I posted this in an Australian NFL forum and it seems appropriate to re-post here.
Listen, I'm not trying to defend the Patriots. If they're guilty they're guilty and they should be appropriately punished. The problem is, the timeline of events is utterly absurd.
0. Pre-game pressure checks by the officials stipulating the balls are within acceptable ranges and normal protocol is followed.
1. Jackson intercepts Brady in the second quarter (9:21 remaining) with the score at 14-0. Mentions to team officials that the ball appears to be under-inflated.
2. The Patriots go in at HT up 17-7.
3. The officials have been notified and supposedly check the pressure (with two gauges apparently) of New England's footballs with an alleged consensus that the balls are under inflated.
4. The second half resumes and the Patriots go on to crush the Colts 45-7.
5. Small story gains traction and supposedly, an investigation is conducted and completed with the media jumping to conclusions before officials statements are made (unnamed sources).
Now, this is where it becomes interesting.
1. During the time that the balls were checked to when they came into gameday service, they were tampered with or they weren't tampered with. I imagine Gillette Stadium is filled with CCTV. Track the balls and establish if they were tampered with or not. If the balls are out of CCTV service, catalogue who the employees/players were with the ball immediately before and immediately after the break in transmission. This immediately narrows down the search for the culprit(s).
2. If the balls were not tampered with and have simply reacted to the cold weather conditions, show us the science behind it and how it may be possible for this to occur (especially during use).
3. If there were irregularities and the officials were aware of this at half time, why were the offending balls not confiscated and stored or at the very least, inflated to correct PSI and an official report made?
It seems rather nonsensical to me.
