Other New Patriots Scandal - DeflateGate

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Blacky said:
I guarantee if you had been let off for lack of evidence you would not have embarked on any fact finding missions.

It only matters because you feel you've been dudded

The salient facts are; you were punished and at this point in time that punishment stands and you have done nothing to clear your name.

PS. My post with the asterisk is at least as relevant of some of the garbage I have waded through from the pats fans in this thread.
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Brady is still fighting this is he not?You know the only guy left who hasnt chosen money over honor. Oh the feeling is certainly mutual on the other points you have raised.
 
Galactic said:
Ive really come to the conclusion at this stage these people are not interested in debating the actual topic, just pressing their opinions of US! (me you and others on this forum AB) This forum is full of people who will never take a nuetral view on the matter and use so called half assed investigations as proof to back up their statements. NONE of my questions were answered directly and all of the responses are the same fracking theme. Them vs US, you posted this they said that.... PATHETIC! Your all a pack of trolls and you WONT answer the underlying weaknesses of the case against the team. I really am starting to wonder if I should just put this lot in the loony bin and be done with them, they bring nothing useful to this conversation other than the same horse crap opinions rather than discussing the reality and trying to come to some undertanding of the facts vs the percepton. It was fun coming in here and talking about the NFL once but as a pats fan this place is past its used by date. Your tiresome attitude of US vs them is boring after all these years. Why dont you post about the issue instead of US? If this going to be personal im going to start doing something about it. The moderater could learn something about posting about the issue and not the fracking person too. ANYONE want to discuss the issue and the facts becasue in many pages its been a battle to do just that.
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I don't mind rational dislike for the Patriots because the biggest, baddest team in the room probably deserves that. During Belichick's tenure, the Patriots have been that far ahead of the pack that the lowest common denominator will always be used to make opposition supporters feel better about the predicament of their team. "Oh, they're cheaters, asterisks blah blah blah" is their tool. That's fine and I'm prepared to wear that. Where I draw the line is irrational dislike, the type JD displays and ultimately lead him to my ignore list.

Most of it's jest and I get that but at the same time, when the blowtorch is applied to their side, few if any keep rational and reasonable objectivity. That's really all I have asked during Defamegate. To keep an open mind because Wells and the NFL have not conducted themselves in a manner conducive to fairness.
 
Galactic, what questions haven't we answered?

As for the Wells report, who thinks it and the "sting" were satisfactory? I certainly don't.

The reason for your angst is you see it as an attempt by the NFL to frame the Patriots. People like me have no bloody idea what could possibly be the motivation for the NFL to do that, hence why we don't see it in that context. Not one Pats poster here has answered that question either.

If you take away the conspiracy theory then there really is only one conclusion to be reached given the Pats didn't appeal.

Does that mean Tom is guilty? Not at all but we're yet to see that one play out.
 

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ausbacker said:
Where I draw the line is irrational dislike, the type JD displays and ultimately lead him to my ignore list.
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Is there anything more cowardly on a forum than taking shots and then hiding behind the ignore function?

You must have spent a lot time behind your mum's legs as a kid.
 
ausbacker said:
I don't mind rational dislike for the Patriots because the biggest, baddest team in the room probably deserves that. During Belichick's tenure, the Patriots have been that far ahead of the pack that the lowest common denominator will always be used to make opposition supporters feel better about the predicament of their team. "Oh, they're cheaters, asterisks blah blah blah" is their tool. That's fine and I'm prepared to wear that. Where I draw the line is irrational dislike, the type JD displays and ultimately lead him to my ignore list.

Most of it's jest and I get that but at the same time, when the blowtorch is applied to their side, few if any keep rational and reasonable objectivity. That's really all I have asked during Defamegate. To keep an open mind because Wells and the NFL have not conducted themselves in a manner conducive to fairness.
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Right and I too understand this, but I put in the effort and spend time to read up on and study this, so I can truly understand whats happened. They dont want to even akknowldge the notion there is some really big problems here and instead choose to come back with resposes like " Its not my team being investigated" or "You pats fans have cheated this whole time and said it was no biggy" or " We all know the pats cheated" which really isnt doing anything other than bring nothing to the actual conversation we are trying to have. We keep posting about this very exaustive matter to find the actual truth,that was banished thanks to early source leaks to espn and out with it all relativity. The others here keep posting to keep this "truth" alive and its a cop out to the forum in general as I and we pats fans are trying to have a discussion with other fans about it. I get they dont like us, but if I care enough to come in and comment on a matter that has nothing to do with my team, the least they could do is be a little more undertadning of why one side may have opposition to something based on the ACTUAL EVENTS and known FACTS.
 
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JeffDunne said:
Galactic, what questions haven't we answered?

As for the Wells report, who thinks it and the "sting" were satisfactory? I certainly don't.

The reason for your angst is you see it as an attempt by the NFL to frame the Patriots. People like me have no bloody idea what could possibly be the motivation for the NFL to do that, hence why we don't see it in that context. Not one Pats poster here has answered that question either.

If you take away the conspiracy theory then there really is only one conclusion to be reached given the Pats didn't appeal.

Does that mean Tom is guilty? Not at all but we're yet to see that one play out.
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Jeff lets go one by one.

I know thats what you think, youve said it multiple times. I however very much believe the the sting thing is real based on the leaks and early goings on around this matter.
Again, we disagree because I see it as Goodell going out to catch us in the first place and to save face hired the firm who said secondary smoke doesnt cause lung cancer to have a go at protecting him from his own incompetence.
Tom is all we got
 
Galactic said:
Ive really come to the conclusion at this stage these people are not interested in debating the actual topic, just pressing their opinions of US! (me you and others on this forum AB) This forum is full of people who will never take a nuetral view on the matter and use so called half assed investigations as proof to back up their statements. NONE of my questions were answered directly and all of the responses are the same fracking theme. Them vs US, you posted this they said that.... PATHETIC! Your all a pack of trolls and you WONT answer the underlying weaknesses of the case against the team. I really am starting to wonder if I should just put this lot in the loony bin and be done with them, they bring nothing useful to this conversation other than the same horse crap opinions rather than discussing the reality and trying to come to some undertanding of the facts vs the percepton. It was fun coming in here and talking about the NFL once but as a pats fan this place is past its used by date. Your tiresome attitude of US vs them is boring after all these years. Why dont you post about the issue instead of US? If this going to be personal im going to start doing something about it. The moderater could learn something about posting about the issue and not the fracking person too. ANYONE want to discuss the issue and the facts becasue in many pages its been a battle to do just that.Using the NFL's bs sentensing and investigation isnt a very valid argument and it hasnt been valid in other circumstances and cases, to the same people posting on this matter. In fact they have admitted this but on THIS matter all is well and above board and patriots fans should just accept it. **** off
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When I first joined this discussion all the pats fans played the man and didn't want to discuss facts. Now after being found guilty you want to discuss facts.... Why not before?
Facts:
Wells report is flawed.
Patriots failed to cooperate with Wells.
Patriots have previously been punished for breaking rules.
Opinion:
NFL can't allow players/clubs to not cooperate with their (admittedly crappy) investigators as this will make all future investigations impossible.
In the end I don't think it matters IF the balls were deliberately deflated (although the 'Deflator' as he called himself may have tampered with the balls.
Punishment is for failure to cooperate in the investigation and I think that the punishment is lenient for that infraction. If I was a GM in future, I would probably not cooperate unless I was 100% certain I was clean. Currently it gives the green light to cheating as you can choose to not cooperate and have future sanctions that don't make much difference for at least 2-3 years after winning a Super Bowl.
 
Galactic said:
Miami
Cheated to sign former coach Don Shula by tampering with the then Baltimore Colts employee. Found guilty of tampering and stripped of a first round pick.

The organization’s public unwillingness to follow tampering rules was the impetus for free agent reform. In 2008 the Phins signed guard Justin Smiley, contract written, detailed, printed and signed just 17 minutes after midnight.

1985 an Assistant was accused of radioing conversations from other teams. Letter of reprimand issued from the league.

Caught illegally taping the Patriots offensive calls on the LOS in their first meeting and then used that info to beat them in the second game.

New York Jets:
Assistant coach intentionally injured an opposing gunner. Cowardly Mike Westoff, instead of taking responsibility for their malicious actions, blamed the Patriots instead.

Tampered with then New England Coach Bill Parcells.

Contacted illegally Patriot assistants after they hired Mangini in an attempt to pry them away.

Broke memo of not to tape signals from the field, just a week or two before they ratted on the Pats

Former kicker Jay Feeley admitted the team had been faking injuries for years.

While playing for the Jets Favre also gave out inside secrets and strategy tips on the Packers in a 40 minute phone conversation with Matt Millen and the Lions coaching staff, actively sabotaging the team he’ll one day enter the Hall of Fame as a member of. The story was successfully covered up by an ESPN “Do Not Report” order but was unearthed by Profootballtalk. Favre was never disciplined, fined, or help accountable for lying about the incident for weeks.

Tampered with New England CB Darell Revis

Buffalo Bills:
Intentionally injured cancer victim Eric Berry
Fined $20,000 for failing to report a wrist injury to Mario Williams.

Baltimore Ravens:
Gave fiance-puncher Ray Rice the most minimal punishment possible for punching said fiance, hoping the whole thing would go away. Only cut the despicable RB when the video of the domestic violence incident went viral and essentially forced the team’s hand.

Employs repeat domestic abuser Terrell Suggs with little to no repercussions.
Accidentally let it slip that the team used bounties, specifically with Steelers WR Hines Ward.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1513154-supe r-b...

Ray Lewis using a banned substance to come back from injury sooner and lead his team to a Super Bowl.

“According to Sports Illustrated, Lewis contacted a company to obtain a deer-antler velvet extract after tearing his triceps in October. Mitch Ross of S.W.A.T.S reportedly videotaped the phone call from Lewis. “Spray on my elbow every two hours?” Lewis asked Ross regarding the extract, via Philly.com “No,” Ross said. “Under your tongue.” Later, Lewis asked Ross to “just pile me up and just send me everything you got, because I got to get back on this this week.” The problem for Lewis is that the extract contains IGF-1, which is on the NFL’s list of banned substances.

Pittsburgh Steelers:
Team Doctor Implicated in illegal use/dispensing of PED’s.

Cheated the Salary Cap

Rampant cheating with illegal steroid use "What I did (steroid use) was wrong" - Terry Bradshaw

Former coach Bill Cower admitted to stealing opposing teams signals (sounds smart if you ask me).“We didn't lose the game because of any Spygate, because of them having any additional things,” Cowher said, referring to the 41-27 loss to New England that ended the Steelers' season following a 15-1 regular season. “I think if they're guilty of anything, they're guilty of arrogance because they were told not to do something. But it was something that everybody does.”
The Spygate scandal didn't break until almost three years later, after the Patriots were caught taping the New York Jets coaches' defensive signals during a September 2007 game. The NFL fined Belichick $500,000 — the largest fine given a coach — and the Patriots $250,000 and took away New England's first-round pick in the 2008 draft.
Former Patriots video assistant Matt Walsh later provided the league with eight tapes of opposing teams' defensive signals during the 2000-02 seasons, but the league did not discipline the Patriots further.
“The only thing they got caught (was) doing it with a camera,” Cowher told the radio station. “We had people that always tried to steal signals. Stealing someone's signals was a part of the game, and everyone attempted to do that.”
Cowher said “part of the things we had (were) wristbands that we were using to do it,” attempting to identify opposing teams' verbal signals that were being yelled to the players on the field.”

Current coach Mike Tomlin was fined $100,000 for cheating in-game, stepping onto the field to deliberately alter the path of kick returner Jacoby Jones.

Cleveland Browns:
Currently under NFL investigation for texting opposing play calls to the Browns sideline from the press booth.

Indy Colts:
Accused repeatedly throughout the years of using artificial crowd noise, manipulating dome temperatures, and tampering with opposing teams in-helmet communication units.
Used coach Tony Dungy’s influence on the competition committee to advance defensive contact rules specifically tailored to their own agenda. The Colts won a Super Bowl with the new rules in place, yet somehow the rest of the world is still under the impression that Tom Brady lobbied for and created these rules.

Intentionally lost games in order to get the top drat pick - "Sucking for Luck"

Denver Broncos:
Got caught taping a SanFrancisco walk through.

Caught cheating by way of manipulating the salary cap multiples times: a feat that won the franchise back to back Super Bowl titles.

Coach Mike Shanahan admitted to using similar video taping practices as Belichick during his Super Bowl years, and was investigated for spying on a Chargers practice in 2008.

San Diego Chargers:
Caught cheating in 2012 by illegal use of towels with a hidden adhesive substance. The league fined the team $20,000 ruling that the club failed to turn over the towels when directed, and attempted to conceal them. As a testimony to just how little ball tampering matters, the Chargers were 3-3 before the scandal and finished 7-9 missing the playoffs.

Kansas City:
Jimmy Johnson named Chief’s coach Marty Schottenheimer as one of the many coaches in the league that videotaped opposing teams signals identical to what the Patriots were found guilty of.

Chiefs coach Todd Haley accused the team of bugging rooms in the Arrowhead facilities, and even wiretapping their own head coach’s phone.

In 2012 the Chiefs administration was busted for misappropriating millions in tax payer money. The report outlined that of the almost $30 million in tax payer funds it received for stadium maintenance, they used only about 30% of the money on the stadium. The rest, illegally, went elsewhere.


Dallas:
Legendary coach Jimmy Johnson one of the few people with the courage to admit that he used video taping practices identical to the Patriots’ to steal signals, as did a number of other coaches. It was integral to their success in building a dynasty

Caught cheating and stripped of over $10 million in salary cap space for illegally tampering with their salary cap 2010.

Washington:
Caught cheating and nailed for over $31 million in salary cap space for running the same salary scam as the Cowboys in 2010.

Accused of cheating by the Cowboys in 2011 by way of “disconcerting signals.”

New York Giants:
Caught cheating and epitomized the fake injury scandal by accidentally having two players fake injuries at the same time to gain extra timeouts.

Philly:
Caught cheating in 1989 as head coach Buddy Ryan promoted a bounty system against the division rival Dallas Cowboys, coaching his players to purposely injure key opponents.

Tampa:
Accused of cheating in 2012 by way of tampering with visiting teams’ in-helmet communication systems, and were still somehow 2-5 at home that year.

Recently admitted to cheating by bribing ball attendants ($7500) to tamper with game balls. In yet another demonstration of how little minor tampering of game balls matter, this is the same Super Bowl mentioned above that the Raiders allegedly lost on purpose.

Carolina:
Three members of the 2004 Panthers tested positive for steroids after LOSING Super Bowl XXXVIII to the New England Patriots. An investigation showed all 3 players had prescriptions for the banned substance filled within two weeks of the Super Bowl suggesting that they were definitely on steroids during the game… AND STILL LOST.

Caught cheating in 2014 by tampering with game balls, heating them on the sidelines. Received only a warning from the NFL

New Orleans:
Bounty Gate

Chicago:
Former Bears LB Brian Urlacher admitted his defense regularly used fake injuries to slow down opposing offenses.

Recent admission of former ballboy of trying to sneak balls through the inspection.

Minny:
Caught cheating in 2014 by tampering with game balls, heating them on the sidelines. Received only a warning from the NFL

Green Bay
Aaron Rogers has admitted he wants his footballs overinflated for games. Gets angry when they take air out.

Arizona:
Former Cardinals QB Matt Leinart admits to tampering with game balls, and further more correctly admits that almost every NFL quarterback does it too.

Seattle:
Multiple violations of offseason practice rules leading to the team being stripped of mini-camp days and both the organization and coach Pete Carroll being fined a combined $300,000.

Alleged PED use by 7 players

49ers

Cheated the Salary Cap
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This post.
 
Gmod23 said:
When I first joined this discussion all the pats fans played the man and didn't want to discuss facts. Now after being found guilty you want to discuss facts.... Why not before?
Facts:
Wells report is flawed.
Patriots failed to cooperate with Wells.
Patriots have previously been punished for breaking rules.
Opinion:
NFL can't allow players/clubs to not cooperate with their (admittedly crappy) investigators as this will make all future investigations impossible.
In the end I don't think it matters IF the balls were deliberately deflated (although the 'Deflator' as he called himself may have tampered with the balls.
Punishment is for failure to cooperate in the investigation and I think that the punishment is lenient for that infraction. If I was a GM in future, I would probably not cooperate unless I was 100% certain I was clean. Currently it gives the green light to cheating as you can choose to not cooperate and have future sanctions that don't make much difference for at least 2-3 years after winning a Super Bowl.
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Oh so that includes me does it!? So lets just contune doing it and that makes it ok!?!?!?! What facts were available then anyway!? It was rampant speculation thanks espn
Facts
-yes.
-According to wells we failed to cooperate.............
You could ONLY be refering to spygate, YES the Patriots put a camera in an illegal location on the field in 07, yes we admitted to it, yes we paid very dearly for it.Whats that got to do with this? Many other teams have "cheated" too and been punished and NOT punished too!Relevence?

Your opinion.. My questions. At what point did the deflator Mcnally on that night before the colts game stuff with the ball pressure? The ONLY possiible time was in the bathroom. If you want to believe that fine, I certainly dont believe its physically possible.Its a very major sticking point. We still dont know what the patriots didnt co op on other than brady and his phone and the other mcnally meeting which the pats offered in another form and wells denied, disagreed with the level of cooperation not being sufficient in the rebut, so we have two side to this story and I dont trust wells.

The NFL are guilty more than the patriots are for allowing this to be the current state of affairs..my opinion
 
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Oh ok jeff so we are going to drag them out when people were having a go as the patriots being the only team who ever dared "cheat"...sigh By all means please keep attacking the man to justify me being a bit rich. A bit rich coming from the bounty gate thread
 

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You asked.

Also, I've never said the Pats are the only team to cheat. In fact I've said it in this thread! (Falcons) I haven't been posting on past indiscretions of the Pats either (yet I'm a hater?)

But FFS, if a team accepts a penalty for cheating then unless you've got a better defence than the s**t being spewed by Pats fans then people will see you as a cheat. Is that too hard to accept?

Unfair maybe but such is life.
 
JeffDunne said:
You asked.

Also, I've never said the Pats are the only team to cheat. In fact I've said it in this thread! (Falcons) I haven't been posting on past indiscretions of the Pats either (yet I'm a hater?)

But FFS, if a team accepts a penalty for cheating then unless you've got a better defence than the s**t being spewed by Pats fans then people will see you as a cheat. Is that too hard to accept?

Unfair maybe but such is life.
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Jeff it wasnt directed at you ffs. Oh well simplified for the idiots there JD... sheesh Kraft accepted again Ill say money over honor. Such is life on here where unfair is fair. Suck it up dont dare protest it
 
Also, on the AFC night of question, the officials couldnt locate the balls for FIFTEEN MINUTES. McNally was in the bathroom for 100 secs, but the officials couldnt find the balls for 15 minutes from the period the balls were given the Patriots ball boys, till they were able to retrieve them 15 mins later sometime before the start of the game.
 
Kraft tells Larry King he hopes he helped Brady’s appeal
Posted by Michael David Smith on May 23, 2015, 8:24 PM EDT
larryking-e1432426641415.jpeg
AP
There’s been plenty of talk around the NFL that Patriots owner Robert Kraft decided not to fight the NFL’s Deflategate penalties because the NFL has given a quiet assurance that Tom Brady will get a favorable ruling on the appeal of his four-game suspension. Now a report from Larry King (of all people) indicates that Kraft was thinking along those lines when he decided to accept the NFL’s punishment.

King wrote on Twitter that he talked to Kraft today, and that Kraft told him he’s hoping that accepting the NFL’s penalties will help Brady in his own fight against his four-game suspension.



It’s not often that NFL news is broken by Larry King, but this seems plausible. Even as Kraft has given up the fight against the Patriots’ sanctions, he still steadfastly supports Brady. It would make sense that Kraft would give up the fight against the league primarily because he wants to help Brady.

Although if that is Kraft’s intention, he probably would have preferred that King not tweet about it.
 
Blacky said:
I tied my left shoelace before my right shoelace

I hope that somehow helps Tom Brady
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Could do.

Were they Reebok Pump's? Were they inflated to the suggested PSI?
 
GG said:
Also, on the AFC night of question, the officials couldnt locate the balls for FIFTEEN MINUTES. McNally was in the bathroom for 100 secs, but the officials couldnt find the balls for 15 minutes from the period the balls were given the Patriots ball boys, till they were able to retrieve them 15 mins later sometime before the start of the game.
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Lol good ol Larry

Refering to this gg?

Rule 2 goes on to state that the footballs shall remain “under the supervision of the referee until they are delivered to the football attendant just prior to the start of the game.” (pg. 32). The report concludes that “football attendant” refers to the ball boys. Nowhere in the report, however, is there any discussion about whether the referee or other League officials failed to properly maintain this supervision, which one would have expected to have been particularly vigilant in the wake of the Colts expressed concerns. The report acknowledges that game officials specifically allowed Mr. McNally to take the game footballs from the dressing room of the Officials’ Locker Room (where the referee was) into the separate sitting room (pg. 55). No one told Mr. McNally that he could not then proceed to the field with the footballs. When the NFC Championship Game ended abruptly in overtime and Mr. McNally started from the back of the sitting room towards the door to the hallway, he walked by numerous League officials in the sitting room. As the report states (pg. 55), the sitting room was crowded with “NFL personnel, game officials and others gathered there to watch the conclusion of the NFC Championship Game on television.” Mr. McNally had to navigate this crowd of officials to make it through the sitting room with two large bags of footballs on his shoulders. Mr. McNally, a physically big man, hoisted two large bags of footballs and lumbered past all these League officials and out the door of the Officials’ Locker Room. As is clear from the report, no one objected; no one told him to stop; no one requested that he wait to be accompanied by a League official; no one told him that a League official had to carry the footballs to the field. After he walked past all of these League officials and out the door of the Officials’ Locker Room to the hallway, he then walked past James Daniel, an NFL official and one of the people who had been alerted to the Colts psi concerns pre-game (pg. 45). Mr. Daniel, as seen on the security video, looked at Mr. McNally carrying the bags of footballs toward the field unaccompanied by any League or game official, and made no objection to Mr. McNally continuing unaccompanied to the field. In short, if officials lost track of the location of game footballs, it was not because Mr. McNally stealthily removed them. (Omitted from the investigation were interviews with all those League officials whom Mr. McNally walked past with the bags of footballs on his shoulders.) Even after halftime, when obvious attention was being paid to game footballs and psi issues by League and game officials, who took control of the footballs at halftime, the security video shows Mr. McNally, with no objection, taking the footballs from the Officials’ Locker Room back to the field totally unaccompanied by any League or Game official. Mr. McNally’s removal of the footballs from the Officials’ Locker Room before the game began was simply not unauthorized, unknown, unusual, or in violation of some protocol or instruction. The report nonetheless portrays Mr. McNally’s departure from the Officials’ Locker Room before the game as a step in secretly taking the footballs for nefarious reasons.
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To that yes...i got the time they went missing for wrong. Not fifteen minutes, that was the time BEFORE the start of the game when Anderson couldn't find the balls. Around 3 minutes time they went missing....

-------------------

Wells Report: Officials couldn’t find game balls before AFC title game
Posted by Mike Wilkening on May 6, 2015, 5:34 PM EDT
cd0ymzcznguwzdbhnduynddiytjhm2yyzthlmtjjotqwyyznptc3nmjlmtvknzqzmze5yzewytuxyjljmmrimgqyyzg3.jpeg
Getty Images
Rule Two, Section One of the NFL Rule Book states game footballs “shall remain under the supervision of the Referee until they are delivered to the ball attendant just prior to the start of the game.”

However, according to the Wells Report, when it came time for referee Walt Anderson and the officiating staff to take the game balls to the ball boys on the field 15 minutes before the AFC Championship game in January, the footballs were missing.

According to the report, Patriots officials locker room attendant Jim McNally took the footballs on to the field without the officials’ permission after bringing them into a bathroom for about 100 seconds.

Wrote the Wells Report investigators: “When it was suggested that McNally had or may have taken them to the field, Anderson responded that ‘he’s not supposed to do that.’ Anderson also stated that ‘we have to find the footballs.'”

The investigators also noted: “It was the first time in Anderson’s nineteen years as an NFL official that he could not locate the game balls at the start of a game.”

According to the Wells Report, Anderson and fellow NFL referee Clete Blakeman — also present for the AFC title game — described McNally’s removal of the footballs as unusual and not standard practice.

Wrote investigators: “Numerous game officials, including those assigned to the AFC Championship Game, told us that McNally generally does not remove the game balls from the Officials Locker Room without express permission or without being accompanied by one or more game officials. Walt Anderson said that in his experience, McNally has not removed, and is not permitted to remove, the game balls from the Officials Locker Room without his permission.

“Anderson also said that if McNally had asked to take the footballs to the field before he was ready to leave, he would have told McNally to wait. Anderson has always denied requests by ball boys and locker room attendants in other stadiums to take the game balls out before he was ready to go to the field.

“Similarly, Clete Blakeman—a referee on another officiating crew during the regular season — could not recall a previous instance where McNally took the game balls to the field on his own and without express permission. What happened on the day of the AFC Championship Game was, in his view, a ‘break in our normal protocol.'”

According to the Wells Report, McNally took the footballs out of the officiating locker room at 6:30, took them into the bathroom shortly thereafter and exited with the footballs at 6:32:27. He then took the footballs onto the field.

Less than three minutes later, Anderson and other officials went to look for the footballs — which had already departed, the Wells Report alleges.
 
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