What many seem to miss is that the players union told Brady not to give up his cell phone. They did not want that to become a precedent. I agree with that decision, private property does not belong to employers. I know that if my employer asked for my cell phone I would tell them to KMA unless they had a court order, which the NFL did not. I think the whole thing was a witch hunt simply because other owners are jealous of the Patriot’s success. That was made obvious to me by the clown Goodell letting the Steelers slide on deflated balls this year. It was never about the sanctity of game balls being properly inflated. If it were, they would be demanding Big Ben’s cell phone and he would be sitting out 4 games next year. It was always about nothing more than Goodell getting Brady and the Patriots for the other owners who are incapable of emulating the Patriot’s success.
“What many seem to miss is that the players union told Brady not to give up his cell phone. They did not want that to become a precedent. I agree with that decision, private property does not belong to employers”
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Fair enough. But why didn’t Brady just SAY that? Why didn’t he ask the league to get a court order (if they could). after which he would turn it over?
Instead he LIED about it and therein lies one of the problems. Goodall said as much when he issued and explained the terms of the penalty. It’s almost like politics where the cover up is worse than the crime.
As too why they didn’t go after the Steelers? Don’t know that but they had video of the Pats equip managers taking those footballs into the bathroom where he remained with them for several minutes. Can you think of even ONE reason for this except to avoid scrutiny? In the case of Steelers, perhaps no supporting evidence exits.
As I said the history of the Pats has hurt them in areas of believability in these situations and it is their own fault.