It’s interesting because most of the side chatter on this coming from players is that indeed the balls are left up to the QB and hopefully he doesn’t do anything illegal and nobody really cares. But of course with the Pats and Belichick being such a control freak it’s hard to truly accept he just let’s Brady do whatever he wants. But everybody else seems to do that. But Belichick...
I am sure the NFL is dismayed that there is some controversy generating buzz before the superbowl.
As far as refs knowing or not knowing, I am thinking this stuff is pretty common and the refs have always just went along with it. I mean every single ball but one where set up this way, presumably the one that wasn’t was for kicking. That doesn’t strike me as the procedure one would use if there is even a remote chance that the refs considered altering them too big a deal. Then a player complained, and like in baseball with a pitcher loading or scuffing balls only then do they start to take an interest.
Freegards