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- Sep 16, 2004
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My "not close to being the same but why not" deflategate reenactment.....
1) Junior sized football (only sports ball in garage that doesn't leak over time)
2) In my 85 degree garage (Florida), I inflated the ball to 20 psi (my large bicycle pump scale begins at 15 psi)
3) In kitchen sink, ran cold water (approximately 60 degrees) all over football for 1 minute
4)) Placed wet football inside 39 degree refrigerator for 2 hours
Initial observation: the football going into the fridge was hard as a rock. Could not compress ball with one hand
5) After 2 hours, removed ball from refrigerator and measured psi with bike pump....approximately 15 to 16 pounds. (4 to 5 pound reduction)
Observation: after refrigeration, the ball was still hard as a rock and my gut feeling was....the Patriots are screwed...until I read the psi
No doubt my experiment lacked in reproduction value on every level...ball size, ball material, external temperature, fridge temp, humidity, altitude, readability of psi scale, etc. Regardless, , two basic points were settled in my mind:
1) psi drops......duh
2) if 4 to 5 psi differentials can not be perceived by human contact (me), I'm finding it difficult to believe the Colts DB could determine he was gripping a deflated ball based on a reduction of only 1 to 1.5 psi. It's bullsh*t. (sting)
PS....I attempted to repeat the experiment by first releasing all of the original experiment's air out of the football (the air was still very cold after 5 minutes in the garage) and then pumping garage temperature air back into the football....this time to 25 psi (scale easier to read). Of course, being an act first/ think later football fan, the football exploded at the higher psi and possible blew my ear drum out. (the dog went running and is now hiding under the couch).
I am accepting donations for future medical costs, a new junior football, and pizza (I'm pretty hungry right now)
1) Junior sized football (only sports ball in garage that doesn't leak over time)
2) In my 85 degree garage (Florida), I inflated the ball to 20 psi (my large bicycle pump scale begins at 15 psi)
3) In kitchen sink, ran cold water (approximately 60 degrees) all over football for 1 minute
4)) Placed wet football inside 39 degree refrigerator for 2 hours
Initial observation: the football going into the fridge was hard as a rock. Could not compress ball with one hand
5) After 2 hours, removed ball from refrigerator and measured psi with bike pump....approximately 15 to 16 pounds. (4 to 5 pound reduction)
Observation: after refrigeration, the ball was still hard as a rock and my gut feeling was....the Patriots are screwed...until I read the psi
No doubt my experiment lacked in reproduction value on every level...ball size, ball material, external temperature, fridge temp, humidity, altitude, readability of psi scale, etc. Regardless, , two basic points were settled in my mind:
1) psi drops......duh
2) if 4 to 5 psi differentials can not be perceived by human contact (me), I'm finding it difficult to believe the Colts DB could determine he was gripping a deflated ball based on a reduction of only 1 to 1.5 psi. It's bullsh*t. (sting)
PS....I attempted to repeat the experiment by first releasing all of the original experiment's air out of the football (the air was still very cold after 5 minutes in the garage) and then pumping garage temperature air back into the football....this time to 25 psi (scale easier to read). Of course, being an act first/ think later football fan, the football exploded at the higher psi and possible blew my ear drum out. (the dog went running and is now hiding under the couch).
I am accepting donations for future medical costs, a new junior football, and pizza (I'm pretty hungry right now)
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