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Quiz about All about Deflategate
Quiz about All about Deflategate

All about Deflategate Trivia Quiz


While not an earthshaking event, the case of the New England Patriots allegedly deflating footballs to below the allowable limit was interesting from both a sporting and a legal standpoint. Here are some questions about this odd event.

A multiple-choice quiz by chessart. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Author
chessart
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
378,365
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
6 / 10
Plays
274
Question 1 of 10
1. The controversy which became known as "Deflategate" erupted during a game between the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts. In which part of the 2014-2015 season was this game played? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. The Deflategate story was broken by a reporter based in which city? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. The result of the Deflategate investigation ordered by the NFL was which report?




Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Based on the findings in the investigation, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell issued sanctions against the Patriots organization. Did these sanctions include any punishment for coach Bill Bellichick?


Question 5 of 10
5. The punishment issued by Goodell included a four-game suspension of quarterback Tom Brady, which Brady appealed. The NFL Players' Association requested that this appeal be heard before a neutral arbitrator. Was this request granted?


Question 6 of 10
6. After a ten-hour hearing, the arbitrator who heard Brady's appeal upheld the initial four-game suspension. What factor did the arbitrator state was a primary reason for this decision? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. After Brady's four-game suspension was upheld, the case found its way into federal court. In which state was the court hearing held? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. What principle of labor law did the federal judge rely upon in voiding the Brady suspension? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. One reason the Patriots' organization was viewed with suspicion was a prior finding of misconduct in an unrelated matter. What had the Patriots been found guilty of in 2007? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Was the federal judge's decision in Brady's favor made in time for Brady to play in the Patriots first game of the 2015-2016 season?



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. The controversy which became known as "Deflategate" erupted during a game between the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts. In which part of the 2014-2015 season was this game played?

Answer: AFC Championship Game

The game in question was the AFC Championship Game, played on January 18, 2015, in Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, with the winner to go to the Super Bowl two weeks later.
2. The Deflategate story was broken by a reporter based in which city?

Answer: Indianapolis

The story was broken by Bob Kravitz, a reporter for Indianapolis TV station WTHR. Kravitz received a late-night text from a source that the NFL was investigating the Patriots for deflating footballs; once he verified the information with a second source, he tweeted out the news.
3. The result of the Deflategate investigation ordered by the NFL was which report?

Answer: the Wells Report

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell hired attorney Ted Wells to conduct an investigation and report back. The 138-page report, issued on May 6, 2015, concluded that two Patriots employees had been guilty of deflating balls to suit quarterback Tom Brady's wishes, and that Brady was at least "generally aware" of what they were doing on his behalf.

The Dowd Report concerned the issue of Pete Rose betting on baseball, while the other two reports were from the world of politics.
4. Based on the findings in the investigation, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell issued sanctions against the Patriots organization. Did these sanctions include any punishment for coach Bill Bellichick?

Answer: No

The Wells report found no wrongdoing on the part of the Patriots' ownership or any of the Patriots' coaches. Based on the findings in the report, quarterback Brady was suspended four games, and the Patriots organization was fined a million dollars and docked two draft picks. Patriots owner Bob Kraft accepted the punishment, hoping this would help Brady obtain leniency. Kraft later regretted this decision.
5. The punishment issued by Goodell included a four-game suspension of quarterback Tom Brady, which Brady appealed. The NFL Players' Association requested that this appeal be heard before a neutral arbitrator. Was this request granted?

Answer: No

The collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and the players association provided that Goodell could hear the appeal from his own decision in cases involving "conduct detrimental to the game", and Goodell insisted on hearing the appeal even though a neutral arbitrator made more sense.
6. After a ten-hour hearing, the arbitrator who heard Brady's appeal upheld the initial four-game suspension. What factor did the arbitrator state was a primary reason for this decision?

Answer: Brady's destruction of his cellphone just before meeting with the investigators

Since the punishment for deflating footballs was looking more and more dubious as time went on, Goodell stressed Brady's lack of cooperation with the investigation as an important reason for the suspension. No "smoking gun" was ever discovered implicating Brady in the deflation events.
7. After Brady's four-game suspension was upheld, the case found its way into federal court. In which state was the court hearing held?

Answer: New York

In a blatant example of forum-shopping, the Players Association filed a 54-page petition in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, solely because it was that court which had struck down the NFL's punishment in the Adrian Peterson case.

However, the NFL had filed its own petition in New York the day before, and the Minnesota judge wisely ordered that the case be consolidated in the New York court.
8. What principle of labor law did the federal judge rely upon in voiding the Brady suspension?

Answer: The law of the shop

The "law of the shop" refers to the proposition that the "past principles and practice of the industry and the shop" should be adhered to, even if not specifically spelled out in the collective bargaining agreement between the employer and the union. The law of the shop regarding the NFL cases is that a player deserves to be advised in advance of what conduct is punishable by the league, and what the punishment could be for that conduct.

This principle was used by the courts to void the suspensions given to Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson under the league's new domestic violence policy, a policy which was not in effect at the time those cases arose, and which commissioner Goodell attempted to apply retroactively to both Rice and Peterson, violating all semblance of fair play.
9. One reason the Patriots' organization was viewed with suspicion was a prior finding of misconduct in an unrelated matter. What had the Patriots been found guilty of in 2007?

Answer: filming an opponent's defensive signals during a game

The so-called "Spygate" controversy resulted in a $500,000 fine for coach Bill Bellichick, a $250,000 fine for the Patriots organization, and the loss of a first-round draft pick. The other choices are actions other teams have been guilty of: "bountygate" was the New Orleans Saints, piping in crowd noise was the Atlanta Falcons, and texting during a game was the Cleveland Browns.
10. Was the federal judge's decision in Brady's favor made in time for Brady to play in the Patriots first game of the 2015-2016 season?

Answer: Yes

The decision by Judge Berman was issued on September 3, 2015, in time for Brady to play in the first game of the season on September 10th against the Steelers. With Brady leading the way, the Patriots won that first game and went on to win their first ten games.
Source: Author chessart

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