"Deflate-Gate" The Punishment, The Opinions of the Punishment, and the Messages Professional Sports Are Sending

Tom Brady and the New England Patriots get Disciplined

 

 

 

 

 

NFL Passes Judgement on "Deflategate"

      May 12, 2015 - John A. Smith, Editor

     The NFL's Commissioner Roger Goodell has passed down consequences on the New England Patriots and Tom Brady for allegedly deflating the footballs they used in the 2015 AFC Championship game against the Indianapolis Colts. Although no one seems to be saying that under-inflated footballs had an effect on the final outcome of a 45-7 victory for the Patriots, Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots find themselves accused of cheating again. In 2007 Belichick was fined $500,000 (the league maximum), and the team was fined for "Spygate" whereas the organization was found to have been videotaping New York Jets' defensive coaches' signals during a September 9, 2007 game. 2007 New England Patriots_videotaping controversy

     Tom Brady was suspended for 4 regular season games, the Patriots were fined $1M and forfeited there 1st round selection in the 2016 NFL draft and their 4th round pick in the 2017 draft. Now repeat offenders of cheating they might want to simply start playing by the rules.

Opinions On The Ruling are Plentiful

      You can certainly find ample opinions both for and against the punishment handed down, and here is mine, not only on the punishment, but on the opinions themselves. I have watched, listened, and read, many comparing this judgement to Ray Rice. I don't think these incidents should be compared at all. 

Should "Deflate-gate" be Compared to the Ray Rice Case?

     First, the Rice incident was not a work incident and did not affect the game or the NFL except for maybe the NFL's brand and the opinion of how well Goodell's disciplinary skills were. I happen to believe that employers should not involve themselves in their employees lives outside of work. However, in this case there was the brand of the NFL to be protected and that "moralities" clause of players in their contracts. I do think the Rice incident was criminal and he should have received the harshest consequences the law had to offer. I just don't think the Rice case and cheating in a game compares. Deflating the balls to make them easier to handle directly affects the game, it's integrity, and fairness of play and the NFL and all of it's parts.   

Do The Penalties Fit The Crime in Deflate-Gate?

     With Tom Brady being suspended for 4 games, that is 25% of the regular season. Is that just? I think that to cheat in this, or any professional sport you take away from the games integrity, the public opinion of the sport, and let's not forget about the fans. Yes, I think this punishment fits the crime, especially since this organization is a repeat offender cheating twice in 8 years. As far as the $1M fine, the Patriots will make that back in about 10 minutes of selling concessions and won't even know it's gone. But yes, appropriate. Now, about the draft picks, this one I find tougher to consider. With discipline you want to deter the accused as well as others whom may consider bending the rules. I think that after being found out, and penalized, in 2007 the Patriots seemed to not be deterred from trying another way to break the rules, so yes, I think the draft picks were appropriate although I'll never know how they decided on the numbers. 1st round, 4th round?

What Messages Are Professional Sports Sending?

     Once upon a time in the not to distant past professional sports offered many things to many children, families, and all fans. Kids looked up to their sports heroes and wanted to emulate them. They were motivated to be like their bigger than life idles both in physical attributes and the way they lived their lives, being charitable, appreciating their fans, etc. Now, it is quite difficult for parents, or even just the father, to take their children to a professional sporting event because it has become quite expensive. Even before many people lost their net worth, their homes, their retirement (401k's), and income inequality separating the wealthy from what used to be a thriving and abundant middle class, the cost of taking the kids to a game became financially prohibitive. You almost have to own, or be invited to sit in a "corporate" box since that's who has the seats. Add to that things like "Spygate", "Deflate-gate", players being convicted of murder when they have a $40M contract to play football, assaulting women, brutally, the messages are not at all good. That's a shame, especially when our youth could really use some positive role models. Yes, I believe that if you are lucky enough to be a professional athlete and get paid very well for it, part of that should be to be a good role model to our children.