The NFL's recent changes to its on-field operations regarding how it prepares and monitors its game-ready footballs in the wake of Deflategate "undermine the league's attempts to penalize the Patriots" -- and QB Tom Brady in particular -- for "violating rules that at the time carried little established means for documenting compliance," according to Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com. Brady should use the "predictable changes" to the process for measuring pregame football inflation as "clear evidence -- and even a tacit admission -- that the process used to punish him was insufficient and lacking the documentation necessary to justify his suspension" (ESPN.com, 7/27). YAHOO SPORTS' Dan Wetzel wrote the NFL's problem "isn't that it is doing the right thing and trying to gain as much information on Ideal Gas Laws as possible," but rather that it previously acted "without such knowledge." It is "difficult to see how this plays well for the league office." Unless the experiment "shows that footballs lose almost none of its pregame inflation levels regardless of the conditions, thus making the Patriots' numbers outside the variance because there is almost no variance, the league will be challenged" to support its Deflategate conclusions. Anything other than that and "this is a train wreck in progress for commissioner Roger Goodell and his already image-battered league office" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 7/27). In N.Y., Gary Myers writes the new procedures put Goodell "in a no-win situation as he closes in on making his ruling." The NFL with its changes "admits its previous procedure was inadequate and not precise." Furthermore, if the randomly tested footballs "decrease on their own in cold weather due to atmospheric conditions" this season, Goodell "looks like a fool for dragging a four-time Super Bowl champion quarterback through the mud for six months, regardless of what he does now with the suspension." Meanwhile, if Goodell "reduces or vacates Brady’s suspension and the random tests show the footballs held their air even in freezing temperatures, then Goodell looks foolish for backing down" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 7/28).
WILL TALKS RESULT IN ANYTHING? FS1’s Mike Garafolo noted the fact that the NFL is "engaging Tom Brady's camp in negotiations over a possible settlement might seem like a possible sign," but there are "still a number of reasons why there won't be an agreement before Roger Goodell renders his decision." After "dragging out the process for over six months now," the league is "highly unlikely to simply reduce Brady's suspension from four to zero games." Brady has indicated that he "won't accept a penalty that includes a suspension of even one game." The NFL "merely returned serve on the union's settlement offer because the league doesn't want to look like it cut any corners. If and when the sides wind up in court, the NFL wants to be able to say it conducted a thorough investigation and appeals process” (“Fox Sports Live,” FS1, 7/27). In Boston, Ron Borges writes under the header, "No Way For Roger Goodell To Win In Tom Brady Decision." The best Goodell can hope for now is a "negotiated settlement that allows him to suspend Brady for a game or two in a fashion acceptable" to Brady while "cleansing Brady of cheating charges." That will "change no one’s opinion," but Brady "will like it." However, Goodell "would have to do it in a way that doesn’t alienate the 31 owners not named Kraft, who think the Patriots get away with murder, while giving the appearance of independent thought." If Goodell "cuts the suspension to zero, he looks like someone living in fear of the union while kowtowing to Kraft in a backdoor deal." If he "reduces it to a game or two without a prior agreement that Brady will accept it, he runs the risk of ending up in court with a weakened case because the league implemented new rules for the pregame testing and handling of the balls that could be used to argue the prior policy was inadequate to prove anything" (BOSTON HERALD, 7/28).
TIME KEEPS ON SLIPPIN': CBSSPORTS.com's Jason La Canfora wrote under the header, "What's Taking So Long For A Deflategate Decision?" The AFC Championship game that started the Deflategate situation was "half a year" ago, and investigator Ted Wells' "grand-standing conference call where he tried to defend his report" took place months ago. The league is also "weeks removed" from Brady's appeal hearing. La Canfora: "The longer this thing goes, the more I believe Goodell is going through backchannels to try to broker a deal both sides can live with." It might "be impossible in the end, but the NFL wants this wrapped up in a bow whenever the appeal decision is made, and would love to have an outcome that doesn't involve arguably the best quarterback of all-time suing the NFL as the backdrop to this Super Bowl 50 season" (CBSSPORTS.com, 7/27).
