If the NFL was smart, and I am not saying that but the NFL should have impounded all of the game balls at halftime in an effort to preserve evidence...I am confident that there were a few other footballs in the stadium that could have been used in the second half.
I have been reading all of this stuff today about how cold weather affects footballs. I grew up and lived most of my life in the land of the Northern Aggressors...Cold weather should not affect the weight of the football. The oxygen molucles may huddle together for warmth causing the ball to seem deflated, but there should be as much oxygen in the ball cold as warm...Have you ever watched an NFL game when it is cold out? A member of the ball boy(adult male who is friends with the owner) team, sits with the balls near one of the gas fueled heaters. So the balls never really get cold as they are switched with every play.
Finally, anybody saying that this had no effect on the game is mistaken...it had a HUGE effect on the game...the Patriots all knew that the balls had been doctored and this allowed them to play with confidence that they had an inside tract in the game and that the, ‘Fix’, was in...
“...Cold weather should not affect the weight of the football. The oxygen molucles may huddle together for warmth causing the ball to seem deflated, but there should be as much oxygen in the ball cold as warm...”
I have to call you on this one. It is not the weight of the ball but the pressure inside the ball that is being questioned.
“Have you ever watched an NFL game when it is cold out? A member of the ball boy(adult male who is friends with the owner) team, sits with the balls near one of the gas fueled heaters.”
Did they have heaters at the Pats/Colts game?
“The oxygen molucles may huddle together for warmth causing the ball to seem deflated, but there should be as much oxygen in the ball cold as warm...”
When the temperature goes down, the oxygen converts to nitrogen which takes up less space.
Just kidding. Air is mostly nitrogen.