Blandino PC- More damning than no records

This from Reiss' blog which I think is much more interesting than them having no records. Because they'll just say we set it at 13 or whatever. Even if they had wrote it down it hardly means they actually did it.

However- look at these two quotes:

Then [there] was an issue that was brought up during the first half. A football came into question and then a decision was made to test the football. -Dean Blandino

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Said Vinovich, "We test them. It's 12.5 to 13.5. We put 13 in every ball. ... Dean tested a couple in the office and had one underinflated and one to specs, and you really couldn't tell the difference unless you actually sat there and tried to squeeze the thing or did some extraordinary thing. If somoene just tossed you the ball, especially in 20 degree weather, you're going to pretty much play with the ball. They are going to be hard. You're not going to notice the difference."

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They probably wanted to get this out to cover their ass and not be blamed for failure to remove the "underinflated" ball. But....

[Adjusts Sherlock holms hat] We can deduce that the refs could not tell during the game. But the issue was "brought up?"

By who?

Why?

Why would they even listen if the refs (sole judge of the ball) could not tell they were underinflated?

They decided to undertake the NFL's first ever half-time ball pressure check based off nothing? Is it based off someone said to do it? Who has that power? What information did that person have that justifies starting an investigation. (I maintain the investigation began at the ball check, that's not a normal check).

Additionally they don't even know what the balls should read, surely they know that low pressure at that point is standard in the cold. This correction for low pressure has never been made before, or checked.

Bobsyouruncle said:

[Adjusts Sherlock holms hat] We can deduce that the refs could not tell during the game. But the issue was "brought up?"

By who?

Why?

Why would they even listen if the refs (sole judge of the ball) could not tell they were underinflated?

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By who: Pagano or the Colts GM.
Why: Because the equipment manager measured the intercepted ball (legitimately or not) and told his people it was low.
Why would they listen: Maybe it's standard operating procedure to check if someone actually challenges to balls? (For all we know that might be true about equipment challenges in general.) Maybe the equipment manager showed them the ball and stuck a gauge in it and showed them it was low, and after that the refs decided to check them all as a CYA thing for themselves.

I don't think the refs checking the ball when a coach or GM asked them too is particularly crazy.

It is interesting that Dean careful avoids disclosing the reason for the investigation as well as the person who called this all into question. It is going to be an interesting offseason.

Bobsyouruncle said:

But the issue was "brought up?"

By who?

Why?

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Yes, always the passive voice. Name the individual who said "that ball is underinflated. test it."

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/...o_referee_doesnt_document_football_psi_levels

"There were balls from both teams that were tested,"

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Blandino said. "With the investigation going on, I really can’t get into specifics."

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More weasel words from the Three Stooges. Geez, Dean. Do tell. How MANY balls from each team were tested? Or is that something else that can only be revealed in a leak from "league sources"? Or, don't you actually know?

It is important to note that during the game the refs said there no noticeable deflation in the footballs to impact the game. Nobody handles them more than the refs. The football that was intercepted was tested and found to be low, which prompted measuring (and correcting) the remaining 11 balls but since that was not logged we don't know how low they were. Further, we don't know what the PSI of the Colt's footballs were at the beginning of the game nor do we know what they were at the half. We only know that they passed. Therefore "the Colts balls didn't deflate!" is an invalid argument. What remains - did the Patriots knowingly tamper with the footballs to gain a competitive advantage?

Which, as it's been pointed out many times, leaves either physics or the ball boy in the bathroom. The science will confirm environmental conditions deflate footballs, that is incontrovertible. In the words of Peter King "it stretches credulity" to think a ball boy going to the bathroom purposely deflated the balls (presumedly because Brady told him to.) If they arrive at that conclusion the ball boy could I think file suit (I don't know though as IANAL.)

This doesn't let the NFL off the hook though because of the large number of leaks (ha) to Mort and Glazer. Those leaks were done with malice. Someone at the league office has an agenda.

If that someone is Goodell things could get bad for NE. If it is someone else ...

rlcarr said:

By who: Pagano or the Colts GM.
Why: Because the equipment manager measured the intercepted ball (legitimately or not) and told his people it was low.
Why would they listen: Maybe it's standard operating procedure to check if someone actually challenges to balls? (For all we know that might be true about equipment challenges in general.) Maybe the equipment manager showed them the ball and stuck a gauge in it and showed them it was low, and after that the refs decided to check them all as a CYA thing for themselves.

I don't think the refs checking the ball when a coach or GM asked them too is particularly crazy.

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Yes, but you theorized that the Colts equipment manager "measured the intercepted ball".

As noted elsewhere, whenever you stick a gauge into a football, some air lets out. Therefore, the mere act by the Colts to measure the ball before giving it to the league officials was an illegal tampering.

shmessy said:

Yes, but you theorized that the Colts equipment manager "measured the intercepted ball".

As noted elsewhere, whenever you stick a gauge into a football, some air lets out. Therefore, the mere act by the Colts to measure the ball before giving it to the league officials was an illegal tampering.

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I didn't say the Colts didn't do anything fishy (as I said, "...measured the intercepted ball (legitimately or not)"). The person I was responding to asked why the refs would check the balls if there were no sting set up. I was answering that.

And there's another reason the refs might have checked -- Pagano/GM/Irsay complained to the on-site NFL Operations person and he ordered the refs to check the balls. (Kensil being a rat bastard doesn't mean the NFL was running a sting -- this could have been his own personal baby.)

I keep looking for a full video of the Blandino press conference and can't find anything.

Here's most of the press conference:



But, I think the interesting stuff occurred when Reiss and Jeff Howe questioned Blandino after the official press conference.

What does he mean when he says "we put 13 in every ball." I thought teams were allowed in the range as long as they were at least 12.5 and under 13.5.

Is he saying the refs inflate the balls?

kennyb said:

What does he mean when he says "we put 13 in every ball." I thought teams were allowed in the range as long as they were at least 12.5 and under 13.5.

Is he saying the refs inflate the balls?

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The referee is responsible, solely responsible in fact, for inflating the balls to the proper PSI before the game and for determining whether a ball is suitable for play at any time during the game.

hwc said:

The referee is responsible, solely responsible in fact, for inflating the balls to the proper PSI before the game and for determining whether a ball is suitable for play at any time during the game.

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So if the pats balls are 12.5, the refs inflate them to 13? Seems odd they'd do that.

There's no way the refs aren't responsible for this mess.
The NFL has had such a rough go this season that they can't bring themselves to get another black eye.

This year more than any previous year, it seems like the Refs were actively working the rules in the playoffs. There were calls and non-calls which seems to really distort the outcome of many of the games. We all know the big ones, the Cowboys/Lions, and the Dez Bryant cat/non catch. But the Pats Ravens game was ridiculous, with game changing calls constantly going the Ravens way and non-calls on plays against the Pats (Gronk non PI, blatant holding on Daniels touchdown). Even in the Seahawks comeback, they briefly showed a completely obvious OPI committed by one of the Seahawks receivers, who grabbed the jersey of the Packers DB in the end zone to stop another Packer interception. This was probably the play of the game for Seattle, because it would have sealed the deal for the Packers, yet while Simms and Nance were commenting they quickly changed the subject. Then the Pats get up against the Colts, and a questionable call against Wilfork and a holding call on Collins that was never shown helped the Colts get on the board. This was followed by a goal line stand that featured three obvious PI penalties on the Colts that were let go. Needless to say, I have no faith in the NFL!

UmpireInCharge said:

There's no way the refs aren't responsible for this mess.
The NFL has had such a rough go this season that they can't bring themselves to get another black eye.

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I don't think it's fair to put this on the refs. They did what they've been doing for decades. they are put in an impossible position. The fault lies with a rule that doesn't acknowledge physical reality and an NFL front office bent on destroying the Patriots for it - and the pathetic Eddie Haskell coaches in Indy and Balt.

kennyb said:

What does he mean when he says "we put 13 in every ball." I thought teams were allowed in the range as long as they were at least 12.5 and under 13.5.

Is he saying the refs inflate the balls?

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And BB in his PC said that they tell the refs to inflate till 12.5 . So the refs just do what they want?

nowayback said:

And BB in his PC said that they tell the refs to inflate till 12.5 . Sp the refs just do what they want?

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It should be noted that quote came from Vinovich, who was not the ref for the Colts game. He may be saying that's what "he" does.

From the Peter King video when he followed refs they simply put them in range, and can be heard saying "good enough."

Some refs may do what the teams ask, others may not.

turkeyneck said:

Yes, always the passive voice. Name the individual who said "that ball is underinflated. test it."

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But naming the individual may unfairly cast aspersions upon that person, and we certainly can't have that. Not while we are allowing BB and Brady to be slow roasted over the fire of public opinion.