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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
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To: Resolute Conservative
Colts and anti-Pats fans need some cheese with that whine.

Don't whine yourself if the Patriots lose draft picks or if Bellicheat is suspended for a year.

61 posted on 01/21/2015 11:16:13 AM PST by Kazan
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To: RossA

Just to point out, including the ball boy, the only people to handle the footballs from the time they are inspected and not in play, are officials. If he cheated, it was by buying NFL officials.


62 posted on 01/21/2015 11:17:04 AM PST by Ingtar (Is this the Ebola and rumors of Ebola mentioned in the Bible?)
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To: Real Cynic No More

Yeah. Funny thing, though, the temperature only affected the NE footballs, and not the Indy footballs.

Now, I’m a Vikings fan and don’t have a dog in the fight. And NE clearly didn’t need to cheat to win.

With NE’s already tarnished reputation, how could anyone be so stupid?


63 posted on 01/21/2015 11:24:40 AM PST by biggerten (Love you, Mom.)
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To: vette6387

Oh the stupidity... it burns.

Sorry genius, but some people happen to enjoy football. Sorry that that insults your delicate sensibilities.

And what does the fact that most of the players are black have anything to do with it? Should we only be offended if something goes wrong in Baseball, Hockey, or Golf?

And to expand on that, the issue of underinflated footballs would only impact the passing game (kicking balls are sequestered). And the passing game of the New England Patriots largely consists of Tom Brady (white guy) throwing to Julian Edelman (white guy), Rob Gronkowski (white guy), or Danny Amendola (white guy). So I guess the white guys are cheating in this instance. So just what IS your point?


64 posted on 01/21/2015 11:28:31 AM PST by bigdaddy45
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To: gattaca
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65 posted on 01/21/2015 11:50:18 AM PST by timestax (American Media = Domestic Enemy)
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To: Teacher317

This is Belly Cheat’s second serious offense. What about a total banishment from professional football.

NFL had no problem kicking Eddie De out.
While we’re at it, suspend Joshie Boy and the rest of offensive coaching staff.

And make Kraft change his shirt!


66 posted on 01/21/2015 12:03:48 PM PST by jayrunner
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To: Kazan

Trust me, I won’t.


67 posted on 01/21/2015 12:06:43 PM PST by Resolute Conservative
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To: Teacher317

In the Sunday night game versus the Chargers: Ryan Matthews was running the ball very effectively. He was illegally tripped and injured on a play. Cris Collinsworth even remarked, somewhat angrily, “And that is why that is illegal. It gets running backs hurt.” The Chargers offense changed considerably after that, and they lost the game.

Funny, Collinswirth never mentioned it again, or how the Chargers suddenly were having trouble running the ball.

I suspect Belicheat ordered a hit on Matthews. “That kid is chewing us up out there. Take him out.”


68 posted on 01/21/2015 12:11:40 PM PST by cld51860 (Volo pro veritas)
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To: riverdawg

“....NFL-quality football at a retail price of less than $20...”

I was talking about backyard football which is the market we’ve abandoned. Footballs at Walmart go for around $10 but at Academy Sports they carry the NFL Wilson ball which is probably a good buy even at the higher price. It seem one of the manufacturers would try to compete by marketing a USA manufactured product closer to the range of the backyard boys even though it would be no NFL Gameday.


69 posted on 01/21/2015 12:20:05 PM PST by Monterrosa-24 (...even more American than a French bikini and a Russian AK-47.)
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To: servo1969

I want to know how long this has been going on. The Patsies sure figured out how to right their ship around the 5th game of the season and lost some bad road games after that.


70 posted on 01/21/2015 12:24:45 PM PST by ez (RIP America 1776-2014. Long live the oligarchy.)
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To: napscoordinator
The Patriots are like the Tea Party....always criticized for nothing.

OUCH! So, we're cheaters? Cheating is "nothing"? Sorry naps, terrible comparison attempt. Rush is right. The NFL has a huge problem on their hands. Not because the balls changed the outcome of the game. It didn't, but because of the lack of INTEGRITY of the game. This was a League Championship!

71 posted on 01/21/2015 12:25:54 PM PST by houeto (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate)
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To: napscoordinator

So you are cheering for the liberal Patriots QB (Tom Brady) who is married to a liberal model? Hm...


72 posted on 01/21/2015 12:26:53 PM PST by DennisR (Look around - God gives countless, indisputable clues that He does, indeed, exist.)
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To: timestax
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73 posted on 01/21/2015 12:35:20 PM PST by timestax (American Media = Domestic Enemy)
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To: servo1969

Real simple fix. The refs are in charge of the balls. An NFL official delivers the balls to the refs before the game the ball boys work for the NFL from now on and the refs are in charge of them. And the teams have nothing to do with the balls except when they are in play OR they want to keep one for a record.


74 posted on 01/21/2015 1:02:03 PM PST by Mad Dawgg (If you're going to deny my 1st Amendment rights then I must proceed to the 2nd one...)
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To: biggerten

Vike fan here too..Ouch! Long suffering!

Go Teddy!!

What would Blanda or FRed Cox do to a deflated football?

BOOOMM!!!


75 posted on 01/21/2015 1:20:26 PM PST by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi - Revolution is a'brewin!!!)
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To: bigdaddy45

“Sorry genius, but some people happen to enjoy football. Sorry that that insults your delicate sensibilities.”

Yeah, I know, but as far as I am concerned, it has no place on a forum that’s crafted around politics and world problems. So “whatever floats your boat,” I don’t care, I just think it’s miscast here and so do some others as you may have noticed. And as far as the other sports you mention are concerned, the same goes for them. I really don’t care if Tiger Woods beats his wife, etc. They all for the most part have size 44 coveralls and size 4 hats!


76 posted on 01/21/2015 1:25:30 PM PST by vette6387
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To: NormsRevenge

Freddie the foot.

Ya know, nobody’s talking about how the Seahawks totally deflated the Packer’s balls.


77 posted on 01/21/2015 1:30:02 PM PST by biggerten (Love you, Mom.)
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To: Teacher317
A "notorious temper?" When have you ever seen Belicheck's "temper?" He isn't warm and cuddly, but he's never "enraged!" He's calm and understated at all times, never happy and never mad.

And he would never alter the air in a ball. With all the cameras around an NFL game, they should have all the proof they need of who did what.

I'll make up my mind once all the info is in. Anyone who decides this before then is just another Patriots Hater. Patriots and Palin--hate's good enough for both of them, huh? Let's just believe what Tina Fey says about them!

78 posted on 01/21/2015 1:34:29 PM PST by Gargantua ("...Fee tine a mady..." ;^)
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To: SkyDancer
Oh, I know for sure Brady was behind this. Every QB in the league doctors their game balls to their own spec, this has been reported on all day.

Brad Johnson

Aaron Rogers

Joe Montana

Joe Flacco

Shall I go on? Or maybe Tom Brady is responsible for ALL these QB's balls being "tampered" with!

LMAO!

79 posted on 01/21/2015 1:37:50 PM PST by Gargantua ("...Fee tine a mady..." ;^)
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To: vette6387

Yes, clearly you have no idea what you’re talking about. Tiger Woods didn’t beat his wife. She beat him.

If the mods want these things removed, they’ll remove them. In the meantime, if you don’t like them so much, ignore them.


80 posted on 01/21/2015 1:42:28 PM PST by bigdaddy45
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