I'm kind of shocked that I'm the only one here cynical enough to think the whole Patriots protest of the Troy Vincent punishment was an orchestrated farce. Everyone knows both the league office and the Patriots want this story buried. A slap-on-the-wrist punishment was agreed upon (after shamelessly weighing public opinion), then the Patriots would wildly protest publicly before relenting as the NFL stood its ground. It was nothing more than a predictable, transparent attempt to sway the public to feel that the penalties must be "fair", justice is being served, and that the Patriots are actually taking their medicine (while not actually admitting any wrong doing in the face of damning evidence).
Light punishment aside, the thing I find most troubling about this story has been the NFL's ability to keep the investigation confined to the AFC title game. If, during a 2014 tax audit, the IRS found convincing evidence of tax evasion in past years, would they simply ignore the evidence of prior violations and issue a fine based solely on improprieties in the 2014 tax year? It seems preposterous after the investigation of the Saints bounty scandal that the Patriots/NFL have been able to succeed in limiting the scope of this investigation to one game despite solid evidence of earlier deflating AND numerous prior complaints from other teams. Why is no one calling for the league to launch a full investigation into illegal ball preparation, particularly over the time frame in which it was both possible (since the 2007 rule change, infamously championed by Tom Brady) and supported by circumstantial statistical data (2007-present... hey, wait a minute!)?
It's saddening to see the extent to which the media has become a mouthpiece (and nothing more) for the sports leagues upon which it relies. Even sadder is seeing how-- despite that-- it appears to remain an effective tool in manipulating public opinion.
