Most people would understand if teachers involved in a cheating scandal were fired, but sent to jail? Eleven former Atlanta educators have been convicted of “racketeering” for their involvement in a scheme to inflate students’ test scores on standardized exams.
According to sources, they face up to 20 years in jail.
Do New Englanders think that deflate-gate is a conspiracy by people formerly affiliated with the New York Jets to bring down their team?
Some in the Boston-area media are creating the idea that dark forces are working to keep the Patriots from being recognized as a standard of excellence and integrity, according to The New Jersey Star-Ledger.
The Star-Ledger mentions a piece written by Tom Curran for CSN New England that claims Mike Kensil is “the driving force behind” the NFL’s investigation of how the footballs the Patriots used in the AFC Championship Game were somehow deflated beyond what’s mandated by the league’s rule book.
Kensil is the NFL’s Vice President of Game Operations, which means the regulation of the air pressure inside footballs falls under his purview. So far, so good…
Curran then points out a coincidence.
“Before rising to the league level, Kensil was the Jets director of operations for nearly 20 years. His tenure overlapped Bill Parcells (and Bill Belichick’s) time with the Jets and he would have been part of the Jets front office incensed by Belichick’s 2000 resignation as Jets head coach.
(…)
“Kensil’s tenure with the Jets ended in 2006, the same year Belichick disciple Eric Mangini became head coach of the Jets.
“Kensil’s professional reputation is strong and people have described him as having strong integrity.”
All well and good. However, The Star-Ledger continures, then Curran gets himself fitted for a tin foil hat:
“That Jets connection, though, certainly hints at a preexisting judgment of Belichick and the Patriots that could, conceivably, be a motivating factor in the league’s dogged pursuit.”
Pursuit of deflate-gate, they mean.
He is arguing that because Kensil worked for the Jets, he has a grudge against the Patriots, and may want to see the Patriots fall from grace…
Curran knows he has nothing to go on here except the fact that the NFL executive charged with looking into deflate-gate (Kensil) last worked for the Jets nine years ago.
Beyond that, there’s no evidence of any “Jets connection” except what’s in Curran’s head. “His thesis doesn’t even rise to the level of flimsy,” according to The Star-Ledger.
The Star-Ledger: “Look, what the Patriots were caught doing is football’s equivalent of pitchers doctoring baseballs. It’s a minor rules violation that’s mushroomed into a full-on scandal, albeit one that’s far more silly than it is objectionable.”
But Curran knows they’re out there, and he’s clearly on to something the rest of “you sheeple” can’t see. With that, let’s pull out of thin air offer three more possible Jets connections to this scandal.
1. Sal Alosi: He grew up on Long Island and he used to be the strength and conditioning coach for the Jets. And while in that role, Alosi was once caught sticking out his leg to trip a Dolphins player running along the sideline during a punt return. A guy who worked for the Jets and tried to cheat?
2. Damien Woody. Woody won three Super Bowl rings as an offensive lineman for the Patriots before later playing for the Jets when they beat the Pats in the 2010 playoffs. He now works as an analyst for ESPN. How is it that no one else can see what might possibly be obvious here?
3. Danny Woodhead. Woodhead spent some unremarkable time with the Jets as a running back before hitting his stride after being signed by the Patriots in 2010. He then signed a free-agent deal with the Chargers before the 2013 season and injured his knee in Week 3 this past season, causing him to miss the rest of the year. Obviously, Woodhead might have an axe to grind against the Patriots. Maybe. I think. What am I missing here?
The publication Chicago Now states:
“It doesn’t matter if the Patriots would have won the game anyway. If they cheated, they cheated. Don’t agree with me? Let me ask you something: if you and I were to play a game of poker for money and I took you for, say, a few grand, and later it was found out that I had cheated, you would want your money back, wouldn’t you? I sure hope so. Even if I only cheated on one hand and it really had little bearing on my overall haul, you’d want your money back.
“It’s not that I believe the punishment for cheating in this case should directly mean elimination from the Super Bowl, but I do believe that if they are found guilty of cheating — and let me take this moment to say that my personal belief is that they did cheat — in a game that they ultimately won, then they should have to forfeit that win.”
MSNBC
…and does it matter?
According to an ESPN report, nearly all of the game balls on the New England Patriots side during the AFC Championship game were under-inflated and an investigation of the Super Bowl-bound team is underway.
The NFL has found that 11 of the New England Patriots’ 12 game balls were inflated significantly below the NFL’s requirements, league sources involved and familiar with the investigation of Sunday’s AFC Championship Game told ESPN.
Are the officials at fault? Were Indy’s game balls weighed as well? More facts are needed before judging the Patriots, writes Mike Reiss of ESPN.
The investigation found the footballs were inflated 2 pounds per square inch below what’s required by NFL regulations during the Pats’ 45-7 victory over the Indianapolis Colts, according to sources.
“We are not commenting at this time,” said Greg Aiello, the NFL’s senior vice president of communications.
OK, Fine. 