang him. I suspect the Commish is going to have to do something. I just don't think it'll be significant.

Pussies

Here's where I agree with you most. If this was a team without the terrible track record on breaking the rules I might go lighter on them as Commissioner. But they've cheated since Big Bill has been HC and it's documented. Unfortunately they'll probably get away with it because: 1.) They're the Patriots and the Commish pisses his pants every time he deals with them 2.) The proof in this case doesn't point to Brady aside from fairly asinine texts between two idiots I agree there needs to be some punishment. If the rule weren't important, why have it in the first place? And then all of the obvious lying and cover-up after the fact really does hit at the integrity of the game. We'll see how absolutely pathetic Goodell is when he makes his decision on this. It'll likely be that the footballs will end up in the same trash compactor the video tapes did.

I just read the difference between White's and Cooper's contracts is $6 mil guaranteed. Seems like a shitload given they were 1A and 1B in terms of WR's in the draft and some think White was better. Just the luck of being #4 vs. #7 I suppose. And it ain't like White is going to go hungry anyway. These two will be compared for years to see who got the better guy.

Apparently it's a 3 year deal and since he's cheap he isn't going to be a cap casualty. Someone else on their O Line might be but not him.

All I've seen is a few texts between a few ball guys suggesting Brady was implicated. But no smoking gun. If there is PROOF I think they suspend him. But with what I've seen, I think the commish will remain ball-free.

Jeff Dickerson is saying the Bears expect to have deals in place with White and Goldman by Friday. I think that means only Grasu is without a contract by the end of the week unless they get him done too.

Ha! No, I'm not. But he was moderately successful in 2013 and then the wheels came off last season on everything. So... Let's just say I'm hopeful that some of these turds can be polished up a bit.

Heck, Mills isn't as bad as we say he is either. Fans are fans. I'm certain our OL will be better this year than last.

I agree and I'm surprised Jason doesn't. He's big on OL so that's probably why but he's also all for modified BPA taking into account need, which the Bengals didn't really do very well, at least according to this article's author.

Well, in theory, they also got White and his 8+ years of time in the league over and above what Marshall would bring. Without all the drama. (Hopefully)

Ouch. I guess Hub is saying lawsuit so that'll probably be the way it goes.