Felger & Mazz: Happy Anniversary, DeflateGate!
BOSTON (CBS) -- It's been one long, drawn out year since we first heard the word "DeflateGate."
What followed was nine ridiculous months that had people arguing over the PSI of Tom Brady's footballs, ESPN's credibility, Ted Wells' mustache and Felger & Mazz's sanity. We got the great nickname "Jimmy Hot Fingers" out of it, but by the time the season came around, Brady's four-game suspension was thrown out and we could focus on football.
At least until the NFL's appeal is heard in March. No, DeflateGate isn't quite over, but it's on life support from the NFL's standpoint.
To commemorate the one-year anniversary of one of sport's greatest debacles, the Felger & Mazz crew gave their summation of it all on Tuesday.
Tony Massarotti
"Without getting into the particulars, because we all lived them from PSI to every other scientific study, my summation is it was a needless scandal that brought out the worst in everyone involved, from the perpetrators to the transgressors to the judge and jury. The parties dug in their heels out of spite toward one another without anyone ever keeping the bigger picture in mind, and thus became borderline comical, frustrating, stupid and legit -- all of those things at once -- or as we like to say here, 'one big ball of suck.' The fact it's still not over is comical to some degree."
Michael Felger
"I felt the Pats were guilty at the time and the facts that came out justified that feeling. Most people admit they were doing something... In turn I acknowledge the science is questionable at best and that night in question is suspicious," said Felger. "But from there, everyone went too far. It was ridiculous. The NFL overreached badly, as usual. The investigation was slanted and shoddy, and the appeal was incompetent and illegal. Brady deserved to win his case.
"But the Patriots' scorched-earth campaign did them no favors either. The Wells Report In Context was a major embarrassment to the team... Then again maybe that approach didn't matter because the NFL was out to get them no matter what. Goodell felt he under-reached on Spygate and enough owners wanted to pound the flesh out of the Patriots because they felt they got off on Spygate, so Goodell was going to overcompensate this time.
"The punishment to the organization was too stiff but not crazy, and the Pats kind of asked for it with the way they handled it. The four-game suspension for Brady was ridiculous. The biggest mistake in this whole thing was the NFL not dealing with Brady when he was willing to take a game for non-compliance for destroying his phone. The fact the league didn't take it is the biggest mistake; it could have been over and should have been over right there. The league office overreached as usual, they deserved to lose in district court and they will lose again on the appeal. They should drop it, but they won't," he said.
"It bears pointing out it showed no difference in the Pats' level of play using illegal balls and legal balls. Tom Brady was better this year and they held onto the balls better this year," added Felger. "Year one showed absolutely no discernible difference whatsoever, so it makes you question the point of the whole episode on all sides."
You can hear all of Felger's breakdown -- including his thoughts on the media coverage -- and the rest of the gang's reaction in the video above.
