David Carr spoke of deflating footballs in 2006

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/05/16/david-carr-spoke-of-deflating-footballs-in-2006/

Consider this 2006 article from Judy Battista, then of the New York Times and currently of NFL Media. It focuses on quarterback preferences regarding their footballs, and it includes the following paragraph regarding the preferences of former Texans quarterback David Carr.

“Carr, like several other quarterbacks, said Denver was one of the toughest places to play,” Battista wrote. “He said he thought the ball expanded slightly at the altitude and felt slick because of the lower humidity. Before Houston’s preseason game at Denver, Carr instructed the ball boys to let a little air out of the Texans’ footballs.” (Emphasis added.)

When that statement was published in November 2006, no one said a word about the possibility that the Texans or anyone else was cheating. And if it sparked any type of consternation for the league office, those issues remained internal — resolved without any sort of brouhaha, investigation, or discipline.

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Of course, the article isn’t entirely favorable to the ongoing cause of Patriots fans to prove that other teams did that which the Patriots insist they didn’t do. The article explained that former Texans quarterback Tony Banks once told Carr that Patriots quarterback Tom Brady “liked the balls so broken in that it looked as if he had been using them since junior high school.”

“I relate it to an old baseball glove,” Brady told Battista. “If you have a glove, when you get it right from the store, the leather is very stiff and very difficult to break in. The preservative on the football, when you get it off, it’s easier to get a grip. It’s having a ball that doesn’t slip out of your hands.”

Wanting the leather to be broken in is much different from deliberately deflating the footballs. Regardless, nothing in the article got anyone in trouble, perhaps because before January 18, 2015 it was a given that quarterbacks like their footballs to feel a certain way — and it also was a given that the league had no reason to keep them from being able to comfortably throw the ball.

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Just more fuel for the "sting" angle.

Not entirely favourable towards the Patriots by talking about something Brady does that is completely legal? Ok PFT, sure.

"However, the article isn't totally favorable to Patriots fans, as Brady later is quoted in the story as saying he regularly takes naps and likes to eat sushi. This violation clearly goes hand in hand with the Texans' violations and should be viewed as equally egregious..."

Cmon, everyone knows the only reason anyone even remotely cares is because it is the Patriots. If any other team were accused of it, it would have been less of a controversy than the Falcons getting caught pumping in crowd noise.

Rob0729 said:

Cmon, everyone knows the only reason anyone even remotely cares is because it is the Patriots. If any other team were accused of it, it would have been less of a controversy than the Falcons getting caught pumping in crowd noise.

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Concur. new England has become the whipping boy for the NFL, the spiritual scratching post for the rest of the league.

Why? Because despite every hurdle put in place... new rules, formation changes, etc, parity is what the league wants, yet the Patriots keep winning.

New England's coaches and players routinely put in the extra effort to see how best they can win. How best they match up against each week's opponent. Player tendencies, which plays are most often run and out of which formations, and on which down/distance situation. It's amazing the level of intelligence required to be on this team.

And that winning doesn't sit right with the league, especially the commissioner and his band of thug monkey enablers. New England routinely embarrasses them by winning, by overcoming everything put in their path. In short, by doing their job. It's what professionals are supposed to do.

So the league has made the Patriots a special case, and will continue to do so as long as New England remains a top-flight franchise. The only time this will change is when either the Patriots drop down several notches over several seasons, or the Commissioner and his enablers are replaced.

There's your proof right there. If Carr hadn't inflated those balls, he wouldn't have had that multi Lombardi, HOF career.

Rob0729 said:

Cmon, everyone knows the only reason anyone even remotely cares is because it is the Patriots. If any other team were accused of it, it would have been less of a controversy than the Falcons getting caught pumping in crowd noise.

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Exactly. Do you think if the Falcons get caught doing something else against the rules, they'll be accused of being cheaters, habitual cheaters? No way. Because they suck. Nobody's jealous of them.

Gwedd said:

Concur. new England has become the whipping boy for the NFL, the spiritual scratching post for the rest of the league.

Why? Because despite every hurdle put in place... new rules, formation changes, etc, parity is what the league wants, yet the Patriots keep winning.

New England's coaches and players routinely put in the extra effort to see how best they can win. How best they match up against each week's opponent. Player tendencies, which plays are most often run and out of which formations, and on which down/distance situation. It's amazing the level of intelligence required to be on this team.

And that winning doesn't sit right with the league, especially the commissioner and his band of thug monkey enablers. New England routinely embarrasses them by winning, by overcoming everything put in their path. In short, by doing their job. It's what professionals are supposed to do.

So the league has made the Patriots a special case, and will continue to do so as long as New England remains a top-flight franchise. The only time this will change is when either the Patriots drop down several notches over several seasons, or the Commissioner and his enablers are replaced.

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Yup, The Pats keep winning. ...And they are going to whoop them in court too. I doubt they win the appeal. That's like Hitler arbitrating the War crimes tribunal. But they will destroy them in court

NEPats1 said:

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/05/16/david-carr-spoke-of-deflating-footballs-in-2006/

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I re-read this quote and kept thinking, just what exactly is wrong with this?? Especially coming from a former baseball player?

That's right! didn't you know, the secret to embarrassing the Colts 45-7 is just to take a couple pounds of air pressure out of the football? *smh*

RayClay said:

There's your proof right there. If Carr hadn't inflated those balls, he wouldn't have had that multi Lombardi, HOF career.

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VJCPatriot said:

That's right! didn't you know, the secret to embarrassing the Colts 45-7 is just to take a couple pounds of air pressure out of the football? *smh*

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Pretty much.

How can this be ? Seriously, if AR and even DC talk openly of going over/under the legal limits, yet no one care...

I can't believe we are where we are. How can anyone ?

One thing is clear, it was an absolute crap shoot what kind of ball a qb would get during a game. When I consider that the refs pumped the balls to 16 psi in the Jest game (and I think this is more common then not). When I see the POS gauges that refs used to measure the balls. When I read quotes like this I take it to mean "Give me a ball that I can at least get my hands around. I would prefer a ball that was not pumped up like a freakin' watermelon that I sometimes get."

This whole farce that the NFL is now going to control the balls better is BS. It would be more meaningful if they collected all the junk gauges that the refs are using and replaced them with consistent, high end models that can be calibrated and made sure all the refs knew the rules on setting the psi and what game conditions can change that,

Why the media is not questioning this, with all this hysteria over psi, is another sign of how lazy and unthoughtful they are.

Gwedd said:

And that winning doesn't sit right with the league, especially the commissioner and his band of thug monkey enablers. New England routinely embarrasses them by winning, by overcoming everything put in their path. In short, by doing their job. It's what professionals are supposed to do.

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So the bilious Green mob at NFL HQ took it as a crusade to put their thumb on the scales of competition to the detriment of the Pats. Where else have they taken opportunities to nobble a team? - and to whose benefit? Who will be subjected to such treatment in the future if they are left in power?

The lack of outrage stems a little from the fact that (like Aaron Rodgers) these other QBs deflated balls before the officials inspected them, hoping it wouldn't be noticed... Tom is accused of knowingly having balls deflated after inspection..

Again, I will admit.. Didn't know this was a thing.. I always thought the league would want teams to have their footballs at the QBs desired pressure..