National Football League

NFL's best QB ever now a man named Tm Brdy

Published May. 6, 2015 6:12 p.m. ET

Alex Marvez

There’s a new leader atop the list of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history.

T*m Br*dy.

Such is the damage done to the reputation of New England’s star passer in the “Deflategate” aftermath.

Obviously, some Patriots fans will disagree. They will proclaim Br*dy and their beloved franchise are exonerated rather than damned by the independent investigation into the on-field scandal that rocked the NFL heading into Super Bowl XLIX. That’s because the 243-page independent investigation released Wednesday couldn’t definitively prove Br*dy ordered the removal of air from footballs he played with during last season’s 45-7 AFC Championship game rout of Indianapolis.

Yet the asterisk won’t be leaving Br*dy’s name -- nor should it based upon what was chronicled in the report.

The evidence presented overwhelmingly points to Br*dy conspiring through New England’s assistant equipment manager and a locker-room attendant, who dubbed himself “The Deflator.” A softened football would give Br*dy a competitive edge because it’s easier to grip.

It’s not the most egregious of offenses, but it’s still cheating.

Think of this rule-bending in baseball terms, similar to when a pitcher scuffs the rawhide or hitter uses a corked bat. Some of that sport’s biggest stars, like Whitey Ford, got away with it. Sammy Sosa and Albert Belle were among those who were caught.

Expect the NFL to consider Br*dy more like the latter than former when deciding on discipline that could very well include at least a one-game suspension to open the 2015 season.

The expansive work of investigator Ted Wells and his staff was well worth the 103-day wait for the report’s release. The league was tipped to the possibility of New England using underinflated footballs through an email by Colts general manager Ryan Grigson prior to the AFC title contest in Foxboro, Mass.

The situation then took a curious pregame turn when, unbeknownst to the officiating crew, Jim McNally -- aka The Deflator -- disappeared with a bag of footballs into a restroom.

After a sideline check by the Colts following a Br*dy interception revealed an underinflated football, the NFL ordered a halftime test. All 11 of New England’s pigskins were under the league-minimum of 12.5 PSI while four footballs checked from the Colts sideline were within the allowed pressure range.

The Wells report states, “The reduction in pressure of the Patriots game balls cannot be explained completely by basic scientific principles, such as the Ideal Gas Law, based on the circumstances and conditions likely to have been present on the day of the game.” But other testing and analysis led researchers to conclude that the “absence of a credible scientific explanation for the Patriots halftime measurements tends to support a finding that human intervention may account for the additional loss of pressure.”

Patriots owner Robert Kraft vehemently disputed the report’s conclusions Wednesday in a released statement. As for Br*dy, there was no comment issued in the immediate aftermath.

Br*dy could again adamantly claim ignorance, as he did during his initial Deflategate news conference. However, that would fly in the face of the investigation unearthing a series of damning text messages between McNally and assistant equipment manager John Jastremski that imply Br*dy was on board. The communications paint the picture -- colorfully, I might add -- that Br*dy was swapping autographed memorabilia for services rendered.

Br*dy’s refusal to share his side of the texts with investigators after initially cooperating in an interview further casts him in an unfavorable light. The report also raises the possibility that the AFC title game might not be the only time Br*dy played with a deflated ball.

From a personal standpoint, I still believe Br*dy is the best QB ever. Br*dy has won four Super Bowls with a supporting cast that will have less than a handful of offensive teammates joining him in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His individual passing statistics are just as impressive.

All of this wasn’t accomplished just because of a gimmicked football.

Br*dy didn’t need one to crush the Colts with LaGarrette Blount shredding Indianapolis for 148 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Plus, Br*dy came through against Seattle in Super Bowl XLIX. With no doubts about whether the balls for that game were properly inflated, Br*dy won Most Valuable Player honors by leading a 10-point fourth-quarter comeback and completing 37 of 50 passes for 328 yards against the NFL’s best secondary.

But just as with Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and Spygate and Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice and his admitted use of stickum, the question with Br*dy will always be this: Why would someone so good at his craft resort to an unnecessary shortcut for success at the risk of tarnishing previous accomplishments forever?

An explanation and apology for doing just that would go a long way toward helping Br*dy restore what is now a name sullied by symbols.