Latest news with #Deflategate
The Herald Scotland
07-07-2025
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
DeMaurice Smith book slams Roger Goodell, Aaron Rodgers, Jerry Jones
Smith calls Goodell "a cold, dark void" who "was in the employ of madmen." Jones is characterized as stingy despite his estimated net worth extending into the tens of billions in recent years. Smith writes, "If Jerry Jones saw a dollar bill on the ground, I truly believe he'd stop and pick it up." NFL COLLUSION: In stunning ruling, arbitrator finds NFL encouraged collusion Jones is one of the main names called out in the book, though Smith doesn't let the rest of owners off the hook either. Awful Announcing's report on the early copy of "Turf Wars" includes that its author calls the overall group of NFL owners "a cabal of greedy billionaires." Notably, and despite the general characterization of NFL owners, Patriots owner Robert Kraft receives a nod in the acknowledgements section of Smith's book, according to Awful Announcing. The worst of all top NFL officials, according to Smith, is Pash, who retired in 2024 after 40 years of working with the league. Smith calls Pash "definitely the most unscrupulous. In a corporation filled with ruthless people, Pash has everyone else beat." AARON RODGERS: Steelers QB hosts DK Metcalf, other teammates for Malibu workout Smith didn't stop at calling out NFL executives, either. Awful Announcing reported that the former head of the NFLPA called Rodgers "the god of Cheesehead Nation" and "isolated and dismissive." Writes Smith: "He sat in the back row of the meeting room, issuing loud sighs before standing for a dramatic exit. An incredible quarterback, to be sure, but an even more impressive antagonist." That wasn't all. "In August 2021, my phone chirped with a text from Aaron Rodgers," Smith writes. "'Can you call me?' it read. Could I not run into traffic instead?" Smith's criticism of players didn't stop with Rodgers. Also on the chopping block is Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins, who Smith calls out for criticizing players that kneeled during the national anthem because it "may be hurting the game and having an effect on revenue." NFL 2025: Predicting the 4 most explosive offensive players in the league Smith served as the NFLPA's executive director from 2009 until 2023. During his tenure, he dealt with the 2011 NFL lockout amid new contract bargaining agreement (CBA) negotiations and the "Deflategate" incident from the 2014 AFC championship game. Smith also was the man who filed the initial complaint with arbitrator Christopher Droney that accused NFL owners of collusion. Droney ultimately dismissed the case, though not before noting in a 61-page document that the NFL Management Council "encouraged 32 member Clubs of the NFL to reduce guarantees in future contracts with players at the March 2022 annual meeting." The report ultimately found that NFL owners had not been engaging in collusive conduct, but the document remained under wraps until Pablo Torre unveiled it on his podcast, "Pablo Torre Finds Out" late last month.
USA Today
06-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
DeMaurice Smith slams Roger Goodell, Jerry Jones, Aaron Rodgers in new book
DeMaurice "De" Smith hasn't served as the NFL Players Association's executive director for more than two years. But there's clearly no love lost between him and some of the NFL's most important figures. According to Awful Announcing, Smith plans to publish his new book, "Turf Wars," in early August. In it, he slams NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, Dallas Cowboys team owner Jerry Jones, former NFL general counsel Jeff Pash and Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Smith calls Goodell "a cold, dark void" who "was in the employ of madmen." Jones is characterized as stingy despite his estimated net worth extending into the tens of billions in recent years. Smith writes, "If Jerry Jones saw a dollar bill on the ground, I truly believe he'd stop and pick it up." NFL COLLUSION: In stunning ruling, arbitrator finds NFL encouraged collusion Jones is one of the main names called out in the book, though Smith doesn't let the rest of owners off the hook either. Awful Announcing's report on the early copy of "Turf Wars" includes that its author calls the overall group of NFL owners "a cabal of greedy billionaires." Notably, and despite the general characterization of NFL owners, Patriots owner Robert Kraft receives a nod in the acknowledgements section of Smith's book, according to Awful Announcing. The worst of all top NFL officials, according to Smith, is Pash, who retired in 2024 after 40 years of working with the league. Smith calls Pash "definitely the most unscrupulous. In a corporation filled with ruthless people, Pash has everyone else beat." AARON RODGERS: Steelers QB hosts DK Metcalf, other teammates for Malibu workout Smith didn't stop at calling out NFL executives, either. Awful Announcing reported that the former head of the NFLPA called Rodgers "the god of Cheesehead Nation" and "isolated and dismissive." Writes Smith: "He sat in the back row of the meeting room, issuing loud sighs before standing for a dramatic exit. An incredible quarterback, to be sure, but an even more impressive antagonist." That wasn't all. "In August 2021, my phone chirped with a text from Aaron Rodgers," Smith writes. "'Can you call me?' it read. Could I not run into traffic instead?" Smith's criticism of players didn't stop with Rodgers. Also on the chopping block is Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins, who Smith calls out for criticizing players that kneeled during the national anthem because it "may be hurting the game and having an effect on revenue." NFL 2025: Predicting the 4 most explosive offensive players in the league Smith served as the NFLPA's executive director from 2009 until 2023. During his tenure, he dealt with the 2011 NFL lockout amid new contract bargaining agreement (CBA) negotiations and the "Deflategate" incident from the 2014 AFC championship game. Smith also was the man who filed the initial complaint with arbitrator Christopher Droney that accused NFL owners of collusion. Droney ultimately dismissed the case, though not before noting in a 61-page document that the NFL Management Council "encouraged 32 member Clubs of the NFL to reduce guarantees in future contracts with players at the March 2022 annual meeting." The report ultimately found that NFL owners had not been engaging in collusive conduct, but the document remained under wraps until Pablo Torre unveiled it on his podcast, "Pablo Torre Finds Out" late last month.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Awkward! Tom Brady Gets Booed At Indy 500
Tom Brady was welcomed to the Indy 500 by jeers and boos, but the retired NFL star took the icy reception in stride as he greeted participants during a pre-race ceremony. Widely considered the G.O.A.T. (Greatest of All Time) by most NFL fans, Brady remains a controversial figure among Indianapolis Colts supporters, who clearly haven't forgotten the longstanding rivalry between the Colts and Brady's former team, the New England Patriots. Advertisement The Colts and Patriots share one of the most intense rivalries in professional football, having faced off in the 2014 AFC Championship Game—an event now infamous for the 'Deflategate' scandal. During that game, Brady was accused of having footballs deflated to make them easier to throw. Related: Caitlin Clark Is Stunned By LeBron James' Viral Comments About Her: 'I Thought It Was Kind Of Fake' Colts fans still haven't forgiven Brady, who was suspended for four games in 2016 after the NFL concluded he was 'generally aware' of the scheme to deflate footballs during the game. Related: Danica Patrick Makes Shocking Claim About Relationship With Aaron Rodgers: 'The Most Amount Of Pain' Now part of Fox Sports' NFL broadcasting team, Brady wasn't rattled by the chilly welcome. The 47-year-old father of three kept his trademark composure, smiling and waving to the crowd. Advertisement The seven-time Super Bowl champion later took a lap around the track in a two-seater IndyCar alongside NASCAR great Jimmie Johnson. 🎬SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox🎬 Awkward! Tom Brady Gets Booed At Indy 500 first appeared on Parade on May 25, 2025
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bill Belichick doesn't think outside distractions will be an issue at UNC: 'We've always dealt with that'
It's been easy to forget considering everything else going on in his life, but Bill Belichick is going to coach at the University of North Carolina this season. Belichick answered questions about the team — and his personal life — during a press conference Tuesday. While most of the questions focused on UNC's team, Belichick was asked about girlfriend Jordon Hudson, and how much attention their relationship has received. In typical Belichick fashion, he downplayed the issue and focused on football. "Is there noise out there? We've always dealt with that. Really, our job is to build the football team ... help build the team and also build their individual careers. That's really where we are at." Advertisement Belichick was also asked whether he would have returned to coaching if he knew his personal life was going to be a big story. Again, he downplayed the issue, saying a lot of the "noise" is a result of his book, which he worked on while he was away from coaching. He quipped that he hopes the book will be a "big purchase on Father's Day." When asked whether Hudson will appear on the sideline during North Carolina games, Belichick said that would not be the case before turning the answer to football. "She doesn't have any role in the UNC football program, but again there's been noise out there about a lot of different things. Again, our focus is day-to-day getting better, stacking good days together." Those types of answers should sound pretty familiar to anyone who followed Belichick's NFL career. Belichick was famous for focusing solely on football and not allowing outside noise to affect his team. The Patriots and Belichick handled a handful of scandals during his tenure as head coach, including Deflategate and Spygate. The team never missed a beat despite those scandals. With the Patriots, Belichick was rarely the reason for those outside distractions. That isn't the case this time around, where Belichick's relationship with Hudson has led to both questions and confusion. In the end, it might not matter. Belichick has a knack for shutting down outside noise. If he can do that and turn in a successful season at UNC, it won't be long before the things change and he's gruffly telling reporters "we're on to Georgia Tech" after he gets asked a football question he doesn't want to answer.
Hindustan Times
27-05-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Why Indy 500's crowd mercilessly booed Tom Brady and what is the beef about
Tom Brady received a cold welcome at the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday (May 25) when the audience collectively decided to boo the former NFL player. The shocking reaction came as a result of decades of sports rivalry coupled with unforgiveness from a dedicated fan base. Though the uniform chorus of disapproval rang loud and clear from the crowd in the stands, Brady seemed to take it in stride during the pre-race ceremony for the Indy 500, an annual automobile race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The reaction likely came as a result of the noted rivalry between the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts back from the days when Brady was a quarterback for the former and pitted against Peyton Manning, then quarterback of the Colts. This decades-long rivalry between two of the greatest quarterbacks in history was a multi-storied tale that includes fiascos like 'Deflategate' where the Patriots were accused of using deflated footballs in a playoff match against the Colts. Though Brady denied any wrongdoing on his part, an investigation into the incident suspended him from a few games. The Patriots were fined and docked draft picks. Brady's all-too-compulsive 16-4 win record against the Colts in playoffs and season was a bitter pill to swallow for the Indianapolis crowd when they saw their rival on home ground. People also took to social media to react to the video of Brady being 'booed' with many expressing support for the former football sensation and others backing the audience instead. Brady was at the event to ride alongside race car driver Jimmie Johnson. Having retired from the NFL in 2023, the 47-year-old currently works as a sports commentator at Fox.
