SPORTZINE #605
BY JIM DAWSON

THIS JUST IN – KRAFT ACCEPTS TEAM PUNISHMENT BY NFL
 
CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
MAY 19, 2015
Is Tom Brady a criminal? A look at the issue of balls being deflated makes you wonder where priorities
are. There is no evidence that Brady knew about any hanky panky with the footballs. He liked them at a
PSI of 12.5 and that's what they were at game time. But Brady is about to be suspended 4 games in a 16
game season. The question now is whether Roger Goodell will reduce that suspension on appeal.
Goodell can flex his muscles as judge and jury because the Players Association gave him that power in
the CBA. If the NFLPA could get a court to make Goodell recuse himself and appoint an arbitrator,
they would. But I'm not sure that's legally possible. Any legal action might come after Goodell rules.
Had to re-write this whole section after reading pertinent parts of the Wells Report (thanks Driller
Killer for sending it). Starting at Page 50 covers the pre-game prep of the footballs. Head Ref Walt
Anderson measures the PSI of the Pats' balls and they are at or set at 12.5. Jim NcNally, who handles
the football bags, reminds Walt Anderson that 'Tom likes them at 12.5'. But after Anderson and the
other refs leave, McNally takes the balls (he's supposed to get an official's permission to remove them
from the officials' locker room). McNally then goes to a 1 person bathroom with the balls and is there
about 100 seconds. The balls and McNally end up on the field. After D'Quell Jackson intercepts a ball
the Colts alert the NFL officials to it being underinflated.
From Page 66 on is about the half-time measurement of the Pats balls. Different gauges are used by
backup officials Blakeman and Prioleau. The Wilson logo gauge supposedly measures 0.3 to 0.45
higher. This is the gauge that Head Ref Walt Anderson says that to his best recollection he used pre-
game. Blakeman's readings are all lower than Prioleau's which range from 11.00 to 12.30, one at 10.90.
Only 4 Colts balls are tested (time limit). This time all Blakeman's readings are higher than Prioleau's.
And if you consider that Anderson set the Colts balls at 13.0 to 13.1 (at their request), then Prioleau's
readings show a decrease in the PSI of 3 of the 4 Colts' balls (12.15, 12.30, 12.35 and 12.95). So 3 of
the 4 Colts balls were technically under the required PSI of 12.5. The weather factor and physics law
known as the Ideal Gas Law could have contributed to the loss of inflation in both teams' balls.
Making matters more maddening is that in the report, Ted Wells dispels the memory of Walt Anderson
who said he used the logo gauge pre-game. Earlier Wells describes Anderson as a man of integrity.
Wells says Anderson must have used the non-logo gauge. This is known in parlance as 'Substitution of
Judgment' and is not allowed (if caught). A lawyer knows this. So Wells in Footnote 30 (Page 52) refers
you to Section VII B which starts on Page 110. There he uses his crack science team, Exponent, to
explain this away. (See QUOTES below after the BULLETS section)
If Tom Brady liked his footballs at 12.5 (which they were set at), why would Jim McNally tamper with
them in the bathroom? McNally's on the hook for taking the balls without permission.
So Tom Brady likes his footballs at 12.5. Aaron Rodgers admitted that he liked his overinflated. The
fact that almost no QB has come out on this issue makes me think that this is not a rare occurrence in
wanting the balls a certain way.
So does the Punishment fit the 'Crime? I don't think so. As a Pats fan who thinks Brady is not a cheater,
I hope Goodell cuts the suspension. Whatever happens, this season will be different for the Pats. But if
I'm Tom Brady, I'm looking for a way to win my 5th Super Bowl, and shut up some of the haters.
 
BOSTON RED SOX
Well on the good news side, the starting pitching has been better. While a 5-5 road trip usually wouldn't
warm the cockles of your heart, the BoSox did best a couple quality pitchers in the A's Sonny Gray and
Seattle's King Felix (1st defeat).
On the bad news bear side, the hitting, especially in the clutch, has been atrocious. It's still May so
maybe the Sox escape the funk that they've been in and hit the tar out of the ball. We'll see. It helps that
the AL East is not as strong collectively (the AL East Champ Orioles are next to last as I write). The
only positional player in Pawtucket that can help is OF Rusney Castillo. Rusney can hit. He homered
twice the other night. If Rusney comes up, who goes? Nava? Victorino in a trade?
If Allen Craig could hit a smidgen, he'd be out of Pawtucket and back somewhere else in MLB. Who
has the most trade value? Probably Victorino. Would Theo take either Vic or Nava? Meanwhile we
await the thawing of the BoSox bats. Let's take some of those current bats and stack them for a
sacrificial fire (think Major League). Can't hurt. And say a few incantations.
 
PAWTUCKET RED SOX
Pal Al and I took in last Wednesday's day game. We came in through the Main Gate, and while walking
to our seats, spotted a craft beer stand with several spigots. A sign advertised draft beer from Pawtucket
brewery Foolproof. It was $9! For 16 ounces. So I asked for one. Oh, the tap doesn't work. So I asked
for a $7.25 Smithwicks (more than I pay at the Hot Club). Oh that tap doesn't work either. While I was
trying to fathom all this (and make another choice), Al said he'd have a regular Narragansett. Ah, well
that tap doesn't work either. I asked, “So what taps do work?” Got a Long Trail after a long time.
Around the 3rd inning, Josh Harper, a new season ticket holder with seats next to mine, pointed to the
video board and said “Isn't that you?” The video board honored me as the Season Ticket Holder for the
game and that I was awarded a bat (very cool). Not long after 1B/C Luke Montz, who was on deck,
threw a foul ball up to me. Pal Al said, “All you need now is a glove.”
Eduardo Rodriguez started and took the loss. He was hit hard at times by a good hitting Indy team
(Pirates) and was betrayed by his defense as well. Rodriguez has the stuff to be the next PawSox starter
to be brought up when needed. Rodriguez is 4-2 with a 3.05 ERA.
 
BULLETS
• The Thrill Is Gone. RIP BB King who taught many of us about the Blues. I was fortunate to have seen
BB King live, once with Victoria. And also to Ben E King (Nelson) who not only did the great Stand
By Me but (There Is A Rose In) Spanish Harlem. King sang lead for the Drifters on There Goes My
Baby, Save The Last Dance For Me and This Magic Moment.
• So Doc Rivers Clippers had a 3-1 game lead over Kevin McHale's Houston Rockets and couldn't
close the deal. Maybe next year, Doc. Two ex-Celtics going at it.
• According to recent NY Times articles, the NY Yankees are last in the major leagues as far as road
attendance. An earlier piece noted that they were 2nd to only one other team in the number of relievers
used in games so far.
• Catch the Boston Globe on Fridays when Alex Speier has a great review of the Red Sox prospects in
his Minor League Notebook.
• Sorry to see the Montreal Canadiens fall to the Tampa Bay Lightning (yeah, right). The Lightning had
Les Habs number this year going 8-0 regular season and then winning 4-2 in the playoffs.
• According to Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald (4/26), Tom Brady threw the ball 50 times versus
Seattle in the Super Bowl and was sacked but once.
• Three recent quizzes from Pawtucket Red Sox games:
Who was the last Red Sox player to score 3 times in 1 inning?
Who was the only Red Sox player to hit grand slams from both sides of the plate in one game?
What Red Sox player had hits in 12 consecutive at bats?
Answers: (1) Sammy White, (2) Bill Mueller and (3) Mike 'Pinky' Higgins.
 
QUOTES
“Our scientific consultants ultimately informed us that the data alone did not provide a basis for them to determine with absolute certainty whether there was or was not tampering.”
(From page 112 of the Wells Report regarding their scientific team Exponent which was used to debunk the idea that weather conditions and the Ideal Gas Law could have caused deflation.

I sent this letter to the Pro Jo. An e-mail back asked if I knew that Mr. Skeffington had died (I didn't):
Kudos to Jim Raftus for his well balanced assessment of the PawSox ownership's hopes for a new
stadium in Providence, but the need for compromise so that the citizens of RI are not stiffed with the
bill.
That James Skeffington is unwilling to share his 'study' that pegs McCoy Stadium improvements at
$65.8 million does not show much compromise. McCoy Stadium was improved greatly in 1999 and is a
wonderful venue to see a AAA game. So fix the roof and have Larry Lucchino get architect Janet Marie
Smith (she designed Camden Yards, Petco Park and did the Fenway Park revisions) to design luxury
boxes/suites, which is what this ownership really wants.
That McCoy Stadium is the oldest AAA park should not be a negative. When the BoSox owners bought
the team, they renovated Fenway Park, the oldest stadium in the country.
Remember that we are talking about a AAA team, and that such cities as Durham don't have as much
going on as the Renaissance City. And the opinion that the team would draw a million fans is
laughable. 10,000 seats and 72 home games translates to 720,000 fans if every game were a sell out.
Let's hope the General Assembly does not sell out the citizens of RI. - Jim Dawson Season ticket holder
 
THE HOT CLUB
Sir Stephen and I were discussing Pablo Sandoval and his ability to play such good defense at 3B
despite his weight. The last Red Sox player that I could recall who was a big man and yet played
excellent defense was George Scott, who played 1B. A check shows that George Scott (RIP, died
7/28/13) per baseball-reference.com was 6'2” and 200 lbs. Pablo Sandoval is listed on the same site as
5'11” and 240 lbs. However Sandoval is listed on the Red Sox site as being 255 lbs.
Mike Module was talking about his Mom who passed away recently at age 95. He said that his Mom
used to say that “growing old is not for lightweights”.
FootJoy was talking about someone who wasn't all there. He said the person was a couple leaves short
of a four-leaf clover.
And my old friend visited with a woman named Paula. Seems that my friend now goes by Charlie as in
Charlie's Angels. Paula is one of his Angels. Paula said that Charlie likes to go out to a different place
every night. Paula said, “He's like shit. He's all over the place.”
The Wizard was talking about the recent passing of Blues great BB King. Conversation turned to John
Lee Hooker, another great. Wiz said he used to hang with Tommy Tutone and his band. Said one of
Tutone's guitarists got to play a solo while playing with John Lee Hooker. As he ended he looked over
to John Lee, who was cutting his nails.
 
LAST ISSUE'S QUIZ ANSWER
What #1 song was done by a group that didn't exist? Why it was The Archies who had the best selling
song of the year (1969) with Sugar, Sugar. Ron Dante is the voice that was overdubbed many times
along with a backup female singer. They wanted Dante to go on tour, but he refused. Don Kirshner was
the music director for the animated cartoon show, which had 'the band' play different songs. Dante was
also the only voice of The Cuff Links who had a hit with Tracy.
 
THIS WEEK'S QUIZ
This American producer, session player and arranger began his career playing bass for folkies in
Greenwich Village. He ended up producing 3 albums by a British super group, and even wrote one of
their songs. He and a friend started their own well known group, but an argument ended his days.
Name?