Deflategate: What to Takeaway?

So as some of you know The Wells Report came out as a 243 report about what happened with the New England Patriots deflating footballs to give them a competitive edge. I don’t know what’s more crazy, the fact they actually wrote up a 243 page report or the amount of time media is spending on this issue. Sure, it breaks the integrity of the game but honestly, do you think the deflation of footballs has made Tom Brady one of the best quarterbacks of all time? When the Patriots played the Colts this past year, the footballs were under inflated in the first half. What was the score after the first half? 17-7. What about after the balls were inspected and the correct weight? 28-0. So, I don’t think the weight of the footballs is the only thing that makes Tom Brady a great quarterback, if at all.

After watching Garbage Time with Katie Nolan, she brings up a few quotes that people are saying about deflategate and I agree with everything she says. Woody Paige says “Tom Brady should be suspended for the entire season for #Deflategate”. Katie Nolan goes on to say performance enhancing drug users who are caught are suspended four games so it would be kind of ridiculous to suspend Brady for the entire season. The next quote she talks about comes from Mike Lupica which he says “There is no elevator video on which to convict Tom Brady on deflategate”. Obviously, this is referencing to the Ray Rice incident, and Katie Nolan just says this is irrelevant and insensitive. The last quote I found the most ridiculous which comes from Ben Volin. He says “Patriots fans defending Brady say there’s no direct evidence against him. Circumstantial evidence was more than enough to convict Hernandez”. So he’s comparing inflating footballs to a murder which in my mind is a little too much. Once again, yes it hurts the integrity of the game, but the fact some people are comparing this to the Ray Rice and Aaron Hernandez cases is taking this a little too far.

Who knows what we should exactly take away from this case. It’s the second case of the New England Patriots being caught cheating, so it shows they try to do whatever it takes to get a competitive advantage. Will it tarnish the legacy of Tom Brady? I highly doubt it. Will it tarnish the character of Tom Brady? I think it will because he hasn’t stepped up to the mistake and is putting the blame on others. America hates liars, just look at our views of Ryan Braun and Alex Rodriguez. They both lied about using performance enhancing drugs and now both their reputations took a hit. Tom Brady is a great football player, maybe not a good person, but a great football player.

---

Alan Liang is a Drexel Sport Management major graduate with minors in Marketing, Business Administration, and Communication from West Windsor, NJ. Alan scores baseball games for Baseball Info Solutions and was on co-op with the Philadelphia 76ers in the camps department. Follow Alan on Twitter @AlanLiang29. 

Sport for Thought: 2015 NFL Free Agents - Game Changers

This season's class of free agents can shake up the power landscape in the NFL like no other season. Big name players are available on both sides of the football, and their is a significant chance many of these players may not return to their current team.

Offensive players: Demaryius Thomas, Julius Thomas, Dez Bryant, DeMarco Murray, Peyton Manning and Randall Cobb.

Defensive players: Ndamukong Suh, Gerald McCoy, Justin Houston, Darrelle Revis, and Jason Pierre-Paul.

The Catch That Wasn't a Catch

Throughout the NFL playoffs we have seen some really good games and it’s been a pretty exciting postseason. We get a treat of seeing a Russell Wilson vs Aaron Rodgers match-up as well as a Tom Brady vs Andrew Luck match-up. These are four of the premier quarterbacks in the NFL going up against one another. Okay maybe they aren’t going necessarily going up against each other, but it will be fun to watch four potent offenses. With that being said, one of the main topic of discussion with these playoffs will be the Dez Bryant catch that was not a catch. The rule needs to change as it took away a great play in a big moment of the game of the Packers vs Cowboys game. No one knows what the outcome of the game would have been if the call was not overturned but this rule is something that needs to be looked out after the season.

St. Louis Rams and "Hands Up, Don't Shoot"

nbcnews.com

While working off turkey hangovers, many Americans who tune into the NFL just wanted a nice slate football to conclude the holiday weekend and put off thinking about the looming work week.

But five St. Louis Rams wide receivers -- Tavon Austin, Stedman Bailey, Kenny Britt, Jared Cook, and Chris Givens -- brought those tuning into the Rams-Raiders game back to another reality they may have been trying to escape: the protests in Ferguson. In unison with a common phrase and gesture of the ongoing struggle that has spread to cities across the country, the players came out with their hands up in reference to "hands up, don't shoot."

Sport for Thought: The Expansion of Roc Nation Sports

It is not everyday when a rap superstar decides to become a sports agent and represent some of the biggest names in sports. When Jay Z announced the launch of Roc Nation Sports in April of 2013 with the acquisition of ex- Scott Boras client Robinson Cano, the entire sports world was shocked. At the time, not many people took the new agency seriously and thought it would turn into another Master P situation and not last. But just last week, company president Michael Yormark announced the agencies interest in expansion through the acquisition of other agencies as well as the hiring of qualified agents.

Sport for Thought: Mr. 509 and Counting

Johnny Unitas. Dan Marino. Brett Favre. Tom Brady. All of these men are in the conversation as the greatest quarterback in NFL history. They are Super Bowl Champions, MVP's, record holders, team leaders, and just flat out WINNERS! Their is no denying any of their talent because they have the statistics to prove it. But last night we were all lucky enough to witness history, and perhaps the greatest quarterback of them all. Brand new Mr. 509 himself, Peyton Manning.

NBA vs NFL: Punishments on Acts of Violence

Over the past several of weeks, the NFL has been in the spotlight in terms of domestic violence cases with a few star players.  This has been an issue in the league for many years now and has not seemed to get much better and Commissioner Roger Goodell has been very inconsistent in terms of his punishments.  But how does the domestic violence affect the NBA?

The Place of Satire in Recent NFL News

In the wake of widely publicized abuse cases involving Ray Rice, Greg Hardy, Ray McDonald, Adrian Peterson and Jonathan Dwyer, the culture the National Football League has instilled, protected and enabled has crumbled over the past few weeks. And hopefully for good.

The macho man bravado of the football patriarchy run by men for men has taken a very public turn towards the instability that many critical of the sports world have long warned. 

There has been hard-hitting reporting, speculation, a rise in the opportunity for female voices to be heard in the sports media, plenty of good commentary and plenty of cringe-worthy commentary, among so much more. Packaged right along with it all has been the satirical takes on the recent happenings, providing an important and needed perspective.

Sport for Thought: Lets Get Back to Some Football

In my last article, I wrote just how much sport and the Yankees meant to America and exemplified hope during a time of desperation and horrific events. But for the first three weeks of the 2014 NFL season, these same athletes who millions of people idolize and watch for entertainment are causing a nationwide debate about domestic violence. By no means am I blowing over the issue at hand, but people watch sports to take their minds off of many of the more serious topics affecting our country and it is a shame that sports are struggling to provide that outlet.

Guard the Post: State of a Questionably Named Franchise

I was reading ESPN.com a few days ago, a section I traditionally avoid called "NFL Nation", and a writer asked a very interesting question. Kevin Seifert asked, "Why would a capitalist such as Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder oppose changing his team's name when he could make a ton of money from merchandise sales adorned with the new brand?"

Fair question, Mr. Seifert.

Guard the Post: No longer protected, whats next?

 

It has been quite a few months since I've written about the issue surrounding the name of the Washington professional football team, but after the news of yesterday, it is time to get back in the game. The U.S. Patent and Trademark office removed the trademark from the Washington Redskins name yesterday in a 2-1 decision.

Guard the Post: Super Bowl L errr 50

Yesterday, a historic announcement was made. The National Football League will, for the first time since 1971, not have a roman numeral in the title of it's biggest game. The 50th Super Bowl will not be titled "Super Bowl L", as it should have been if they followed the same trend that they have for the last 44 games. The name of the game, which will be hosted at the brand new Levi's Stadium in San Francisco, CA in 2016, will be Super Bowl 50.

Becoming a Professional MVP: Preparing for Draft Day

The first round of the NFL draft will be taking place on primetime television this coming Thursday, May 8^th. As the NFL teams will be jockeying for position, power and presence to make selections based on their own needs and wants, the college football players vying for a spot on the roster will simply have to wait anxiously for their name to be called.

Guard the Post: Sport is a business, but should the bottom line always be the first concern?

Patrick Hruby, keynote presenter at the first annual Sport for Social Change conference, said yesterday, "when someone tells you it's not about the money, it's probably about the money. And when that same someone won't even acknowledge said money, it's definitely about the money." A few weeks back, I highlighted the current state of the movement to change the name of the Washington football franchise. Naturally, it has developed. Again.

Miami Dolphins: Wells’ Report Fallout

After months of interviews and waiting the NFL’s independent investigation by Ted Wells was delivered last week. The 144 page report, in short, explains everything that most already put together themselves. There were enough details in the report for the axe to begin dropping. The first two casualties of the report were offensive line coach Jim Turner and long time athletic trainer Kevin O’Neill.

Under Further Review: Combine Proves NFL Power

How fast did Jadeveon Clowney run in the 40 yard dash? How many 225-pound bench press reps did Michael Sam lift, again? To the eighth of an inch, how tall is Johnny Manziel? How big are Blake Bortles' hands?

The constant flurry of questions can be overwhelming but at the same time totally normal. The annual National Football League Combine is where draft eligible players in their teens or early-20s throw on the spandex and show off their athletic prowess in front of mostly middle-aged scouts and team personnel. It sounds utterly absurd, but the Combine is proof of the NFL's immense media power. And it's all part of the NFL's diabolical plan.

Guard the Post: It is time, Washington, for a name change

 

The University of North Dakota changed their name from the Fighting Sioux in 2012. This was the first major Division-I institution to change their mascot in response to issues regarding the names association with American Indians. There are countless other universities and professional sports teams whose names have caused disagreement, but none more than the Washington Redskins.

Under Further Review: Michael Sam Steals the Show

"I'm not afraid to tell the world who I am. I'm Michael Sam: I'm a college graduate. I'm African American, and I'm gay." - Michael Sam

While the media was still trying to wrap their minds around the situation with Marcus Smart and those who were tired of the near-24 hours of coverage were taking in some action from Sochi, something happened. Changed happened. Former University of Missouri All-American defensive lineman and National Football League hopeful Michael Sam did something that no NFL prospect had ever done. He announced he is gay.

The Drexel Connection: Haig Abnous

This week the Drexel Connection spotlights Haig Abnous. Haig is currently a Junior Agent for the NOVO Agency. The NOVO Agency represents NFL Athletes and former athletes such as LaMichael James, Joey Porter and John Elway. Haig attended Arizona University as an undergraduate communications major where he also corner back for the Arizona Football team. He ended up earning a private work out with the New England Patriots as well as the Hartford Colonials of the UFL. During minicamp, Haig also played with the San Jose Sabercats of the Arena Football League. Haig is now an online student at Drexel’s graduate program getting his masters, which is now a mandatory task before he can be approved by the NFLPA as a certified agent.

Media Coverage of Sherman Worth Around $5 million

SI.com

The following post is a guest post from Drexel Sport Management junior Alan Liang.

Erin Andrews’ face said it all. Following the NFC Championship Game, Andrews got the “privilege” of interviewing Richard Sherman after his play ultimately ended the game. I’m sure she was shocked as much as the rest of America of what Sherman had just said. Andrews asked Sherman to take her through the last play of the game. Sherman’s response, “Well I’m the best corner in the game. When you try me with a sorry receiver like Crabtree that’s the result you gonna get. Don’t you ever talk about me.”