...because 11 of the 12 footballs they used in the last game were significantly under inflated which makes them easier to handle in the rain. They were fined $500k in 2007 for cheating in a game against the Jets. Instead of another fine the NFL should eliminate their first and second round draft picks for the next 5 years. If they're really that great then why do they need to cheat? Would any of you who think NE is so great care to comment?
Not a fan on NE but it sounds pretty ridiculous. If this is the case, shouldn't it benefit both teams? Luck just couldn't do anything right that day. It just wasn't their time. Now that being said, I hope NE gets clobbered if the big game!!!! Go Seahawks!!!!! P.S. Also not a fan but you have to appreciate how they stole that game from Green Bay. Very impressive.
I guess what I am wondering is, why not be up front with it and tell the media we are deflating the footballs for this game? Then we would not even be having this conversation. Why invite the scrutiny at all?
From what I read, each team brings 12 footballs for their offense. There are other balls for kicking. So the Colts used different balls that the Pats. Supposedly the Colts questioned the balls after they had intercepted Brady and got to handle it.
Exactly right. They don't use the same football. Also the NFL does have a rule on what the football pressure should be. So a team can't use 'low pressure' balls even if they are up front about it. I've gotten sick of the Patriots winning SBs a lot these past years. Now I'm starting to understand why it happens.
Here's the full story with all the technical details from ESPN. After a Colts defender picked off a Brady pass he gave the ball to his equipment manager to save for him. The equipment guy noticed that it was under inflated and told Coach Pagano which got the ball rolling on the investigation by the NFL.... http://espn.go.com/boston/story/_/i...-had-inflated-footballs-afc-championship-game
I never knew that teams supply their own balls. So, does that mean that one team plays with their balls and the other team plays with their balls and they can't play with each others balls?? o No:
This is from the NFL rule book. It looks to me like the referee is responsible for the ball being correct. "The Referee shall be the sole judge as to whether all balls offered for play comply with these specifications. A pump is to be furnished by the home club, and the balls shall remain under the supervision of the Referee until they are delivered to the ball attendant just prior to the start of the game." here is the complete rule: Rule 2 The Ball Section 1 BALL DIMENSIONS The Ball must be a Wilson, hand selected, bearing the signature of the Commissioner of the League, Roger Goodell. The ball shall be made up of an inflated (12 1/2 to 13 1/2 pounds) urethane bladder enclosed in a pebble grained, leather case (natural tan color) without corrugations of any kind. It shall have the form of a prolate spheroid and the size and weight shall be: long axis, 11 to 11 1/4 inches; long circumference, 28 to 28 1/2 inches; short circumference, 21 to 21 1/4 inches; weight, 14 to 15 ounces. The Referee shall be the sole judge as to whether all balls offered for play comply with these specifications. A pump is to be furnished by the home club, and the balls shall remain under the supervision of the Referee until they are delivered to the ball attendant just prior to the start of the game. Section 2 BALL SUPPLY Each team will make 12 primary balls available for testing by the Referee two hours and 15 minutes prior to the starting time of the game to meet League requirements. The home team will also make 12 backup balls available for testing in all stadiums. In addition, the visitors, at their discretion, may bring 12 backup balls to be tested by the Referee for games held in outdoor stadiums. For all games, eight new footballs, sealed in a special box and shipped by the manufacturer to the Referee, will be opened in the officials locker room two hours and 15 minutes prior to the starting time of the game. These balls are to be specially marked by the Referee and used exclusively for the kicking game. In the event a home team ball does not conform to specifications, or its supply is exhausted, the Referee shall secure a proper ball from the visitors and, failing that, use the best available ball. Any such circumstances must be reported to the Commissioner. In case of rain or a wet, muddy, or slippery field, a playable ball shall be used at the request of the offensive teams center. The Game Clock shall not stop for such action (unless undue delay occurs). Note: It is the responsibility of the home team to furnish playable balls at all times by attendants from either side of the playing field. OFFICIAL NFL
I bet a lot of people were squeezing balls on the sideline. At least they all play with Wilson balls........
If the balls were inflated indoors 12.5 lbs at 65 degrees and the game was outdoors at 35 degrees the pressure would drop to approximately 11.7 lbs making them too low?
The thing I find odd here is the refs reaction, or lack there of. The refs handle the ball between every play. If 2 lbs is enough to cry foul, shouldn't the refs noticed? After all the Colts balls would be much more firm while the pats had saggy old balls?
All the balls were checked before the game for the proper inflation by one of the ref's, who is designated to do so, and stamped by him that he checked them. Sometime in the 1st half New England had deflated 11 of their 12 balls, which were checked at 1/2 time, as being deflated.
I assume they checked the Colt's balls also at the same time. That way temperature wouldn't be a factor as both sets of balls should be the same temp when checking.
This is exactly what I was thinking. Also did the NFL take Indy's balls for evaluation? Indy's balls could have had the same problem causing the referee's not to notice. A lot of ifs and but's.....and a soft under inflated ball makes Blount run faster and he is much harder to stop. Edelman is harder to cover when he knows he is going to catch an under inflated ball. Do I need to go on Indy lost the last time they played (at Indy) and they lost this time.
Nobody said the outcome would be any different. They just said New England's balls were deflated. What part of that didn't you understand? Brady even stupidly admitted that he likes playing with a deflated ball as stated in the ESPN story (below).... :shock: "Furthermore, Brady told WEEI radio in November 2011 that he likes using underinflated footballs. 'When Gronk scores ... he spikes the ball and he deflates the ball. I love that, because I like the deflated ball,' Brady said then of tight end Rob Gronkowski."
Its definitely an advantage. A softer ball is easier to grip and easier to catch. Its really sad that such a dominate team is caught bending so many rules. I wonder how long they have been doing this? If goodell had any balls (pun intended) set a precedent and yank them from the super bowl. The logistics of scheduling another game wouldn't allow that though.
As a Patriots fan, I am disappointed by this obvious attempt to secure an advantage by violating the rules. Having said that, in the game in question, I doubt that full compliance with the inflation rule would have significantly affected the outcome of the game. It's still cheating though.
