Deflate Gate: Statistical Analysis Suggests That Patriots' Incredibly Low Fumble Rate Probably Due to Softer, Less Inflated, More Grippable Cheat-Balls

So keep telling me "The Patriots scored three touchdowns with properly-inflated balls so what does it matter."

I'm not a huge moralist when it comes to cheating. I accept that many athletes cheat, such that a dark bit of wisdom has become popular: If you ain't cheatin', you ain't tryin'.

But here's the thing: If cheating is a part of sports, so is not getting caught.

By getting caught, the Patriots have failed at cheating -- even if you want to credit cheating as "clever play" or "aggressive competitiveness." Even if you want to cynically count cheating as the Winner's Edge, The Patriots still failed at it, and should therefore suffer the consequences of failure.

Which is disqualification.

Hold a quickie one-game playoff to determine the Seahawks' new competitor.

But it's time for these smug assholes to learn that losing has consequences -- and here, they lost in their effort to keep their cheating undetected.

Posted by: Ace at 06:03 PM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 Time to decimate the Patriots?

Posted by: pep at January 22, 2015 06:04 PM (4nR9/)

2 book 'em, dano

Posted by: Feh at January 22, 2015 06:05 PM (g/zj9)

3 Couldn't agree more.

Posted by: Talibill at January 22, 2015 06:05 PM (JiHh6)

4 Make them take and FIELD Michael Sam.

And make his partner the new Ball Boy.

Posted by: Oedipus at January 22, 2015 06:06 PM (z2f1n)

5 They got caught. The penalty is $25k. They'll pay it.

This whole thing has made me like the Patriots.

Posted by: Costanza Defense at January 22, 2015 06:06 PM (ZPrif)

6 Suspend Brady and Belicheck. Right now.

And the NFL can hire some more people to control the game balls.

Posted by: John P. Squibob at January 22, 2015 06:07 PM (DQZLr)

7 Plenty of ex-Patriots out there. What have they said?

Posted by: t-bird at January 22, 2015 06:07 PM (FcR7P)

8 I'm retiring from NASCAR. Not like it's a 'thing' anymore. Honestly, who gives a shit? Drive around and around and around etc. *Yawn* Meh.

Posted by: Jeff Gordon at January 22, 2015 06:08 PM (5voqw)

9 If you like your balls doctored, you can keep your doctored balls.

Posted by: Barack Obama at January 22, 2015 06:08 PM (FcR7P)

10 There is a rule.

The rule is broken on purpose.

That is cheating...

Now one thing that people who BET on games demand is that the rules are followed, so that their bet is not influenced by cheating.

A clean game is a MUST... and sports have gone to great lengths to try to ensure it...

NFL has known about this for quite some time apparently... and did not stop the cheating.

Some enterprising Lawyer is going to come up with a class action lawsuit against he NFL... from those who lost bets... as the NFL did not enforce the rule... which 'could' have influenced betting results.

And don't even get me started on the morality of allowing cheaters to prosper... and what message that sends our Kids...

Posted by: BB Wolf at January 22, 2015 06:08 PM (qh617)

11 Once again, the Patriots have not been "caught" at anything. No report has been released. No proof has been given. No culpability discerned. I find it ironic how quickly you determine guilt despite protesting so strongly against such a thing during the Zimmerman and Ferguson cases.

Why don't we wait a bit before calling for heads?

Posted by: Sockpuppet at January 22, 2015 06:08 PM (7+T4e)

12 They replaced the balls after halftime. Even if you spot the Colts the 7 points from the first half, they still got routed.

Posted by: Flyguy at January 22, 2015 06:09 PM (okk/u)

13 Since I hate the grotesque spectacle of modern football, this is just a hoot for me.

No, I don't drink cocoa in my footy pajamas.

Posted by: pep at January 22, 2015 06:09 PM (4nR9/)

14 Kinda like Nascar. Works for me!

Posted by: JohnnyBoy at January 22, 2015 06:09 PM (TPjwz)

15 I love handling big over-stuffed balls

Posted by: Anderson Cooper at January 22, 2015 06:09 PM (LoIJo)

16 And the NFL can hire some more people to control the game balls.
Posted by: John P. Squibob

I got experience handling balls.

Posted by: Reggie Love at January 22, 2015 06:09 PM (GuwT9)

17 Eh. Apparently there are penalties for this sort of thing which is loss of draft picks and fines. I'm fine with the patriots still getting to play. Let them be known as the team that has to cheat to make it to the big game.

And along with those fines I'll note that as rush mentioned today Sean Payton was suspended for a year because he DIDN'T know about the bounties

Posted by: Buzzion at January 22, 2015 06:09 PM (71CVf)

18 99% of statistical analysts never held a football

Posted by: Le id du'Obama at January 22, 2015 06:09 PM (e0JlW)

19 Before a couple of years ago I really didn't care one way or the other about the NFL. Now I actively dislike it. It's a circus.

Posted by: freaked at January 22, 2015 06:09 PM (JdEZJ)

20 Yeah, the getting caught part.

Come on, you've done this before. You know the game.

I expected more out of Bill. At least get a little creative or something.

Posted by: Ricardo Kill at January 22, 2015 06:09 PM (AbFmZ)

21 I've been told that warm balls swell up and cold balls shrink. Do with that what you will. *giggles madly*

Posted by: no good deed at January 22, 2015 06:10 PM (w3a0Z)

22 Let me tweet you a pic of my foot ball

Posted by: Anthony Weiner at January 22, 2015 06:10 PM (LoIJo)

23 THe balls on these guys!

Posted by: Garrett at January 22, 2015 06:10 PM (HFF96)

24 Those cheat balls make my fingers all orange and give me the winds.

Posted by: LIV at January 22, 2015 06:10 PM (XzRw1)

25 This just isn't a big deal. Patriots out-smarted the rest of the league. Probably had Chad Knaus on retainer.

Posted by: Costanza Defense at January 22, 2015 06:10 PM (ZPrif)

26 Hold a quickie one-game playoff to determine the Seahawks' new competitor.

***********

The money and logistics involved and already in place are insurmountable.

That said, I'm not sure I'll watch a Super Bowl between cheaters and a Lynch/Sherman/Carroll team.

Posted by: The 40-year-old hipster from Trivago at January 22, 2015 06:11 PM (vgIRn)

27 >>>Statistical Analysis Suggests That Patriots' Incredibly Low Fumble
Rate Probably Due to Softer, Less Inflated, More Grippable Cheat-Balls<<<

I really wish someone had told me about this.

Posted by: Stpehen Ridley, riding the pine (before the injury) at January 22, 2015 06:11 PM (LKBn6)

28 Cheating is why rules are stupid. They just encourage it.

Posted by: JohnnyBoy at January 22, 2015 06:11 PM (TPjwz)

29 So I guess it's round 2 of the same arguments. I had my say yesterday.

Posted by: Soona at January 22, 2015 06:11 PM (j0WXm)

30 Well this is not good.

Posted by: Lizzy at January 22, 2015 06:11 PM (ABcz/)

31 Disqualify 'em, and change their name to the 'Loyalists'. New Englanders will be more comfortable with that anyway.

Posted by: PersonFromPorlock at January 22, 2015 06:11 PM (U4QC6)

32 @BloombergTV 2m2 minutes ago

BREAKING: Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah is dead, Saudi press agency says: http://www.bloomberg.com/tv/

Posted by: weft cut-loop, now in Dark Chunks! at January 22, 2015 06:11 PM (fADgx)

33 Although I would watch if they all wore crochet shorts.

Posted by: freaked at January 22, 2015 06:11 PM (JdEZJ)

34 I don't know anything about football & inflated or deflated footballs.

Posted by: Carol at January 22, 2015 06:12 PM (sj3Ax)

35 Well, that's a thing. He was dirt old, succession plan long in place.

TheBlazeNOW @TheBlazeNOW
BREAKING: Saudi King Abdullah is dead, according to a royal court statement read on state television - @ahmed

Posted by: Costanza Defense at January 22, 2015 06:12 PM (ZPrif)

36 In the last eight years, refs have placed their ball at the line of scrimmage maybe 10,000 times.

I question the timing.

Posted by: t-bird at January 22, 2015 06:12 PM (FcR7P)

37 I must say.... I really feel out of touch...

The amount of supposedly moral people... who seem to be condoning cheating...

I must be a throw back...

Posted by: BB Wolf at January 22, 2015 06:12 PM (qh617)

38 Hyper-extended torso sock off.

Posted by: Bob's House of Flannel Shirts and Wallet Chains at January 22, 2015 06:12 PM (vgIRn)

39 Why..., it's almost as important as Milli Vanilli

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at January 22, 2015 06:12 PM (vPh3W)

40 Why don't we wait a bit before calling for heads?

Posted by: Sockpuppet at January 22, 2015 06:08 PM (7+T4e)

Yea that works in a court of law but we're talkin football here. Cheaters gonna cheat and bad cheaters gonna get caught red handed.

Posted by: Talibill at January 22, 2015 06:12 PM (JiHh6)

41 Deflate Gate: Statistical Analysis Suggests That Patriots' Incredibly Low Fumble Rate Probably Due to Softer, Less Inflated, More Grippable Cheat-Balls

And two cases of stick-um per game.

Posted by: rickb223 - ODD at January 22, 2015 06:12 PM (aMV0K)

42 First rule of cheating: don't get caught
Second rule: see first rule

If it is someones job to see the balls are properly inflated, I'm not buying any story that he didn't have the latest/greatest tech to ensure he put the inflation into the sweetest (yet legal) 'sweet spot' possible.

But we're not talking about a .100 dwi vs a .099. It's pretty flagrant.

Posted by: Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, Science and Security Board at January 22, 2015 06:12 PM (zxQ4h)

43 You can be damn sure we're not cheating.

Posted by: Jax Jaguars at January 22, 2015 06:12 PM (c056A)

44 Now one thing that people who BET on games demand is that the rules are followed, so that their bet is not influenced by cheating.
And don't even get me started on the morality of allowing cheaters to prosper... and what message that sends our Kids...
Posted by: BB Wolf at January 22, 2015 06:08 PM (qh617)

__________

LOL

So cheating is immoral and hurtful to THE CHILDREN!!

But gambling away the paycheck on sports....totes cool.

Good fucking lord.

Posted by: Mr. Moo Moo at January 22, 2015 06:12 PM (0LHZx)

45 Alt Headline: Soft Balls Taint Patriots Victory

Posted by: Garrett at January 22, 2015 06:13 PM (HFF96)

46 26 Hold a quickie one-game playoff to determine the Seahawks' new competitor.

***********

The money and logistics involved and already in place are insurmountable.

That said, I'm not sure I'll watch a Super Bowl between cheaters and a Lynch/Sherman/Carroll team.

Posted by: The 40-year-old hipster from Trivago at January 22, 2015 06:11 PM (vgIRn)

Uh.... why a playoff? We already know who the other top team in that league was...

Posted by: BB Wolf at January 22, 2015 06:13 PM (qh617)

47 OT: CROWN PRINCE SALMAN SUCCEEDS ABDULLAH AS SAUDI KING: STATE TV

http://bit.ly/1uohbZ2

Posted by: The Desert Hat at January 22, 2015 06:14 PM (0Ew3K)

48 Tom Brady or Peyton Manning may be able to feel the difference between balls inflated at 13 psid and 11 psid... but you and I would think they were rock hard

Posted by: Mini Ditka at January 22, 2015 06:14 PM (LoIJo)

49 @BB Wold

It certainly wasn't the Colts...

Posted by: Sockpuppet at January 22, 2015 06:14 PM (7+T4e)

50 Aaron Burr used deflated balls

Posted by: Alexander Hamilton at January 22, 2015 06:14 PM (e0JlW)

51 So has this actually been proven, or are we in one of those periodic flutters that make sports interesting for people who don't usually watch them?

Posted by: Dianna at January 22, 2015 06:14 PM (X6oOY)

52 Posted by: Mr. Moo Moo at January 22, 2015 06:12 PM (0LHZx)

Go away troll.

Posted by: Buzzion at January 22, 2015 06:15 PM (71CVf)

53 Turn you head to the left and cough, please.

Posted by: NFL Ball Checker at January 22, 2015 06:15 PM (HFF96)

54 Why is Bellicheck still allowed to coach in this league?

Because, money, that's why.

It ain't about fair, or sport, or even heroics, it's just filthy lucre.

Time to go watch the NHL. They punish cheaters there. In the sin bin. And the players acknowledge it and are actually proud to do the time.

Posted by: tcn in AK, for reals, for good! at January 22, 2015 06:15 PM (+YMhA)

55 Saudi King Abdullah Is Dead

Saudi Arabia's 91-year-old King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz has died, according to multiple reports.

http://read.bi/15D04NI

Posted by: The Desert Hat at January 22, 2015 06:15 PM (0Ew3K)

56 So has this actually been proven, or are we in one of those periodic flutters that make sports interesting for people who don't usually watch them?
Posted by: Dianna
--------------------

That certainly seems to be the consequence...., for some.

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at January 22, 2015 06:16 PM (vPh3W)

57 I predict all teams will under inflate the ball now based on those excellent charts

Posted by: ThunderB, Professional Ball Deflator at January 22, 2015 06:16 PM (zOTsN)

58 @Dianna

It's mostly a bunch of hot air and sensationalist clickbait thrown around by "journalists" like ESPN to get traffic, at least until anything substantive is released.

Ace, unfortunately, seems to fall for such crap.

Posted by: Sockpuppet at January 22, 2015 06:16 PM (7+T4e)

59 or are we in one of those periodic flutters that make sports interesting for people who don't usually watch them?

Super Bowl hype.

Posted by: t-bird at January 22, 2015 06:16 PM (FcR7P)

60 I can't believe Brady cheated. It's an outrage. This country's morality is going down the drain.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go call my bookie and lay down $2K on the Seahawks.

Posted by: Mr. Moo Moo at January 22, 2015 06:16 PM (0LHZx)

61 Turn you head to the left and cough, please.
Posted by: NFL Ball Checker
--------------

Possible thread winner.

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at January 22, 2015 06:16 PM (vPh3W)

62 Prove it.

Posted by: tu3031 at January 22, 2015 06:17 PM (PXU5j)

63 So cheating is immoral and hurtful to THE CHILDREN!!

But gambling away the paycheck on sports....totes cool.

Good fucking lord.

Posted by: Mr. Moo Moo at January 22, 2015 06:12 PM (0LHZx)

Actually.... yes...

Gambling with your own money is your own damn business...

But sports stars ARE looked up to by our kids...

How the hell do you tell your kid, that cheating is OK??? That not following the rules is OK...

But then.... is kind of sounds like you believe that not following the rules IS OK.... so moot argument for you.

Posted by: BB Wolf at January 22, 2015 06:17 PM (qh617)

64 Impotence is all the rage.

Posted by: Penalty Kick at January 22, 2015 06:17 PM (FGEvF)

65 I see there is a high correlation between people who watch NFL and those,godawful forensic crime dramas.

Posted by: Everybody's a lawyer, judge, and jury for 15 minutes at January 22, 2015 06:17 PM (e0JlW)

66 Ace, unfortunately, seems to fall for such crap.

Steps discreetly away from Sockpuppet's vicinity.

Posted by: pep at January 22, 2015 06:17 PM (4nR9/)

67 Ace, unfortunately, seems to fall for such crap.

Posted by: Sockpuppet at January 22, 2015 06:16 PM (7+T4e)

Crap? No, cheating is crap. 11 of 12 underinflated is not a miracle of science.

Posted by: Talibill at January 22, 2015 06:17 PM (JiHh6)

68 Who knew that saggy, flaccid balls could be so useful?

Posted by: model_1066 at January 22, 2015 06:17 PM (uCgaE)

69 Fran Tarkenton sure seems to think he lied and cheated.

Posted by: ryukyu at January 22, 2015 06:17 PM (C6XFd)

70 What the hell do you know about mortality moo?

Posted by: freaked at January 22, 2015 06:18 PM (JdEZJ)

71 Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go call my bookie and lay down $2K on the Seahawks.
Posted by: Mr. Moo Moo at January 22, 2015 06:16 PM (0LHZx)

The difference, you asshat, is that kids aren't allowed to bet, legally. It is for adults, who may choose to be idiots all on their own. Refer to your comments to see an example of that.

Kids watch pro football-- and they play games, and they need to see adults doing something honest and decent.

You apparently weren't there for that lesson. So, STFU.

Posted by: tcn in AK, for reals, for good! at January 22, 2015 06:18 PM (+YMhA)

72 UR funny Ace

Posted by: Bob at January 22, 2015 06:18 PM (7Z4N1)

73 Time to decimate the Patriots?

With short clubs and making them do it to themselves?

Posted by: CM at January 22, 2015 06:18 PM (0NdlF)

74 I think the how deflategate is just funny.
My bet is they've been inflating them in warm rooms or something, a physics loophole.

Posted by: Costanza Defense at January 22, 2015 06:18 PM (ZPrif)

75 That stat can't have anything to do with the fact that Belichick benches running backs for fumbles every single season, sometimes permanemtly, and prizes ball security over all else. It's the number of dancing pixies in the ball that gives Brady his magic powers.

Posted by: Lincolntf at January 22, 2015 06:19 PM (2cS/G)

76 Steps discreetly away from Sockpuppet's vicinity.
Posted by: pep
--------------------------

Get outta my way..
* flees beyond blast radius *

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at January 22, 2015 06:19 PM (vPh3W)

77 Moo moo! who have you improved today?

I am interested in this, but lets be honest

there is more uproar over Ballghazi than there ever was over the fact that the Patriots had a gang member on their active roster who executed at least three people

Posted by: ThunderB, Professional Ball Deflator at January 22, 2015 06:19 PM (zOTsN)

78 Hold a quickie one-game playoff to determine the Seahawks' new competitor.

OH OH OH OH OH OH PACKERS OH OH

Posted by: grammie winger at January 22, 2015 06:19 PM (dFi94)

79 Hillary is underdeflated! Dodged bullets! Named after Sir Edmund Hillary! What's not to like you mysogynist?!

Posted by: Hillary 2016! at January 22, 2015 06:19 PM (5voqw)

80 Dude, Patriots have a problem with cheating. Makes me sick.

Posted by: Barry Bonds at January 22, 2015 06:20 PM (OWjjx)

81 Gambling with your own money is your own damn business...

But sports stars ARE looked up to by our kids...

How the hell do you tell your kid, that cheating is OK??? That not following the rules is OK...

But then.... is kind of sounds like you believe that not following the rules IS OK.... so moot argument for you.
Posted by: BB Wolf at January 22, 2015 06:17 PM (qh617)

__________

So illegal gambling is cool. But cheating is not cool.

Got it.

Posted by: Mr. Moo Moo at January 22, 2015 06:20 PM (0LHZx)

82 All of us down at the Brattleboro Women's Reproductive Health Choice
Clinic want to wish Senator Reed a fast recovery and hurry back because Presdent Obama and all of us need you.

Posted by: Mary Clogginstien from Brattleboro, VT at January 22, 2015 06:20 PM (Sd++4)

83 I keep saying the Ravens should be pretty pissed off

Posted by: ThunderB, Professional Ball Deflator at January 22, 2015 06:20 PM (zOTsN)

84 Show me a man who handles softer balls, and I'll show you ...a good time at the NFL beer summit.

Posted by: Barack Obama at January 22, 2015 06:21 PM (FcR7P)

85 the problem is that if the Super Bowel is the Albatrosses vs the My-Hat-It-Has-Three-Corners crew I'm gonna have to root for the Cheatriots.

Posted by: JEM at January 22, 2015 06:21 PM (o+SC1)

86 This is, quite possible, the worst thing ever. Worse than the 3rd season of Battlestar Gallactica. Just terrible.

Posted by: Chad Knaus at January 22, 2015 06:21 PM (ZPrif)

87 Ball security is nothing to take for granted.

Posted by: Garrett at January 22, 2015 06:21 PM (HFF96)

88
there is more uproar over Ballghazi than there ever was over the fact that the Patriots had a gang member on their active roster who executed at least three people
Posted by: ThunderB, Professional Ball Deflator

OOOOKAYYY!

No, I had never once heard that. You are right - that is actively shocking.

Posted by: Dianna at January 22, 2015 06:21 PM (X6oOY)

89 I'm dead. Once Ellie May died why continue?

Posted by: King Abdullah at January 22, 2015 06:22 PM (5voqw)

90 79 Hillary is underdeflated! Dodged bullets! Named after Sir Edmund Hillary! What's not to like you mysogynist?!
Posted by: Hillary 2016! at January 22, 2015 06:19 PM (5voqw)

Hillary is likable, aside from the fact that she is a bitter, worthless cunt with a penchant for power.

Posted by: model_1066 at January 22, 2015 06:22 PM (uCgaE)

91 Hold a quickie one-game playoff to determine the Seahawks' new competitor. OH OH OH OH OH OH PACKERS OH OH

Packers play in the same conference as the seahawks grammie the teanm would have to be from the AFC

Posted by: kj at January 22, 2015 06:22 PM (lKyWE)

92 And mind you, the same group of sports "journalist" downplaying this would be the first to scream bloody murder if Barry Bonds was elected into Baseball Hall of Fame.

Posted by: Mallamutt, RINO President of the Sammy Sosa Fan Club at January 22, 2015 06:22 PM (OWjjx)

93 The difference, you asshat, is that kids aren't allowed to bet, legally. It is for adults, who may choose to be idiots all on their own. Refer to your comments to see an example of that.

Kids watch pro football-- and they play games, and they need to see adults doing something honest and decent.

You apparently weren't there for that lesson. So, STFU.
Posted by: tcn in AK, for reals, for good! at January 22, 2015 06:18 PM (+YMhA)

_________

Oh my God. You cannot be this naive.

First off kids do all sorts of shit they're not supposed to do...drink, drugs and SHOCKA!! bet money on sports.

And betting on sports is illegal in most states. So your concern over the precious children is pure bullshit since you're advocating the parents break the law while having a shit because Tom Brady under inflated a football.

Madness.

Posted by: Mr. Moo Moo at January 22, 2015 06:22 PM (0LHZx)

94 All of us down at the Brattleboro Women's Reproductive Health Choice Clinic think pRESDENT oBAMA SHOULD DISQUALIFY THE nEW eNGLAND pATRIOTS BECAUSE THEY PROBABLY WILL TRY SOMETHING WORSE AGAINST sEATTLE'S qUARTERBACK OF cOLOR.

Posted by: Mary Clogginstien from Brattleboro, VT at January 22, 2015 06:22 PM (Sd++4)

95 Tom Brady or Peyton Manning may be able to feel the difference between balls inflated at 13 psid and 11 psid... but you and I would think they were rock hard

I will defer to your ball-handling experience.

Posted by: CM at January 22, 2015 06:22 PM (0NdlF)

96 there is more uproar over Ballghazi than there ever
was over the fact that the Patriots had a gang member on their active
roster who ~~executed~~ beheaded / impaled/ hanged, drew, and quartered at least three people

Posted by: ThunderB, Professional Ball Deflator at January 22, 2015 06:19 PM (zOTsN)

Since all words connected to ending someone's life are synonymous and therefore interchangeable, let's go for an even more dramatic one.

Posted by: Jay Guevara at January 22, 2015 06:23 PM (oKE6c)

97 Goddell doesn't have the balls. See what i did there?

Posted by: fugazi at January 22, 2015 06:23 PM (1mTNK)

98 @91...and Jerry Jones just asked how much would it cost to have the Cowboys named an AFC team for a weekend?

Posted by: Mallamutt, RINO President of the Sammy Sosa Fan Club at January 22, 2015 06:23 PM (OWjjx)

99 You will forget all about this after Katy Perry does something lewd during the halftime show.

Posted by: SpongeBobSaget at January 22, 2015 06:23 PM (zauWW)

100 No need to 'deflate' the balls. Inflate them in a very warm environment to the legal minimum, keep them there until inspection time, then take them to the cold, they deflate themselves legally.

Posted by: davidt at January 22, 2015 06:23 PM (fBxC6)

101
Packers play in the same conference as the seahawks grammie the teanm would have to be from the AFC
Posted by: kj at January 22, 2015 06:22 PM (lKyWE)

We can skip that rule, just this once.

Posted by: grammie winger at January 22, 2015 06:23 PM (dFi94)

102 @71 - Kids watch pro football-- and they play games, and they need to see adults doing something honest and decent.

Okay, so leave your bedroom door open the next time you're bouncing the wife off the headboard and making the bedsprings sound like a reluctant donkey.

It's honest and decent behavior, after all, it's how they came into the world in the first place.

As for the NFL...nah. Honest and decent? You must be kidding.

Posted by: JEM at January 22, 2015 06:23 PM (o+SC1)

103 We all know they cheat with the slightest tricks they can come up with. NASCAR, NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL whatever. BUT it's the consequences that keeps the cheating out of sight and questionable. They got caught and should suffer sever punishment. If they win the superbowl they'll always be known for cheating to get there.

Posted by: Talibill at January 22, 2015 06:23 PM (JiHh6)

104 I mean, the guy killed three people and played football on the weekend

other teams wouldn't take him because they knew from his physical psch eval that he was a violent criminal type. More so than the average player. Dangerous. The only team that wanted Hernandez was the Patriots.

If you are willing to take a risk on a person like that, whats the big deal about deflated balls

Posted by: ThunderB, Professional Ball Deflator at January 22, 2015 06:24 PM (zOTsN)

105 Thank you, New England Patriots!!!

Posted by: Middle School scrotum jokes at January 22, 2015 06:24 PM (2DVgX)

106 I will defer to your ball-handling experience.

Posted by: CM at January 22, 2015 06:22 PM (0NdlF)

And my balls are always bouncing
And my ballroom always full
And everybody cums and cums again
If your name is on the guest list
No one can take you higher
Everybody says I've got
Great balls of fire

I've got big balls

Posted by: Zombie Bon Scott at January 22, 2015 06:24 PM (0Ew3K)

107 Let's not get hasty. I've arranged for James Taylor to appear at the halftime program and sing, "Je vouis has a Friend' in French. That's smart diplomacy.

Posted by: John Kerry at January 22, 2015 06:24 PM (zxQ4h)

108 #81 - That was one of the most remarkably obtuse, assuming facts not in evidence statements it has ever been my severe misfortune to read.

Do you ever look at what you type before hitting post? Do you ever say, "Hmmm. That sounds both pompous and stupid, maybe I shouldn't hit post!"?

Posted by: Dianna at January 22, 2015 06:24 PM (X6oOY)

109 So I've been really out of it lately with work stuff. Is this ball thing really a thing? If so, I've got a couple I'll let someone play with.

Posted by: dogfish at January 22, 2015 06:24 PM (1vYi0)

110 Trolls feed off attention, even and especially negative attention.

Rewarding their trollish behavior will net you more trolling.

Posted by: CM at January 22, 2015 06:24 PM (0NdlF)

111 Nood dead Saudi.

Ewwww.

Posted by: Bob's House of Flannel Shirts and Wallet Chains at January 22, 2015 06:24 PM (vgIRn)

112 Was the compressor used to fill the footballs adding moisture?

Posted by: Lawyerball at January 22, 2015 06:24 PM (FGEvF)

113 @100 - the problem was that the field temperature wasn't cold enough to get that kind of pressure drop.

Posted by: JEM at January 22, 2015 06:24 PM (o+SC1)

114 89 I'm dead. Once Ellie May died why continue?

Posted by: King Abdullah at January 22, 2015 06:22 PM (5voqw)

You had everything to live for: Ginger and Mary Ann are still kicking!

Posted by: Jay Guevara at January 22, 2015 06:25 PM (oKE6c)

115 @Dogfish

Until NFL actually releases its report, this is all speculation, which makes Ace's bombastic moral outrage quite ridiculous.

Posted by: Sockpuppet at January 22, 2015 06:25 PM (7+T4e)

116 So what? Players in every game constantly try to push the boundaries when it comes to what they get away with.

If I showed a replay where clearly the official didn't call pass interference when it should have been, does that mean the team should lose a draft pick or lose their Super Bowl?

It's the officials job to determine if the balls were regulation, it's just like any other "bad call" in sports. You move on.

Posted by: McAdams at January 22, 2015 06:25 PM (yGD7t)

117 So, as of this moment, no one has proved that anyone on the Patriots is responsible for the under-inflated balls. I stipulate, also, that the under-inflated balls made no difference in the outcome of the game. Then this: you H8trs are unbelievable f*cking pussies.

Posted by: steve walsh at January 22, 2015 06:25 PM (MWt2Y)

118 The only way outta here is that valley that leads to the east. But I wouldn't risk that on a broke-dick dog.

Posted by: billy at January 22, 2015 06:25 PM (7A/Jm)

119 I nominate AT&T Lily as the official AoSHQ ball checker.

Posted by: Garrett at January 22, 2015 06:25 PM (HFF96)

120 >So illegal gambling is cool. But cheating is not cool.

>Got it.

Since when is gambling illegal in all 50 states? Has someone told Nevada?

Posted by: MikeTheMoose at January 22, 2015 06:25 PM (0q2P7)

121 Jay executed fits just fine

they were on their knees, hands behind the back, shot in the back of the head. That's executed. It wasn't a bar fight, or a domestic, or heat of passion or a car accident. Hernandez killed them like a hit man

Posted by: ThunderB, Professional Ball Deflator at January 22, 2015 06:26 PM (zOTsN)

122
Way to many things to happen to replace the Patriots in SB, imo. However, Bellichik is the one ultimately responsible. He should be banned from coaching in the game. In fact, if he steps foot in AZ, he should be thrown out for next year.

Oh!, that reminds me, remember the N. O. coach got banned for a whole season for paying bounties? This seems at least on par with that.

Posted by: Guy Mohawk at January 22, 2015 06:26 PM (Qs8ZN)

123 Accusation = Guilt. We live in Idiot Nation.

Posted by: Lincolntf at January 22, 2015 06:26 PM (2cS/G)

124 Tom Brady or Peyton Manning may be able to feel the difference between balls inflated at 13 psig and 11 psig... but you and I would think they were rock hard

No, it's a big difference.

Posted by: t-bird at January 22, 2015 06:26 PM (FcR7P)

125 113 @100 - the problem was that the field temperature wasn't cold enough to get that kind of pressure drop.

Posted by: JEM at January 22, 2015 06:24 PM (o+SC1)

I did the calculation on the other thread. If the balls were inflated at normal room temperature (25 C) and then used under freezing conditions (0 C) the pressure would drop about 8% (assuming the volume was constant), or roughly 1 psi.

I didn't watch the game, and so don't know what the weather was that day.

Posted by: Jay Guevara at January 22, 2015 06:27 PM (oKE6c)

126 I've already seen the Packers deflate once in these playoffs.

Posted by: SE Pa Moron at January 22, 2015 06:27 PM (zxQ4h)

127 Posted by: Mr. Moo Moo at January 22, 2015 06:22 PM (0LHZx)

Go away troll.

Posted by: Buzzion at January 22, 2015 06:28 PM (z/Ubi)

128 I know that we are in the age of witch hunts and social media lynch mobs, but shouldn't we wait for proof that someone on the Patriots is responsible for deflating footballs? We don't even have an official league accusation, just an anonymous report to ESPN. Or, you know, Ace, we could all act like SJWs because we don't like the Patriots tribe and call for outlandish punishments based on rumor and speculation. Because we just know in their hearts that they're guilty, right?

Posted by: BobinNH at January 22, 2015 06:28 PM (E3EdC)

129 121 Jay executed fits just fine

they were on their knees, hands behind the back, shot in the back of the head. That's executed. It wasn't a bar fight, or a domestic, or heat of passion or a car accident. Hernandez killed them like a hit man

Posted by: ThunderB, Professional Ball Deflator at January 22, 2015 06:26 PM (zOTsN)

You mean "execution-style," not "executed." They were murdered by a private citizen, not killed by the government.

This recent flurry of "executed" and "assassinated" has gotta stop. "Murdered" will do perfectly well, and doesn't blur the meaning of words.

Posted by: Jay Guevara at January 22, 2015 06:29 PM (oKE6c)

130 I'm too tired so TL;DR the comments. Has anyone pointed out that if these ball are monkeyed with wouldn't the other team get the same advantage/disadvantage?

Posted by: dogfish at January 22, 2015 06:29 PM (1vYi0)

131 The New England Patriots have become the Sarah Palin of the NFL.....either love them or hate them.

Of course, if it was explained to Goodell this way, he would probably ban them for that reason alone....and run some more stupid PSAs along the way.

Posted by: Mallamutt, RINO President of the Sammy Sosa Fan Club at January 22, 2015 06:29 PM (OWjjx)

132 Accusation = Guilt. We live in Idiot Nation.
Posted by: Lincolntf

Witch!

Posted by: dogfish at January 22, 2015 06:30 PM (1vYi0)

133 I didn't watch the game, and so don't know what the weather was that day.

50 Deg. F.

Posted by: Excelsior at January 22, 2015 06:31 PM (FGEvF)

134 @Dogfish

Each team uses their own balls. So wouldn't have mutually negating advantage.

Posted by: Sockpuppet at January 22, 2015 06:31 PM (7+T4e)

135 If we go back thru Seahawk footage for seven years, we'll find holding on every single play.

Or the Patriots. But not the Raiders, because holding gives your team a better result.

Posted by: t-bird at January 22, 2015 06:31 PM (FcR7P)

136
I can't believe the Patriots cheated.

Posted by: Lance Armstrong at January 22, 2015 06:31 PM (Qs8ZN)

137 Posted by: Mr. Moo Moo at January 22, 2015 06:22 PM (0LHZx)

Apparently, you've never been to Vegas... or any Casino with a sports book... which is... just about all of them...

Including many Indian Casinos...

Posted by: BB Wolf at January 22, 2015 06:32 PM (qh617)

138 Each team should have to play the with the other team's balls.

(the jokes write themselves)

Posted by: dogfish at January 22, 2015 06:32 PM (1vYi0)

139 *checks*

I still don't care about the Patriots' balls.

Posted by: Book at January 22, 2015 06:32 PM (AlkUj)

140
great maybe the nfl will now check balls for proper inflation now after every touchdown adding yet more time to every game which will be filled with more commercials

Posted by: kj at January 22, 2015 06:33 PM (lKyWE)

141 >Accusation = Guilt. We live in Idiot Nation.

Umm there is considerable evidence.

Posted by: MikeTheMoose at January 22, 2015 06:33 PM (0q2P7)

142
Dogfish, each team uses their own balls.

Posted by: Guy Mohawk at January 22, 2015 06:33 PM (Qs8ZN)

143 Your one game playoff suggestion won't work. The Super Bowl date, for logistics reasons alone, is practically set in stone. Trying to gather up the players from whatever team you'd propose play said game... Ravens and Colts?... assembling them and developing game plans takes time. Meanwhile, Seattle gains from extended time off.

Best thing I'd do is suspend Belichick and Brady from the Super Bowl.

Posted by: douger at January 22, 2015 06:33 PM (eM6QK)

144 What's the evidence?

Posted by: Lincolntf at January 22, 2015 06:35 PM (2cS/G)

145 @MikeTheMoose

Actually, there is no evidence as of yet...there is speculation and a report that the balls were under-inflated. Nothing more.

Posted by: Sockpuppet at January 22, 2015 06:35 PM (7+T4e)

146 Pressure variances due to temperature changes would be an easy fix. Fill the footballs with nitrogen.

Posted by: douger at January 22, 2015 06:35 PM (eM6QK)

147 Same old Patriots Playoffs Story, 2001 Raiders choke and blame the referees, 2003 Colts blame the Patriot DBs for playing too rough and Polion changes the NFL rules, 2004 Colts blame the Patriot groudskeepers for letting the field get muddy before the playoff game, 2007 (to forever) Spygate comes up after each and every Patriot playoff win, 2011 Ravens blame the scoreboard operator for a missed 32 yard field goal, 2014 Colts can't stop the run and blame the ball.

This would be a non-story with any other team except, perhaps, Dallas.

Posted by: steve walsh at January 22, 2015 06:35 PM (MWt2Y)

148 I chose that word specifically because it more completely described the action Aaron Hernandez took. I get that it bothers you

Posted by: ThunderB, Professional Ball Deflator at January 22, 2015 06:35 PM (zOTsN)

149 50 Deg. F.

Posted by: Excelsior at January 22, 2015 06:31 PM (FGEvF)
Ah. Then never mind. I'd presumed it was colder.

From 77 F to 50 F makes the pressure difference ca. 5%, so reducing the pressure from, say, 12 psi to 11.4 psi.

Posted by: Jay Guevara at January 22, 2015 06:35 PM (oKE6c)

150 @130: Each team supplies the balls that its offense will use. A certain amount of "breaking in" is legal, but there is a mandate as to the inflation pressure. The refs check the air pressure before the game then give the footballs to the ball boy to manage during the game.

The thing that takes this out of the realm of holding/pass interference/whatever to me is that the footballs were almost certainly tampered with after the refs did their check. A 2 psi change is easily noticed when you grip the ball but not obvious if you just hold it (as the refs do). It seems like a systemic effort to subvert the rules. The Pats beat the Colts easily, but the game against the Ravens the week before was much closer.

What are the odds that such an ambitious effort to get around the rules was only put in place last week?

Posted by: Jake (guest) at January 22, 2015 06:36 PM (h72/K)

151 Er...OK, not really an expert on football, so, is there any obvious way to test for underinflation now, after all the brouhaha?

Because, seriously, if this is all based on an anonymous tip, why is this even a topic of conversation?

I mean, was the underinflation so obvious that, were I to look at footage, I'd see it?

Posted by: Dianna at January 22, 2015 06:36 PM (X6oOY)

152 146 Pressure variances due to temperature changes would be an easy fix. Fill the footballs with nitrogen.

Posted by: douger at January 22, 2015 06:35 PM (eM6QK)

You're kidding, right?

Posted by: Jay Guevara at January 22, 2015 06:36 PM (oKE6c)

153
We think there should be an investigation into this disgusting cheating.

Posted by: Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa at January 22, 2015 06:36 PM (Qs8ZN)

154
here is an idea how about the nfl supplies the footballs and both teams use the same one

Posted by: kj at January 22, 2015 06:37 PM (lKyWE)

155 The evidence is that it was important enough to make the Today Show this morning! The only two people who might know something, Brady and Belichick, have spoken, and both came off as forthright and honest to me, despite the bitch-snits in the press who were trying, unsuccessfully, to rattle them.

Posted by: Lincolntf at January 22, 2015 06:37 PM (2cS/G)

156 148
I chose that word specifically because it more completely described the action Aaron Hernandez took. I get that it bothers you

Posted by: ThunderB, Professional Ball Deflator at January 22, 2015 06:35 PM (zOTsN)
It's why I chose "beheading." He didn't do either one, and I prefer "beheading." 'Cause it sounds cool.

Posted by: Jay Guevara at January 22, 2015 06:38 PM (oKE6c)

157 They should fill the footballs with helium.

Posted by: Guy Mohawk at January 22, 2015 06:39 PM (Qs8ZN)

158 I'd like to either see Belichick suspended for a year, like Sean Payton, OR a simple admission that the League has different standards for punishment based on the clout of the owner.

Bad stuff going on that the coach didn't know about = suspension in New Orleans, not a suspension in New England. Because owner.

The cherry on top would be the admission that Goodell doesn't give two shits about any of the controversies the NFL has had this season as long as the tax-exempt ticket sales continue to skyrocket.

These results would be pretty ok.

Posted by: Hawkins1701 at January 22, 2015 06:41 PM (9T05o)

159 Brady has held a ball in hand 10's of thousands (pun not intended) a time during his pro career. He knows the difference between 11.5 and 12 psi in the first few milliseconds. I gua-ren-fuckin tee you he knew the moment he picked up that ball for the first time that it was underinflated.

Posted by: Talibill at January 22, 2015 06:42 PM (JiHh6)

160 So, we're going to rush to judgment? No proof, just hype, and we're leaping to punishment?

Huh.

I know it's just sports, but still, that doesn't sound right.

Posted by: Dianna at January 22, 2015 06:44 PM (X6oOY)

161 Actually, there is no evidence as of yet...there is speculation and a report that the balls were under-inflated. Nothing more.

That's evidence there shooter since this isn't a court case. Along with a report that it was 11 of 12 balls. And the pressure loss was 2lbs or more. And that replacement balls had to be used for the second half. What we are waiting on now is *additional evidence* and a judgement by the NFL.

Posted by: MikeTheMoose at January 22, 2015 06:44 PM (0q2P7)

162 All our opponents used inflated balls!

I'm just kidding. Our season sucked because we sucked.

Posted by: Atlanta Falcons Fan at January 22, 2015 06:46 PM (RGgMp)

163 @MikeTheMoose

Okay, let me re-explain. No, as of yet determined, culpatory evidence.

Posted by: Sockpuppet at January 22, 2015 06:47 PM (7+T4e)

164 I say we have them play the Super Bowl with Nerf ball, and may the best team win!

Posted by: Fritz at January 22, 2015 06:47 PM (UzPAd)

165 I'm not even much of a football fan, only casually watch, but I do think the piling on has to do with what football tribe you hate.

The suitability of the ball is a referee decision, they didn't call it, so to me it's no different than any play that wasn't called properly. The referees are constantly holding the ball throughout the game in addition to the inspection before hand.

I'm not saying there should be zero penalty, but something like throwing the whole team out of the Super Bowl or suspending the QB seems crazy to me.

Also, how exactly is this "investigation" valid so far after the game has been played? To me it seems the evidence is badly flawed, air easily could have escaped in the time between, to say nothing of the temperature swings.

Hell, my air guage for my tires is about 5lbs off when I change gauges.

Posted by: McAdams at January 22, 2015 06:47 PM (yGD7t)

166 OOOOKAYYY!

No, I had never once heard that. You are right - that is actively shocking.

For bumping into him at a club no less, but to be fair, when it happened, he was arrested and the Pats threw him off the team. He's in jail now.

Posted by: Weirddave at January 22, 2015 06:48 PM (WvS3w)

167 >So, we're going to rush to judgment? No proof, just hype, and we're leaping to punishment?

You swing with the +5 Straw Man Slayer. IT HITS!!! The Straw Man dies.

No we are going to investigate looking for all possible ways to sweep this under the rug. And when a preponderance makes it nearly impossible to explain away, give them a completely inadequate punishment that won't dissuade recurrence of the offense.

Posted by: MikeTheMoose at January 22, 2015 06:48 PM (0q2P7)

168 Hold a quickie one-game playoff to determine the Seahawks' new competitor. OH OH OH OH OH OH PACKERS OH OH

Packers play in the same conference as the seahawks grammie the teanm would have to be from the AFC

Ravens/Indy playoff game for the right to go.

Posted by: Weirddave at January 22, 2015 06:49 PM (WvS3w)

169 Our whole poor effed-up country is one big morality play on letting cheaters prosper, and I'm fairly certain that Modren Yoot is getting that message loud & clear.

That said, where are all of the "let's not rush to judgement" crowd on this ? Leading the torchlight necktie party, naturally.

Posted by: sock_rat_eez at January 22, 2015 06:49 PM (go6ud)

170 >Okay, let me re-explain. No, as of yet determined, culpatory evidence.

If it's true, it was 11 out of 12. They were fine 2 hours before the game as checked by officials. And they were two pounds shy. That circumstantial but culpable when you combine it with motive and opportunity. Barring exculpatory evidence that's a prima-facie preponderance that someone on that team deliberately deflated the balls.

Posted by: MikeTheMoose at January 22, 2015 06:54 PM (0q2P7)

171 If cheating is acceptable because "Hey, winners do what it takes!" then certainly nailing those same cheaters to the wall is equally acceptable because if would indeed be effective to help win against them.

If this is a simple utilitarian argument then stop your fucking whining about how cheaters might get punished to the advantage of other teams. If it works, it's fair, right?

Posted by: basicbv at January 22, 2015 06:54 PM (kQ364)

172 There is zero evidence the Patriots cheated. None. Nada. Tom Brady said he likes the ball at 12.5 psi which is at the lower end of the acceptable limit. The team inflates the balls to the number he likes He handles the balls and picks the ones he wants to use in the game (24 balls for a home game). Those balls get sent into the refs for inspection and are held until just before game time. If they are sent in under 12.5 it is on the refs to check and add air if necessary. Once those balls are taken outside and exposed to a lower temperature they lose some pressure. All of them will now be lower than 12.5 psi, it's just a question of how much.

Posted by: This isn't ISIS at January 22, 2015 07:04 PM (XGLxL)

173 So, no evidence that Brady or Belichick did anything, just anonymous "sources" from the media and league ( and they never exaggerate), that's good enough for you? Okay. Not good enough for me. The Pats are easy copy and Belichick makes an easy villain, have at it.

Posted by: Lincolntf at January 22, 2015 07:06 PM (2cS/G)

174 BTW, the very act of inserting a pressure gauge into a football will release some pressure. HoW much depends on how careful one is when inserting the gauge in the ball and how quickly it is removed.

Posted by: This isn't ISIS at January 22, 2015 07:08 PM (XGLxL)

175 Aaron Rogers said he intentionally submits overinflated balls and hopes they don't have air removed. Is he cheating?

Posted by: This isn't ISIS at January 22, 2015 07:10 PM (XGLxL)

176 >There is zero evidence the Patriots cheated.

Umm no there is a good amount of evidence.

>Brady said he likes the ball at 12.5 psi

You mean the league minimum? So you are saying he couldn't POSSIBLY like the ball at lower pressures and just say he liked it at the league minimum because it's the league minimum?

>Those balls get sent into the refs for inspection and are held until just before game time.

At which point they are returned to their respective teams.

>All of them will now be lower than 12.5 psi, it's just a question of how much.

Yes I did the calcs on that yesterday. Based on the lowest ambient game temperatures. The balls would have had to have been checked while the air in them was over 90 degrees F in order to account for the drop.

Posted by: MikeTheMoose at January 22, 2015 07:11 PM (0q2P7)

177 Nobody will remember this a decade from now. If there's an asterisk on the Pats/Brady/Belichek it's from the tuck rule call. The Pats haters out there have hurt their cause, not helped it, though. The 'throw them out' crowd is good bulletin board material.

Posted by: East Bay Jay at January 22, 2015 07:11 PM (7v8o1)

178 The report is that the balls were 2 lbs low. That's way too much for the temperature difference to explain and miles beyond any kind of plausible accidental loss of air.

Plus, you know, 11 out of 12. I half expect somebody to get fired for missing one.

Posted by: Jake (guest) at January 22, 2015 07:13 PM (h72/K)

179 Temp the only factor in maintaining psi. These balls are being squeezed, landed on by piles of huge men, etc.

Posted by: Lincolntf at January 22, 2015 07:14 PM (2cS/G)

180 >Aaron Rogers said he intentionally submits overinflated balls and hopes they don't have air removed. Is he cheating?

Technically yes. You shouldn't knowingly submit a ball out of spec; However it is plausibly deniable since he is submitting it for inspection; meaning it isn't as egregious as going back after they are checked and authorized for play then modifying them.

Posted by: MikeTheMoose at January 22, 2015 07:15 PM (0q2P7)

181 Temp "is not"...

Posted by: Lincolntf at January 22, 2015 07:15 PM (2cS/G)

182 Watching the media beclown themselves in that Brady presser makes me almost want to root for the Pats.

Posted by: brak at January 22, 2015 07:15 PM (xpPRn)

183 There are leaked reports of a 2 lbs psi drop. Not ever confirmed. And if the refs just gave the balls a squeeze before the game that's on them.

Posted by: This isn't ISIS at January 22, 2015 07:16 PM (XGLxL)

184 Did you see the press conference, MtM, Brady did the same thing, submitted them and got them back the way he liked them.

Posted by: Lincolntf at January 22, 2015 07:17 PM (2cS/G)

185 >Temp the only factor in maintaining psi. These balls are being squeezed, landed on by piles of huge men, etc.

I play Rugby, balls do lose air. Not 11 of 12 over a couple of hours.

>Plus, you know, 11 out of 12. I half expect somebody to get fired for missing one.

You need one ball for kicking. That ball needs to be inflated to max to get the best bounce of the foot.

Posted by: MikeTheMoose at January 22, 2015 07:18 PM (0q2P7)

186 If it turns out to be a .2 psi swing, that'll just be proof of how sneaky the Patriots really are.

Posted by: Lincolntf at January 22, 2015 07:18 PM (2cS/G)

187 Anyone here have their gee-whiz newer car report "Underinflated Tire!" since winter set in? Mrs. Hammer's did. I told her to ignore it. Two days later, when it warmed up, the warning went away. Did the car go careening off of the road? Did she notice any difference? No.

It would be interesting to conduct a blind test of various ball pressures, a few days apart, to see if players could discern a ball pressure +/- 2 psi.

If the Pats deliberately tinkered with ball pressures, then they ought to be penalized. I am, however, highly dubious that it would have made a difference in the outcome of the game.

For the third time; A poor craftsman always blames his tools.

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at January 22, 2015 07:19 PM (vPh3W)

188 It seems like it is the referees job to declare when a play is fair or not fair. Maybe if the ball inflation can truly mean the win or loss of a game, someone should be more diligent in checking the inflation.

I doubt if the ball inflation could be the difference in a game like the Colts/Patriots game last Sunday, anyway. And everyone was playing by the same lax enforcement of ball requirements.

Henceforth, the referees need to measure at least once a quarter, just so everyone knows the rule will be strictly enforced, from this point forward.

We actually have no way of knowing if other teams have been routinely doing this or not, but the enforcement has been uniformly relaxed so the playing field has been level.

I am a Seahawks fan.

I am not unhappy to see Brady taken down a notch or two before the game. It beats the build up last year of Peyton Manning. YOu would have thought he walked on water the way the press worshiped him last year.

Posted by: petunia at January 22, 2015 07:19 PM (M1eBo)

189 By not allowing for the fact that many fans simply don't like cheating in the game and instead creating all these strawmen about Patriots hate, you're damaging your argument. Not everyone in the country is is your weird Boston or NY world of insane homerism.

One of the best coaches of all time? The hooded maniac. One of the best qbs of all time? The pretty boy.

Still, you cheat and you pay for it or it's time to start enforcing more informal rules with dirty play. How is that better for your franchise?

(By the way, yeah, it is cheating if Rodgers gets someone to overinflate the balls outside of the rules. This isn't very complicated.)

Posted by: basicbv at January 22, 2015 07:20 PM (kQ364)

190 Good for you, I played rugby, too, and I still believe the 95% of QB's I've heard say that air pressure is the last thing they care about in a ball. Texture, laces, yeah, not psi, except as a starting point.

Posted by: Lincolntf at January 22, 2015 07:21 PM (2cS/G)

191 >There are leaked reports of a 2 lbs psi drop. Not ever confirmed. And if the refs just gave the balls a squeeze before the game that's on them.

I'm sure that will be discussed in the final report. I'm also fairly confident that since this was a playoff championship game they followed the rules. But if they didn't it will be on them and the Patriots will be excused as having mistakenly submitted under inflated balls. But if they actually checked the pressure...

Posted by: MikeTheMoose at January 22, 2015 07:21 PM (0q2P7)

192 How hot is the air that comes out of an air compressor?

Posted by: This isn't ISIS at January 22, 2015 07:21 PM (XGLxL)

193 The temp on the Colts side of the field must have been different that the temp on the Patriots side since, ya know...none of the Colts balls lost air because of the temp.

Posted by: Tami at January 22, 2015 07:23 PM (v0/PR)

194
Tami

Stop making sense.

Posted by: grammie winger at January 22, 2015 07:24 PM (dFi94)

195 I'm sorry grammie....not to worry. It doesn't happen very often.

Posted by: Tami at January 22, 2015 07:27 PM (v0/PR)

196 Ever move from the shady part of the bleachers to the sunny side? Yeah, there's a huge difference. Irrelevant in this case, though, it was a night game.

Posted by: Lincolntf at January 22, 2015 07:27 PM (2cS/G)

197 "When I pick those footballs out, at that point, to me, they're perfect," he said. "I don't want anyone touching the balls after that. I don't want anyone rubbing them, putting any air in them, taking any air out. To me, those balls are perfect, and that's what I expect when I show up on the field."

That's what Brady said at the press conference today. Think he's lying? Think he wants someone to quickly and secretively and perfectly deflate the balls after he picks out the balls he wants submitted to the refs for inspection?

Truth is the Patriots are so far into the heads of their opponents they all seem to believe in magic.

Posted by: This isn't ISIS at January 22, 2015 07:28 PM (XGLxL)

198 Maybe I wouldn't judge them so harshly had they not had a history of cheating before.

Posted by: Talibill at January 22, 2015 07:30 PM (JiHh6)

199 196 Ever move from the shady part of the bleachers to the sunny side? Yeah, there's a huge difference. Irrelevant in this case, though, it was a night game.

Posted by: Lincolntf at January 22, 2015 07:27 PM (2cS/G)

Ummm....your point then?

Posted by: Tami at January 22, 2015 07:30 PM (v0/PR)

200 Kicking balls are separate from the balls the team uses and submits to the refs.

Posted by: Buzzion at January 22, 2015 07:31 PM (z/Ubi)

201 Every time the Pats get caught cheating the rebuttal is always yeah, but they're a great team and would have won any way. Sooner or later you have to start wondering if the reason they're a great team is because of the cheating they haven't been caught at yet.

Posted by: booger at January 22, 2015 07:31 PM (tzcDX)

202 >QB's I've heard say that air pressure is the last thing they care about in a ball.

And so it's still a thing to care about. Once they've got the laces and grip they like, just let out little air [psssssst] *perfect*.

>Did you see the press conference, MtM, Brady did the same thing, submitted them and got them back the way he liked them.

I never said I was certain Brady deflated them. It's reasonable that such a thing could be done without his knowledge. And for the record I want to see what the NFL says about the checking of the balls prior to the game and so on.

Here I'll concede.

If the officials didn't check at least 2 pressures ahead of the game. Their fault, they should have checked, the Patriots are probably dirty cheaters, but don't deserve to get punished because they did submit the balls for inspection.

If they were checked however, different story.

Posted by: MikeTheMoose at January 22, 2015 07:31 PM (0q2P7)

203 The temp on the Colts side of the field must have been different that the temp on the Patriots side since, ya know...none of the Colts balls lost air because of the temp.

Well not a know fact and depends on the starting point of the Colts balls in terms of psi.

Posted by: This isn't ISIS at January 22, 2015 07:31 PM (XGLxL)

204 Hey Mike and booger, name one incident outside of spygate. Just one

Posted by: This isn't ISIS at January 22, 2015 07:33 PM (XGLxL)

205 You mean "execution-style," not "executed." They were murdered by a private citizen, not killed by the government.

This recent flurry of "executed" and "assassinated" has gotta stop. "Murdered" will do perfectly well, and doesn't blur the meaning of words.

Posted by: Jay Guevara at January 22, 2015 06:29 PM (oKE6c)

^^^this^^^ No offense intended to ThunderB, but this is an important distinction. Using "executed" in this context diminished the evil of the act, and suggests it was somehow justified. Which, of course is why the jihadi head-choppers and their admirers in the MSM throw the word around with gay abandon.

Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at January 22, 2015 07:35 PM (upitO)

206 >>>That's what Brady said at the press conference today. Think he's lying? Think he wants someone to quickly and secretively and perfectly deflate the balls after he picks out the balls he wants submitted to the refs for inspection?

Guy checks the "perfect pressure" pumps up to league standard. Gets them back, deflates them back to perfect. Brady may not want that to happen. But what he doesn't know wont hurt him. See Brady can be telling the absolute truth and *STILL* the Patriots can be guilty. Now as far as "Is he lying" I don't know, I don't know him. His head Coach, however, has been caught cheating in the past.

Posted by: MikeTheMoose at January 22, 2015 07:35 PM (0q2P7)

207 Ravens v colts

Posted by: teh Wind at January 22, 2015 07:36 PM (frYU/)

208 Just one

Posted by: This isn't ISIS at January 22, 2015 07:33 PM (XGLxL)

Ummm have you heard about ballgate??

Posted by: Talibill at January 22, 2015 07:36 PM (JiHh6)

209 Still, all of your numbers and "guesses" are based on anonymous sources. Actively ignoring the statements of the men who had to put their names behind their words, Brady and Belichick. 2 pounds, 11 balls, all,just chitter-chatter, nobody willing to stand by the claims.

Posted by: Lincolntf at January 22, 2015 07:36 PM (2cS/G)

210 Talibill, you mean deflategate? Try again

Posted by: This isn't ISIS at January 22, 2015 07:38 PM (XGLxL)

211 I bet that qbs also say that grip is very important to them on the footballs. Especially in rainy crappy weather. That 2 psi will give better grip on the ball but still leaving it well in a range that a ref isn't going to go hmm this feels odd.

Posted by: Buzzion at January 22, 2015 07:38 PM (71CVf)

212 Pretty sure the NFL has confirmed that the balls Pats' were under inflated (and the Colts' were not). Here's a Boston Globe article from yesterday.

Link in nick.

Posted by: Y-not, stone cold sober at January 22, 2015 07:41 PM (9BRsg)

213 D'qwell Jackson just stated that he never noticed anything with the ball nor said anything when he made his interception, so that whole "origin story" is garbage.

Posted by: Lincolntf at January 22, 2015 07:41 PM (2cS/G)

214 >Hey Mike and booger, name one incident outside of spygate. Just one

Plays that were illegal used in the Ravens game.

Posted by: MikeTheMoose at January 22, 2015 07:42 PM (0q2P7)

215 Y-not, If you believe the Globe Obama is a saintly truth teller.

Still, I expect thats true, but the balls can start at different psi. One deflates and falls into the limit or stays within the limit and another falls out of limit even though both deflated evenly.

Posted by: This isn't ISIS at January 22, 2015 07:45 PM (XGLxL)

216 >Belichick. 2 pounds, 11 balls, all,just chitter-chatter, nobody willing to stand by the claims.

Well rest assured that statements will be taken, and the only way this gets punished is if the NFL can't find a pretext to make it go away.

Posted by: MikeTheMoose at January 22, 2015 07:45 PM (0q2P7)

217 Mike, you're kidding or couldn't be that ignorant. League said immediately they were 100% legal. Patriots ran the same play against the Colts for a touchdown. Try again.

Posted by: This isn't ISIS at January 22, 2015 07:47 PM (XGLxL)

218 204
Hey Mike and booger, name one incident outside of spygate. Just one

Ummm have you heard about ballgate??

^ But other than that you got me, i can't name one time they've been caught cheating, other than the two times they've been caught cheating.

Posted by: booger at January 22, 2015 07:49 PM (tzcDX)

219 The NFL doesn't have do-overs when the refs screw the pooch on calls and in that spirit I don't see how we can justify a do-over for a whole playoff game that was won 45-7. Even though as a Donks fan my team's taken its share of beatdowns from the Pats, I don't have the level of H8 that other teams fans seem to over the whole "cheating Pats" thing. They win because they're better coached than most teams, have a top caliber quarterback, surround him a good O line and enough skill players to be chippy in all games (and Gronkowski's a freaking mutant). If it's that easy to mess with ball pressure, other teams are doing it (and stories by Brad Johnson and others seem to confirm this). No way does this justify a do-over game. Get over it, police the shit better next year, and enjoy the drunk H8ers chalking up every Pats win until doomsday to some new cheating scheme.

Posted by: SocietyIs2Blame at January 22, 2015 07:53 PM (QKIQb)

220 Look I don't hate the Pats and have no animosity towards Brady or Bellicheck but they have a big f'n problem. 11 of the balls were underinflated. That may seem minor to us wannabies but in pro sports every little advantage, rght or wrong over the course of a season makes a big difference. someone on the team is going to take the fall for this and IF they win that win will have asteric next to it by every football fan for years.

Posted by: Talibill at January 22, 2015 07:54 PM (JiHh6)

221 Hmmm. I wonder who else can tell the difference between something that's rock hard and something that's just a little softer.

Posted by: Northernlurker at January 22, 2015 07:55 PM (yU8Sr)

222 Ok booger, please stay away from those circular firing squads.

Proof they cheated today is that they cheated in the past and included past cheating incidents is today's alleged cheating.

Got it.

Posted by: This isn't ISIS at January 22, 2015 07:57 PM (XGLxL)

223 As a Patriot fan, I reject your argument.

Posted by: Eric Lindholm at January 22, 2015 07:57 PM (wKToJ)

224 I don't like the Pats, I'm not excusing them , and I didn't have a favorite in any of the four teams in the playoffs. I haven't followed this story much. That said, Has anybody checked the inflation of the balls used by other teams recently ? Would be nice to have a comparison to what other teams were doing , not just what the regulations say .
Beyond that- why weren't the refs checking this on a regular basis? Cheaters get away with it when there is a failure of enforcement .

Posted by: Jim in Virginia at January 22, 2015 08:00 PM (1DNyB)

225 >Mike, you're kidding or couldn't be that ignorant. League said immediately they were 100% legal. Patriots ran the same play against the Colts for a touchdown. Try again.

They weren't 100% legal. more like 51%. They were judged retrospectively be legal, there was real question as to whether allowing a substitution is due when changing eligible receivers. You wanted an incident. There's an incident. You didn't say confirmed. You said incident.

Posted by: MikeTheMoose at January 22, 2015 08:00 PM (0q2P7)

226 TaliBill, if they had a guy in the hallway or on the sideline with a needle that's a problem. I doubt it but don't rule it out. I haven't done the calculation, but if hey filled the balls with normal compressed air at 90 or 100 degrees to 12.5 psi, and they deflated as the air cooled to the 45 to 50 degree outdoor temp, that simply is not cheating in any way so please save the asteric.

Posted by: This isn't ISIS at January 22, 2015 08:03 PM (XGLxL)

227 146 Fill the footballs with nitrogen.

Helium.

Posted by: Jim in Virginia at January 22, 2015 08:03 PM (1DNyB)

228 The one thing I haven't heard that would seem to be good reportage: what was the status of the Colts balls? (this is a difficult topic to ask questions about). Why is that not reportage 101?
If the Colts stable of balls also were underinflated, well, then, no controversy. If none, are, well, slam dunk.
Has that been reported?
In other news:
we still havent given the Iraqis the F-16s they bought and paid for because..... the security situation sucks.

Posted by: MikeB at January 22, 2015 08:06 PM (LzMdS)

229 Mike the official on the field ruled it was legal and after as well, 100%, not 51%. And 51% would be fine, no? This is football, not criminal and not ISIS.

Posted by: This isn't ISIS at January 22, 2015 08:06 PM (XGLxL)

230 Dear leader will hand over the F-16s once ISIS is fully in control.

Posted by: This isn't ISIS at January 22, 2015 08:09 PM (XGLxL)

231 This headline reminds me of all those bogus global warming stories that talk about all the horrible things that will happen - skipping over the question of whether it's true.

Posted by: Rob in Mass at January 22, 2015 08:12 PM (I0Qd+)

232 Colts' balls were fine.

Posted by: Obi wan Y-not on the phone at January 22, 2015 08:12 PM (9BRsg)

233 > that simply is not cheating in any way so please save the asteric.

Well since that takes a bit of deliberate nature and planning to accomplish, I'm not going to be so generous. I would categorize that as pre-doctering the ball so that it lost pressure and was low.

Posted by: MikeTheMoose at January 22, 2015 08:13 PM (0q2P7)

234 Make the Pats play with Obama as their quarterback. Highlight reel of President Stumblef#$k's passes . . . Manly, no?

Posted by: Furious George at January 22, 2015 08:14 PM (HpEBw)

235 As, I noted regarding the Colts balls being in spec

Still, I expect thats true, but the balls can start at different psi. One ball deflates and falls into the limit or stays within the limit and another falls out of limit even though both deflated evenly.

Posted by: This isn't ISIS at January 22, 2015 08:18 PM (XGLxL)

236 Obama would only play if hey let him wear Mom jeans. Also no helmut for those ears

Posted by: This isn't ISIS at January 22, 2015 08:20 PM (XGLxL)

237 > This is football, not criminal and not ISIS.

You said you wanted another incident. I gave you another incident. The official remitted to Harbaugh that he would be given time to substitute in the future. But the NFL went back after that and said something different. Let's just say that I'm not saying they cheated there because of the NFL ruling. However I don't think this is the end of that issue either. We'll see what the NFL dictates is the final way that situation should be handled.

Now if you wanted another instance of confirmed cheating you should have asked for that.

Posted by: MikeTheMoose at January 22, 2015 08:20 PM (0q2P7)

238 Lots of lawyers on this blog apparently.

There is no presumption of innocence in the real world.

If you don't fumble at home when everyone else does throughout all history that's evidence. If you play incredibly well in bad weather that's evidence. If your opponents have been noticing you're playing with doctored balls all year and it finally catches up with you, yeah, that's evidence as well.

Whoops!

No one is going to jail here. We're just deciding whether or not it seems like we got some cheating going on here. Yeah, it really does seem like it.

Posted by: basicbv at January 22, 2015 08:21 PM (kQ364)

239 Ace still tilting at the windmills

Posted by: Just A Guy at January 22, 2015 08:24 PM (CGzAz)

240 Hockey has a cheat rule that a coach can ask the ref to check the curve of the blade on a player's stick. If it curves too far, it's a 2 minute penalty on the player who got caught. If the stick is within specs, it's a two minute penalty on his own team.

I think something like that could work here. 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Posted by: Steve O at January 22, 2015 08:38 PM (YzrrX)

241 What if the Patriot's balls were inflated indoors at, say, a temperature of ~75oF and they were tested/confirmed by league officials to be at the appropriate pressure under the same conditions - ie - indoors and at the same altitude/location? At a temperature of ~45oF (game conditions), if you use the ideal gas law (to calculate the pressure change (assuming an isochoric, negligible change in volume as a result of the temperature reduction and assuming the balls don't have a significant leak; also, the ideal gas law is also not the best way to perform this analysis because one would assume that the balls were inflated with atmospheric air which is a mixture of both ideal and non-ideal gases [but predominantly nitrogen which is an ideal gas]) you get something on the order of a 30% reduction in pressure. If the league tested the ball pressures at halftime OUTSIDE then there's really no controversy here. Details are kind of important and I'm surprised no one (at least to my knowledge) has brought up these contingencies...

Posted by: iconoclast at January 22, 2015 08:39 PM (1MGp+)

242 Jeebus.

There is no evidence of cheating.

Posted by: eman at January 22, 2015 08:45 PM (MQEz6)

243 What's happening is that all the hysterics who were clamoring for Belichick to be fired or the Patriots be kicked out of the Super Bowl are realizing that it's a big nothingburger, and are now trying to justify their premature freak-outs.

Posted by: Lincolntf at January 22, 2015 08:48 PM (2cS/G)

244 Only the ball-truthers ("Did you know that temperature changes cause intentional, obvious cheating? I have calculations to support this. Also, steel, fire.") have allowed me to enjoy reading about sports again after the Packers gave up one of the greatest choke-jobs of all time.

Thank you, guys. You'll never know how medicinal this has been for me.

Posted by: basicbv at January 22, 2015 08:49 PM (kQ364)

245 The most entertaining part is watching all the Brady knob gobblers and Patriot butt boys contort themselves to rationalize cheating. This is fucking funny shit.

Posted by: Kman52 at January 22, 2015 09:00 PM (J3pXu)

246 F you Ace. Way premature to say they cheated. Biggest factor in air pressure is air temp. Maybe Luck likes warm balls so Colts keep their balls near the sideline heaters And Braby likes soft balls so the Pats keep their balls away from the heaters. Is that cheating? Not unless the league has a rule about ball storage vis a vis sideline heaters.

Posted by: Alec Rawls at January 22, 2015 09:06 PM (QD48d)

247 "Hold a quickie one-game playoff to determine the Seahawks' new competitor."

FINALLY! A reason to watch the Pro Bowl!

Posted by: Shoot Me at January 22, 2015 09:08 PM (EQcfE)

248 WOW, Ace is a little bitch.

Bob Kraft, should open a real estate ofdice in your brain.

No proof because NFL can't find any because none occurred.

But haters gonna hate. And little birches gonna be little bitches.

Posted by: Ragnar at January 22, 2015 09:13 PM (kblpk)

249 246 F you Ace. Way premature to say they cheated. Biggest factor in air pressure is air temp. Maybe Luck likes warm balls so Colts keep their balls near the sideline heaters And Braby likes soft balls so the Pats keep their balls away from the heaters. Is that cheating? Not unless the league has a rule about ball storage vis a vis sideline heaters.

Posted by: Alec Rawls at January 22, 2015 09:06 PM (QD48d)

From the Boston Globe article linked earlier by Y-not:

It's unclear how often the NFL investigates ball issues. In another incident this season, the NFL reminded all 32 teams that they cannot warm the balls with sideline heaters during cold games, after the Panthers and Vikings did it in their Nov. 30 game in Minneapolis, drawing a warning from officials.

Posted by: Tami at January 22, 2015 09:15 PM (v0/PR)

250 All the whining and complaining by the Colts over "Deflategate" will not change the final score that says they were beaten like a redheaded step-child. See you next year, Ponies.

Posted by: exdem13 at January 22, 2015 09:29 PM (/mTq0)

251 Hey MikeMoose, If you define cheating as a legal play, then by the laws in your own mind cheating it is.

By the way, you do know I hope that modern version of The wildcat was run by the Dolphins against the Patriots. Just before the snap, the QB ran out to the wide receiver position and the direct snap Went to Ronnie Brown. He scored 4TDs rushing and threw for another much of it from the Wildcat. The formation completely befuddled the Patriots and ended a 23 game regular season winning streak. No whining or complaints from the Patriots about cheating, but a lot of talk about how to prepare better in the future.

Posted by: This isn't ISIS at January 22, 2015 09:31 PM (XGLxL)

252 Re: post at 241

It's posts like THAT that keep me coming back. Come for the Obama and Boehner hate and snark, stay for the tutorial on thermodynamics as applied to footballs. You don't get sciencey content like that at them other blogs.

Posted by: George at January 22, 2015 09:34 PM (4HYng)

253 Hold a quickie one-game playoff to determine the Seahawks' new competitor.

===

Can my Lions, victims of the worst pass interference-not pass interference call in NFL history, get in on this?

Mulligan on the whole playoffs, I say. Playoffs in February. Super Bowl in March, after spring training starts. (Could life get any better?)

Posted by: Zombie Alex Karras at January 22, 2015 09:42 PM (4HYng)

254 "I am a Seahawks fan.

I am not unhappy to see Brady taken down a notch or two before the
game. It beats the build up last year of Peyton Manning. YOu would
have thought he
walked on water the way the press worshiped him last
year."

That's okay. Like MLK Jr., the Seahawks will overcome.

Posted by: Shoot Me at January 22, 2015 10:11 PM (EQcfE)

255 Oh for fuck sakes. Grow the fuck up. There is a prescribed penalty for not meeting the ball specifications - a $25,000 fine. So shut the fuck up about your ridiculous fake outrage. Please leave that to the mindless liberal robots.

Posted by: deadrody at January 22, 2015 10:35 PM (meyeF)

256 117
So, as of this moment, no one has proved that anyone on the Patriots is
responsible for the under-inflated balls. I stipulate, also, that the
under-inflated balls made no difference in the outcome of the game. Then
this: you H8trs are unbelievable f*cking pussies.

Posted by: steve walsh at January 22, 2015 06:25 PM (MWt2Y)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yeah, pretty much nailed that.

Posted by: deadrody at January 22, 2015 10:40 PM (meyeF)

257 Oh!, that reminds me, remember the N. O. coach got
banned for a whole season for paying bounties? This seems at least on
par with that.

Posted by: Guy Mohawk at January 22, 2015 06:26 PM (Qs8ZN)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oh, wait, you're serious, aren't you!? Intentionally trying to injure other players vs. not quite inflating the balls enough (nevermind the minor fact that nobody has proven anything yet). Yeah, totes the same.

Posted by: deadrody at January 22, 2015 10:42 PM (meyeF)

258 158
I'd like to either see Belichick suspended for a year, like Sean Payton,
OR a simple admission that the League has different standards for
punishment based on the clout of the owner.

Posted by: Hawkins1701 at January 22, 2015 06:41 PM (9T05o)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You people are, frankly, retarded. You really, REALLY don't see any difference between intentionally trying to injure players on teh other team and under inflating the balls ? Please tell me I don't associate with people THAT fucking dumb. Please.

Posted by: deadrody at January 22, 2015 10:46 PM (meyeF)

259 Yeah, the balls passed inspection and then just magically became underinflated. The Patriots organization clearly had nothing to do with it.

It was pure luck that a quarterback who has stated he prefers throwing underinflated balls, and plays for a team with a history of being caught cheating, just happened to have nothing but underinflated balls to throw.

How could anyone have seen that coming?

Posted by: Prothonotary Warbler at January 22, 2015 10:50 PM (5pg79)

260 161
Actually, there is no evidence as of yet...there is speculation and a report that the balls were under-inflated. Nothing more.

That's evidence there shooter since this isn't a court case.

Posted by: MikeTheMoose at January 22, 2015 06:44 PM (0q2P7)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Why is it that you think this is somehow different than a court case ? You don't think that the Patriots, their players, their coaches, and their owner could / would suffer consequences from a rush to judgement ?The "evidence" you site is actually nothing of the kind. It is simply a fact. Evidence would actually point to who and when and why. And considering all the people coming and going and the fact that the balls are generally stewarded by kids makes any kind of grand conspiracy to under inflate the balls and keep that fact a secret seems pretty damn laughable.
There is no evidence or witness that has said anything to back up the idea that Belichick or Brady knew or was behind the balls being under inflated, let alone anyone else from the team that intentionally under inflated them. It could be as simple as defective equipment.

Posted by: deadrody at January 22, 2015 10:50 PM (meyeF)

261 #260: To blame this on defective equipment would require BOTH the Patriots' pumps AND the referee's pressure gauge to have been defective.

And it still doesn't explain why the Colts' balls were found to be within spec every time they were checked.

Posted by: Prothonotary Warbler at January 22, 2015 10:54 PM (5pg79)

262 There is already a penalty for this. $25k. You don't just make up new outrageous penalties because it is the Patriots. If this were that big a deal, the penalty would not be in the rules at $25k. Under-inflating a football is not a big deal. Against the rules, yes. And punishable by a fine. Quit acting like this is some unimaginable horror giving everyone the vapors.

Posted by: Matt at January 22, 2015 10:59 PM (1k5Ov)

263 I think "new outrageous penalties" are warranted not "because it is the Patriots", but "because it's a team and a coach with a history of being caught cheating".

Without additional penalties for repeat offenses, you'll get lots of repeat offenders because they won't mind paying these piddling little fines every week as long as they're winning.

Posted by: Prothonotary Warbler at January 22, 2015 11:06 PM (5pg79)

264 Look at Ndamokong Suh. What did he end up getting for stomping on Aaron Rodgers's thigh after the whistle had blown? A $70k fine and a brief suspension that was overturned on appeal?

Well, guess what? He'll be making $26 million dollars next year. He'll think nothing of paying two or three such fines every week.

Suspend him for a year without pay, though, and he'll start caring.

Posted by: Prothonotary Warbler at January 22, 2015 11:17 PM (5pg79)

265 This sounds like a climate change study. Maybe the Patriots are just better on holding onto the football. Any winning team would be.

Frankly, the rule is stupid and they should be allowed to use whatever inflation level they want, within reason.

Just like Spygate, the Patriots were caught (assuming it was even done on purpose) because someone looked hard at the team with the best record. If you got into the minutiae you could disqualify every team in the NFL, twice or more.

You know what this is? This is Scooter Libby. There, I said it.

Posted by: TallDave at January 23, 2015 12:24 AM (bgGGN)

266 Posted by: Matt at January 22, 2015 10:59 PM (1k5Ov)

Exactly! People are acting like this gave them five extra wins a season or something.

Posted by: TallDave at January 23, 2015 12:26 AM (bgGGN)

267 #265: What about last year, when the Broncos had the best record? Wouldn't they have faced a similar level of scrutiny as this year's best team? Why weren't they found to be cheating?

Posted by: Prothonotary Warbler at January 23, 2015 12:31 AM (5pg79)

268 Congressional Republicans have more deflated balls than the Patriots have. They've caved on every issue since the election.

Posted by: mongoos at January 23, 2015 01:19 AM (jJEDL)

269 #268: Wait, are you implying that Congressional Republicans aren't patriots? One word in President Obama's ear during our next golf game, and you'll be audited within an inch of your life!

Posted by: John Boehner at January 23, 2015 01:27 AM (5pg79)

270 New England has the "cheat" taint. Had it long before this. And will keep it long after this. But as long as they win their fans will love them. Which says something about their fans.

Posted by: Case at January 23, 2015 02:46 AM (tjj0w)

271 Escort girls http://REGMODELS.RU

Posted by: Tina at January 23, 2015 07:58 AM (X3avc)

272 I dislike the Patriots, but this is all hysterical nonsense. Until someone provides the statistical data of air pressure of ALL the NFL balls used in all the seasons games and the gage repeatability data, there is no case for "cheating". As they say, In God we trust, all others bring data!!!

Posted by: USNA1985 at January 23, 2015 08:23 AM (E3EdC)

273 Patriots are # 1. All others are number 2 or less.

Posted by: MAJHAM at January 23, 2015 08:43 AM (MzYgJ)

274 Pressure variances due to temperature changes would be an easy fix. Fill the footballs with nitrogen.

Posted by: douger at January 22, 2015 06:35 PM (eM6QK)

You're kidding, right?

No, I'm not. One of the reasons I use nitrogen in my tires... and we did in the Air Force as well... is because it seems to be fairly pressure stable despite temperature variances. The other reason is because it has little to no moisture.

Posted by: douger at January 23, 2015 09:23 AM (eM6QK)

275 Where your argument fails is, "which is disqualification." Why? Based on what? Cheating has penalties. Almost never do those penalties include forfeiture of an entire game. There's no reason that forfeiture should be the penalty for this particular offense. There are lesser penalties that are more appropriate and proportionate with the offense.

Posted by: Realism at January 23, 2015 09:34 AM (ibvmu)

276 Stevan Ridley begs to differ! He never had a problem fumbling the ball regardless of the PSI.

I am disappointed in Ace. Normally he is a bastion of common sense but seems to have lost all perspective on this particular subject. BB does not like players who fumble. Ergo, if you fumble and are a member of the Patriots you will not play or be cut. Therefore the team has a very low rate of turnovers by fumble because the players who don't fumble play. The players who fumble do not play.

Posted by: drocity at January 23, 2015 10:07 AM (FODsj)

277
The thing that drives me batty about this, is why doesn't the league maintain positive control over the balls from the check in time until game time? lowers the opportunity for shenanigans.

Of course, once the game begins, there's nothing to prevent the ball boys from futzing with the pressures. On the other hand, there's also nothing preventing them from refilling the balls back to the rule book standards, either at the end of the game.

Posted by: I R A Darth Aggie at January 23, 2015 10:57 AM (1hM1d)

278 Please re-run the numbers, but without pass plays. To include pass plays in this is asinine. The Patriots are a pass-heavy team, have been since 2007. In the Baltimore game, the pass/run ratio was 50:13, and 4 of those were kneeldowns.

Posted by: Steven S. at January 23, 2015 11:04 AM (JpEvT)

279 And BTW, they fumbled 2x in that game.

Posted by: Steven S. at January 23, 2015 11:06 AM (JpEvT)

280 Sorry, what I should have said is remove all *incomplete* passes. It makes no sense that an incomplete pass should count in this statistic.

Posted by: Steven S. at January 23, 2015 11:09 AM (JpEvT)

281 Has anyone asked Brady if his balls felt normal during the game?

Posted by: the ball boy at January 23, 2015 06:33 PM (S0WIF)

282 This was easily your worst blog post ever, Ace. You sound like a whiny liberal who didn't get his way and completely overreacts to what is actually being alleged by the NFL. You also conveniently left out that the Pats' footballs were properly inflated in the second half and the Patriots outscored Indy 28-0, which was better than they did in the first half (17-7) when the deflated footballs were apparently used for at least some of their offensive plays. Plus, Brady's only interception was thrown in the first half with the deflated footballs. You really disappointed me with your emotional overreaction on this issue.

Posted by: Slappy at January 24, 2015 12:41 AM (Am9Tn)

283 The vital question that no one is asking is: Why should there be a rule regarding ball inflation in the first place? If this is necessary, inflation pressure should be determined by the size of the QB's hand; smaller hands get lower pressure to enable them to grip the ball the same as those with larger hands. But why stop there? Some QB's have stronger arms than others; in the interest of fairness they should have to throw a heavier ball. This same principal would apply to kickers as well; those with stronger legs have to kick a softer, heavier ball. While we're at it, why should a 300 lb offensive lineman have to block a 350 lb defender. All linemen should be required to weigh the same with weight checks after each quarter along with random checks during the game to keep unscrupulous coaches from pumping them up with GatorAde when no one is looking. In addition, it's not fair that some backs and receivers can run faster than others. To resolve this burning issue faster players would be assigned weights to be sewn into their uniforms to level the playing field. It's obvious that applying the principals of social justice to football can greatly improve the appeal of the game. This spring we will take on baseball.

Posted by: javapoppa at January 24, 2015 09:59 AM (yapmr)

284 Brady said he likes a ball at 12.5 lbs/per, and the balls were below that.

How do we know it wasn't the Colts that cheated by deflating the ball below Brady's preference to mess him up? Bribed the ball boy or something.

Nah, best to run them out of the league now while the mob is hot...

Posted by: lee at January 24, 2015 03:30 PM (4z+4V)

285 As we know now, 'Deflategate' story was started by the Colts organization, leaked by a Colts media insider, and pushed by a mid level NFL official who spent most of his career working for the Jets.

As we also know now, only one ball was significantly deflated - and that was the one intercepted ball that the Colts staff possessed by more than 45 minutes. We also know that the player that intercepted that ball said he felt nothing wrong with it before turning it over to the Colts staff.

Anyone who knows anything now knows the story has turned, and if there is any malfeasance here at all it is certainly not on the NE side.

This is a classic media cause corruption story that we see so much of - and NE are playing the role of the Republicans here.

We regularly mock liberals who blindly hold irrational positions because their identity is wrapped up in the liberal lie that by holding far left ideals makes you a superior person to everyone else. For those that can't get over seeing a team like the Patriots be successful over your favorite franchise, I suspect that the source of the hate is a variation of this liberal disease. For those that fit in this category, I have news for you - who you are has nothing to do which what sports team you root for, if if you feel it does, that you need to let go of the irrational hate, and get some introspection and or professional help.

Posted by: HatersGonnaHate at February 07, 2015 02:58 PM (9A9Pf)

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