I'm going to be honest...I'm still shocked that the NFL would do this. Just shocked.
The fact that it's right before the SB and has taken the focus off of a great matchup seems even stranger to me, and I think that's one of the reasons why I'm apprehensive of getting excited right now.
I honestly think now this is just the biggest comedy of errors I have ever seen come out of the league office. And thats saying alot.
Imagine the following:
1. Balls are tested however before the game, they are all ok.
2. Indy gets one ball, and it has a low pressure.
3. The NFL ops guy decides the pats are at it again.
4. He has the refs test the balls at 1/2 time again, most of the pats balls are below the limit due to the weather. No psi's are logged.
5. Colts balls are ok, since they started out at the upper end of the range.
6. Colts file a normal, every day protest (It happens all the time, I don't see this as too nefarious).
7. After the game, some colts official contacts the reporter in Indy, "guess what, the pats were using underinflated balls, NFL is investigating).
8. ****storm.
Since no psi's are logged, numbers can be juiced by the "sources". The ref remembers one ball at 13.5, and one of the balls at 1/2 time was 11.5...so it had to be 2 psi for ~all~ the balls. Leaks that info. Someone else knows that they are probably not the same ball, and counters with his own understanding...more like 1 psi, cause they dont really know!!!