Dear Sal Paolantonio,
When you made your comments the other day about the extended delay in the Tom Brady sentencing resolution, you went too far. You said:
“Not only that, add in that you’re angering some of the hardcore owners out there, and I know who they are and I’m going to name them right now — Jim Irsay of the Colts, Steve Bisciotti of the Ravens, and others in the AFC who believe that the Patriots have gotten away with murder for years and have not been publicly punished properly.”
“…and others in the AFC…”
Others?
Others are not what’s enraging Patriot Nation. The names Jim Irsay and Steve Bisciotti are the only names being bandied about. If you’re going to throw two names under the bus, why not throw all of them under? Is it really newsworthy to assume that Irsay and Bisciotti are not enamored with the way New England conducts itself professionally?
Brady thinks that he was unfairly suspended for cheating, as determined by the Wells Report, during the AFC Championship game a season ago. Despite his refusal to turn over his cell phone for the investigation and the text messages between Jim McNally, officials’ locker room attendant and John Jastremski, equipment assistant, indicating otherwise, Brady maintains his innocence.
From an October 17, 2014 text exchange prior to a game against the New York Jets:
McNally: Tom sucks…im going make that next ball a f*&#(% balloon
Jastremski: Talked to him last night. He actually brought you up and said you must have a lot of stress trying to get them done
Jastremski: I told him it was. He was right though
Jastremski: I checked some of the balls this morn… The refs f(*$%^ us…a few of then were at almost 16
Jastremski: They didnt recheck then after they put air in them
McNally: F*&@ tom …16 is nothing…wait till next sunday
Jastremski: Omg! Spaz
And this exchange 11 days before the Championship game:
McNally: Remember to put a couple sweet pig skins ready for tom to sign
Jastremski: U got it kid…big autograph day for you
McNally: Nice throw some kicks in and make it real special
Jastremski: It ur lucky. 11?
McNally: 11 or 11 and half kid
Whoever this “Tom” is sounds like a dirty player, but it certainly can’t be Golden Boy Tom Brady, right?
Any owner in the AFC is likely tired of the preferential treatment afforded Robert Kraft and his organization, but shouldn’t we also assume that the four teams that actually play against the Patriots at the beginning of the 2015 season would like to have Tom Brady at home or on a beach in Brazil visiting 
the in-laws?
It’s highly unlikely that Irsay and Bisciotti have that much influence in league offices currently. Each had his own issues with the league office last offseason. The first four games of the Patriots season, the teams presumably benefiting from a Brady-less Patriots are the Pittsburgh Steelers, owned by the Rooney family; Buffalo Bills, an inter-division newly owned by Terry Pagula; Jacksonville Jaguars, owned by Shahid Kahn; and the Dallas Cowboys, owned by Jerry Jones. There are some very powerful, influential members of that group.
On Sunday Steve Bisciotti was compelled to issue the following statement:
“I have not and will not put any pressure on the Commissioner or anyone representing the NFL office to take action in what everyone is calling ‘Deflategate’.
“The story circulating that I have put pressure on Roger (Goodell) is 100% wrong. The reports are unfair to Robert Kraft, who is an honorable person, and to his franchise.
“Let’s talk about football and the start of training camps. Fans and people like me want the issue resolved now.”
There’s simply no benefit for the Baltimore Ravens. Pressure to clarify the substitution rule, perhaps.
He is right about one thing though, the fans do want this issue resolved and over with. The court of public opinion has convicted the man and all things Patriots outside New England’s fan base.
Sal, do us all a favor, leave our team out of it.
The Ravens have nothing to do with DeflateGate. That’s between the league, Tom Brady, the Patriots, the NFLPA, potentially federal courts and reporters updating and defining what’s going on.
Now we’ve got Patriot Nation on our backs much like Brady on his when #55 is on the field. Should logic prevail, you’ll see that the two teams you pointed the finger at made their positions very clear at the end of last season and have no reason, real or imaginary, to keep it alive.
Sincerely,
Ravens Nation
