This entire ruse is stupid as hell. If the NFL has limits on footballs, shouldn’t the NFL being in charge of supplying the footballs?
I could care less whether the Patriots win or lose but blaming a quarterback for “bad” footballs for an entire game looks pretty stupid for a multi-billion dollar industry.
There's NFL rules about mouthguards being worn, proper pads to be worn, helmet standards, the amount of glareware coming down the front of helmets, etc.
So, by logical extension, you're saying you want "NFL Equipmnent Central" with an NFL Equipment Czar runnin' the equipment show for all 32 teams in 32 cities, runnin' 'round & taking orders...
...& then when the revolving door gets-going (replacement players for injured ones), you want them to instantaneously order everything a replacement player needs & have it arrive so they can sign one day & be equipped by NFL Central the next day?
Ludicrous.
Your logic, if extended, is no way to equip a team for football...relying upon some NFL equipment bureaucracy...
No wonder we don't have people holding D.C. & our state capitals accountable! (It seems they tend to agree with expanding whatever bureauracies they can!)