Posted on 01/21/2015 12:37:25 PM PST by ez
In the wake of the news that the Patriots used underinflated footballs in the AFC Championship, several stories have emerged of other instances of footballs being modified or suspected of being altered during NFL games.
According to CBS Sports, some members of the Baltimore Ravens believe kicking balls used in their playoff game against the Patriots in the divisional round may have been underinflated. No players or Ravens personnel are identified in the CBS report, which also says the NFL did not receive a complaint from the Ravens regarding the footballs in that game.
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Didn’t know that but in thinking about that, doesn’t that seem like a goofy rule? I mean in baseball, MLB/umpires provide the baseballs during the game. I don’t see a good reason for a rule like that which potentially allows stuff like this to happen.
How does anyone know that? Has the NFL done testing on all the balls the Colts used? If not, why not? All I've read is that 11 of the 12 NE balls were under-inflated 2lbs. below NFL specs.
Maybe we should invite all the teams to the Super Bowl and have one big “you’re all winners” party.
Didn’t know that but it seems like a goofy rule to me.
The Colts balls were tested when the Pats balls were found to be under. The Colts’ balls were regulation. There was no testing of the balls at the Ravens/Patriots game that I am aware of.
No one knows if the Colts’ balls were under-inflated. They seem to have conveniently disappeared. K-balls are rotated by the Officials so they are all used equally. So, the Ravens are blowing smoke.
Every team, I repeat every team, looks to take an advantage until they are called out on it. Since the Pats scored most of their points in the second half after the balls were re-inspected and the Dolts scored none I say it is moot.
In just about every organized sport from the pros to tee-ball, balls are supplied by the teams playing. In MLB, the home team supplies the balls. Umps only hold onto them during the game.
Remember, footballs used for kicking field goals, punts and kickoffs--the so-called K balls--are not handled by the teams involved in the game; they are kept directly by NFL officials and only brought out and used on field goal tries, punts nad kickoffs. As such, it's just about impossible for the Patriots personnel to "doctor" such footballs in the first place.
Possibly started to keep the home team from sabotaging the visitors.
But I see no reason why they should not just have a common ball bag and the ref pulls out a ball at random. Probably a reason though.
Football is not my sport, it interrupts my hockey watching. :)
Cosby... out of the news..
Seems reasonable he might be involved then, haha. He’s supposedly “done” just about everything (or every one) he could in Hollywood. Time to move on to the NFL!
No the Colts would not have benefited equally. As the NFL rules stipulates each team is allowed to present their own footballs. Thus the Colts more than likely did not use the same football that was used by the other team. This is for all games. The Colts played lousy and should have lost the game. I am a Colts fan but I personally think the Pats did not need to deflate the balls to win that game.
However, to cheat is to steal, its wrong and therefore the punishment should be extremely harsh at this level if found guilty. I would even say if found guilty the coach should be within an inch of being thrown out of the game for life and if he is found guilty in one more incident of cheating , should be gone entirely to never coach another game of football again and not be allowed into the Football Hall of Fame, except to be distinguished as getting thrown out of football for cheating.
Right, but the idea is EVERYONE draws from the same set of balls so no one team can benefit from altering the balls. The NY Yankees don’t keep their own baseballs for use only when it’s their turn to pitch. Seems like that kind of rule begs for stuff like this to happen.
They didn’t use the same balls.
Papa, I suspect the NFL will be revising their rules due to this incident.
It will be interesting to see if Brady can throw a REAL football in the superbowl. If he has a stinky day it will hint that the patriots have been cheating for years
Sure they can. How do you think the umps get the balls? Someone from the home team has to hand them over. The ump doesn’t select them. They’re all new so it really doesn’t matter as much. Regardless, baseball has a different rules regarding balls, ie. they tend to replace one every time it hits the ground.
Agreed
I suspect you are right.
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