NFL finds Patriots used underinflated footballs

Boston Globe ^ | 1-21-15 | Ben Volin

[Colehill1999]

The Patriots used underinflated footballs on Sunday night.

The next question is how did it happen?

According to a National Football League letter about the investigation into the controversy that was shared with the Globe, the Patriots were informed that the league’s initial findings indicated that the game balls did not meet specifications. The league inspected each of the Patriots’ 12 game balls twice at halftime, using different pressure gauges, and found footballs that were not properly inflated.

According to ESPN, 11 of the 12 game balls were found to be underinflated by about 2 pounds each. The NFL specifications say they must be inflated to 12½ to 13½ pounds.

[Repealthe17thAmendment]

After all is said and done - the better team won.

You're right, the Patriots are better than the Colts. But then the question is, why do they continue to cheat, even when they don't have to?

[spel_grammer_an_punct_polise]

“The whole “haven’t won an SB since cheatergate” thing is kind of destroyed by the fact that they went 18-1 that year. Really if it wasn’t for running into a Giants team that found ways to gut out 2 improbable wins largely on one major play each the Pats are 5-0 in the SB and finish that season 19-0. If they couldn’t find a way to cheat under the NFL’s watchful eye how did they rattle off 17 straight wins with an average margin of victory over 20? Maybe they were just that damn good.”

You sunk your own argument in the first line of your post: “The whole “haven’t won an SB since cheatergate”.

I repeat: The cheatriots have not won an SB since cheatergate. I rest my case, your honor! LOL

;-)

[pepsi_junkie]

Why are teams allowed to handle their own balls?

Because....

[mmichaels1970]

And how’d the refs miss it when they were handling the balls in between plays?

In my opinion and in pure speculation, the refs aren't exerting the kind of grip that a player does. The difference in pressure may be subtle, but possibly more noticeable when you're trying to hold on for dear life. A ref might get the ball tossed to him where he jogs over to place it on the ground.

The linebacker position has a tendency to get the reputation that they have "hands of stone". And traditionally, the joke has been that those that can't catch become defensive backs.

It is totally conceivable to me that a player who is used to passes bouncing off of his hands, chest, and head might think..."hmmm the ball seemed to be a bit softer and easier to catch that time".

[discostu]

You don’t have a case. If “league scrutiny” has hurt them so much then why is it for 7 out of the 8 years since spy gate they won their division? Made to at least the conference final 5 times? The SB 3? They quite simply do not have the record of a team suffering under NFL scrutiny.

[MUDDOG]

And how’d the refs miss it when they were handling the balls in between plays?

The difference between a 12.5 PSI football and a 10.5 PSI football is not easy to feel (unless you're a pro and squeezing it!)

Mike Greenberg said on his own show this morning, that he was on one of the network morning shows, and they gave him a 13.0 PSI football and a 9.0 PSI football, and even knowing there was a difference, he could barely feel it.

During a game, the refs just focus on placing the ball correctly, so they're not really feeling it carefully.

[discostu]

With regulation pressure being between 12.5 and 13.5 pounds, 2 PSI under is 1/6 of proper. A 5/6 inflated ball should be pretty obvious, especially when they’re also handling properly inflated balls. I would think the “one of these things” jingle should have been playing in somebody’s head long before the interception.

[spel_grammer_an_punct_polise]

“You don’t have a case.”

My only point/case is that THE CHEATRIOTS HAVE NOT WON A SUPER BOWL SINCE CHEATERGATE! ;-) Is that true or not?

[discostu]

I’m not convinced, they spend too much time with the balls (especially during the rain when they’re frequently toweling them). But let’s pretend that yes the differences are too subtle to notice. That brings us back to Aaron Rodger’s assertion that there shouldn’t even be a rule, if the difference between a 13 and a 9 is that miniscule why does the league even care?

It’s interesting to me that the last big “scandal” for the Pats involved a rule that really didn’t need to exist and wouldn’t have if the league had allowed defenses radios when they gave them to offenses, and that in the subsequent off season they gave defenses radios. And here we are again with a rule multiple QBs don’t like, and have lobbied for change (Peyton Manning even succeeding), and admit to breaking whenever they can. I want to see what they do with it this off season, will the league again “admit” it’s a dumb rule. This will certainly take the heat off the “through contact with the ground” rule.

[Vigilanteman]

Thanks for the correction. Yes, I remember the details now and thought it was very classy of the gold medal winner to take Evander Holyfield to the podium.

As I recall, the ref's order to stop wasn't very clear and distinct for even the audience, let alone a couple of guys who were pounding away in the ring.

Just saying that if the IOC can impose a penalty these severe for something that was probably not intentional, then the NFL shouldn't be afraid to do so for something which clearly was.

And, yeah, I think the Pats would've won and won big anyway without this latest episode of cheating. But that's not the point.

[gunnut]

If so how were these tampered with.

It would be very easy to let a little air out of the ball. It could have been anyone that held the ball more than a few seconds. It could have been on the field or on the sidelines. Really easy.

[Ransomed]

“So that brings it back to why the league puts the balls back into the care of a team.”

Maybe this is simply endemic? Like the refs normally just roll with it, and this time they didn’t, maybe because the other team complained in a big game and no one normally does? I guess I would find that hard to believe because each NFL game means so much money wise, you think the other team would complain all the time, as opposed to something like Billy Martin asking about pine tar.

Freegards

[discostu]

Yelling doesn’t make your case. Only 1 out of 32 teams gets to win the SB, you can have a lot of success as a team and not hoist the Lombardi. If you’re going to insist they haven’t had success since spygate you need to explain (explain, not yell) how 7 division titles, 4 #1 seeds, and 3 trips to the SB shows they “could not figure out ways to cheat because they were under the watchful eye of nfl security.” They have obviously won many many games since then, including playoff games. They don’t seem to be suffering from league scrutiny for the last 8 years. And saying you last sentence louder doesn’t show you’re right, instead it shows you know the facts don’t back you.

[TexasGator]

“It is totally conceivable to me that a player who is used to passes bouncing off of his hands, chest, and head might think...”hmmm the ball seemed to be a bit softer and easier to catch that time”. “

If the ball was harder, then maybe he wouldn’t have intercepted it ...

[MUDDOG]

the difference between a 13 and a 9 is that miniscule why does the league even care?

The PSI differences may be miniscule to a layman, but according to comments some ex-pro quarterbacks have been making, two less PSI makes a difference in performance.

[razorback-bert]

As a WR, I could tell the difference in brands, wet, dry, cold and over/under inflated balls.

The refs aren’t handling the balls at speed, so wouldn’t notice anything and they aren’t really gripping them either.

My guess is the Pats like underinflated footballs, therefore use them, rules are for losers.

[discostu]

I’m thinking you’ve got it. Given the noise we’re hearing from other QBs it’s pretty clear it’s a popular rule to at least try to violate, and it could just be the refs are thinking “well we could fine every team 25 large after every game, or we could just let it slide”. Might be that what made this one so different is that somebody told somebody in the press, and the press guy didn’t realize this is a non-issue. And of course given how the league has navigated PR land this year they had to investigate, plus of course it’s SB hype time so everybody NEEDS to talk football.

[MUDDOG]

I think you nailed it.

[discostu]

Given the stuff I’m seeing it seems to be more about personal preference than performance. Rodgers likes his over 13.5 and it certainly doesn’t look like that hinders his performance. Eli apparently likes large highly raised laces. Brad Johnson is willing to pay somebody $7500 to get them scuffed up. Haven’t seen what Peyton likes but he was willing to lobby the competition committee to make it legal to tweak them and made a good enough case for them to allow it within certain parameters. And this hasn’t even gotten into all the stuff kickers used to do to balls that caused the league to bring in the factory fresh K balls into existence. The more I think about the more I’m thinking Rodgers is right, either delete the rule or loosen up the regs to just outlaw ridiculous changes.

[Haiku Guy]

People don’t care about the domestic abuse or the recreational drugs. That is all just noise.

But if the fans decide that the games are not being fairly contested, then the NFL is done. They will have killed the Golden Goose.