#DFG: Canceling the Noise
- Thread starter nattysez
- Start date
Been saying it for weeks - it started with Harbaugh. Listen to the audio... Little weasel isn't hiding anything - http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/baltimore-sports-blog/bal-ravens-did-not-notice-anything-about-patriots-footballs-being-deflated-john-harbaugh-said-20150121-story.htmltheapportioner said:
The Ravens noticed the kicking balls were under inflated. He acknowledges the League investigated. How would the League find out and investigate unless Harbaugh told someone - either Grigson or Kensil? Harbaugh can backtrack all he wants so as not to draw the ire of BB, but it is what it is.
So Harbaugh gets pissed about Brady's "read the Rulebook" remark. He makes a call to Grigson to alert him about the under inflated k balls. Grigson alerts NFL and Kensil. Everyone is on watch. A bizarre issue surfaces in the first half where McNally tries to introduce an unapproved k-ball. Kensil is called, thinks he has snagged the Pats, and has all the balls measured at halftime. A few Pats balls are under inflated, explainable due to temperature change. Patriots are presumed guilty and Kravitz is given the leak. Only later do they find out about this Miller guy, and the ideal gas law. And in the end Moby Dick Kensil is fish food.
For the deserved praise Schefter gets for sounding like an unbiased reporter in the middle of this mess, none of what he has said on the subject to Boston media -- not the "jealousy" comment, not the hearing that some believe the Colts were behind it, not that the league has screwed this up so badly that they can't possibly discipline the Patriots -- has made its way into his Twitter feed or his on-air or online presence at ESPN.
He has let his guard down somewhat with EEI and such because he knows he has a receptive audience. When it comes to moving the story forward as an ESPN insider, however, he hasn't pushed the envelope ... with the exception of debunking the original K-ball report.
I hope the next time he goes on local radio, someone asks him why he doesn't say the same things nationally that he's willing to say to an audience of Patriots fans.
He has let his guard down somewhat with EEI and such because he knows he has a receptive audience. When it comes to moving the story forward as an ESPN insider, however, he hasn't pushed the envelope ... with the exception of debunking the original K-ball report.
I hope the next time he goes on local radio, someone asks him why he doesn't say the same things nationally that he's willing to say to an audience of Patriots fans.
Okay, just so we're clear...
KELLY NAQI - hack journo, shamed by Schefter, her husband used to be "with the New Meadowlands Stadium Company in East Rutherford, N.J., where he served as Vice President of Business Planning and General Counsel at MetLife Stadium, the home of the New York Jets and New York Giants."
MIKE KELSIN - as knight in shining armor Tom Curran has said, "Before rising to the league level, Kensil was the Jets director of operations for nearly 20 years. His tenure overlapped Bill Parcells (and Bill Belichick’s) time with the Jets and he would have been part of the Jets front office incensed by Belichick’s 2000 resignation as Jets head coach. Kensil’s tenure with the Jets ended in 2006, the same year Belichick disciple Eric Mangini became head coach of the Jets."
SCOTT MILLER - fired league employee-slash-charity football thief with an office on Park Avenue and an apparent affinity for Gang Green.
Three words come to mind (and not one of them is "Cheatriots!") -
Same.
Old.
Jets.
KELLY NAQI - hack journo, shamed by Schefter, her husband used to be "with the New Meadowlands Stadium Company in East Rutherford, N.J., where he served as Vice President of Business Planning and General Counsel at MetLife Stadium, the home of the New York Jets and New York Giants."
MIKE KELSIN - as knight in shining armor Tom Curran has said, "Before rising to the league level, Kensil was the Jets director of operations for nearly 20 years. His tenure overlapped Bill Parcells (and Bill Belichick’s) time with the Jets and he would have been part of the Jets front office incensed by Belichick’s 2000 resignation as Jets head coach. Kensil’s tenure with the Jets ended in 2006, the same year Belichick disciple Eric Mangini became head coach of the Jets."
SCOTT MILLER - fired league employee-slash-charity football thief with an office on Park Avenue and an apparent affinity for Gang Green.
Three words come to mind (and not one of them is "Cheatriots!") -
Same.
Old.
Jets.
Unlike every other so called "reporter" involved in this, maybe he understands that what he thinks might be going on and what is fit for print are two different things. Good for him if he doesn't see his job as pushing the envelope for one narrative or another, and will only go with a story when he has his ducks in a row.E5 Yaz said:
Myt1 said:
Two less nefarious incidents I witnessed come to mind
I was at the NLCS game in '88 where NLPrez Bart Giammatti ejected Dodger pitcher Jay Howell for pine tar in the glove after the ump chief brought the glove over to him in the stands (after the ump was alerted by a Met).
I was also at an NLCS playoff game in 86 where then NL Prez Chub Feeney himself emerged from the dugout and waved his arms toward the stands, employing a heretofore unseen signal that the game had been called after a few innings due to rain. ("The game has been Chubbed" has remained the euphemism of choice for a rainout for me and the guy I was with).
I believe there is a market for credible, matter-of-fact sports news and analysis, without the hyperventilating over bullshit, and without the endless fascination with Johnny Football's breakfast choices and whether BronBron took a dump today.CoffeeNerdness said:
Simmons/Grantland isn't that, and can't be that; no knock on BS, but that's not his gig.
A Schefter-headed enterprise could be that, and I'd love to see it.
Media are drilling down on Kensil.
Locally Steve Czaban, who also has a national show, has made the point that the NFL office was out to get the Pats, that this whole episode was a set-up, orchestrated by Kensil, the J-E-T.
Then there is this from Florio:
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/02/20/grigsons-admission-puts-kensil-under-more-scrutiny/
Needle is moving.
Locally Steve Czaban, who also has a national show, has made the point that the NFL office was out to get the Pats, that this whole episode was a set-up, orchestrated by Kensil, the J-E-T.
Then there is this from Florio:
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/02/20/grigsons-admission-puts-kensil-under-more-scrutiny/
Needle is moving.
Exactly. If nothing else, this scandal has displayed how NFL reporters and sports reporters in general have absolutely no sense of proportion or perspective.DrewDawg said:
Harry Hooper said:
Why, from laughing too hard at the hatchet he just stuck in Kensil's back? Don't get me wrong, I'm laughing (nay, guffawing) too, but let's not pretend Florio isn't still getting most of what he wants here. It's just in the direction we want.
Ed Hillel said:
Once again the fine posters on this board is way ahead of the game (+ Curran of course).
If there was even a lingering doubt of how much Florio despises the Pats, his "criticism" of BB's appearance on Letterman should have clinched it.
At least Tosh has a sense of humor and outs himself as a "bitter" fan.
P'tucket said:
I think Schefter has been the best on this story from the start. But to "say what he thinks" for the benefit of the Patriots audience doesn't serve any purpose. The reaction in this thread, for instance, when Schefter has let out some opinions is to take things from 0 to 60 in 1 second ... only to hit the brakes when those things Schefter has speculated on never appear in his national reporting.
He'd be better served by maintaining his national stance in all media opportunities and not throwing red meat to those who will over-interpret what he says.
Ed Hillel said:
This is great. Mort's 11 of 12 tweet was like finding out there used to be an Easter Bunny AND Santa Claus until they killed each other. BB's lecture was like finding out that neither of them ever existed so who cares. Butler's interception was like realizing we can survive on our own without them, and the last week or two has been like finding out that the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus are alive and well but exist only to serve us.
SeoulSoxFan said:
That segment was cringe worthy, and not because he was shitting on the Patriots. I don't think the audience laughed once, it was just a dumb generic rant devoid of any jokes or a unique perspective. Basically your random PFT commenter's take on the issue. Tosh is a hack.
Anyone have Curran's email? I sent that to a couple people, but can't find his email address. No need to post it, if he's secretive about it and you are in his circle of trust, feel free to just forward that on. Curran's pretty good about actually printing this type of stuff.
His stuff was pretty good when it was semi-new, but now everybody does it and his act got old real fast.
His stuff was pretty good when it was semi-new, but now everybody does it and his act got old real fast.
He called in on OTL to refute Naqi's report. Can't get much more national than that.E5 Yaz said:
He's not going to launch a full on opposition on his employer. Don't think anyone can expect that.E5 Yaz said:
This whole thing is looking more and more like a small petty conspiracy cooked up and promulgated by a few all with the express purpose of "taking down" the Pats. And every single one of them (Kensil, Grigson, Naqi, Irsay, Harris, Harbaugh if he said something to Indy) have either Jets or Colts ties.
It's fucking insane that in the NFL a few people with an agenda stemming from getting their asses kicked for years can try to deface the game this way.
It's fucking insane that in the NFL a few people with an agenda stemming from getting their asses kicked for years can try to deface the game this way.
Yes, and it's a reflection of the Commissioner. It is inconceivable that this would have happened on Tagliabue's watch, even more so on Rozelle's. Paul was a careful lawyer; Pete as street wise as you can get, and he built the League.
But the owners gladly swapped out Tagliabue for Goodell, for the money. That's first and foremost in their minds, so we'd better get used to this way of doing business.
But the owners gladly swapped out Tagliabue for Goodell, for the money. That's first and foremost in their minds, so we'd better get used to this way of doing business.
So the agenda for the March owners' meetings:
Ballghazi
the Falcons noise thing
the Browns texting thing
the Jets tampering with Revis
who gets to move to LA out of the three owners trying to simultaneously move there (and who moves to which division if the Raiders and Chargers both move)
ongoing domestic violence handling
expanded playoffs
Is there any chance that Goodell handles all of this in anything approaching a competent manner?
Ballghazi
the Falcons noise thing
the Browns texting thing
the Jets tampering with Revis
who gets to move to LA out of the three owners trying to simultaneously move there (and who moves to which division if the Raiders and Chargers both move)
ongoing domestic violence handling
expanded playoffs
Is there any chance that Goodell handles all of this in anything approaching a competent manner?
They'll probably just pat each other on the back for raising the goal posts last year and then head to the bar.nattysez said:
It's actually the sixth round. He's already been through five on his own.Smiling Joe Hesketh said:
nattysez said:
They'll run out of time after the LA discussion and adjourn, opting to discuss expanded playoffs at the bar...and tabling domestic violence to next year.
loshjott said:
Well after all they did start the conversation on domestic violence. Why can't someone else finish it?
Smiling Joe Hesketh said:
He will bring his car around for them as well. Full service owner, him.
Mooch said:
The Sharks of Vegas angle hasn't been hit on enough. They have been ahead of this story since day one. That certainly leads to question where they are getting their information from. How bad would it be to have a handicapper be getting direct leaks from the NFL HQ?
Mooch said:
The problem is there's no way the NFL can fire Kensil without admitting they were duped by one of their own and the shield converted into a sword to attack one of their most valuable franchises.
Question: is Florio really "anti-Pats"? My sense this whole time is that he has vacillated between thinking this is a HUGE deal and that people are overreacting. If Kensil is indeed his source, what agenda does his reporting represent exactly?
Van Everyman said:
Keep in mind that it was Florio who first reported the Kensil connection:
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/01/25/nfl-bears-plenty-of-blame-for-deflategate/
I spent almost two full days defending the guy around here, but then he flopped right back over to the Dark Side. Which is where the most "clicks" are, and I think THAT is his only agenda.
Marciano490 said:
Depends. They could spin it as "violated the rules by usurping the Refs authority and measuring the balls himself". That plus one or two other technical process violations could be glommed together as an excuse without getting into the real story, which is "rogue employee takes on franchise". It even gives Goodell the opportunity to bloviate about how EVERY rule is important and NOBODY is allowed to violate them, shield, etc. Kraft would probably accept this so long as it also includes the no finding of Patriots guilt and the apology.
Marciano490 said:
I'm not sure on what grounds they would fire Kensil. Even if this was an agenda-driven sting/personal vendetta, they can portray it as Kensil acting in good faith--if a little overzealously--to ensure fair play and integrity and so on. The balls were technically under spec, after all. I imagine proving particularly malicious intent on his part would be just as difficult as it has been for anyone to prove the Patriots did anything to the footballs.
Maybe he'll be quietly transferred to a new position and/or unofficially barred from working Patriots games. A firing would be surprising, imo.
edit: It also depends on how much the league cares about leaks from within NFLHQ. I don't think they really care much because Roger doesn't want to talk to the media himself and have to speak directly about anything.
Marciano490 said:
I think they can just label him a rogue employee, suggest he was the source of the leaks, and fire him. They would declare the investigation a success because it determined the underlying facts---which are not what was originally suggested, but still 'problem solved'
If reports are true that he violated procedure, there's plenty of grounds to fire him. They do not need much---a single unauthorized leak or action is enough for PR reasons (and likely legally, though we don't know his contract/at will situation)
It's no big deal, though. The NFL Powers That Be can just call Kensil a bad apple and move on; Goodell will protect himself in the process and tell Kraft 'hey, it wasn't me and I cleaned up the mess when I found out.'Marciano490 said:
Also, most people have moved on from this story, they'll just assume the Pats are cheaters and whatever else happens is inside baseball and not a big deal. None of the latest news has been reported widely and certainly not even close to what we saw the week before the SB. The gen pop has moved on. If someone gets fired, it's no big deal.
Kull said:
I think he's recognizing the diminishing returns on the story now that it's the offseason. I've noticed that the comments on each successive story he's posted on this have become increasingly pro-Pats. I'm not sure that the general football public cares much about this any more. I think the general feeling outside of the Pats fans and the 'haters' is that the story has run its course, the Pats probably cheated but they won the Super Bowl, who cares, give me combine news. He actually let his original post on the OTL story go off the main page in favor of team specific combine updates until Schefter blew it up.
Marciano490 said:
Well, the more facts come out the more likely it seems that they will have to admit just that. Their head of game day operations was willing to allow the first half of a conference championship game to possibly be played with under-inflated balls (since that's what he had been told to look for) in an effort to stick it to a franchise he's long had it in for. His whole fucking job is to ensure an even playing field, which would entail that the balls were measured properly and recorded and then handled appropriately so that any such possible deflation would never happen in the first place. He didn't do ANY of that.
He, in fact, violated tons of league rules by going down to the sidelines and messing with the balls himself. EXPRESSLY AGAINST THE RULE BOOK.
Plus, he failed to stop an NFL employee from stealing game used K balls for personal gain.
He's absolutely getting fired. It's the least he deserves. He's lucky he won't be getting executed, quite frankly. He's a fucking disgrace.
ifmanis5 said:
Well, it wouldn't have been a big deal had this been handled discreetly. But, the second the Pats were whipped in the media for 2 weeks leading up to the SB without any intervention from the NFL it became clear that the Kensil-cum-tail was wagging the league and even if they sell it as a rogue employee, the fact is that rogue employee was able to send shockwaves throughout the league and damage one of its most valuable franchises. It doesn't make Goodell et al look good that this happened on their watch, and the more guilt they heap on Kensil, the more spills onto their shoes, too.