bluebyyou

July 28th, 2015 at 3:13 PM ^

On ESPN they are saying this about Brady's phone:

 

Based on Ted Wells' report and the evidence presented at the hearing, Goodell concluded in his decision that Brady was aware of, and took steps to support, the actions of other team employees to deflate game footballs below the levels called for by NFL rules.

Goodell found that Brady's deliberate destruction of potentially relevant evidence went beyond a mere failure to cooperate in the investigation and supported a finding that he had sought to hide evidence of his own participation in the underlying scheme to alter the footballs.

"On or shortly before March 6, the day that Tom Brady met with independent investigator Ted Wells and his colleagues, Brady directed that the cell phone he had used for the prior four months be destroyed. He did so even though he was aware that the investigators had requested access to text messages and other electronic information that had been stored on that phone," the league's statement read. "During the four months that the cell phone was in use, Brady had exchanged nearly 10,000 text messages, none of which can now be retrieved from that device. The destruction of the cell phone was not disclosed until June 18, almost four months after the investigators had first sought electronic information from Brady."

ijohnb

July 28th, 2015 at 3:18 PM ^

so if I literally smash my phone with a hammer, the texts messages sent and received on my phone can never be recovered?  I am seriously asking, does that sound right?  That data is somewhere, correct?

If this is true somebody get me a hammer, ASAP.

MaizeAndBlueWahoo

July 28th, 2015 at 3:21 PM ^

Yes, they can, but from the phone company, which would probably never give them up short of anything but a legal subpoena.  To the NFL, they're as unrecoverable as if I called up AT&T and said, hey, give me so-and-so's stored-up text messages.

MGoGrendel

July 28th, 2015 at 3:39 PM ^

where your messages were sent.  The two shmoes who allegedly did the deflating could have had damning texts back and forth to Tom, but didn’t.  If Tom was texting with other coaches about “how can I get out of this!” for example, the NFL could look at their phones.  It’s not that hard.

Maybe Tom had private information on his phone that he did not want to make public.  TMZ would pay a fortune for any “smoopy-smoopy” texts between he and his wife.  That private info would be leaked quickly.

Blueblood2991

July 28th, 2015 at 3:23 PM ^

No.  A court can subpoena the wireless carrier and get the messages.  Not sure if that will happen in this case since it is not a criminal matter.  If (when) this goes to court, it will not be about Brady's innocence but an unlawful suspension process as laid out by the CBA.

In reply to by ijohnb

bluebyyou

July 28th, 2015 at 3:25 PM ^

You would think that the other parties that Brady texted with have the texts...or maybe not.  He had to disclose this fact in case, during his appeal, his phone becomes part of the discovery as it surely would. 

Not a good move if it is true.

goblue12820

July 28th, 2015 at 2:41 PM ^

Obviously Roger isnt going to overturn his own suspension and look weak, however hes in a lose/lose situation and knows it. When Brady sues and goes to court i dont see anyway this holds up. Even most of the Bountygate suspensions were lessened and they had actual proof

ijohnb

July 28th, 2015 at 2:42 PM ^

so the appeal to the person who handed down the suspension did not pan out?  Weird.  Every bit as effective as the ole Motion for Reconsideration.

True Blue Grit

July 28th, 2015 at 2:47 PM ^

objecting strenuously. 

I REALLY want to see TB take Goodell and the NFL to court and take them to the cleaners.  I wonder though whether they can do this before the NFL season starts. 

MaizeAndBlueWahoo

July 28th, 2015 at 3:25 PM ^

I hate your idea of suing because I don't want to sit here for three years watching some godawful lawsuit wend its way through the courts while ESPN breathlessly reports on every stupid motion and argument and filing in existence.  I just upvoted for the Few Good Men reference.

ej3000

July 28th, 2015 at 2:59 PM ^

Technically it was Troy Vincent who handed down the original suspension and goodell heard the appeal. Semantics perhaps, but it's not the same exact person anymore, which was absurd

Armbuster

July 28th, 2015 at 2:45 PM ^

now he has to lie in it; he is the owners' bitch, and there was no way this penalty was getting overturned by him. Looking forward to seeing a court defense of how it is legal for a man to pass judgement and then also hear the appeal on the judgement he made. Hogwash.

The Mad Hatter

July 28th, 2015 at 2:49 PM ^

But can someone explain to me why the teams bring, and inflate, their own balls to the game.  If the air pressure is soooooo damn important, shouldn't the league be providing all of the game balls?

grumbler

July 28th, 2015 at 3:07 PM ^

Again, the league DID provide the balls until something like 2002.  The newer tech balls required a lot of treatment to get rid of the gloss and whatnot, though, and the officials were crappy at it, so the system was switched to the home team providing all the balls (since they had equipment guys who knew how to prep balls).  In 2006, that silly system was abolished and the rule made that each team could provide its own balls, except for kicking balls, which the home team still provided.

Air pressure isn't at all significant, which is why the rule is a minor one and the penaty for violation a trivial.one.

This case isn't about air pressure, it is about power and pique.

Now, one could ask why the league doesn't hire its own equipment managers to prep the balls (guys who'd been through this process with teams) and I can't answer as to why they didn't.  Too cheap?  It was the logical step to take back in 2002 or whenever.  It is still the logical step.