https://twitter.com/rapsheet/status/598192722873225218MarcSullivaFan said:
That wasn't clear. He said 3 interviews were done with McNally without him. It would seem odd if only NFL security and no PW attorneys were involved.HowBoutDemSox said:Wait - Paul, Weiss attorneys were present at the first three interviews, not just NFL security officials? Is that what he said?
bluefenderstrat said:
The NFLPA can request a neutral arbitrator, and it's highly likely they will get it in this case.
DrewDawg said:
A one game difference last season meant we could have been playing on the road in the AFC title game.
Three of the four games are Pittsburgh (11-5 last year, and we'll be without Brady and Blount), at new-look Buffalo and that defense, and against a good Dallas team. That's not an easy road for a kid from an FCS school making his first starts. I'm not saying that's murderer's row, but it's not Jacksonville, Oakland, and Tampa Bay either.
Well that's right. He has gone from being so-called independent to an advocate.Stitch01 said:This is pretty stunning to me. Seems like some zero upside/all downside answers being given out here as the interview goes on.
BroodsSexton said:
Are you kidding? Other clients are looking at this and thanking their professional hitmen that there are people who will mop up shit like this.
Stitch01 said:This is pretty stunning to me. Seems like some zero upside/all downside answers being given out here as the interview goes on.
7. Go full F-U mode for the 2015 season. Don't get Brady hurt. But no sympathy for anyone. Crush. Destroy. As much as you are able.
Marciano490 said:
Eh, you want your professional hitmen to make sure the body's cold, not put two bullets in its back and just leave it for dead.
Oh, ok. Per the report, the first three interviews were very soon after the game, so it made sense that Wells' team wouldn't have been there. I think then we can't assume PW was there for the first three interviews based on this call unless he said so.RIFan said:That wasn't clear. He said 3 interviews were done with McNally without him. It would seem odd if only NFL security and no PW attorneys were involved.
It's a media call, reporters are tweeting as they go.Red Averages said:How are people listening?
Thought he was fine until he got into the "bottom of his heart" comment and the stuff about the gauges. Those just seem like unforced errors, I wouldnt have expected that from a top lawyer making public comments. Would think rule number 1 of this presser is emphasize independence, refer to the report, and say nothing of meaning or am I way off base?dcmissle said:Well that's right. He has gone from being so-called independent to an advocate.
The report and discipline have to stand on their own. Wells cannot bolster at this point.
Since he plainly is not scaring anyone out of an appeal, all he has done is provide fodder to further undermine the report and the whole process.
Seriously, what is he thinking with this interview? He can do no good.Mooch said:Now Teddy is saying that no one took the Colts warnings about ball deflation seriously? C'mon dude.
My belief is that the refs were extremely confused, and maybe one ref said to McNally 'get these balls out there' and then another ref said 'shit, where are the balls?'WenZink said:If you want to make the point that the officials "allowed" McNally the opportunity, then you can start to build a case for it being a sting operation. But that doesn't make McNally's action any less a violation.
Mooch said:Asked about which gauge Walt Anderson used, Ted Wells associate Lorin Reisner said it “doesn’t matter.” Says it doesn’t change the science.
INCORRECT. They just stepped in it there.
Which texts by Brady and to who?Hoya81 said:
Ted Wells says "I believe that to the bottom of my heart" that text messages implicate Tom Brady.
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) May 12, 2015
DrewDawg said:Said he did present Brady's side and said Yee should publish his notes?
Awesome.
#ENTERTAINME
Indeed. Most of the presser was to take shots at Brady and his agent.Tyrone Biggums said:Ted Wells sounds like a spoiled little kid on this call who just had his favorite toy taken away. This is the guy who was running the investigation? Please take these clowns to court.
Stitch01 said:Yeah Im pretty surprised by some of his later answers. Thought the jury answer was really good, the rest of this seems like he is putting his reputation on the line with about zero upside IMO.
Rule number 1 of the presser is to put your massive ego and butt hurt feelings aside and not have the presser.Stitch01 said:Thought he was fine until he got into the "bottom of his heart" comment and the stuff about the gauges. Those just seem like unforced errors, I wouldnt have expected that from a top lawyer making public comments. Would think rule number 1 of this presser is emphasize independence, refer to the report, and say nothing of meaning or am I way off base?
Nick Kaufman said:
Ok, let's not go overboard. The text between McNally and Yastremski where Yastremski relates that Brady said that McNally must be stressed is a pretty good indication that Brady was aware of what McNally was doing.
There's strong indication that something funny went on. But calling the Pats cheaters is the equivalent of calling both a jaywalker and a murderer as a lawbreaker. It obfuscates the vast difference of proportion between the two infractions.
Nick Kaufman said:
Ok, let's not go overboard. The text between McNally and Yastremski where Yastremski relates that Brady said that McNally must be stressed is a pretty good indication that Brady was aware of what McNally was doing.
There's strong indication that something funny went on. But calling the Pats cheaters is the equivalent of calling both a jaywalker and a murderer as a lawbreaker. It obfuscates the vast difference of proportion between the two infractions.
He owns the report. To me, at least, there's a truckload of room between a report heavily caveated by assumptions saying "I believe this is more probably than not true" and "I believe from the bottom of my heart that Tom Brady is guilty" with the latter adding much more downside to the firm with pretty much no upside.PedroKsBambino said:
The top white collar guys view this stuff as mortal combat (the actual kind, not the video game kind). They are incredibly invested in their representations. Once he puts his name on the report he owns it, and I do not think he would have done the PC unless he were completely willing to say so publicly.
My personal read of the report is that it is an example of tunnel vision which we often see from prosecutors on high-profile criminal cases; it is possible Wells has info he didn't include in the report, but it is looking less and less likely. Which is bad news for Ted Wells---while he's a highly respected white collar attorney, there's a tier above him and those guys are going to shred this thing into a million embarassing pieces if what we've seen is all there is and they get a chance to do so (e.g. there's serious litigation and discovery).
NatetheGreat said:
This is pretty much where I am. "The patriots did absolutely nothing at all wrong whatsoever" strikes me as a much tougher sell than "the patriots likely engaged in fairly minor rulebreaking, for which they being hit with a punishment so extreme it can't be justified".
PedroKsBambino said:
My personal read of the report is that it is an example of tunnel vision which we often see from prosecutors on high-profile criminal cases; it is possible Wells has info he didn't include in the report, but it is looking less and less likely. Which is bad news for Ted Wells---while he's a highly respected white collar attorney, there's a tier above him and those guys are going to shred this thing into a million embarassing pieces if what we've seen is all there is and they get a chance to do so (e.g. there's serious litigation and discovery).
My first thought as well. How can these people constantly come off as so inept. Goodell plays the good old boy well I guess.Nick Kaufman said:I think we should also digest the idea that we aren't persecuted by people who know better. We are persecuted by people who really believe that they re doing the right hting.
Average Reds said:
It creates a strong inference that McNally may have been "adjusting" the inflation levels of the ball after they left the control of the refs, which is a violation. By itself, it says absolutely nothing about whether Brady was aware of it or not.
Nick Kaufman said:
And the outrage and moral hysteria isn't justified at all.
He may have done the latter, but I think he failed to achieve the former. In fact, he may have damaged his name with this ego-driven exercise.ifmanis5 said:And it's over. Ted basically made himself available so he could protect his name and tell everybody to kiss his butt.