Evidence suggests Patriots deliberately deflated footballs

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

[randita]

The Patriots’ run to the Super Bowl has turned into an episode of “Law & Order.” And three days into Deflategate, it is becoming increasingly clear that the “law” was broken.

Now the tricky part: Figuring out the appropriate punishment.

The NFL’s investigation into the Patriots using under-inflated footballs in Sunday night’s AFC Championship is still ongoing. The league has said very little about the investigation or the timetable for its conclusion. The NFL sent a letter to the Patriots on Monday informing them that the league concluded that under-inflated footballs were used on Sunday. The investigation is now centered on how this could have happened.

We don’t need official word from the NFL to know it’s not looking good for the Patriots right now.

We know the Patriots’ footballs weren’t fully inflated when tested by officials at halftime. We know it wasn’t cold enough (51 degrees at kickoff) for the balls to deflate by almost 20 percent on their own. Pro Football Talk reported Tuesday that the officials tested the balls properly before the game. WEEI reported that the officials removed the faulty footballs at halftime and replaced them with properly inflated backup footballs. ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported that the Colts noticed the under-inflation in the teams’ Nov. 16 matchup and alerted the officials to it before Sunday’s game.

[pepsionice]

We can probably go back to 1967, to super bowl I, and discover that they did it then.

[SeaHawkFan]

Have a couple of hundred balls all fresh from the factory and inflated to specs and then replace the football after every down. Then sell the footballs after the game for double what they cost.

They actually use a new football for every play in the Super Bowl and sell them or give them to sponsors later.

[867V309]

Slap 'em with a fine and a mid-level draft pick and be done with it.

Better idea.

After the coin toss, before the kickoff, announce to world-wide TV and attendees:
The Boston (sic) "Patriots" are cheaters. They've done it before and they'll probably do it again. We don't care, because all I, Goodell, and the NFL cares about is money. We hereby fine the "pats" $1 and will buy them a round of drinks after the game. So, STFU.

[VeniVidiVici]

Seahawks defense cheats as often as possible and never gets called on it. Pats are looking to even the score.

[FamiliarFace]

That’s why the Pats are considered as lower than pond scum. They are so low, they think the rules apply only to the other teams. They don’t care if they get caught cheating, so they cheat if it will help them win.

[P-Marlowe]

They are so low, they think the rules apply only to the other teams.

Well, they are from New England. Liberals assume the other guy is going to play by the rules so they cheat.

Regardless, the whole thing is a tempest in a teapot. If the league doesn't want teams tampering with the footballs, they shouldn't allow the teams to bring their own footballs. Just try to bring your own dice to Vegas or your own cards to a card casino.

[Kazan]

Explain to me how underinflating footballs is cheating? Aren't both teams using the same balls?

1. Tom Brady has openly said he prefers to throw balls that have less air in them.

2. A QB can't throw the ball as far if the ball is deflated. The fastest receiver capable of a long touchdown in the game against Indianapolis was the Colts' TY Hilton.

3. The Patriots obviously thought it was to their advantage to have the balls deflated.

[Kazan]

Slap 'em with a fine and a mid-level draft pick and be done with it.

That isn't good enough considering Belichick has been caught cheating before. Either suspend him for a year or take away their first round pick and, possibly, other picks as well.

[Deagle]

Because they have a rule that each team brings 12 of their own footballs! Silly isn’t it!

Why in the world doesn’t the NFL provide their own footballs for each game (and control them) - I am shocked that this is not the case.

To open the debate about this is their own fault - geez@!

[timestax]

[Ken H]

Waterboard Belichick. Make him tell everything.

[getarope]

Yes, and I still remember Phil Jackson’s Lakers throwing a playoff game against Indiana and the L.A. Clippers throwing a game to protest Donald Sterling.

[Deagle]

Hey, he is only been caught twice so far, so he has at least one to go. Right?

[timestax]

[timestax]

We see enough of this garbage in politics, now the Cheatriots have brought this crap into sports!! Enough is enough.

[P-Marlowe]

The Patriots obviously thought it was to their advantage to have the balls deflated.

And if a team thinks it has an advantage playing on mud or really wet grass, would it be cheating if their landscapers flooded the field the night before a game?

[timestax]

[timestax]

[samantha]

Belicheat was not even coach on December 12,1982 when Patriots cheated and sent a prison inmate onto the snow covered field to plow a path illegally so the kicker would nail the field goal that won the game.

It has to be an overall corrupt team ownership that just do not follow the rules. They did not even have to cheat,they just do it like Obama lies without any remorse or thoughts that it makes the whole team look slimy.

[AnotherUnixGeek]

Since both teams are using the same ball, can you tell me where there’s an edge??

Both teams - or rather, both offenses - don't use the same ball. Each offense gets 12 balls to use. If one side under-inflates it's balls, only it's QB will benefit.