How did Colts know Patriots' balls weren't inflated? And Gronk takes blame

Shutdown Corner (Yahoo Sports) ^ | 1/20/15 | Frank Schwab

[Kartographer]

According to New York Newsday and WCVB in Boston, Jackson noticed the ball wasn't inflated as much as usual. He told a Colts equipment manager the ball felt under-inflated and gave it to him. The equipment man told Colts coach Chuck Pagano on the sideline. That message was relayed to Colts general manager Ryan Grigson in the press box, who told NFL director of football operations Mike Kensil, Newsday and WCVB said. Kensil told the on-field officials at halftime about the balls. Someone told Bob Kravitz of WTHR in Indianapolis, because he broke the story of the Patriots possibly deflating their game footballs – which would help them throw and catch it better in the rain – and now the NFL is looking into it.

[timestax]

[9YearLurker]

Excellent point!

After all, Indy is not only a bitter would-be rival of the Pats, but they too have been caught cheating (by blasting crowd noise when their opponents are on offense).

[editor-surveyor]

.
>> “Even if the balls were deflated, didn’t the Colts play with the same balls?” <<

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Possibly in the downs immediately after the interceptions.

Otherwise, no.

[9YearLurker]

The Colts could well have done so just as Democrats send lawyers to FL before ballots are cast—by pre-planning a gripe, they could hope to create a trump card for a close score.

[Psalm 73]

"So the ball in question changed hands 3 times...twice by Colts personnel."

Excellent point.
Colts should be embarresed by this stunt - 38 point beat-down and you bitch about the ball?
Sounds like Manginni whining about the runner on 2nd base stealing signs....

[woodbutcher1963]

The score by quarters:

Indy 1st/0 2nd/7 BALLS CHANGED 3rd/0 4th/0

NE 1st/14 2nd/3 BALLS CHANGED 3rd/21 4th/7

So, if they changed the underinflated balls at half time how did the Patriots score 28 unanswered points in the second half?

[timestax]

[Gargantua]

So the refs are examining Tom Brady's balls? I guess it was just a matter of time, given the way we celebrate homo defectives these days.

LMAO!

[ponygirl]

You know, everything I keep hearing about this makes the assumption that the footballs were under inflated to hinder the Colts.

If it happened, it wasn't to hinder the Colts, it was to help the Pats. If the ball is under inflated, wouldn't it make it easier to keep hold of in a cold rain? So if the Pats are using their own footballs and are under inflating them, there is less of a chance of fumbling a ball.

It seems pretty simple to me, but none of the conversation seems to point to that. And as someone said on my local news yesterday, "Normally, everyone would just shrug... except that the coach has been caught cheating before."

And I agree... I don't think under inflation would have made an ounce of difference in this game. But it could have, if the game had been close.

[Gargantua]

Jets fan? You have my deepest sympathy.

Shall I call a WAHHHHmbulance?

[Kartographer]

I know! Makes you wonder why the Patriots got fined for video taping the Jets sideline signals, I mean the Patriots won 38 to 14. What difference did it make?

[Gargantua]

Want some cheese with that effete whine?

[GilesB]

Did you read what I posted? There is nothing in what I said that requires a response to your questions.

[llevrok]

a couple years ago during a Seahawks game, the refs took an official time out to “re-size the balls”.

Sort of passed over every one’s head when the on field announcement was made ... then giggles broke out all around.

[Kartographer]

You are right see my post #24 this thread.

[timestax]

When Colts linebacker D'Qwell Jackson picked off Brady deep in Colts territory during Sunday's AFC championship game, that's when deflate-gate started. According to New York Newsday and WCVB in Boston, Jackson noticed the ball wasn't inflated as much as usual. He told a Colts equipment manager the ball felt under-inflated and gave it to him. The equipment man told Colts coach Chuck Pagano on the sideline. That message was relayed to Colts general manager Ryan Grigson in the press box, who told NFL director of football operations Mike Kensil, Newsday and WCVB said. Kensil told the on-field officials at halftime about the balls. Someone told Bob Kravitz of WTHR in Indianapolis, because he broke the story of the Patriots possibly deflating their game footballs – which would help them throw and catch it better in the rain

[kidd]

The ref’s touch the ball at every down.

Exactly. Usually several referees have the ball at every down.

[Gargantua]

Not to mention that it is widely known among football cognoscenti that all teams film the others' signals, just most of them do it from their press box to remain undetected.

Belicheck had a guy on the sidelines, standing there out in the open right in front of the Refs, doing the filming. That's what he got fined for, thumbing his nose at the idiots who pretend this doesn't go on all the time, by every team in the league.

The sore losers will just have to deal with it.

[Kartographer]

So it was OK to cheat just as long as you don’t get caught at it?

[HereInTheHeartland]

“Did you expect teams to play with each others balls?”

This is not the NFL of a few years ago.