I just email the author the below. He probably won't read it but we need to get the message out. There is something rotten going on.
"It was reported that the Colts GM Grigson said the Colts noticed a problem with Pats balls in November at Indy per reports and Grigson said they notified the NFL pre AFC Championship game. This makes absolutely no sense and if they did not notice this in November at Indy then how did they become aware? If it was in November from what we have heard about the way the process works is that the reffs do their inspection and release the game balls (both teams) to the stadium staff (a Colts employee) 10 minutes before the game. Then the balls are controlled on the home team’s sideline through the game by the home team’s staff and the reffs. The Patriots would not have even touched the Patriots game balls in Indy other than when they were in play. The thought that there was a problem with the balls at the November game in Indy does not add up and it seems more likely that a tip came in from the Ravens after their playoff loss. That game was played in 18 degree weather so every ball would have dropped 2+ PSI because of the cold.
I think it is likely the Ravens measured Patriots balls intercepted at that 18 degree game. Brady dinged the Ravens by saying look at the rule book, Ravens tell the Colts, Grigson tells NFL (Kinsel) to watch out. Then the Colts intercept a ball, see it is down 1 PSI as temp drop and rain would explain, then Indy drops it another pound PSI to match what the Ravens said they saw (in 18 degree weather) then Kensil does his sting. If it is true what is being reported that only 1 ball was 2 PSI down, this puts the Colts in a bad position. Also Kensil’s actions are just bizarre, reinflating balls, an NFL employee who stole who they knew was trouble stealing balls etc… There are reports of teams kickers asking reffs to inflate balls which had dropped PSI in cold games and the reffs refusing. How does Kensil take it upon himself to tamper with footballs during a game? In fact it could be argued this gave an advantage to the Patriots, they certainly did better after this and a flat football is more difficult to throw and is more affected by the wind.
I wonder if the investigation is taking so long because at this point it is not about the balls being under PSI but about the Sting/no sting etc… and this would be why Brady and Bellichick were not contacted? If the NFL had evidence of the Patriots tampering then the investigation would have been over in the 3 days first promised. If there was no evidence then it could be chalked up to atmospheric conditions which show a drop (Yes the Colts balls would have been subjected to the same forces of nature but they could have been inflated coming off a colder bus luggage compartment or dropped 13.5 to 12.5 while the Patriots dropped 12.5 to 11.5) then the NFL could have ended it quickly with science as the explanation. Instead we have had the Colts spoken to, the Ravens spoken to, an NFL employee fired but not talking to Brady or Belichick.
So far the only team which has admitted they send balls in out of specifications are the Packers and Aaron Rodgers said he sends them in to the reffs intentionally over inflated and they often make it through. If any team is facing sanctions for playing with PSI it has to be the Packers.
Grigson’s story does not make sense when place in the picture developing. If they stuck with the story that it was just the intercepted ball they would have been better off. By telling the NFL before the game they had concerns, the question of what these concerns are based on leads to a bunch of uncomfortable questions for the Colts. Did the Ravens tell them? Did Indy tamper by measuring the Patriots gameballs given to the Indy staff by the Reffs in November? This story is a mess but I think it is a mess because there is far more going on and there is a reall story which is not a kerfuffle but an attempt to do a sting on the Patriots by folks who did not understand temperature’s effect on PSI and the Colts dropping their intercepted Patriots ball’s PSI down to what the Ravens saw in an 18 degree day.
One quick correction. The Patriots were not fined for stealing signals in 2007, they placed a camera in an unauthorized position to steal signals. Stealing signals was legal, their camera placement was not and a memo went out saying no filming from the sidelines. The penalty was so large because they ignored the memo which went out shortly before."
