Source tells Bob Kravitz that Patriots may have deflated footballs in DeflateGate scandal

WTHR ^ | Updated: Jan 19, 2015 6:34 AM EST

[Perdogg]

A source within the NFL tells wthr.com's Bob Kravitz that the league is investigating the possibility that the Patriots deflated footballs in their 45-7 win over the Colts Sunday night.

The source told Kravitz that officials took a ball out of play at one point and weighed it.

A deflated football could potentially be easier to throw and catch in poor weather conditions than a properly inflated ball.

[Alas Babylon!]

I am in my 17th years as a member of Free Republic! In that time I have seen many a brilliant post, but also many stupid ones. I know I’ve made a few good posts and many bad ones.

There came a time when I wrote a reply to something, clicked preview, and then X’ed out of the whole thing because it was just provocative, not-so-bright, or I realized I wasn’t well versed on the subject. That happens more often than I’d like to say.

All I can say is there are a lot of emotional morons on this thread today. This story is dumber than the Chinese missile launches off the coast of California. Seriously stupid! Please, the best thing to do is not speculate or shoot from the lip, but think about it. What could possible be the benefit for a team if getting caught was as easy as weighing the ball, which, according to the original story, they did?

[woodbutcher1963]

I stand corrected. I should have said: Vinatieri has not kicked as well outdoors since leaving the Patriots and moving to Indy(where he kicks inside). He does not have the leg strength he had ten years ago. He is not that accurate beyond 42 yards. The majority of stats you quoted were when he played on the Patriots or kicking inside when Peyton was with Indy. The fact is, he is well past his prime. The other fact is he will be in the Hall of Fame.

[IamConservative]

There was a point in the third quarter where the game was delayed by the refs while they got a game ball on the field.

NFL PR has confirmed there is an investigation and that "several abnormal balls were removed from play." The home team has ball handlers that are responsible for getting balls to officials on the field. The ball handlers have the game balls in a bag on the sideline. There is opportunity for shenanigans including giving the Patriots the under-inflated balls and the Colts a properly inflated ball. Seems like it would be awfully hard to pull off with the amount of video being recorded in an NFL game. If the investigation proves the balls were tampered with, the ball handler will get a quick trip under the bus and the team will say he acted on his own.

That said, it is another in a growing number of cheating scandals for the Patriots.

[muir_redwoods]

If this actually worked to produce a 45-7 spread, Belichek woulkd have still been a gleam in his daddy’s eyes when this was common.

[Figment]

“The source told Kravitz that officials took a ball out of play at one point and weighed it.”

The difference in weight between a fully inflated football and one that was slightly deflated, would take some damned sophisticated scales

[Figment]

“I don’t think weighing the ball is the most accurate way to determine the pressure of air in it, but theoretically, the method will work.”

It was raining, the amount of water that seeped into the sewn seams of the football makes the weighing scenario ludicrous. Oakland was accused of filling footballs with helium for their punter Ray Guy in a game against the Houston Oilers back in the early 1980’s. Bum Phillips comment on the accusation, “You could fill it with water and he’d still kick it 60 yards”

[Figment]

The Gaylord Perry effect

[JimRed]

That was a kicking ball that was removed. They tend to be slicker and more difficult to grip than one used in play constantly. Why newer balls are required for kickoffs, I haven’t a clue.

“An under-inflated football could potentially be easier to grip and catch. NFL rules stipulate that footballs must be inflated between 12.5-13.5 pounds per square inch and weigh between 14 and 15 ounces.

Former NFL official Jim Daopolous, in an interview with ESPN on Monday morning, explained the process in which footballs are managed. Two hours and 15 minutes before each game, officials inspect 12 footballs from each team and put a mark on them to indicate they meet the proper requirements and are good for usage. Then those footballs are given to the ball attendant.

There also is a second set of six footballs, used specifically for the kicking game, which are marked appropriately and remain in the possession of officials at all times.

“Officials check balls as they go into the game, and if the ball doesn’t feel perfect, they can throw it out,” Daopolous said. “There is always the possibility that balls can lose air due to the conditions.”

From ESPN, via ABC News.

[Figment]

“You cannot *reliably* determine whether or not a randomly selected football is inflated by weighing it.”

Especially if it has been wet

[Kartographer]

Sorry I guess we will have to agree to disagree.

Cheating has become a way of life rather its sports, politics, business schools.....

Even when caught almost nothing is ever done and many as I said find the most clever cheats to be admirable.

Of course you could be right I mean its not like they were ever caught che.....Oh nevermind

[Figment]

Stories like this have gone on for years. When I was a kid it was Ray Guy getting to punt helium-filled footballs. The joke last year was that his bust in Canton would have to be bolted to a table to keep it from floating to the ceiling.”

Commented on that one up thread. Bum Phillips said “you could fill it with water and he’d still kick it 60 yards”

[SamAdams76]

Just the other week, the opposing team (Ravens) were accusing mean Bill Belichick of running, gasp, trick plays against their team!

Imagine that. Belichick had the nerve to line players up in unusual formations and they "confused" the opposing team. Then to cap it off, Belichick had his QB Tom Brady lateral the ball to a non-quarterback who then threw a 51-yard TD pass!

It seems that Belichick has an endless bag of tricks and will stop at nothing to win a game. Why he's even been known to film practice sessions of the opposing team!

Somebody has to do something about that terrible man. It seems all he ever wants to do is win!

[discostu]

I’m not saying you’re wrong about the general societal view of cheating. I’m saying you’re wrong about the content of this thread. Nobody here is saying “so what if he cheated”, they’re saying “the accusation doesn’t actually make sense”, that’s not excusing behavior, that’s questioning the facts presented.

Now if you want to talk about the societal view of cheating that’s a different discussion. And I’d say any societal change there relates a lot more to the vast quantity of stupid laws we have on the books that we pretty can’t help but violate just getting out of bed. Because we’re all in the habit of breaking laws every day, it build a tolerance of that behavior. If you want a law abiding citizenry one of the things you have to do is make so a normal person going through a normal day doing no harm to anyone around him didn’t break a bunch of silly laws just doing stuff that no sane person would have a problem with.

[timestax]

In the NFL, each team brings 12 Wilson footballs to the game and uses its own. As such, the Patriots' offense uses one set of footballs and those are taken off the field when possession shifts. The Colts then bring theirs into rotation. It is not uncommon for teams to try to alter, however slightly but within the acceptable limits between 12.5 and 13.5 pounds, the ball that is most agreeable to their quarterback. So if New England was actually using an illegally inflated ball, it would only help their offense and not hurt the Colts' offense.

[SamAdams76]

Good post. Remember there are hundreds of new laws enacted every week across America. And in the eyes of our justice system, ignorance of the law is no excuse.

The result is that all American citizens are technically lawbreakers in some form or another and this erodes respect for the rule of law.

Case in point, I went to Concord, MA last summer to visit and I broke the law by tossing some empty 16-oz water bottles in the trash. Turns out that Concord, MA has banned the sale AND disposal of "individual serving" water bottles.

I'm not kidding. Walk into a convenience store in Concord, MA and all you will see are quart or half-gallon size water bottles.

[dfwgator]

Bet Bellichick planted this story just to start playing mind games with everyone....Oooooh, what’s he going to do next.

[MarineBrat]

Another air factoid... take a column of air that is one square inch in area, and extend it into space. The air in that column would weigh 14.7 lbs, which is why the standard air pressure at sea level is 14.7 lbs per square inch.

[MarineBrat]

I don’t think the issue is the weight of the ball, but the fact that the surface of the ball would be softer... easier to grip.

[timestax]

The league has guidelines on how much pressure the ball must have — between 12.5 and 13.5 pounds per square inch, weighing between 14 and 15 ounces.

Kravitz says the fine could be a stiff one if the Patriots are found guilty.

There was a delay before the third-quarter-opening kickoff that might have included game officials investigating the balls the Patriots were using.

[timestax]

ping