NFL Postseason Megathread: Playoffs in the Post-Orton Era

[Barrister]

You're tears, they are delicious.

Please.  You didn't even know what was going on in 1985.  You're not entitled to any Royals glory (unearned as it was) from that year.

Now I myself may not have actually been a Cardinals fan until 1986, but that's beside the point...

I had a very extensive collection of Royals hats in 1985.  I was aware of what was going on (though I don't think I watched the games themselves).

And since when does being a fan entitle you to any kind of glory?

[Valmy]

And since when does being a fan entitle you to any kind of glory?

It will be enough for one of you to say, 'I was a fan of the army that fought at the battle of Austerlitz;' for all your fellow citizens to exclaim, 'There is a brave man.'"

[Berkut]

Another article I found interesting

http://www.breitbart.com/sports/2015/05/12/top-10-reasons-why-an-appeal-overturns-tom-bradys-suspension/

That article is like reading a defense attorneys reasons for why his client should not be found guilty.

Nothing there that suggests his client didn't actually do it, of course. Just a bunch of straight out bullshit or at best massaging the message to try to suggest some conspiracy.

[Neil]

On appeal they should extend it to eight, for extreme douchebaggery.

[The Minsky Moment]

edit: OMG found the episode and it was actually Rick Dempsey playing as George Brett https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TF_9CaV1M24

Dempsey, awesome.   . Though why give Brett a 'stache.

I miss 80s baseball.

[derspiess]

With the uniforms, stadiums, and abundance of astroturf, 80s baseball had a sort of sterile aesthetic.  Low scoring, lots of pitching duels.  But damn it was fun.

I miss a lot of the little things, like getting to the ballpark early and watching This Week in Baseball on the Jumbotron, with Mel Allen's voice booming through the stadium.

[The Minsky Moment]

With the uniforms, stadiums, and abundance of astroturf, 80s baseball had a sort of sterile aesthetic.  Low scoring, lots of pitching duels.  But damn it was fun.

Run scoring was higher in the 80s then in the 60s or even the 70s - and right around where it is has been in the 2010s.  In fact, take todays game, reduce the power, reduce the Ks a bit, and add a few points of BA and some SBs and you have a 1980s offense.  The stadiums were indeed ugly but AstroTurf made for a for exciting game.  But the best part was that you got to see real clashes of styles of play  - like the 82 Series between Harvey's Wallbangers and Whiteyball, or the 87 NALCS with the Giants and their 200 HR lineup facing off the Cardinals and their 250 SB jackrabbits.

[derspiess]

or the 87 NALCS with the Giants and their 200 HR lineup facing off the Cardinals and their 250 SB jackrabbits.

The first game I saw in St. Louis was July 10th, 1987 vs. the Giants.  Cardinals won with a Jack Clark two-run homer in the bottom of the 13th.  Glorious night.  My parents and their friends got seats right behind the Giants dugout, while we kids were up in the nosebleeds.  We were able to sneak down around the 6th or 7th inning into some seats that had opened up. 

Dravecky was pitching for the Giants, and I got to see Ozzie Smith, Willie McGee, Tom Herr, Jack Clark, Jose Oquendo, Will Clark, Kevin Mitchell, and Chili Davis.  I guess I had seen all of them that year or other years at Reds games, but it was cool to see all that talent that night on one field.  Also saw Lance Johnson's first MLB at-bat.

[sbr]

Another article I found interesting

http://www.breitbart.com/sports/2015/05/12/top-10-reasons-why-an-appeal-overturns-tom-bradys-suspension/

That article is like reading a defense attorneys reasons for why his client should not be found guilty.

Nothing there that suggests his client didn't actually do it, of course. Just a bunch of straight out bullshit or at best massaging the message to try to suggest some conspiracy.

I don't disagree, but I think whether or not balls were deflated is one of the least interesting things about this story.  My hot take on the situation is that even though there is no smoking gun, where there's smoke there's fire ... though were did the smoke come from without a gun?  It seems pretty clear that those 2 ballboys/equipment managers were involved in ball inflation shenanigans and there is no way anyone does anything to those game balls without the starting QBs say so or approval.  I also don't think it is a very big deal.  It is against the rules, but no one really cared before this years AFC Championship game.  There are lots of things that are against the rules that happen on the field and I don't find slightly deflated footballs very interesting, or meaningful.  Tom Brady's home/road splits show that the home cooking with the game balls sure didn't make a very big difference.

To me the interesting thing here is the NFL crapping all over themselves yet again.  They were tipped off about the issue and either decided to run a sting operation, or just didn't give a shit.  No one paid extra attention to the balls, they had multiple pressure gauges that read differently on the same balls and no one knows who used which to test anything; no one thought to actually record the starting pressures to check against later.

Then they paid a completely nonindependent Independent Investigator to write a report that proves nothing, other than what the NFL wanted everyone to believe anyway.  It is a clusterfuck of the highest degree over what should be a nonissue, except for the general public's embarrassing addiction to what has become a rather mediocre game.

[jimmy olsen]

We will overcome this grave injustice. 

Multiple video clips of Jimmy G in action can be found here.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000492623/article/jimmy-garoppolo-scouting-report-pats-life-without-tom-brady

Jimmy Garoppolo scouting report: Pats' life without Tom Brady

By Bucky Brooks
NFL Media analyst
Published:  May 13, 2015 at 06:23 p.m.   
Updated:  May 13, 2015 at 06:47 p.m.     

Who is Jimmy Garoppolo?

With Tom Brady suspended for the first four games of the 2015 season, this question has come to the forefront. More specifically, what kind of player is the second-year quarterback out of Eastern Illinois?

Given some time to review my scouting notes from before the 2014 NFL Draft (where Garoppolo was selected in the second round) and assess the All-22 Coaches Film from Garoppolo's rookie season, I've come up with a detailed guide on the quarterback's game and how it will fit into the New England Patriots' system. So, let's dive in:

What's the scouting report on Jimmy Garoppolo?

When the Patriots selected Garoppolo with the 62nd overall pick in the 2014 draft, the move was lauded in NFL circles as a perfect match between prospect and scheme. Garoppolo shined at Eastern Illinois as a quick-rhythm passer with exceptional accuracy, ball placement and timing. In addition, he displayed outstanding arm talent and a high football IQ while directing the Panthers' warp-speed attack against FCS competition. He quickly got the ball out of his hands on an assortment of catch-and-throw plays designed to distribute the ball to his playmakers at short and intermediate ranges. Although the dink-and-dunk nature of Eastern Illinois' offense led to questions about Garoppolo's arm strength and range, the small-school standout eliminated these concerns with a pair of strong performances at the East-West Shrine Game and Senior Bowl.

Watching Garoppolo play throughout the preseason last year, I believed his skills translated well to the pro game, as evidenced by his 99.0 passer rating and 5:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Garoppolo displayed outstanding poise, confidence and leadership skills while moving the Patriots' offense against the second- and third-team defenses in exhibition games. He looked razor-sharp delivering passes to playmakers working free against tight coverage on the perimeter; his accuracy and ball placement was impressive for a young player acclimating to the pro game. Based on his impressive preseason performance, the Patriots elevated Garoppolo to the No. 2 position on the depth chart and entered the season with a rookie as Tom Brady's backup.

In the regular season, Garoppolo only saw legit action in three games (at Kansas City in Week 4, vs. Chicago in Week 8 and vs. Buffalo in Week 17), but continued to impress. The rookie repeatedly delivered the ball on time on quick-rhythm throws to the perimeter. He not only routinely put the ball right in the receiver's strike zone, but also flashed the ability to throw guys open with anticipation tosses through traffic. Given the importance of accuracy and decision-making when it comes to winning quarterback play, Garoppolo's pinpoint placement and sound judgment should serve him well as the director of the Patriots' offense during Brady's suspension. Granted, the sample size is small, but Garoppolo certainly looks like he has the tools to be an effective starter in the short term.

In terms of concerns with Garoppolo's game, I would point out that he took five sacks in mop-up duty, including three in the second half against Buffalo. He failed to get the ball out of his hands quickly against pressure, leading to negative plays in the passing game. Of course, it is not necessarily Garoppolo's fault that the offensive line failed to effectively pick up some of the five-man pressures that collapsed the pocket, but he must show the necessary awareness to toss the ball away or alter the play call when he senses blitz prior to the snap. Although blitz recognition is something that takes a while for some young quarterbacks to grasp, it is imperative he understands the importance of avoiding negative plays as the signal-caller.

How will the Patriots' offense operate with Garoppolo at the helm?


Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is one of the best in the business at crafting a game plan around the talents of his quarterback. He played an integral role in Matt Cassel's strong performance as New England's fill-in QB in 2008 (when Brady tore his ACL in the season opener). McDaniels definitely will tweak the Patriots' offensive emphasis to ensure Garoppolo's success as the team's starter during the opening month of the season.

First, the Patriots will lean on the power running game to alleviate some of the pressure on Garoppolo. New England will align in an assortment of run-heavy sets and bludgeon opponents with the combination of LeGarrette Blount, Jonas Gray and Travaris Cadet. (Blount's actually suspended for the season opener, so Gray, Cadet and possibly Brandon Bolden/James White will be tasked with carrying the load.) The threat of pounding the ball out of "12" (1 RB, 2 TEs, 2 WRs), "13" (1 RB, 3 TEs, 1 WR) and "22" (2 RBs, 2 TEs, 1 WR) formations will force opponents to employ more single-high-safety looks, creating one-on-one opportunities on the outside. This will help Garoppolo rack up completions on high-percentage throws on early downs. Most importantly, the presence of a strong running game will help the Patriots stay ahead of the chains and keep the young quarterback from facing the exotic blitzes that accompany long-yardage situations.

From a passing perspective, I would expect the Patriots to continue with the diverse aerial attack used when Brady is under center. Granted, McDaniels probably will scale down the volume of plays in the game plan, but he will still rely on the basic concepts that have helped New England systematically pick apart defenses for years. The Pats use an assortment of quick-rhythm passes to form the foundation of the playbook. These plays successfully counter blitzes while helping the quarterback get into a rhythm from the pocket. Also, these are the kind of plays Garoppolo executed in college, and in the NFL, familiarity breeds confidence.

Let's take a closer look at some of the specific tactics I imagine the Pats will employ:

WIDE RECEIVER SCREENS

The Patriots are one of the few teams in the NFL to prominently feature the WR screen. Last season, Brady routinely tossed the ball to Brandon LaFell, Danny Amendola and Julian Edelman on an assortment of "now" screens designed to let them take advantage of soft coverage and lumbering defenders in space. The catch-and-throw concept is familiar to Garoppolo, based on his experience directing a spread attack at Eastern Illinois.

In the play depicted just below, the Patriots call a receiver screen with Garoppolo in the game at Kansas City in garbage time, to help the rookie discover his rhythm from the pocket. The Patriots align in a trips bunch formation with LaFell positioned on the outside. On the snap, the big-bodied receiver quickly retreats, while his fellow wideouts work up the field to double team the force defender. LaFell quickly snatches the pass and weaves through traffic for a 37-yard gain:

QUICK SLANTS

The Patriots earned raved reviews for their game plan against the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX, with the slant/flat combination featured prominently on the call sheet. The concept is a staple of New England's game plan and one that I expect McDaniels to use frequently with Garoppolo on the field. The second-year pro is a quick decision-maker with a compact delivery, which allows him to quickly get the ball to pass catchers in tight windows. With the slant/flat combo working off a designated defender in the flat, Garoppolo can register easy completions on a variety of one-read plays.

In the following play breakdown, Garoppolo works the slant-flat combination to perfection to record his first NFL touchdown. The Patriots are aligned in a dubs formation with Rob Gronkowski positioned on the outside to the right. The All-Pro tight end runs a slant with the slot WR (Amendola) executing a flat route. Garoppolo simply reads the flat defender and targets the open receiver when the picture clears up. With Chiefs OLB Justin Houston intent on jamming Amendola early in the route, Garoppolo hits Gronkowski in the open window for an easy completion. Gronk eventually rumbles into the end zone after breaking a few tackles, but it was Garoppolo's quick decision and accurate throw that put him in position to score:

PLAY-ACTION PASSES

The Patriots will use a variety of run-heavy sets and jumbo personnel groupings to fuel a power running game -- and set up big-play opportunities off play action. Brady is one of the best in the business at carrying out play fakes in the backfield before setting up to take a deep shot down the field. The clever use of play action, which lures defenders to the line of scrimmage, allows a quarterback to take advantage of one-on-one coverage on the perimeter or exploit overaggressive linebackers between the hashes. These concepts are not only easy for young quarterbacks to read, but they allow the offensive coordinator to utilize max protection to neutralize pressure tactics.

Garoppolo didn't have a lot of experience executing play action as a collegian, but he already has shown signs of becoming an effective play-action passer with the Patriots. He makes strong play fakes in the backfield, yet quickly gets his eyes to the target and delivers accurate strikes.

In the next play, taken from the Bills game in late December, Garoppolo effectively uses play action to connect with LaFell on a skinny post. The Patriots originally align in an open I-formation with a "YOZ" look ("Y" outside of "Z" or tight end outside of flanker). The tight end motions inside of LaFell, creating a run-heavy look. Garoppolo takes the snap and executes a quick play fake to lure the second-level defenders to the line of scrimmage before rifling a dart to LaFell for a 14-yard gain:

BOOTLEG PASSES

The Patriots rarely use movement passes with Brady under center, due to his limited mobility, but Garoppolo is a solid athlete capable of making pinpoint throws on the run. To take advantage of his athleticism, the Patriots incorporate bootleg passes into the playbook. This allows New England to feature some half-field reads for the young quarterback while tricking the defense with misdirection action in the backfield. In addition, it provides Garoppolo with the option to take off downfield if the primary and secondary receivers are covered in the route.

Against the Chicago Bears last October, the Patriots executed the bootleg pass flawlessly with Garoppolo in the game. In the play depiction just below, the rookie passer uses a hard fake to the left to set up the "slide" pass to Tim Wright on the right. With the Bears overreacting to the fake, Garoppolo is able to get to the perimeter and hit Wright on a dump-off pass in the flat for a 17-yard gain:

This kind of concept offers little risk, but generates big gains and allows a young passer to develop confidence from the pocket.

READ OPTION

Garoppolo is not considered a dual-threat quarterback, but his athleticism and mobility could allow the Patriots to utilize some zone-read schemes to take advantage of an overaggressive defense. Garoppolo is sturdy enough to execute the concept as a surprise tactic in short-yardage situations. Against the Bills, New England sprinkled in some read option. In the next play breakdown, the Pats align in a dubs formation with Garoppolo in the shotgun. The offset "Y" starts short motion before the snap. The rookie fakes an outside-zone handoff to the left before executing a "dart" to the right, through the "B" gap and behind a slip block from the Y on the edge. The run nets four yards and a first down on a play rarely used by the Patriots with Brady at the helm:

How will opponents attack Garoppolo as an inexperienced starter?

Whenever a quarterback with limited game experience steps onto the field, defensive coordinators attempt to rattle the youngster with aggressive tactics designed to create confusion and hesitation. Garoppolo's moderate success in mop-up duty will prompt defensive play callers to take away his fastball (quick passes and screens) and force him outside of his comfort zone. Opponents will use a host of pre-snap disguises and late shifts to mess up his protection calls. In addition, the defensive movement could force misreads on passing plays, leading to errant throws or turnovers from the pocket.

From a coverage standpoint, opponents likely will blanket the Patriots' receivers with various man-to-man tactics complemented by blitz pressure. The man coverage will position defenders closer on quick throws, with the blitz producing negative plays if Garoppolo is uncertain about his "hot reads" or sight adjustments against pressure. These tactics were effective against the youngster in Year 1, particularly in the Bills game.

In our last play breakdown, the Bills move into an odd front with the nickel back sneaking into position at the line of scrimmage. On the snap, the nickel back blitzes off the edge to immediately harass Garoppolo in the pocket. The young quarterback failed to recognize the blitz during the pre-snap phase, so he is unprepared to deliver a quick throw to the tight end in the flat. Consequently, he takes a sack and forces the Patriots into a long-yardage situation:

I expect the Patriots' early-season opponents to ratchet up the pressure and really get after Garoppolo.

[jimmy olsen]

Outrageous! 

Tons of embedded links
http://www.slate.com/articles/sports/sports_nut/2015/05/roger_goodell_s_deflategate_punishment_of_tom_brady_and_the_new_england.html

Commandant Goodell's Kangaroo Court

The NFL's deflategate punishment was outlandishly excessive.

By Seth Stevenson

On Monday, the NFL announced its punishment of Tom Brady and the New England Patriots for the so-called "deflategate" scandal. The sentence was harsh. Brady received a four-game suspension, while the Patriots were docked two draft picks, including a first-rounder, and fined $1 million for allegedly tampering with footballs before this year's AFC Championship game. One thing is clear in the aftermath of this over-the-top discipline: NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and his kangaroo court got it wrong yet again.


Let's leave aside the scientific inconsistencies and methodological flaws that mar the official inquiry by attorney Ted Wells into the cheating allegations. Let's ignore the fact that little was proven here, and that the Wells Report merely asserts it's "more probable than not" that Tom Brady was "generally aware" of purported air-pressure shenanigans. Let's forget, for the moment, a bedrock American principle: The accused is inflated until proven wilty.


In short, let's assume Tom Brady knew that something was being done to those balls on his behalf, and that he deserved to be penalized for this transgression. Is this punishment proportionate to the crime? No, of course not. It's absurd. Here's why:


The NFL's letter outlining the penalty cited "the club's prior record"—namely, the Spygate scandal—as a factor "in determining the discipline in this case." Leaving aside the fact that Spygate was an overblown misdemeanor punished with unduly harsh measures, the important thing here is that the Patriots already did the time for that 2007 crime. If you recall, they forfeited a first-round pick in the 2008 draft and Bill Belichick was fined a league maximum $500,000. And the people blamed for that infraction—namely Belichick—are not even the same people being blamed for this one. Why are the Patriots as a franchise being repunished for a years-old mistake they previously made amends for, and for which the primary culprits were completely different than the current ones? If we're going to start using teams' past transgressions as a basis for levying present-day punishments, no team's record is clean.


The letter also cites as a factor in the harsh punishment "the failure of Tom Brady to produce any electronic evidence, despite being offered extraordinary safeguards by the investigators to protect unrelated personal information." Yikes. What kind of totalitarian inquisition was this? Brady answered the investigators' questions in person. His reluctance to turn over emails and texts was perfectly reasonable—would you trust the NFL to safeguard your private communications with your friends, family, and superfamous, smokeshow wife? A football-related matter does not give the NFL broad license to poke around in a player's personal files. Go get a warrant, NFL. Where are we meant to draw the line here? If the NFL had demanded to search Brady's home, or to audit his financial holdings, would Brady have not been within his rights to refuse, according to Torquemada Goodell?

The league's manual of operations actually suggests a penalty for ball alteration: "If any individual alters the footballs, or if a non-approved ball is used in the game, the person responsible and, if appropriate, the head coach or other club personnel will be subject to discipline, including but not limited to, a fine of $25,000." To be sure, this language makes allowance for a penalty harsher than that fine. But by specifying the $25,000 figure, the manual clearly suggests a reasonable starting point. How did we get from $25,000 to $1 million, a first- and fourth-round draft pick, and a four-game suspension? The real-world penalty is wildly out of line with the suggested censure, by orders of magnitude. Why did the NFL ignore its own (however vague) guidelines?

The Atlanta Falcons were recently punished by the NFL for pumping artificial crowd noise into their stadium to gain an edge. This petty misdemeanor seems about on par with deflating footballs: Neither was likely to make much difference to a game's final result. (As the NFL's letter to the Pats notes, "There seems little question that the outcome of the AFC Championship Game was not affected" by the illegal deflations. The Pats won that game 45-7.) So, what was the penalty for the Falcons? A $350,000 fine, a docked fifth-round draft pick, and a suspension for a team executive. Why were the Patriots hit with such comparative severity for a crime of similar magnitude?

What's more, the apparently grave sin of altering a game ball has not previously drawn much attention from the NFL. In 2012, the Chargers were almost certainly applying a sticky substance to footballs, and when busted they attempted to impede the investigation. The penalty? A $20,000 fine, and none of the rigamarole the Patriots organization was forced to endure. Just this season, during a game between the Vikings and the Panthers, sideline attendants were caught on televised video holding footballs in front of a heater, which—if my newly robust understanding of the ideal gas law is correct—would have produced profound changes to the air pressure within those footballs. The NFL acknowledged it was aware of this outlawed activity. Did the league dock any draft picks or levy fines and suspensions? Nope. What changed when it was the Patriots? I'm guessing it's that the Patriots are under far greater media scrutiny, and that the Pats are easily the most envied, and thus hated, team in the league.

I'm willing to concede that Tom Brady and a couple of shmoe ballboys might have circumvented a rule about football air pressure. But I don't see how these penalties are just. They seem outlandishly inflated.

[Ed Anger]

[Admiral Yi]

I laughed.

[sbr]

Outrageous! 

Tons of embedded links
http://www.slate.com/articles/sports/sports_nut/2015/05/roger_goodell_s_deflategate_punishment_of_tom_brady_and_the_new_england.html

Commandant Goodell's Kangaroo Court

The NFL's deflategate punishment was outlandishly excessive.

By Seth Stevenson

On Monday, the NFL announced its punishment of Tom Brady and the New England Patriots for the so-called "deflategate" scandal. The sentence was harsh. Brady received a four-game suspension, while the Patriots were docked two draft picks, including a first-rounder, and fined $1 million for allegedly tampering with footballs before this year's AFC Championship game. One thing is clear in the aftermath of this over-the-top discipline: NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and his kangaroo court got it wrong yet again.


Let's leave aside the scientific inconsistencies and methodological flaws that mar the official inquiry by attorney Ted Wells into the cheating allegations. Let's ignore the fact that little was proven here, and that the Wells Report merely asserts it's "more probable than not" that Tom Brady was "generally aware" of purported air-pressure shenanigans. Let's forget, for the moment, a bedrock American principle: The accused is inflated until proven wilty.


In short, let's assume Tom Brady knew that something was being done to those balls on his behalf, and that he deserved to be penalized for this transgression. Is this punishment proportionate to the crime? No, of course not. It's absurd. Here's why:


The NFL's letter outlining the penalty cited "the club's prior record"—namely, the Spygate scandal—as a factor "in determining the discipline in this case." Leaving aside the fact that Spygate was an overblown misdemeanor punished with unduly harsh measures, the important thing here is that the Patriots already did the time for that 2007 crime. If you recall, they forfeited a first-round pick in the 2008 draft and Bill Belichick was fined a league maximum $500,000. And the people blamed for that infraction—namely Belichick—are not even the same people being blamed for this one. Why are the Patriots as a franchise being repunished for a years-old mistake they previously made amends for, and for which the primary culprits were completely different than the current ones? If we're going to start using teams' past transgressions as a basis for levying present-day punishments, no team's record is clean.


The letter also cites as a factor in the harsh punishment "the failure of Tom Brady to produce any electronic evidence, despite being offered extraordinary safeguards by the investigators to protect unrelated personal information." Yikes. What kind of totalitarian inquisition was this? Brady answered the investigators' questions in person. His reluctance to turn over emails and texts was perfectly reasonable—would you trust the NFL to safeguard your private communications with your friends, family, and superfamous, smokeshow wife? A football-related matter does not give the NFL broad license to poke around in a player's personal files. Go get a warrant, NFL. Where are we meant to draw the line here? If the NFL had demanded to search Brady's home, or to audit his financial holdings, would Brady have not been within his rights to refuse, according to Torquemada Goodell?

The league's manual of operations actually suggests a penalty for ball alteration: "If any individual alters the footballs, or if a non-approved ball is used in the game, the person responsible and, if appropriate, the head coach or other club personnel will be subject to discipline, including but not limited to, a fine of $25,000." To be sure, this language makes allowance for a penalty harsher than that fine. But by specifying the $25,000 figure, the manual clearly suggests a reasonable starting point. How did we get from $25,000 to $1 million, a first- and fourth-round draft pick, and a four-game suspension? The real-world penalty is wildly out of line with the suggested censure, by orders of magnitude. Why did the NFL ignore its own (however vague) guidelines?

The Atlanta Falcons were recently punished by the NFL for pumping artificial crowd noise into their stadium to gain an edge. This petty misdemeanor seems about on par with deflating footballs: Neither was likely to make much difference to a game's final result. (As the NFL's letter to the Pats notes, "There seems little question that the outcome of the AFC Championship Game was not affected" by the illegal deflations. The Pats won that game 45-7.) So, what was the penalty for the Falcons? A $350,000 fine, a docked fifth-round draft pick, and a suspension for a team executive. Why were the Patriots hit with such comparative severity for a crime of similar magnitude?

What's more, the apparently grave sin of altering a game ball has not previously drawn much attention from the NFL. In 2012, the Chargers were almost certainly applying a sticky substance to footballs, and when busted they attempted to impede the investigation. The penalty? A $20,000 fine, and none of the rigamarole the Patriots organization was forced to endure. Just this season, during a game between the Vikings and the Panthers, sideline attendants were caught on televised video holding footballs in front of a heater, which—if my newly robust understanding of the ideal gas law is correct—would have produced profound changes to the air pressure within those footballs. The NFL acknowledged it was aware of this outlawed activity. Did the league dock any draft picks or levy fines and suspensions? Nope. What changed when it was the Patriots? I'm guessing it's that the Patriots are under far greater media scrutiny, and that the Pats are easily the most envied, and thus hated, team in the league.

I'm willing to concede that Tom Brady and a couple of shmoe ballboys might have circumvented a rule about football air pressure. But I don't see how these penalties are just. They seem outlandishly inflated.

The punishment is absurd; however, if the only reason the balls were under pressure was the Ideal Gas Law why did the Patriots suspend the ballboys indefinitely without pay?

[MadImmortalMan]

Spygate was an overblown misdemeanor punished with unduly harsh measures

This guy's delusional.