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NFL investigating if Patriots used deflated footballs in AFC Championship game
FoxNews.com ^ | 1-19-2015 | Fox News

Posted on 01/19/2015 7:48:57 AM PST by servo1969

The NFL has confirmed it is looking into charges the New England Patriots cheated Sunday night when they clinched a trip to the Super Bowl Sunday night by using deflated footballs.

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy confirmed the probe Monday, following the AFC championship game, in which the Patriots demolished the Indianapolis Colts, 45-7. The charge was first made Sunday night, when an Indianapolis reporter that the NFL had seized at least one game ball from the AFC championship game to examine whether pigskins were intentionally deflated to make them easier to throw and catch.

“The NFL is investigating the possibility,” Bob Kravitz, of WTHR, tweeted, adding that, “at one point the officials took a ball out of play and weighed it.”

If the Patriots did cheat, it would not be the first time. The team was penalized a first-round draft pick, fined $250,000 and head coach Belichick was personally fined $500,000 after an investigation by the NFL determined the team had illegally videotaped their opponents hand signals during a 2007 game.

And unsubstantiated accusations of cheating have long dogged the team, stemming from their Super Bowl wins in 2002, 2004 and 2005. The St. Louis Rams claimed the team illegally videotaped their walk-through practices prior to the 2002 game, and players on the other defeated opponents have said the Patriots seemed to have inside knowledge of their playbooks.

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: ball; cheat; cheating; deflate; deflategate; deflatriots; football; jealousofthepatriots; newengland; nfl; patriots; patriotswin; sorelosers; whiners
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To: Cowboy Bob
Deflating footballs would theoretically have made it easier for Brady, who completed 23 of 35 passes for 226 yards and three touchdowns, to throw and for his receivers to catch in the bad weather of Sunday’s game in Foxboro. But it also should have benefited Colts' quarterback Andrew Luck, who had a miserable game, completing 12 of 33 passes for a mere 126 yards.

The real mystery here is what the Patriots put on the ball to make Luck's receivers drop those catches they should have made.-Tom

61 posted on 01/19/2015 8:12:34 AM PST by Capt. Tom (Don't confuse U.S. citizens and Americans. They are not necessarily the same. -tom)
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To: servo1969

Where’s the protesters when you need them, the Indy wambulance needs to be diverted.


62 posted on 01/19/2015 8:13:17 AM PST by Sparky1776
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To: NorthMountain
I didn't realize they were penalized for that, though I knew they were accused.

Belichick seems like the antichrist or something.

Or is it that he just got caught?

63 posted on 01/19/2015 8:14:09 AM PST by 9thLife ("Life is a military endeavor..." -- Pope Francis)
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To: Red Badger
If inflated in the factory at 75°F and then played on the field at a substantially lower temp, then the 13 psi would be slightly less..........

That's why weighing would be the appropriate method of measurement. The air inside the ball doesn't go anywhere, even if it's pressure is lowered due to the temperature. Not to mention, sloppy insertion of a needle for measurement could allow air to leak.

64 posted on 01/19/2015 8:15:27 AM PST by Pearls Before Swine
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To: Capt. Tom
The real mystery here is what the Patriots put on the ball to make Luck's receivers drop those catches they should have made

WD-40

65 posted on 01/19/2015 8:15:53 AM PST by Boston Blackie
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To: chris37

You know if it is slightly deflated by measuring the air pressure inside the football.... not the weight.


66 posted on 01/19/2015 8:16:23 AM PST by kjam22 (my music video "If My People" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74b20RjILy4)
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To: Constitution Day

Now hold on a dang minute...Tar Heels are certainly arrogant in a snooty, haughty way but if they were truly cheaters, they would have won more games.

In football, at least, they only have 2 types of seasons: sucky and less sucky.

:]


67 posted on 01/19/2015 8:17:08 AM PST by Adder (No, Mr. Franklin, we could NOT keep it.)
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To: Red Badger

True, but more than offset by the advantage a passing team would have in completing long passes.


68 posted on 01/19/2015 8:17:14 AM PST by Vigilanteman (Obama: Fake black man. Fake Messiah. Fake American. How many fakes can you fit in one Zer0?)
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To: 9thLife

Because they cheat.

New England Patriots Cheating Scandal

JAMES JOYNER · WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2007

New England Cheatriots LogoThe New England Patriots have been caught using electronic means to steal signals and otherwise violate league rules, ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reports.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has determined that the New England Patriots violated league rules Sunday when they videotaped defensive signals by the New York Jets’ coaches, according to league sources. NFL security officials confiscated a camera and videotape from Patriots video assistant Matt Estrella on the New England sidelines when it was suspected he was recording the Jets’ defensive signals. Sources say the visual evidence confirmed the suspicion.

http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/new_england_patriots_cheating_scandal/


69 posted on 01/19/2015 8:17:21 AM PST by ilovesarah2012
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To: Sparky1776

“the Indy wambulance”

“the officials took the ball out of play and weighed it”

And those damned zebras are such poor sports.
The NE Patriots ... cheaters? How can that be?


70 posted on 01/19/2015 8:18:18 AM PST by tumblindice (America's founding fathers: all armed conservatives.)
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To: servo1969

If the Rat-riots knew in advance that the balls would be deflated, and they had practiced using deflated balls, that could have given them an advantage.

But the Dolts, not knowing this, would have assumed the balls would be normal according to NFL rules, and would have expected normal behavior, hence they would have been at a disadvantage.

It probably didn’t affect the outcome of the game, but if it was closer, perhaps it could have.


71 posted on 01/19/2015 8:18:28 AM PST by Fresh Wind (The last remnants of the Old Republic have been swept away)
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To: Pearls Before Swine

Do they even possess a scale accurate enough to detect the difference in weight in a slightly deflated ball? It would have to be a pretty fine scale..................


72 posted on 01/19/2015 8:20:31 AM PST by Red Badger (If you compromise with evil, you just get more evil..........................)
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To: Tijeras_Slim

LOL!!! Great movie


73 posted on 01/19/2015 8:20:51 AM PST by Hyman Roth
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To: Pearls Before Swine

They should have been kicked out of the league when they cheated last time! Cheating has no place in the league. MLB banned Johnny Bench for betting...which had 0 impact on games because he bet for his team to WIN.

The NFL though just covered it up as best they can and glossed over it...because to admit the Patriots won be cheating would through the whole season/playoffs in jeopardy.


74 posted on 01/19/2015 8:21:10 AM PST by for-q-clinton (If at first you don't succeed keep on sucking until you do succeed)
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To: servo1969
The NFL has confirmed it is looking into charges the New England Patriots cheated Sunday night when they clinched a trip to the Super Bowl Sunday night by using deflated footballs.

Not the first time, and it won't be the last.

5.56mm

75 posted on 01/19/2015 8:22:08 AM PST by M Kehoe
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To: Pearls Before Swine

And are the balls inflated with just common air or dry nitrogen? That would cause a difference in weight as well...............


76 posted on 01/19/2015 8:22:44 AM PST by Red Badger (If you compromise with evil, you just get more evil..........................)
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To: servo1969

I’ll go out on a limb here and say that the Colts’ balls were totally not a factor in the game. ;-)


77 posted on 01/19/2015 8:23:11 AM PST by Nervous Tick (There is no "allah" but satan, and mohammed was his demon-possessed tool.)
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To: All

Read. The. Article.

It explains how and why.

Are people really that lazy?


78 posted on 01/19/2015 8:23:24 AM PST by Rodney Dangerfield (Has any President in history sunk to such a level of self-flattery & validation-seeking?)
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To: pieceofthepuzzle

Huh? No penalty for false accusation?


79 posted on 01/19/2015 8:23:34 AM PST by showme_the_Glory ((ILLEGAL: prohibited by law. ALIEN: Owing political allegiance to another country or government))
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To: for-q-clinton
MLB banned Johnny Bench for betting

That's news to me. Did you mean Pete Rose?...............

80 posted on 01/19/2015 8:23:41 AM PST by Red Badger (If you compromise with evil, you just get more evil..........................)
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