The Wells Report

[bideau]

The texts between the equipment guys are pretty damning, IMO.
Brady has dropped several notches in my estimation in the last couple of weeks.

Didn't expect this to be the case, but it is. Sucks.

Bullshit

The text messages (the basis for the "more probable than not" conclusion) only claim that Brady wasn't happy that some balls were OVER inflated by a significant amount. I would think that any QB would be unhappy. Would Rodgers be unhappy if his balls were under inflated? You bet he would.

With regard to him not handing over his phone, some are suggesting that he may have been advised not to hand it over by the NFLPA.

 

[The Hoodie]

It's all circumstantial and full of assumptions, but I'm thinking that McNally got tired of Tom bitching about the game balls and swiped them to deflate them after the referees had approved them, since they had already once "f*cked" them by over-inflating balls that they had worked on.

But again, my scenario is as good as anyone else's, since we don't have clear facts.

 

[HomelessJoe]

I think that may be the subject of the text messages sent between the two equipment managers. They got the balls to how Tom liked it, sent it to the refs who then put air into the balls and they came back overinflated and apparently weren't re-measured.

So the refs are allowed to overinflate the balls 2.5 PSI over the limit but the Patriots equipment guys aren't allowed to underflate by <1.0 PSI?

Joke.

 

[Roberto71]

This might be the key point in the whole document that will get lost in the media frenzy.

Our scientific consultants informed us that the data alone did not provide a basis for them to determine with absolute certainty whether there was or was not tampering, as the analysis of such data is ultimately dependent upon assumptions and information that is uncertain.

 

[The Hoodie]

So the refs are allowed to overinflate the balls 2.5 PSI over the limit but the Patriots equipment guys aren't allowed to underflate by <1.0 PSI?

Joke.

Right, since they apparently didn't log the limit from when they re-inflated them.

It's all ridiculous.

 

[HarpoonIPA]

Wow, speechless

 

[HarpoonIPA]

And SharksOfVegas was way off, miss lead us with it's source

 

[benhamean]

Bullshit

The text messages (the basis for the "more probable than not" conclusion) only claim that Brady wasn't happy that some balls were OVER inflated by a significant amount. I would think that any QB would be unhappy. Would Rodgers be unhappy if his balls were under inflated? You bet he would.

With regard to him not handing over his phone, some are suggesting that he may have been advised not to hand it over by the NFLPA.

Dude is calling himself 'The Deflator' in texts before this mess ever starts. Dude is begging for swag because Tom is a pain in his balls for something that requires a 'needle' and joking about giving him 'watermelons' instead.

Admissible to a jury? No. Indicative of deliberate shadiness, at the direct or indirect behest of Tom Brady? Yup.

The report's 'more probable than not' language means this: it walks, talks, swims, and flies like a duck, but none of these guys has actually copped to it being a duck.


I effing hate this, but I buy it. Wish I didn't, but can't lie.

 

[Jaric]

@JasonLaCanfora: Wells: "Brady's refusal to provide us with his own emails, text messages and phone records ... limited the evidence available."

 

[HomelessJoe]

I'd agree that it's likely the deflation was orchestrated, but what's killing me is that a ref allegedly overinflated the balls way more over the limit than the Patriots ever deflated. If the refs are going to have such a lax attitude toward the rules then I can't really blame the Patriots for doing the same.

 

[Defsoul]

So, the team usually asks the officials to bring the game balls up to 12.5 PSI and those morons brought them all the way to 16 PSI in the past? Yeah, I can see why Brady would be pissed...

 

[Roberto71]

My god...this report has murdered us.

It reports what was clearly private conversations between Patriots Counsel and the Wells team where the Pats were questioning the integrity of NFL officials, executives etc.

They have just dismissed any legitimate concerns the the pats had about the involvement of Kensil etc. No elaboration on this or how much they actually did investigate this. No mention of the leaks, nothing.

This is an outrage.

At various points in the investigation, counsel for the Patriots questioned the integrity and objectivity of game officials, various NFL executives and certain NFL Security representatives present at the AFC Championship Game or otherwise involved in the investigative process. We found no evidence to substantiate the questions raised by counsel. Specifically, we identified no evidence of any bias or unfairness. We believe that the game officials, NFL executives, NFL Security representatives and other members of the NFL staff who participated in the testing of the footballs and the subsequent investigative process acted fairly, properly and responsibly.

 

[Defsoul]

@JasonLaCanfora: Wells: "Brady's refusal to provide us with his own emails, text messages and phone records ... limited the evidence available."

I can see them fine Brady for not cooperating. Seems like a thing the league would do. But without any hard evidence they better not fine him for the balls being underinflated.

 

[Joe]

Some of the stuff sounds like a post from a Jets forum:

Further, Brady has acknowledged publicly that he likes game balls inflated at the
low end of the permissible range. The inflation level of game balls clearly is important to Brady
as demonstrated by his reactions when he believed that game balls were inflated at an
undesirable level. Brady personally was involved in the 2006 rule change that allowed each
visiting team to supply its own game balls in accordance with the preferences of its quarterback,
and it is reasonable to infer that during the process of advocating that rule change, Brady was
likely to be (or become) familiar with the NFL rules regarding game balls, including the 12.5 psi
minimum inflation level, although Brady denies having been aware of Rule 2 or the minimum
inflation level until 2014 (despite approximately fourteen years as an NFL quarterback).

 

[Joe]

Some of the stuff sounds like a post from a Jets forum:

Further, Brady has acknowledged publicly that he likes game balls inflated at the
low end of the permissible range. The inflation level of game balls clearly is important to Brady
as demonstrated by his reactions when he believed that game balls were inflated at an
undesirable level. Brady personally was involved in the 2006 rule change that allowed each
visiting team to supply its own game balls in accordance with the preferences of its quarterback,
and it is reasonable to infer that during the process of advocating that rule change, Brady was
likely to be (or become) familiar with the NFL rules regarding game balls, including the 12.5 psi
minimum inflation level, although Brady denies having been aware of Rule 2 or the minimum
inflation level until 2014 (despite approximately fourteen years as an NFL quarterback).

 

[Big/Sky/Fly]

Jimmy G, are you ready to play?

 

[HarpoonIPA]

I'm not happy, still to many unanswered conclusions

 

[benhamean]

So, the team usually asks the officials to bring the game balls up to 12.5 PSI and those morons brought them all the way to 16 PSI in the past? Yeah, I can see why Brady would be pissed...

I read it that the '16' is exaggeration by the equipment guys who ('more probably than not') are expected to get them to lower pressures, and thus have further to go...and more risk to take (and 'stress' to endure).

 

[Roberto71]

This really beggars belief. It is a total hatchet job.

You can't just make these statements, saying things "probably" happened and then say in the same sentence "but we have no definitive proof". It's so sneaky, so clearly calculated to inflict as much damage as possible on someones character with no definitive proof whatsoever.

It's like when Congress started to turn on McCarthy in the 50s with Senators saying you cannot just throw accusations out there with no definitive proof and ruin someones character because you know when it's been put other there in the public domain the damage has already been done. That's why we have laws against defamation and libel.

This is a poorly worded, almost amateur document that has basically condemned Tom Brady yet offers absolutely no proof of any wrongdoing on his part.

Yet it's all just been casually lobbed out there knowing full well there will be a total frenzy on this. We already have tweets asking if Brady deflated balls in the SB 2nd half as his completion ratio shot up.

This really is a disgrace.

 

[Tchok13]

@JasonLaCanfora: Wells: "Brady's refusal to provide us with his own emails, text messages and phone records ... limited the evidence available."

There is absolutely no situation on earth short of a warrant that would prompt me to turn over my phone/email/text records for any reason whatsoever. Anyone who does is f'n bonkers. I'm not going to hold that against Brady.