Vox: Deflate-Gate Explained

Vox

The NFL has suspended New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady for four games for his role in the team’s “Deflategate” scandal.

The team has also been stripped of two draft picks and fined $1 million.

The NFL doled out this punishment because its investigation found that team locker room attendant Jim McNally likely released air from a set of game footballs used during the AFC Championship this past December.

The investigation concluded that player Tom Brady was likely “at least generally aware” of McNally’s activities. There’s no evidence Patriots’ coach Bill Belichick knew what was going on.

Under-inflated footballs are easier to play football with, and each team uses its own set of footballs.

The Patriots’ opponent – the Indianapolis Colts – wouldn’t have enjoyed the same advantage.

In the above video, “deflate-gate” is explained.

London Chelsea Beats Man. U., Only 2 Wins From Title

In England, the soccer team – er, football team – Chelsea moved to within two wins of reclaiming the Premier League title after player Eden Hazard’s goal gave them a narrow victory over Manchester United at Stamford Bridge stadium in Fulham, England.

Victory in the coming games at Arsenal and Leicester City will return the title to Stamford Bridge for the first time since 2010.

London’s Chelsea were pushed all the way by a resurgent Manchester United, looking toward a seventh successive victory.

Manchester United player Wayne Rooney and the recalled Radamel Falcao came closest for Man. U., but once again they fell victim to the resilience and defensive strength that is Chelsea’s trademark under manager Jose Mourinho, assisted by the brilliance of Hazard, states the BBC.

(Updated post)

Is The U.S. All Bad?

Of course not.

The U.S. has some positives and is still safer than many countries, with a better economy.

Chicago Cubs catcher Miguel Montero, who has made his home in the Phoenix area since 2007, returned this past off-season to Venezuela, where most of his relatives still live, states USA Today.

He stayed there five days.

USA Today states that Venezuela has rampant crime and had the second-highest homicide rate in the world last year, and Montero renewed his passport in his native city of Caracas and hurried back to the USA, feeling terrible for the family members and others he left behind.

“I would go from the place where I was trying to get my passport to the house and back. That’s it,” Montero said. “You want to go to your country to relax and have a good time, not to be shut inside your house because you’re afraid to go out. … There are safety concerns anywhere in the world, but you watch the news about Venezuela and more people have been killed there than in Afghanistan.”

Montero has two kids and will request U.S. citizenship this year.

He was at the forefront of what has become a wave of Venezuelan major-league baseball players moving their families to the states, largely over safety issues.

Felix Hernandez, Miguel Cabrera, Carlos Gonzalez and Victor Martinez are some of the prominent Venezuelans who have established permanent roots in the U.S., but it’s not just the star players who are coming.

San Francisco Giants teammates Gregor Blanco and Guillermo Quiroz have moved to Miami, a favorite destination among expatriates.