By Terry Lyons @terrylyons @TheDailyPayoff

After four months of speculation, accusation and humiliation, the National Football League via an independent investigation came down from their Park Avenue mountaintop to decry, in a 243-page report, “that it is more probable than not” that New England Patriots QB Tom Brady and two locker room attendant/ball boys were involved and aware of circumstances involving the improper deflation of footballs used in this year’s AFC Championship football game.

With that in mind, I thought it might be useful to examine a few other occurrences that might be “more probable than not.”

First, regarding the football game in question: Because of the 45-7 score in favor of the Patriots, it is more probable than not that the slightly deflated footballs utilized by the Patriots had no bearing on the outcome of the game. However, it is more probable than not that they helped inflate the number of fantasy points accrued by RB LaGarrette Blount.

With the report conducted by Ted Wells and a team of lawyers from Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton and Garrison coming down and the NFL soon to dole-out punishment, it is more probable than not that back-up QB Jimmy Garoppolo will be starting when the NFL season kicks off with the Patriots vs. Pittsburgh Steelers game on September 10th.

Leading up to that date, it is more probable than not that Patriots head coach Bill Belichick will no longer be quoting Mona Lisa Vito.

Away from football, it is more probable than not that basketball fans raised their eyebrows when Madison Square Garden boss Jim Dolan hired Isiah Thomas to be the president and co-owner of the New York Liberty. It is also more probable than not that Bill Cosby will not be a WNBA owner.

In boxing, it is more probable than not that a few million fans who purchased the Mayweather-Paquiao pay-per-view for $99 will be stupid enough to do it again if there is a rematch.

In hockey, it is more probable than not that viewers will change the channel from a playoff hockey game unless Emmy Award winning play-by-play man Doc Emrick is calling the game.
http://www.nj.com/devils/index.ssf/2014/05/listen_amazing_doc_emrick_soundboard_lets_you_hear_all_of_legendary_nhl_announcers_quirky_phrases.html

It is also more probable than not that I would never look to CNBC or USA Network for a Stanley Cup playoff hockey game.

Along those lines, for some reason, I have tabbed TruTV as a favorite on my remote, but I haven’t watched a minute of TruTV other than NCAA March Madness.

It is more probable than not that most of the NBA’s postseason awards will leak to the media before they are officially announced by the league. Similarly, it is more probable than not that the NBA Players Association will screw-up their own version of postseason awards.

It is more probable than not that the NCAA will intervene and put a stop to open, free transfers of graduate students. And, it is more probable than not the NCAA will not care when there is significant backlash from the players, err, student-athletes.

It is more probable than not that, after David Letterman and Jon Stewart retire, the funniest late night tv act will be the NBA on TNT’s Ernie, Shaq, Kenny and Charles.

It is more probable than not that the NBA will ignore the problem of “Hack-A-DeAndre Jordan” and just let the trend play out.

It is more probable than not that NBA reporters will not bring up what might be in James Harden’s beard.

It is more probable than not that Tim Duncan will be playing next April 25th, on his 40th birthday.

Heading into The Players Championship, the fifth major so-to-say, it is more probable than not that Tiger Woods will not catch Jack Nicklaus or … Wilt Chamberlain.

It is more probable than not that LA Clippers reserve power forward Big Baby Davis will never be mistaken for the Royal baby.

And now for some serious predictions:

It is more probable than not that American Pharoah will not win the Triple Crown, but I like his chances.

It is more probable than not that the Stanley Cup Finals will involve teams that no one cares about.

It is more probable than not that Golden State will win the NBA championship, and I like their chances even more than American Pharoah’s.

And lastly, it is more probable than not that there are already too many candidates for the 2016 Presidential election.