Similarities between the latest Netflix hit Making a Murderer and the Patriots’ Deflategate issue are striking.
SPOILER ALERT: If you have not seen Making a Murderer on Netflix proceed with caution. Spoilers are aplenty.
For everyone that has seen the hit show Making a Murderer on Netflix in the past month, there has been speculation running wild over Steven Avery’s innocence. The mini-series gives a detailed overview of how Avery was released from jail after serving 18 years for a crime he did not commit, only for new charges of murder to be set against him.
However the manner in which the charges are presented causes many eyebrows to be raised, and question whether or not Avery really did commit the crime charged against him.
Watching this mini-series I couldn’t help but think of a recent case that caught the national attention like Making a Murderer has. A case where the line between innocence and guilt was as clear as a foggy Wisconsin morning, that case I’m referring to is simply referred to as Deflategate.
When looking at the two cases, the characters, the story and the outcome are eerily similar and quite frankly I’m surprised I haven’t heard the comparisons between the two cases as of yet. But if I have to be the one to introduce the similarities between the two cases then so be it, lets examine how the case against Steven Avery and the Deflategate scandal are more similar than we think.
Next: Tom Brady can be compared to
Tom Brady is Steven Avery
Tom Brady and Steven Avery are similar in many ways when you compare their two cases. Both are accused of crimes that may or may not have occurred but one thing is for sure, the way they were presented causes more questions than answers.
Tom Brady was accused of coordinating the deflation of footballs before the 2014 AFC Championship Game against the Indianapolis Colts, and what happened in the months after caused one of the biggest sports scandals in the past 14 years. Brady, unlike Avery was ultimately proven that he was innocent although with appeals still pending he isn’t totally out of the water yet.
In Averys case, he is accused of murdering a photographer however the way the evidence is presented against him causes some speculation. Between the car key of Thrersea Halbach mysteriously showing up in Avery’s room, or how her car was found at the Avery yard, the evidence has enough holes to cause a jury to seriously contemplate Averys innocence.
In the end, Avery was convicted of murder and has spent the past 8 years in jail, however with the popularity of Making a Murderer the possibility of this case being looked at once again is something I couldn’t rule out.
Next: Bill Belichick can be compared to
Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft are Allan Avery and Dolores Avery
The parents of Steven Avery have shown their support for their son during his first court case back in the 1980s, and continued to do so in 2005 when he was charged with murder.
In the mini-series they are featured numerous times giving their perspective as Steven goes through the trial process and their raw emotions and reactions. Watching it unfold is nothing short of exciting and compelling television, part of the reason I believe that Making a Murderer has been as popular as it has been.
Robert Kraft and Bill Belichick are Tom Brady’s professional parents, they have been with him his entire career and together they have been through the highest of highs and lowest of lows.
From an incredible start of winning 3 out of 4 Super Bowls, to the devastating Super Bowl losses and of course who can forget Spygate. This trio has been through a lifetime of peaks and valleys and their relationship can be considered as close as a parents and child’s relationship.
Next: Roger Goodell could be compared to
Roger Goodell is Ken Kratz
Roger Goodell succeeded Paul Taglibaeu as NFL commisonshier in 2006 and he had the expectation that he would take the NFL to the next level. In many ways he has done so, the NFL has grown expotentially since 2006 whether it was getting larger TV deals, more international fans, or just an overall rise in popularity Roger Goodell had done the NFL good prior to January 18, 2015.
Since then Roger Goodell has done nothing short of ruin his reputation as commissioner, even after the “evidence” that was given to him warranted a small fine for the New England quarterback, Goodell decided to throw the book at him. What ensued was months of scientific speculation, false allegations, and court proceedings that overshadowed the beginning of the NFL season.
Ken Kratz was the District Attorney and prosecutor during the Steven Avery trial. Ken Kratz not only made it his job, he made it his life to make sure that Manitowoc county did not let Steven Avery from walking free.
That meant Kratz took every bit of questionable evidence gathered during the investigation and construct a timeline of events that would convince a jury that Avery indeed committed the murder. With the help of several officers and city officials, he was able to win his argument however a win didn’t give Kratz the glamour that came with the case.
In 2009, he resigned from his position as District Attorney after allegations of him sending sexting a victim of domestic violence.
Next: Jastremski and McNally could be compared to
John Jastremski and Jim McNally are Brendan Dassey
John Jastremski and Jim McNally grabbed headlines early into the Deflategate scandal as they were the two who were tied with Brady in the deflation of footballs. John Jastremski was the equipment assistant for the New England Patriots during the 2014 season while Jim McNally was the locker room attendant during Patriot home games.
Both were accused of being “more probable than not” that they had deflated footballs prior to the 2014 AFC Championship Game. Their relationship with Tom Brady gave detractors of the Patriots, more ammunition during Deflategate.
Text messages, phone calls, and emails all came to light during the summer of 2015, and while there was nothing concrete against either man they were given a notice by the team to stay away while Brady’s trial took place.
Brendan Dassey on the other hand was brought in to the Steven Avery trial on his own accord. He came clean to the police telling them what he saw and did on the night that Teresa Halbach was murdered, and under his own accord he admitted that he participated in the rape and murder alongside his uncle.
Just as Jastremski and McNally were, Dassey was named as an accomplice to Avery but unlike Jastremski and McNally, Dassey was convicted of first-degree murder and is serving a life sentence in prison.
Next: Brady's Legacy can be compared to
The Patriots (and Tom Brady’s legacy) was Teresa Halbach
Now depending on who you ask, the Patriots and Tom Brady’s reputation may have already been damaged beyond repair after the 2007 Spygate controversy. Aside from that, you could make that argument that Deflategate has ruined the reputation and public perception of the New England Patriots and Tom Brady. Since 2007 the Patriots had stayed out of the off-field headlines, they had made 2 Super Bowls and Tom Brady continued to establish himself as one of the best quarterbacks of all-time.
However since Deflategate, Tom Brady and the Patriots are battling another round of public perception battles as they try to clear their name once again. For months the public believed Roger Goodell and the NFL however once scientific facts starting being introduced most people began to realize that Brady was in fact innocent the entire time.
Brady still remains as popular as ever in the New England area and amongst Patriot fans, but you can make a serious argument that his popularity took a major hit amongst casual NFL fans and its unlikely that he will be able to get them back in his corner.
Just as Brady can’t get those casual fans back, Teresa Halbach can not be brought back. Halbach was brutally murdered and I am not comparing her untimely death to Brady’s popularity, I’m simply comparing the similarities between the two and that neither will be able to return or go back to how they were.
Next: Judge Berman can be compared to
Judge Berman is Dean Strang and Jerry Buting
Dean Strang and Jerry Buting were the defense lawyers for Steven Avery during his trial and throughout the mini-series provided great detail how they planned to exonerate Avery. Even though the duo served as Avery’s defense lawyers, they provided a fair bias during the trial, similar to Judge Berman during the Tom Brady trial.
Buting and Strang were fair in acknowledging that Avery had committed past crimes and that his reputation wasn’t the ideal American citizen, however they’re contention that Avery did not commit the crime he had been accused of was pure. Just as Judge Berman was pure and fair during the Tom Brady trial, he was able to hear both arguments and the evidence presented by both parties.
While Buting and Strang were unsuccessful in their attempt to free Avery, they did their best to present a fair and compelling case, just as Berman was able to present a fair ruling during the Brady trial.
Next: Steven Jackson Looking to Make Playoff Impact
Making a Murderer and Deflategate are more similar than you would think if you look deep enough. Both surround cases that don’t exactly have the most convincing evidence ever presented, and the entire trial and aftermath has been subject to tons of speculation. For Patriot fans I’m guessing that they hope Deflategate doesn’t get approved for a second season.
What do you think? Do you think that Deflategate and Making a Murderer are similar?