Sports

Blank noted in ESPN’s scathing ‘Spygate to Deflategate’ article on Patriots alleged culture of cheating

122914 ATLANTA: Falcons owner Arthur Blank (from left), GM Thomas Dimitroff and President Rich McKay take questions during a press conference following the firing of head coach Mike Smith at the Arthur M. Blank Foundation on Monday, Dec. 29, 2014, in Atlanta. Blank is leading the team's search for a replacement. Curtis Compton / ccompton@ajc.com FILE PHOTO: 122914 ATLANTA: Falcons owner Arthur Blank (from left), GM Thomas Dimitroff and President Rich McKay take questions during a press conference following the firing of head coach Mike Smith at the Arthur M. Blank Foundation on Monday, Dec. 29, 2014, in Atlanta. The team now knows how much it will cost to extend Julio Jones' contract. (Curtis Compton / ccompton@ajc.com)
122914 ATLANTA: Falcons owner Arthur Blank (from left), GM Thomas Dimitroff and President Rich McKay take questions during a press conference following the firing of head coach Mike Smith at the Arthur M. Blank Foundation on Monday, Dec. 29, 2014, in Atlanta. Blank is leading the team's search for a replacement. Curtis Compton / ccompton@ajc.com FILE PHOTO: 122914 ATLANTA: Falcons owner Arthur Blank (from left), GM Thomas Dimitroff and President Rich McKay take questions during a press conference following the firing of head coach Mike Smith at the Arthur M. Blank Foundation on Monday, Dec. 29, 2014, in Atlanta. The team now knows how much it will cost to extend Julio Jones' contract. (Curtis Compton / ccompton@ajc.com)
Jan 20, 2016

FLOWERY BRANCH -- With the playoffs in fullswing, the re-published ESPN Magazine story, "Spygate to Deflategate: Inside what split the NFL and Patriots apart" is growing new legs.

The story originally appeared in ESPN The Magazine’s Sept. 28 Transactions Issues, but back then everyone was apparently distracted by the start of the season.

With the Super Bowl around the corner, folks have started to circulate the republished version around the internet. It’s the most in-depth look at what the league knew about the Patriots two significant scandals.

Falcons owner Arthur Blank's interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution about the commissioner's powers was cited in the article. (Blank says Brady ruling is 'unhealthy' for NFL.)

The article states:

Even an influential team owner, Arthur Blank of the Falcons, publicly said (Roger) Goodell's absolute disciplinary power should be reconsidered, an extraordinary proposal that quickly gained momentum.

The article doesn’t paint the league, Goodell or the Patriots in a good light.

It contends the Spygate scandal was much broader than originally believed and that the league attempted to cover it up. The article also contends that the Deflatgate was a "make up" call by the league office to nail the Patriots for their alleged continued culture of cheating. Here's a link to the article.

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About the Author

Honored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in recognition of his "long and distinguished reporting in the field of pro football," D. Orlando Ledbetter, Esq. has covered the NFL 28 seasons. A graduate of Howard University, he's a winner of Georgia Sportswriter of the Year and three Associated Press Sports Editor awards.

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