Schefter: NFL Having a Hard Time Finding Evidence of Tampering

BigEZPatsFan76 said:

You know, the more I think about it, I am really beginning to think it is possible (not saying it definitely is), BB is the brains and genius behind this whole ploy. Not only can he use it for expanded "motivation", and the way the jack rabbits in the media that hate the Pats would gravitate toward anything "anti-Pats", that this was set up to allow them to on their own make complete asses out of themselves in front of the whole world. If that is the case, clearly BB is the "mad scientist" that we have come to know and love.

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Oh, my God.

Fixit said:

Oh, my God.

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Oh, just having a little fun, just injecting my own "conspiracy theory" to lighten things up

BradyManny said:

Beyond it being a rule, as I said above - this is in the game operations manual, not the rule book. I'm not sure it's on Brady to even know the PSI values. Is it?

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It's on the team to know.

BradyManny said:

Well Goodell is on record saying evidence isn't needed in cases like this. That's right, guys. The guy in charge of the NFL is THAT dumb.

Let's let it play out. Goodell might have spent the last three days water boarding our ball boys, so who knows what they've learned.

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Maybe Goodell will call Kenneth Starr.

If this blows over lets compile a list of collaborators and top the list with self righteous, hypocritical FELGER and MAZZ! Felger keeps harping on how the Pats lowered the pressure after the refs checked the balls. Who says the refs checked the pressure properly? The NFL? They could be covering for their guys. I heard a ref on one of the shows (I think Mike and Mike)say they don't actually check them with a guage before the game but give them a squeeze and throw out the ones that don't feel right.

NFL not even contacting Brady on the issue. What a load of bull****.

FrodoBagginz said:

NFL not even contacting Brady on the issue. What a load of bull****.

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This "investigation" has been ******** from the word go. And now what? We just sit and wait around again?

My MOTHER was harassed in a store wearing her Patriots jacket today. I was trash talked by MY 8 YEAR OLD'S SECOND GRADE TEACHER. I very nearly made a crass remark about the Catholic church (this is a catholic school and her brother is a priest) in reply. Think this has gone way overboard? This is a mob mentality.

Lavictoire said:

If this blows over lets compile a list of collaborators and top the list with self righteous, hypocritical FELGER and MAZZ! Felger keeps harping on how the Pats lowered the pressure after the refs checked the balls. Who says the refs checked the pressure properly? The NFL? They could be covering for their guys. I heard a ref on one of the shows (I think Mike and Mike)say they don't actually check them with a guage before the game but give them a squeeze and throw out the ones that don't feel right.

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I look forward to the Felger defenders' comments on this one.

"If you like the ball at 12.5 PSI, how did you not know they were lower than that when you had them?"

Oh, I don't know. Perhaps I'm too busy calling plays and trying to decipher a defense then make throws in the cold to worry about what a ****ing football feels like?

The media have mind up their collective minds. Innocent or guilty, the Patriots are guilty.

I want to know: what evidence is there that the balls were deflated to begin with? All I've heard is (A) the allegations by Indy and (B) Mortenson's report citing an NFL "source." The NFL hasn't given any detail publicly on what it has found that warrants this investigation other than the supposed complaint.

Lavictoire said:

If this blows over lets compile a list of collaborators and top the list with self righteous, hypocritical FELGER and MAZZ! Felger keeps harping on how the Pats lowered the pressure after the refs checked the balls. Who says the refs checked the pressure properly? The NFL? They could be covering for their guys. I heard a ref on one of the shows (I think Mike and Mike)say they don't actually check them with a guage before the game but give them a squeeze and throw out the ones that don't feel right.

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I had the same thought about the refs checking the balls. it would take a loong time to check 48+ footballs with and air gage so its more than plausible that they pick up a couple give them a squeeze and approve them. It is possible the person inflating them thought they were at the correct psi. But then again we don't know if any of this is true in the first place. we're only going on bspns word about the number of balls deflated and by how much.

Tunescribe said:

I want to know: what evidence is there that the balls were deflated to begin with? All I've heard is (A) the allegations by Indy and (B) Mortenson's report citing an NFL "source." The NFL hasn't given any detail publicly on what it has found that warrants this investigation other than the supposed complaint.

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When you're an unnamed source, your reputation isn't publicly in question like being a quoted source.

ausbacker said:

When you're an unnamed source, your reputation isn't publicly in question like being a quoted source.

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I know that. My point is this whole brouhaha has stemmed from what Mortenson reported with NO official verification.

ausbacker said:

When you're an unnamed source, your reputation isn't publicly in question like being a quoted source.

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SO it could be that
Chris Mortensen's source = Bob Kravitz
Bob Kravitz's source = Chris Mortensen.

Funktopus said:

Excellent! I can use this newfound F5 knowledge in gameday threads to make myslelf angrier faster and more efficiently.

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I cant find f5 on my phone.....

The Furher does not need evidence.

ausbacker said:

"If you like the ball at 12.5 PSI, how did you not know they were lower than that when you had them?"

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Oh I know I know!
Brady: hey can I have the ball as soft as possible?
Equipment guy: Sure, this is a 12.5 PSI ball is that fine?

Just holding a ball you aren't going to know 12.5 from 11 or whatever.

That quote was that idot FATcessca right? Jets troll, explains it all.

chasa said:

Again any talk of punishment is moot.

The patriots have all the leverage here. if the league comes down on them for ANYTHING at all in relation to messing with the balls, all they have to do is appeal it, and then submit exibit a.) Vikings vs Panthers. Both teams, ON VIDEO shown heating up the balls DURING the game using the on field heaters, in strict violation of the rules. the penalty, a memo saying please don't heat up the balls.

Case ****ing closed.

in the offseason the league has to do one of two things, change the wording of the rule, to something like the psi of the ball must be within x amount of This number when tested at random times. or b.) both teams must use the same balls, as prepared by the nfl.

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This is what I would love to see next season: A non-Patriots receiver makes a spectacular, Odell Beckham-style catch. The announcers think it's amazing, the crowd is going nuts, his teammates are congratulating him, etc. In the midst of all that, the coach of the opposing team calls the head official over and demands the pressure of that ball be checked. And none of these people on high horse now, fans or media, can complain that it's petty or that it takes away from the game because this is what they created.

People have brought up that we don't know the details of the pre-game inspection of the footballs by the officials. Are they testing the pressure in each one? Are they checking if it feels right? Is any of that documented? If there is no standard procedure in place, then I'd bet the officials are going to get a new form to complete next year, where they certify the air pressure in all the balls before the game. They may even need to do the same thing after the games. I'm sure the officiating crews will love that extra layer of bureaucracy.

In turn, QBs can forget about getting balls inflated a little less or a little more. If their play suffers, too bad. They can blame the Patriots, if they want, but they shouldn't forget that none of this happens if the Colts and Ravens don't go running to tell the teacher.

I have a working theory. Hear me out guys.

We had a different centre to QB exchange, normally when Brady grips the ball pressure is released simply by being in his presence but having Wendell at C added more grip this caused the balls have a rapid drop in PSI. After all noneone wants to hold softballs

The media eating themselves alive. They want a story bad, they are losing people. When you get into a tussle with Brady, and you look like a rabid dog, and Brady looks like he just came in from relaxing on the beach with a few drinks it gives the perception that someone is lying. Just not who they think