Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

NFL finds Patriots used underinflated footballs
bostonglobe.com ^ | 1-21-2015 | Ben Volin

Posted on 01/21/2015 9:04:41 AM PST by servo1969

The Patriots used underinflated footballs on Sunday night.

The next question is how did it happen?

According to a National Football League letter about the investigation into the controversy that was shared with the Globe, the Patriots were informed that the league’s initial findings indicated that the game balls did not meet specifications. The league inspected each of the Patriots’ 12 game balls twice at halftime, using different pressure gauges, and found footballs that were not properly inflated.

According to ESPN, 11 of the 12 game balls were found to be underinflated by about 2 pounds each. The NFL specifications say they must be inflated to 12½ to 13½ pounds.

The investigation is still ongoing.

A league spokesman declined to comment Tuesday, and earlier in the day, NFL executive vice president Troy Vincent told Pro Football Talk that the investigation would ideally be complete within two or three days.

If the Patriots are found to have deliberately doctored footballs, the organization can be fined a minimum of $25,000, and if the NFL finds the incident egregious, the Patriots could potentially lose a draft pick. In 2007, commissioner Roger Goodell took away a first-round draft pick and fined Patriots coach Bill Belichick after determining the team had spied on an opponent.

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


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: afc; again; colts; deflatedfootball; deflategate; deflatriots; duplicate; football; newengland; nfl; patriots; searchfootballs; superbowl
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-94 next last
To: napscoordinator

F- the Patriots. Actually the franchise is a great rags to riches story. I just hate their obnoxious rude commie-wannabe fans!


21 posted on 01/21/2015 9:39:16 AM PST by gr8eman (Don't waste your energy trying to understand commies. Use it to defeat them!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: servo1969

I’m not a fan of any particular team, so I’m not familiar with the intricacies of the game.

But, it seems to me, that if this such a big deal, maybe the NFL could spring a few bucks for balls and have an NFL employee or ref do the inflating.

Why leave it up to the teams to bring the balls and inflate them in the first place?

I’ve got a solution though. How about the teams buy their own stadiums from the public at fair market value and, in return, the public will spring for balls and an impartial person to inflate them to spec for each game.


22 posted on 01/21/2015 9:39:16 AM PST by chrisser (Silly Wabbit. Trix are for kids. And Cheetos are for Rinos.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: woodbutcher1963

bump


23 posted on 01/21/2015 9:39:18 AM PST by GeronL
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: Responsibility2nd

“At least. But the days is young still. Expect more.”

Yeah, under-inflated game balls in the NFL are right up there with Islamofacism on my list too.(s)

Sure glad I have better things to do that watch a bunch of over-paid, mostly Black, morons.


24 posted on 01/21/2015 9:42:38 AM PST by vette6387
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: timestax
 photo a7a2b537-9fe9-472c-95ef-5c447e766ce0_zps007a8d3d.jpg
25 posted on 01/21/2015 9:43:16 AM PST by timestax (American Media = Domestic Enemy)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: timestax

The 12 balls used in kicks are only out of the officials hands when in play. Both teams use the same pool of balls on kicks. The others are in the hands of the ball boys when not in play. It seems very difficult to pull off the deflation amidst all those cameras, leading me to think an official or more was involved.


26 posted on 01/21/2015 9:43:43 AM PST by Ingtar (Is this the Ebola and rumors of Ebola mentioned in the Bible?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: Born to Conserve

America could manufacture footballs for under $20 but choose not to do it since they can hedge prices a little more by outsourcing.

Back when Sam Walton was still alive and still working the campaign to “find American quality products” for Walmart one could buy cowboy bandanas that were made in the USA for 99 cents. After Sam died one could buy inferior bandanas made in China for 99 cents. I still have some of the early American made ones that still show more quality than the Chinese ones.


27 posted on 01/21/2015 9:45:50 AM PST by Monterrosa-24 (...even more American than a French bikini and a Russian AK-47.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: chrisser

The teams bring the balls to the refs before the game, where they are checked and corrected and remain with the official or locked away until 10 minutes before kick off. At that point, the official delivers them to the ball boys. How they could get deflated in that small window without notice is amazing.


28 posted on 01/21/2015 9:46:30 AM PST by Ingtar (Is this the Ebola and rumors of Ebola mentioned in the Bible?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: servo1969
Let's assume the balls were inflated to a pressure of 12.5 lb/in^2 at room temperature (74 F), and find out, using Gay-Lussac's Law (P1 T1 = P2 T2) what the pressure of the balls would be if exposed to an air temperature of 50 F:

Stad temp: 50 F = 283.2 K

Room temp: 74 F = 296.5 K

Ratio: 283.2/296.5 = 0.9551

Original pressure (Room temp) = 12.5 lb/in^2

Stadium pressure (Stad temp) = (12.5 lb/in^2)(0.9551) = 11.94 lb/in^2

I believe this is correct.

29 posted on 01/21/2015 9:48:10 AM PST by thesharkboy (posting without reading the article since 1998)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Ingtar
until 10 minutes before kick off. At that point, the official delivers them to the ball boys.

Isn't everyone out on the field at that point? With all the cameras, you'd think someone would have caught any tampering.

I suppose someone could have a ball inflator on them, stick it in the valve, and relieve the pressure that way, but unless they could do it out of view, it's hard to imagine one of the opposing team's fans not pointing it out.
30 posted on 01/21/2015 9:50:34 AM PST by chrisser (Silly Wabbit. Trix are for kids. And Cheetos are for Rinos.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: Ingtar
Aside from that, they handled the balls all the first half and did not notice?

Of course they would have noticed. The Patriots' offensive players (except for the line) handle a ball hundreds of times a week between practice and games.

31 posted on 01/21/2015 9:52:05 AM PST by randita (Obama entrusted the transformation of the best healthcare system in the world to a scam artist.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: thesharkboy

I’d like for someone to come up with a magical formula that explains why temperature would affect the Patriots’ balls and not the Colts’ balls.


32 posted on 01/21/2015 9:53:32 AM PST by randita (Obama entrusted the transformation of the best healthcare system in the world to a scam artist.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]

To: randita

They = officials. They did nothing until a Colt intercepted one and asked about it.


33 posted on 01/21/2015 9:54:51 AM PST by Ingtar (Is this the Ebola and rumors of Ebola mentioned in the Bible?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: Monterrosa-24

The problem really is there’s only 1 factory on the planet that makes official NFL footballs. Those would be the $85 American made ones. All the rest are knockoffs, which means they come from China the land of knockoffs.


34 posted on 01/21/2015 9:56:22 AM PST by discostu (The albatross begins with its vengeance A terrible curse a thirst has begun)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: servo1969

Penalty: Don’t let any Patriot player use a cup for the Super Bowl


35 posted on 01/21/2015 10:00:51 AM PST by Cyman (We have to pass it to see what's in it= definition of stool sample)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: randita

The temperature affects all balls equally, of course. I was just wondering how much the pressure would change due to temperature changes only, and it turns out to be about 1/2 lb/in^2. If the Patriots footballs were measured to be 2 psi too low, that would be a problem, even if the measurement was done outside at 50 F.


36 posted on 01/21/2015 10:04:34 AM PST by thesharkboy (posting without reading the article since 1998)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: servo1969

Just guessing: in cold weather, underinflated balls might give you better grip, especially for the short passing game, but they might be less of an advantage in the long passing game because the ball would be slightly more susceptible to wind resistance.


37 posted on 01/21/2015 10:09:24 AM PST by Steve_Seattle
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Ingtar
"Aside from that, they handled the balls all the first half and did not notice?"

Some balls are held for charity And some for fancy dress But when they're held for pleasure, They're the balls that I like best. And my balls are always bouncing, To the left and to the right. It's my belief that my big balls should be held every night.

38 posted on 01/21/2015 10:10:17 AM PST by outofsalt ( If history teaches us anything it's that history rarely teaches us anything.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: gr8eman

I don’t like either team and now I have another reason to dislike NE, the patriots confirmed my opinion that they are cheaters and that their previously getting caught was not an anomaly. Of course under inflated balls were not much of a factor in a 45-7 game but how many times have they done it and could it have an effect in a close game? Could it effect the spread? I know money never changes hands as the result of the outcome of an NFL game except in Las Vegas. NE is now serial cheaters if this is proven deliberate, penalties should be severe loss of first and second round draft picks, 10 million dollar franchise fine, and belichick suspended for one year, no salary, no contact.


39 posted on 01/21/2015 10:12:17 AM PST by duffee (Dump the Chairman of the Mississippi Republican Party, joe nosIf ef.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: Real Cynic No More

Has anyone ever heard of NV=PRT?

Whoops look like some one has and not me.
See Post #16


40 posted on 01/21/2015 10:15:45 AM PST by CGASMIA68
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-94 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson