FROM THE SUBLIME TO THE RIDICULOUS, PART 十七

SUBLIME:

Major Tom Grounded

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan ruled 2-to-1 that New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady must serve the four-game suspension given to him by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell for his part in "Deflategate" and for lying to the Commissioner and destroying evidence. I think Brady should have been given at least a year just like New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton got for his part in "Bountygate".

However, at least he was slapped down for his arrogance of thinking he was bigger than the integrity of the game and four games is better than the nothing he thought he had won when a lower court judge had ruled in his favor saying Goodell had deprived Brady and his supermodel wife of "fundamental fairness".

EVEN MORE SUBLIME:

I Hope He is Happy

Tom Brady Laughing at Goodell

The ruling came down that Tom Brady doesn’t have to sit out any games. The judge ruled that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell overstepped his authority and that the inmates are now allowed to run the asylum.

He based his ruling on the fact Goodell never told Brady what the consequences would be if he broke the rules (i.e. play with his own balls no matter what the NFL rules are and to obstruct an investigation). Like I said many posts ago cheaters never win until they do.

So let me get this straight. Tom Brady wasn’t aware of what his punishment would be, so he gets away with cheating and obstruction of justice. I thought ignorance of the law was not a defense in the USA. I guess I was wrong.

I predicted Tom Brady would win and now he has. I hope he’s happy with his victory and the hit his reputation has taken everywhere in the country except Boston where a media person advocated and suggested the murder of Goodell. I guess now that Brady won maybe this person will now advocate just shooting his dog on his front porch and keying his car.

Post-Game Analysis: The Big Picture

My first impression of the Packers-Patriots pre-season game was same old, same old. A big deal was made of Coach Mike McCarthy not calling the offensive plays and it was evident because for the first time since he became head coach we got to see his face during a game instead of just his eyes and the hat as he hid behind the play sheet to make sure no one could read his lips as he called the plays.

 

Mike McCarthy and his Beard

I never understood why he was so worried about it because without reading his lips I predicted almost every play he called in the second halves of game for the past five or six years, at least. It was no mystery to anyone with half a brain (Rush Limbaugh) that the Packer offense would go into slumber mode and would be punting more often than make first downs and adding to their advantage.

 

It seems McCarthy got used to having his lower face covered and decided to grow a beard to obscure his mouth. Maybe the refs won't notice and ignore him when he calls for a replay. Oops, I forgot. He asked for a replay and won on a first-down or fourth-down issue. Let's hope that doesn't fall back to the same old, some old, and he wins more than he loses or throws the red flag on the strangest of calls.

 

However, I regress on an old, but satisfying rant, so let's get back to Tom Clements and his inaugural play calling duties. The first drive was a great example of the acorn not falling far from the tree. Like has been the situation over the past two seasons the Packer offense bogs down in the red zone. My thoughts on the problem has been the lack of a play-making tight end is, at least, part of the problem, but the major problem being uninspired play calling.

 

Brett Favre had Mark Chmura and Bubba Franks as prime end zone targets and Aaron Rodgers had the much maligned Jermichael Finley, but Andrew Quarless and Richard Rodgers are no Chmura, Franks and Finley (to steal a phrase from former Vice Presidential candidate Lloyd Bentsen). Quarless and Rodgers haven't progressed as much as I would like him to.

CHEATERS NEVER WIN UNTIL THEY DO

I'm going to step out of my Packers in-dept analysis mode for a day and address "Deflategate". Normally, I couldn't care a hoot about what's going on outside of Lambeau Field, but driving through town I caught the Sean Hannity Show on the radio and, while I never listen to that cretin because he gripes my butt.............All Things Considered wasn't on yet and he wasn't taking shots at Democrats like he does every single minute or every single day and he was talking about "Deflategate".

 

Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen

Hannity's point was Tom Brady would never be fined or suspended because the report didn't exactly say he did anything and to a lesser point Brady is good for the game, so the NFL would never sanction him because in essence he is too big to fail, which, ironically, Hannity is against if somehow it hurts the Democrats and he always seems to find a way to turn anything that happens into something to hurt the Democrats. But not today.