So many people(including me) do not even understand /grasp/know the actual rules on this , I don't think even the NFL themselves do . It is all from different sources and angles, and that is what happens if you make things ambiguous and leave them open for interpretation. But from the various stories of other NFL (ex) Players on this it seems to be that non off this is cheating to get an advantage. This is simply each QB/team being able to work the ball in such a way it feels good to them to play with. IF it were equal for all it would NOT be because those players that prefer the feel of whatever the one and only official measurement is would be at an advantage. It is not like they had an explosion device in the ball that punctured it while thrown so it was easy to catch or some weird stuff like that.
Unless there is concrete tamper evidence, the way I see it is that the game balls were prepped before the game , tested with Brady and perhaps other players. Most likely this is done by gut/feel. Everybody happy? Yes ? Ok deliver them to referees who either did not check them at all or measured them incorrectly. Or the balls were at bear minimum allowed. The colts either made the average or perhaps over inflated theirs , same thing according to what their players like. And all is not checked in and good to go. If you receive balls from Luck they will feel different then the ones measured up for Brady. So someone says , hey they feel "soft" Refs check , now properly or perhaps for the first time and notice they are out of the minimum range and take them out of the game. NE continues to destroy anyway. On top of that as I mentioned if NE has theirs at minimum levels and Indy does not it could cause NE balls to be under the value over time.
In all cases we still are only left with these facts (s0 far)
a) There is NO proof of tampering happening
b) The rules state clearly that ref's ( NFL) inspects the balls before the game
c) refs handle the ball pretty much every snap
d) Corrections were made, and nothing changed in the balance of the game
As it stands now , none of this is cheating, again unless there is proof of tampering. And I know preaching to the choir and we are guilty no matter of what ever proof will sate otherwise to some, but come one ... how pathetic is this whole ordeal ...really?
Unless there is concrete tamper evidence, the way I see it is that the game balls were prepped before the game , tested with Brady and perhaps other players. Most likely this is done by gut/feel. Everybody happy? Yes ? Ok deliver them to referees who either did not check them at all or measured them incorrectly. Or the balls were at bear minimum allowed. The colts either made the average or perhaps over inflated theirs , same thing according to what their players like. And all is not checked in and good to go. If you receive balls from Luck they will feel different then the ones measured up for Brady. So someone says , hey they feel "soft" Refs check , now properly or perhaps for the first time and notice they are out of the minimum range and take them out of the game. NE continues to destroy anyway. On top of that as I mentioned if NE has theirs at minimum levels and Indy does not it could cause NE balls to be under the value over time.
In all cases we still are only left with these facts (s0 far)
a) There is NO proof of tampering happening
b) The rules state clearly that ref's ( NFL) inspects the balls before the game
c) refs handle the ball pretty much every snap
d) Corrections were made, and nothing changed in the balance of the game
As it stands now , none of this is cheating, again unless there is proof of tampering. And I know preaching to the choir and we are guilty no matter of what ever proof will sate otherwise to some, but come one ... how pathetic is this whole ordeal ...really?