I don't know anymore.
When the Wells Report first came out I thought the science was shoddy (has been from the beginning), but the text messages and circumstantial evidence of the ball boys was very damning.
But now I know more. I know that (somehow without the referees knowing anything), that the Patriots played a game against the Jets with a ball inflated to 16 psi. That's impossibly out of specifications. And I can completely understand how Brady would go absolutely ballistic over that with the equipment managers. And I can completely understand how they might talk about Brady's tantrum between themselves in an unprofessional way.
I just don't see it as you guys do. I don't think Brady has any reason to get involved with psi or ball inflation like this or open himself up to culpability. He yelled at the guys about the Jets game and they over-reacted and made sure (among themselves) that they would take care to make sure Tom Brady liked the balls from that point forward.
To this day, I don't see the conspiracy theory you guys have put forward that Belichick and Brady have been directing balls be under inflated to help with fumbles or performance of anything close to that. I see a decision to inflate balls on the low end of allowable (which is completely legal) which happened AFTER the Jets game and fiasco of 16 psi and give them to the referees in that fashion.
I just don't see the evidence that connects Brady to the decision (if any was made) to further tamper with balls to lower the pressure below 12.5. None at all.
I've said from the beginning if there is proof balls were tampered with after the referee's review, that is on the organization. And I think they have been punished. But I don't see the Brady connection yet. And now we're getting into his cooperation with a farcical "independent" investigator (Ted Wells) that the more and more evidence that comes to light looks like a buffoon and anything but independent.
He was directed by his union officer NOT to cooperate (with his phone records) partly because of the precedent it would set for every other invasive sham investigation brought by the NFL. He was told not giving his phone would not be the basis of punishment (a flat out lie). A lot of Brady's actions during the investigation where not his to make, but a result of the bigger picture between the rights of the players vs. the rights of the league. Not just about this investigation.
Goodell has a hard on about that one point and he's (in my opinion) unjustly brought the hammer down. I'm not sure that holds up in court.
Interesting that you have decided to pick and choose the text messages you wish to consider truthful. Your quote of 16 pounds comes from the following passage from a man not under oath and talking to a woman known as Panda. IT does not say 16 lbs. It says like 16 pounds and he measured them he says. Evidence is here say and not proven. In fact it is the word of an individual that was terminated for tampering with the balls. Nothing indicates his method for determining the air pressure is accurate at all.
06/25/2015 03:43:11 PM
Page 62 to 65 of 457
20 of 172 sheets
DIRECT/BRADY/KESSLER
Page 62
looking at them now.
1
Take a look at in the Wells report, which is
2
NFLPA Exhibit 7. I'm sure it has an NFL number as
3
well. And take a look at page 86 of the Wells
4
report.
5
COMMISSIONER GOODELL: Is this it?
6
MR. LEVY: Yes.
7
MR. KESSLER: Do you have it, Commissioner?
8
COMMISSIONER GOODELL: Yes.
9
So the Jets game we are talking about was
10
Q.
October 16th. You will see these are a pair of
11
e-mails from Mr. Jastremski to Panda that are
12
October 17th. You will see that's the day after the
13
Jets game, just to give context to everyone.
14
By the way, I will represent to you because
15
it says in Mr. Wells' report that Panda is
16
Mr
. Jastremski's fiancé, so that we know who he's
17
communicating with is his fiancé, the day after the
18
Jets game, okay?
19
And you will see what he writes is,
20
"Ugh...Tom was right."
21
Do you see that? And then it goes, "I just
22
measured some of the balls. They are supposed to be
23
13. They were, like, 16, felt like bricks."