My biggest contention is the overwhelming offerings of mitigating circumstances in the Patriots case to absolve them of organizational responsibility, while the Browns are guilty and it's an organizational problem and the Browns should lose a draft pick. Annoying.
The Pats played with deflated balls; how is this not enough of an infraction? Maybe it is and they'll be punished, but Browns fans are running to their defense while laying the law on our own team.
You can go back in this thread and see that I'm not contending that the Browns should get off scott-free. They deserve a punishment and will get one. It's never been part of my opinion that they shouldn't.
I am not running to their defense at all. You should see the outrage I had, when this story broke in the around the NFL thread. I was talking a year's suspension originally for Belichick. I seriously don't think a deflated football is a big deal, when it comes to a competitive advantage.
I think it helps give you a better grip, and I think all QBs around the league do whatever it takes, even willingly bend the rules if needed, to get the grip they like. I think the rule it self is stupid, and QBs should be able to do whatever they like with the football. I mean, within reason at least. But if they want the ball over, under deflated for a better grip, I think the league should change the rules, and allow it.
They've changed so many of the rules as it is for the QBs, so I don't see why this should be a big deal, since it's obvious the game is being catered to the offense anyways.
If they prefer it slightly deflated, overinflated for a better grip, I could care less. There's no competitive advantage. It's about preference.
But if there was malicious content, and Belichick, or someone in the organization was directly responsible, then sure, they should and will get hit hard.
I mean, Lynch get's fined for not talking to the media, or wearing the wrong kind of shoes. Should we start docking picks over things like that?
So we should dock a pick for the Patriots, over a rule they might not have broken at all? That's my stance.
Look, the investigation for the Pats is still going, we have no idea what will happen. For all we know, Goodell found something, and is ready to hand down a really hefty penalty.
I don't think bias, or favoritism, has anything to do with it though. If they don't get penalized, it will be because they found nothing they did to intentionally deflate those footballs.