317752's blog: "Deflategate"

Perhaps someone out there can give me at least one insight as to why the investigation into “Deflategate”, (the use by the New England Patriots of underinflated footballs during the first half of the AFC Championship on Sunday, January 18, 2015), is at best much too lengthy and convoluted and at worst another attempt for everyone to get their stories straight before the final outcome is determined.  And for that matter, why any further investigation is warranted at all.

Harken back with me if you will…. Nearly 90 years ago, to June 5, 1925.  Bobby Jones' ball barely budged. The great amateur was competing in the 1925 U. S. Open when, unbeknownst to anyone but himself, Jones' ball moved ever so slightly as he addressed it in the rough.

There were no referees to call a foul, no officials to slap him with a penalty.  Jones' playing companion, Walter Hagen, didn't see the infraction, nor did his caddie or any spectators. The tournament title hung in the balance, but when the round was completed, it soon became known that Jones had assessed himself a 1-stroke penalty.

The ball moving did not help him any, nor was it any great violation. But it happened, and those are the rules.  So Jones thought nothing of it.  That stroke cost him outright victory, and he then went on to lose a 36-hole playoff to Willie Macfarlane.

Afterward, when sportswriter O.B. Keeler sought to applaud Jones for his sportsmanship, the golfer implored him not to even write about the incident.

"You might as well praise me for not robbing banks," Jones said.

In golf, the rulebook is sacrosanct -- even if some of the rules seem peculiar and violating them would not offer an advantage.  One would think, upon retrospect, that in a multi-billion dollar industry like the NFL, the rulebook would be equally sacrosanct.

It matters not a tinker’s damn who was responsible for the incident.  The footballs were inspected by the officials prior to the game, per the rulebook, and were in compliance; then, at some point between inspection and kickoff, 11 of the 12 footballs used by the Patriots were deflated to below league standards for use in league play.  Those are the facts and no one is denying them.  End of story.  No further investigation is necessary as far as what action is to be taken concerning the Patriots.  Should the Commissioner decide he wishes to know more, that investigation is ancillary to the issue, fodder for sports pundits to discuss on ESPN.

The Patriots used non-regulation equipment in a league game, the AFC Championship no less.  The penalties for that action should have already been handed down and meted out whatever they might be.

Now in all fairness, Rule 17, Section 2, Article 3 states: The Commissioner’s powers under this Section 2 include the imposition of monetary fines and draft-choice forfeitures, suspension of persons involved in unfair acts, and, if appropriate, the reversal of a game’s result or the rescheduling of a game, either from the beginning or from the point at which the extraordinary act occurred. In the event of rescheduling a game, the Commissioner will be guided by the procedures specified in Rule 17, Section 1, Articles 5 through 11. In all cases, the Commissioner will conduct a full investigation, including the opportunity for hearings, use of game videotape, and any other procedure he deems appropriate.

This, however,  is  another poorly written rule as it is quite obvious what is about to happen.  The NFL will draw this out, just as every other recent investigation, then claim it is unable to determine “exactly” what happened, finds no culpable party, and then mete out some meaningless sanctions, long after those sanctions would have had meaningful impact.

Now please don’t misunderstand my intent here.  The Colts were clearly out-matched and out-coached in the game and underinflated footballs or not, were soundly defeated on the field.  As such, reversing the outcome or rescheduling is not even a consideration, but monetary fines, if any, draft-choice forfeitures, if any, should have already been determined, publicized, and handed down.  The league has no problem suspending and fining players within mere hours of a rules infraction, yet now, 5 days removed from the incident, we get nothing but more double-speak from the league.

We have known for years that Bill Belichick is no Bobby Jones where the rulebook is concerned, but for a league and a commissioner whose credibility is already damaged beyond repair to use its own rulebook to delay and perhaps even defer punishment for an outright rules violation in a Championship Game, clearly demonstrates a complete lack of integrity as well.  The concept that we have to know everything before we know anything is foreign to me.  As Mr. Spock so eloquently stated, “If I drop a hammer on a planet with positive gravity, I need not see the hammer fall to know that, in fact, it has fallen.”  It’s Hammer Time.