This actually plays into my tongue-in-cheek conspiracy theory.
Here’s a much more likely scenario...
Belichick and Brady know exactly what they are doing. I am sure that Bill knows exactly what the inflation limits are and the rules for handling the balls prior and during games. They also understand the physics and, even if they don’t, they know that balls lose pressure in situations where there is a substantial temperature difference between the testing conditions and game conditions. He and Brady know that Brady likes a “soft” ball as Brady himself admitted. Brady further detailed his part in the ball selection process and, as QB, I am sure that he has made his preference for 12.5 psi balls clear to the equipment guys every summer for the past 15 years.
I understand from some of my reading tonight, including the preliminary NFL report, that QB’s frequently test the limits of inflation. The NFL has quietly allowed deviations from the rule for years, in the case of under and overinflated balls - just as long as the deviations are not too flagrant. So Belichick knows that to expose him, the NFL risks exposure of their own waiving of their own rules - and that documentation exists to back their threat if the NFL comes down on them. Belichick and Kraft were and are perfectly willing to cough up the maximum $25,000 fine to have that little edge in the championship game - in this case, game balls that are more comfortable for their HOF QB. The NFL must stand by their claim that all the balls met the legal requirements at game time, even if the Patriots’ footballs were a little softer than league standards. The difference became more pronounced as the game conditions cooled - and softened - the game balls, to the Patriots’ advantage.
The plot gets really sticky when the chain of testimony reveals that the Colts linebacker who intercepted the suspicious ball now claims that he never said a word to anyone about the “soft” football and that he was irritated that he had been dragged into the middle of a controversy that he had no - and as he himself now says - NO part in.
So the question now turns to who ratted out the Pats? Robert Irsay? Ravens coach Harbaugh? Who knows, but once the Colts’ linebacker said that he had no part in the plot, inquiring minds will ask who did?
With the offending balls retreived at halftime and the finger pointed at the Patriots, the refs are instructed to inflate all the balls to NFL requirements in an effort to correct whatever errors they originally made in allowing slightly softer footballs into the game in the first place. Brady takes over in the third period and immediately goes 9 for 9 and two touchdowns on the way to a 21 point quarter with “properly” inflated footballs.
Belichick for his part is not shy about controversy and uses it to great advantage to motivate his teams. So the endgame for Belichick and Brady is to claim complete ignorance of the facts. Belichick knows nothing and couldn’t care less. Brady states in his presser that he indeed selects the 24 game balls which are turned over to the refs for verification and testing. That’s the last he sees of them prior to the actual game.
Thus, the onus of problem is shoved right back into the arms of the NFL and the refs. Belichick gets his controversy and for his part, Brady would be perfectly happy throwing bowling balls as footballs to his receivers. And the NFL is left holding the crappy end of the stick.
The problem is the NFL’s loose handling of the inflation rule, not the Pats.
Plausible...?
“The plot gets really sticky when the chain of testimony reveals that the Colts linebacker who intercepted the suspicious ball now claims that he never said a word to anyone about the “soft” football and that he was irritated that he had been dragged into the middle of a controversy that he had no - and as he himself now says - NO part in.”
Part of my conspiracy theory. The Las Vegas Mob paid him a visit.
Possibly plausible if the fine sticks at 25k or below. If anything more serious occurs like a higher fine, lost pick, and/or suspension, we’ll know for sure that it was all on the Pats.
It’s also tough to believe that these competitors on a team that has been busted cheating before would allow the situation to fester. But I suppose I could allow for it to a point.
My theory is that the Pats know a lot more of the collected evidence than has been publicly released. They’re just not sure what the nfl is going to do about it. Better to play stupid until you know what ends up being revealed.
Then there’s the “twelfth ball theory”. If all 12 balls measured the same before the game and only 11 of 12 changed, all natural explanations go out the window. If they have the pregame psi’s your should see some sort of correlation in deflation amongst them all.