Hopefully it will end like this.............
Posted on 01/22/2015 7:45:17 AM PST by Red Badger
Bill Belichick said he did not know how the Patriots’ footballs became underinflated in Sunday’s game. By Matt PepinGlobe Staff January 22, 2015
Coach Bill Belichick said he did not know of any issue with the Patriots’ game balls in Sunday’s AFC Championship, and did not learn the league was investigating his team until Monday morning.
He also said he did not know how the Patriots’ footballs became underinflated during the game.
“I have no explanation for what happened,” he said.
It was Belichick’s first appearance since news emerged that 11 of 12 footballs the Patriots used against the Colts in the AFC Championship were underinflated. He gave a lengthy opening statement, but responded to questions only by saying he had no more to say about it.
“When I came in Monday morning, I was shocked to learn of the news reports about the footballs. I had no knowledge whatsoever of this situation until Monday morning. I’d say I’ve learned a lot more about this process in the last three days than I knew or had talked about it in the last 40 years,” Belichick said.
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David L. Ryan/Globe Staff
Bill Belichick said he did not know how the Patriots’ footballs became underinflated in Sunday’s game. By Matt PepinGlobe Staff January 22, 2015
Coach Bill Belichick said he did not know of any issue with the Patriots’ game balls in Sunday’s AFC Championship, and did not learn the league was investigating his team until Monday morning.
He also said he did not know how the Patriots’ footballs became underinflated during the game.
“I have no explanation for what happened,” he said.
It was Belichick’s first appearance since news emerged that 11 of 12 footballs the Patriots used against the Colts in the AFC Championship were underinflated. He gave a lengthy opening statement, but responded to questions only by saying he had no more to say about it.
“When I came in Monday morning, I was shocked to learn of the news reports about the footballs. I had no knowledge whatsoever of this situation until Monday morning. I’d say I’ve learned a lot more about this process in the last three days than I knew or had talked about it in the last 40 years,” Belichick said. View Gallery Photos: Belichick speaks about Deflategate controversy
Patriots coach Bill Belichick spoke to the media Thursday morning on issues surrounding underinflated balls used during the AFC Championship game.
Belichick said he does not concern himself much with the condition of game balls, although he acknowledged players would have a greater interest in it.
“I think we all know that quarterbacks, kickers, specialists, have certain preferences on footballs, they know a lot more about it than I do, they’re a lot more sensitive than I am, and I hear them comment on it from time to time, so I can tell you, and they will tell you, that there is never any sympathy whatsoever from me on that subject,” Belichick said.
Belichick said he did not know quarterback Tom Brady’s preferences for game balls.
“Tom’s personal preferences on his footballs are something that he can talk about in much better detail and information than I could possibly provide,” Belichick said. “I can tell you in my coaching career I have never talked to any player, staff member, about football air pressure. That is now a subject that I have ever brought up. To me, the footballs are approved by the league and game officials pregame, and we play with what’s out there. And that’s the only way I have ever thought about that.”
Belichick said prior to this issue emerging, he was unaware of the exact process by which game balls were prepared and handled.
“Let me just say that my personal coaching philosophy and my mentality has always been to make things as difficult as possible for players in practice, and so with regard to footballs, I’m sure that any current or past player of mine will tell you that the balls we practice with are as bad as they can be. Wet, sticky, cold, slippery, however bad we can make them, I make them,” Belichick said. “Any time the players complain about the quality of the footballs, I make them worse.”
The Patriots face the Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX on Feb. 1.
Quarterback Tom Brady is scheduled to meet with the media on Thursday at approximately 4 p.m.
BTW - Don’t the officials touch the ball every single down? Wonder why they didn’t notice anything. Its obviously important, if the NFL goes to the effort of checking balls before the game...yet none of the officials noticed during the game. Patriots lead a charmed life I guess.
I agree, its not going to change the outcome of the game, or who goes to the superbowl...but I guarantee this will be a point of emphasis for the officials next year.
BTW, there’s a pun in there somewhere: “blown WAAAY out of proportion”.
Dallas Cowboys
Sunday, December 21, 3:25 PM
AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Colts 7 Cowboys 42
Nobody accused the Cowboys of deflating balls.
The Colts are not consistent, and played badly against both the Cowboys and the Patriots, deflated balls or not.................
Pete Carroll appreciates your support.
We all know Bill B cheats..always has, always will. Just last week he ran plays that caused the other team discomfort...how nasty is that, but it contributes to the meme. The whole organization (you know, the one team that didn’t hold the local municipality hostage to get a new stadium built) is corrupt from the top down. (Seahawks owner did threaten to move the team if they didn’t get a new stadium).
Pete has taken it to a new level. He cost USC wins and trophys with his leadership.
Compared to Pete, Bill is a hack of a cheat.
And all of this occurred without the head coach knowing anything was going on!
This SB game will be the most closely watched game ever, in terms of checking the rules for every little thing possible. ......
The plays that the Patriots ran were completely legal, albeit unusual. There's nothing wrong with that--the formations were completely within the rules and deception like that should be more common in football, in my opinion. If they intentionally deflated the footballs, however, that is a more serious matter.
Hopefully it will end like this.............
***I understand you and many more assume the less inflated ball is easier to throw and catch, but the outcome seems to be it really doesn’t make things easier OR harder.****
The point is not that it didn’t affect the outcome of the game. The point is that it was intended to affect the outcome of the game. They flouted the rules......AGAIN.
I agree, let’s play some football. Colts vs. Seahawks, February 1.
I was kidding about the plays, but it does contribute to ‘they cheat’. I posted earlier that it could have been a faulty air gauge.
Now I am thinking the officials just didn’t check them. Probably a ‘gentlemens agreement’ that the teams each provide balls, and the officials let them use what they want. I just don’t see how Kraft/Belichick/Brady/ballboy gets their hands on all the balls and has 2 minutes (10 seconds per ball) to vacate some air...Just can’t happen like that...
I read that the tire companies say for every 10 degree drop in pressure, pressure goes down 1 by degree. So if they filled them in the locker room at 70 there should be a 2 degree drop when taken out in 50 degree weather?
Not sure the league is that upset. They’re always trying to gin up stories for the long gap before the SB, and most of the stories are in the “yeah whatever” category some of which are pretty hilarious (Andrew Sharp’s article on Grantland is excellent). Yeah there’s the crowd of people that haven’t gotten over spygate insisting this is massive, but they hated the Pats anyway, and now they’re probably extra motivated to tune in and hope the Seahawks kill them. In the end it seems to be proving that all publicity is good publicity.
“Patriots did very little punting in that game”
Doesn’t matter one bit.
Their contention is that Gronkowski’s spiking the ball (all 11 apparently) must have deflated the balls.
But every week in the NFL, balls are punted with no deflating issues...for decades.
Ballacheck and Bradys' favorite ball.
May Seattle beat these cheaters 38-2 and sack Brady 10 times, sending these clowns on to their 3rd consecutive Super Bowl loss.
A ball boy -- or anyone else associated with the team other than at the direction of the quarterback -- would never have done this on their own.
I had the same question. I had no idea that each team plays with their own set of footballs.
Now that I know, I am left with the thought, “What an incredibly stupid idea. Why not use one set of footballs for both teams to ensure parity?”
Their contention is that Gronkowski’s spiking the ball (all 11 apparently) must have deflated the balls.
no one has said this. In fact Gronk didn’t spike any balls in that game
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