CIENCE AND FOOTBALL. Your attempt at a scientific analysis of Deflategate was very incomplete. Please keep in mind that over the course of half-time, according to Exponent, the Colts balls will rise .6 PSI (or almost 5% of their pressure), and we know they were measured at the very end of halftime when they ran out of time. Not to mention, Exponent forgot to incorporate the effects of evaporative cooling on the footballs. Had they, it could have also helped the Patriots cause and explained the gap in pressure drop between the two sets of balls measured at two different times. You and Peter both should leave the science to scientists. Dangerous things happen otherwise! You should really update your column to remove that section.
—Randy W.
Yeah, I won’t be doing that. The point of putting in that section was to show that the whole “science” part of this is ridiculous, on both sides. How do you know when the NFL actually got around to testing the Patriots’ balls? What about the balls that were tested at the end, right before the Colts’ balls. You and whoever else can mock Exponent if you want, but the fact remains Dr. Daniel R. Marlow, a decorated physics scholar from Princeton, signed off on the science portion of the report. So you can’t just toss it out.
The bottom line is, we’re talking about football. This isn’t a capital murder case. We’re not deciphering some complicated math proof. It’s football. The NFL itself (signed off by all the owners) lowered the bar on competitive rules violations because they shouldn’t need guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. I agree with them. If you don’t want to get busted, then stay clear of the gray line. Don’t go into the bathroom with the footballs and then lie repeatedly about it. Don’t text about pumping up footballs when your gameday duties shouldn’t ever involve the handling of footballs. Don’t call yourself the deflator, or joke about going to ESPN. And don’t decide you’re not going to fully cooperate, or withhold witnesses. Do everything by the letter, then you can tee up the science and take it for a ride, if you want. Be my guest. Until then, you have to deal with more than just the appearance of impropriety.
EXPECT BRADY TO FIGHT. You have to be kidding me trying to compare Robert Kraft’s position to that of Tom Brady’s. Kraft had many reasons to stand down but not Brady. As a team owner in the most successful sports league in the country, Kraft has billions of reasons to acquiesce and little legal recourse even if he did want to fight. For Brady this isn’t about four games or money; this is about his entire legacy. No doubt Brady is angry, and just like he’s ultra competitive on the field, I’m sure he’ll fight this battle to the very end with all of the means at his disposal. How great would it be if Roger Goodell offers a reduced penalty and Brady tells them to take a hike while he fights for full vindication.
—Michael C., Harrison, N.Y.
It wasn’t a comparison between Kraft and Brady. I think it’s apparent to everyone that they are two distinctly different situations, especially in terms of recourse. But I think you’re fooling yourself if you don’t think his own legacy was chief among Kraft’s reasoning for not taking it further.
Also, I do not share your optimism that Brady will take this all the way to the end, especially once the games start. Maybe he will. I might believe that more if Brady ever states his unequivocal innocence, something he didn’t even do during his press conference, interview with Bob Costas before the Super Bowl, and last public appearance at Salem State. If I was completely innocent, I would say it at least once, clearly, for the record.
