In midst of the Deflategate pandemonium, Patriots fans have taken on an “us against the world” mentality. Makes sense, there is a large faction of the country that thinks the team’s success is, to varying extents, fraudulent. Basically (and I’m generalizing here) the dominant narrative is that everyone in New England is an entitled homer who thinks Brady is incapable of wrong doing. The popular counter-claim is equally obtuse: everyone who is not a Patriots fan is a jealous stone-thrower, desperate to validate their own region’s lack of NFL success by discrediting one of sport’s most prolific modern dynasties. It is a partisan debate with “cheaters” behind one podium and “haters” behind the other.
So, bear with me while I try to sort through all of this sophomoric finger pointing:
Yeah, Brady probably did tell Patriots’ staffers that he prefers the footballs to be softer than not. The evidence doesn’t directly prove anything, but c’mon, this isn’t a U.S. criminal trial, “innocent until proven guilty” doesn’t apply, nor should it – read the report and use your common sense.
Now, did Brady say “deflate these balls below the legal minimum of 12.5 PSI..”? Or did he just routinely complain about balls being inflated above his liking? I don’t know. Either way, the footballs were deflated under the mandated minimum at the (either direct or implied) request of the quarterback – that is against the rules. Is it an unfair advantage? Who knows.. We’ve heard conflicting opinions on this for months. Some former players and coaches say it makes an impactful difference, while many others say it’s negligible. Aaron Rogers, currently the best quarterback in football, says he prefers the balls inflated over the legal limit. Seems like an inconsequential matter of preference to me.
Inadvertent or not, it does appear that Brady broke a rule. But please, save me the “rules are rules” rhetoric because it’s just plain dumb. Rules are not all the same; some rules are much more important than others. This concept seems so obvious I feel a little stupid for even taking the time to explain it: In every sport, there are major, significant, game-defining rules (Soccer players, save the goalie, can’t use their hands; in basketball, a player that wishes to move with the ball must dribble; football players are barred from tackling opponents in certain ways.) These kinds of rules are essential to the fabric of the game and the safety of the players.
And then, there are less crucial rules that serve regulatory purposes. These are intended to provide logistical uniformity – to help officials keep the on-field product organized, replicable and timely. Examples of these rules include basketball’s “10-second rule” and baseball’s philosophy regarding the phantom tag. The NFL’s inflation rule clearly falls in this category. In macro, it’s an insignificant footnote meant to create general consistency. The violation of this standard by 1-2 PSI is venial. Semantics can be argued forever, did Brady technically “cheat”? In the eyes of many, yes. But I think (warning: assumption) most level-headed people will admit that to call Tom Brady a cheater is to exacerbate his offense.
The punishment inflicted by the NFL was to be expected. It is irrationally excessive, but that’s to be expected. I mean what would lead anyone to believe that Commissioner Goodell could get this right? Ever since he handed out that meager two-game suspension to Ray Rice (in fairness, he has since rectified that mistake) he has been befuddled by fear of appearing lenient. The confiscation of a first round draft pick is by far the worst part of the penalty – that’s the loss of a potential Vince Wilfork/Logan Mankins type player.
Could all this nonsense actually be a good thing for Patriots Nation?
OK, here’s where I might lose some readers (if I haven’t already): If Kraft can get back his first round pick via appeal, then I think in some sneaky, Belichick-ian way, this whole thing might end up benefiting the Patriots in the long run.
Right now outside of New England, an angry mob is busy overreacting, screaming, “Brady is a cheater!” and “the Patriots championships are tainted!” But any rational sports fan knows that in the big picture, nothing has really changed. In spite of Deflategate, Brady is still an all-time great QB and his coach is still one of the most brilliant minds the game has ever seen. The Patriots have still won 4 rings in the last 14 years. My theory is that eventually, the ignorant banter of Patriots “haters” will become so excessive, so annoying, so tiring, that it may actually drive otherwise impartial people closer to the side of Brady and the Pats. A classic case of, “Wow, those people are crazy. I’m going to stand over here..”
Also, it might not hurt to give Brady some time off at the beginning of the season. The Patriots have an awful bye – week 4 – which leaves them with a marathon stretch of games the rest of the season. Why not let your 38 year-old veteran QB take the first part of the season off? He is allowed to participate in all of training camp and preseason, and it’s not like he’s in need of regular season reps. Worst case scenario, the Pats are 1-3 when Brady takes the field for his first start. Last season, the Pats began 2-2 and went on to win the fucking Super Bowl.
P.S. – The 2015 NFL season begins in 3 months. Godspeed.