One sure way to deflect criticism when pressed on any statement, no matter how odious, is to insist that you were only joking Whether you’re a first-grade kid or the President of the United States (there are times when it’s tough to tell the difference), it’s an easy out, albeit with variable effectiveness.
In the case of Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, the accusations made against him by former head coach Brian Flores regarding “tanking” (intentionally losing games) for more favorable future draft picks, the NFL decided after a six-month investigation by former U.S. Attorney and SEC Chair Mary Jo White and, a team of lawyers from the Debevoise law firm, that those accusations were without merit. The accusations regarding the Dolphins tampering with Tom Brady and Sean Payton, however, had merit, and the team has been punished accordingly.
Ross, never one to avoid pressing his luck in the worst possible fashion, immediately went hard with a statement.
