OT - Patriots Deflate Report

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by bnorth

LOL Young men not being fully informed. Peter this isn't 1815. They choose to do what they do for the large pay checks and ignore anything bad. It is the American way to blame everything on someone/something else. Would hate for anyone to actually take responsibility for their own actions.

I don't agree that they are fully informed. Their employer is denying it. Before that their colleges denied it. The team doctors are telling them it's ok to go back into the game with a concussion. Where's the full disclosure?

And all that aside, why won't the NFL do more to protect its players, whether or not they understand the risks?

It isn't 1815 Ben, it's ancient Rome and the arena. But let's keep all that hush hush and worry about a football underinflated by 1 PSI.

[clydepepper]

-from ESPN.com:

Once again, it's on. This is civil war.

An enraged Robert Kraft reopened the door Wednesday morning to every NFL Armageddon scenario imaginable, right up to the eventual ouster of commissioner Roger Goodell. Kraft's renewed disgust with the league's handling of Deflategate, and most recently its decision to uphold Tom Brady's four-game suspension, should put the entire industry on notice.

Consider: The New England Patriots are the NFL's second-most valuable team, worth an estimated $2.6 billion, according to Forbes magazine. Kraft is the chairman of the NFL's broadcast committee, arguably the most important in the sport, and he was among the most responsible for Goodell's ascension to commissioner in 2006. Now, here we are with Kraft using words such as "unfathomable" to describe the league's actions. He is openly accusing the league of trying to capture headlines while obscuring its lack of hard evidence.

To be clear, Kraft's reaction is unprecedented in modern NFL history.

It's true that the late Al Davis subverted league rule at every opportunity during his time as the Oakland Raiders' managing partner, but he did so with the full understanding that he was a counterculture rebel whose opinions were never taken seriously. Within league circles, Kraft has never been Al Davis. His opposition here is understandable from a standpoint of loyalty but also counter to the one-for-all ethos that the league and its owners expect from one another.

You can argue the significance of football inflation all you want. Reasonable people can debate the extent of culpability for both the Patriots and Brady. What is indisputable, however, is that one of the league's most powerful owners, and one of its marquee franchises, is in open public rebellion for the first time that anyone can remember.

Kraft now regrets his decision to give up this fight in the spring, and it's unlikely he'll back down again any time soon. This dispute has turned into a full-fledged internal war.

Hang on. Anything could happen.
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[Peter_Spaeth]

The only thing better than Kraft was Belichick's complete non-responses to questions. Highly amusing.

[clydepepper]

Well, you have to understand Mr. Kraft's point of view:

What has he gotten for a return on his investment?

oh yeah, there's THAT, but money, even M-O-N-E-Y, isn't everything, right?

- well, maybe not, but THAT much money is darn close!
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I think Mr. Kraft should IPO his franchise to share this burden he has carried so bravely for so long.

I'd buy a share - Wouldn't you?
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[bnorth]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

I don't agree that they are fully informed. Their employer is denying it. Before that their colleges denied it. The team doctors are telling them it's ok to go back into the game with a concussion. Where's the full disclosure?

And all that aside, why won't the NFL do more to protect its players, whether or not they understand the risks?

It isn't 1815 Ben, it's ancient Rome and the arena. But let's keep all that hush hush and worry about a football underinflated by 1 PSI.

20 years ago head trauma was brought up as often then as it is now involving football players. So if the players don't know they have been living in a cave or choose to ignore it for the big payday.

The NFL now is like kids playing candyland compared to 20-30 years ago with the much better protective gear and rules changes. I am not saying there is not a lot of physician contact but no where near as bad as before. So IMO they have done a lot to protect the players. Whether it is enough or not is debatable.

I could really care less about the 1 PSI debate as I really take the NFL as serious as I take the WWE or whatever they call wrestling entertainment these days.

[Brian Van Horn]

I can't help, but think of what else is being destroyed in New England right now.