Twitter report: NFL investigation is more about NFL Officials, not Pats (updated)

[SHOWTIME15]

If a former jets employee is behind all this you can bet that the inquiry wasn't initially regarding the officials. Thankfully, they got an independent investigator (Ted Wells) to look at what's going on.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Nothing wrong with bathroom stalls....that's where I got the phone number to my first girlfriend...lol..

867-5309?

 

[SoxPatsFaninIndy]

Little nugget of new info from Florio.



http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/01/25/nfl-bears-plenty-of-blame-for-deflategate/

That is potentially pretty big news. I wonder if Mort will say anything to try and defend his original tweet.

Mort tweeted a while back that the Colts balls (I giggled) stayed within regulation. If they were at 13.5 and lost 1PSI like the Pats possibly did, then they'd still be in regulation and what in the hell are we even talking about.

 

[Danger Zone]

http://www.csnne.com/new-england-patriots/jets-connection-appearing-deflategate-probe

Curran talks about how the driving force being the NFL investigation has very strong Jet's connections

The NFL man on-site to start the investigation in the AFC Championship was Mike Kensil. He is the NFL Vice President of Game Operations. You may remember him as the gentleman John Harbaugh took his frustration out on during the Super Bowl power outage in 2012. Harbaugh later apologized. He does that a lot.

Before rising to the league level, Kensil was the Jets director of operations for nearly 20 years. His tenure overlapped Bill Parcells (and Bill Belichick’s) time with the Jets and he would have been part of the Jets front office incensed by Belichick’s 2000 resignation as Jets head coach.

Kensil’s tenure with the Jets ended in 2006, the same year Belichick disciple Eric Mangini became head coach of the Jets.

Multiple sources have indicated that Kensil is the driving force behind the investigation and that his interest in deflated balls did not begin in January but actually began earlier in the year.

Florio adds a little more about the investigators Jets connection (article linked in a post above)

Complicating matters for the NFL is that the bat initially was swung by Mike Kensil, a former employee of the Jets with a reputation among the Patriots for being an agitator. (Kensil’s father, Jim, served as president of the Jets for 10 years from the late 1970s to the late 1980s.) And so on the same day that the tampering charges filed by the Patriots against the Jets over Darrelle Revis became the latest chapter in a longstanding feud between the franchises, the tentacles of acrimony between the two franchises found a way to erupt into a brouhaha unlike many the NFL ever has seen./

 

[1960Pats]

He REALLY loves this team.

The one time yesterday during that entire press conference when he began cracking and almost lost it (and I almost lost it at the same time) was when he was discussing this year's team. It got kinda foggy there for a moment.

He ain't leaving.

I thought I read that he wouldn't be a HC into his 70s. I believe him and figure we'll get that many more years from him. The good part is that all of these opposing players and coaches who mouth off might make him even more determined. He seems like the type.

And he's all ours.

 

[Ivan]

If a former jets employee is behind all this you can bet that the inquiry wasn't initially regarding the officials. Thankfully, they got an independent investigator (Ted Wells) to look at what's going on.

I agree. I think that Wells is going to write a full report on this and I honestly don't see any way he can come up with a fact based narrative that concludes that the Patriots tampered with the footballs. Rather I think he will conclude that the process and protocols are flawed and will need to be changed to prevent this from happening in the future.

 

[DarrylS]

I love it, what goes around, comes around... payback is a bytch.

Would be fun if Harbaugh and Pagano broke the "code"...

Goodell is not going to take the hit for any of this..

Would like to get my AFC Championship Buzz back.. this week has been all about "buzzkill"...

Vin Flatable ‏@VinSidious 3h3 hours ago
@65mcnally @SharksOfVegas It's smelling that way. Best case: Pats are cleared and Harbaugh, Pagano are thrown to media wolves for conspiracy

 

[Deus Irae]

867-5309?

You know Jenny? Popular girl.....

 

[Ivan]

ln BB's opening remark, when he said: "I just feel that on behalf of everyone in the organization, everyone that’s involved in this organization, that we need to say something.", I took that as implying he was done waiting for the Krafts to get off the dime and address the issue, that he was through seeing his, his coaches', and his players' reputations trashed without backup from the bigwigs. I think he went rogue rather than had the Krafts' blessings.

I agree. While I'm not happy the Kraft's have not come out publicly to support their team or coach I absolutely believe that they knew exactly v what Belichick planned on saying and signed off on it.

 

[AirForcePatsFan]

I've heard reference to an NFL Game Operations Manual. I believe this manual gives some in the weeds type information that the rule book doesn't cover. For example, if the footballs are handed to the officials over/under inflated during the pre-game inspection, the officials bring them to specs.

Again I've only heard this referenced. I've tried google searches and I've looked on the NFL site. The rule book is just about every where but I can't seem to locate this manual.

 

[BelichickFan]

The 1 PSI vs. 2 PSI obviously would be a game changer. As for the original subject, SharksofVegas has been mostly dead on through this; not sure exactly what would be investigated about the Refs, though, other than not taking measurments beforehand.

 

[RobertWeathers]

You know Jenny? Popular girl.....

I tried to call her before but I lost my nerve....

 

[NMPatsFan]

The 1 PSI vs. 2 PSI obviously would be a game changer. As for the original subject, SharksofVegas has been mostly dead on through this; not sure exactly what would be investigated about the Refs, though, other than not taking measurments beforehand.

Quite frankly I honestly believe the Ref's only do a "charmin squeeze" test on the balls. I really do not think they sit back there with a air pump and pressure gauge, locked in a janitors closet going over every football.

 

[supafly]

No that was Rkarp or whoever

That's not true.

This is the exact same "source" who openly stated that the Pats would be exonerated "over the weekend."

There have been threads here started linking Sharks of Vegas, who have already been proven wrong this week. Hopefully they're right this time.

 

[supafly]

I totally understand what you are saying. Just sharing what I found, and have found them correct in the past.

Now, though since the NFL didn't find anything (I am assuming) with the Pats, it seems to be common sense that the Refs didn't do their job. I wouldn't put it past the NFL to hire a 3rd party, knowing the Refs didn't, to try and get out in front of the story to save a little face. Then they can say "Look, it was the Refs that f*cked up, not us, oh and BTW we fixed it now!"

What have you found them to be correct about? Because they've already proven to be wrong once about deflate-gate this week with their original statement.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

Quite frankly I honestly believe the Ref's only do a "charmin squeeze" test on the balls. I really do not think they sit back there with a air pump and pressure gauge, locked in a janitors closet going over every football.

This is what i've been saying all along. It was raining badly on sunday and in weather like that the teams are required to provide TWENTY FOUR balls each. Do you really think the refs pressure tested FORTY EIGHT balls on sunday? No, they have better things to do. And I guarantee you that the NFL office and this ex-jets employee did not notify the refs that they would test the footballs at halftime because if they did the refs would have pumped the footballs up to the legal amount and they would have no case against NE. This nothing but a sting operation.

 

[hwc]

Again I've only heard this referenced. I've tried google searches and I've looked on the NFL site. The rule book is just about every where but I can't seem to locate this manual.

http://static.nfl.com/static/content/public/image/rulebook/pdfs/5_2013_Ball.pdf

Rule 2 The Ball Section 1 BALL DIMENSIONS

The Ball must be a “Wilson,” hand selected, bearing the signature of the Commissioner of the League, Roger Goodell. The ball shall be made up of an inflated (12 1/2 to 13 1/2 pounds) urethane bladder enclosed in a pebble grained, leather case (natural tan color) without corrugations of any kind. It shall have the form of a prolate spheroid and the size and weight shall be: long axis, 11 to 11 1/4 inches; long circumference, 28 to 28 1/2 inches; short circumference, 21 to 21 1/4 inches; weight, 14 to 15 ounces. The Referee shall be the sole judge as to whether all balls offered for play comply with these specifications. A pump is to be furnished by the home club, and the balls shall remain under the supervision of the Referee until they are delivered to the ball attendant just prior to the start of the game.

Section 2 BALL SUPPLY

Each team will make 12 primary balls available for testing by the Referee two hours and 15 minutes prior to the starting time of the game to meet League requirements. The home team will also make 12 backup balls available for testing in all stadiums. In addition, the visitors, at their discretion, may bring 12 backup balls to be tested by the Referee for games held in outdoor stadiums. For all games, eight new footballs, sealed in a special box and shipped by the manufacturer to the Referee, will be opened in the officials’ locker room two hours and 15 minutes prior to the starting time of the game. These balls are to be specially marked by the Referee and used exclusively for the kicking game. In the event a home team ball does not conform to specifications, or its supply is exhausted, the Referee shall secure a proper ball from the visitors and, failing that, use the best available ball. Any such circumstances must be reported to the Commissioner. In case of rain or a wet, muddy, or slippery field, a playable ball shall be used at the request of the offensive team’s center. The Game Clock shall not stop for such action (unless undue delay occurs). Note: It is the responsibility of the home team to furnish playable balls at all times by attendants from either side of the playing field.

 

[AirForcePatsFan]

http://static.nfl.com/static/content/public/image/rulebook/pdfs/5_2013_Ball.pdf

Sorry for the confusion. I'm looking for the NFL Game Operations Manual not the rulebook. I've seen a lot of people questioning Belichick about handing under inflated balls to the officials pre-game. I believe the manual states the actual process and specifically says the officials will inflate/deflate to get them to 12.5 - 13.5 PSI.

 

[NMPatsFan]

What have you found them to be correct about? Because they've already proven to be wrong once about deflate-gate this week with their original statement.

Well while everyone in the news has branded the Pats as cheaters and ran with the story that the NFL investigation would be done in 2-3 days, they have maintained that the Pats did nothing wrong and it was on the Refs. Also said the NFL has nothing, which is why they are delaying a statement. So far, they were the only people that claimed to have a "inside source" which maintained the innocence of the organization. Seem pretty credible to me.

 

[JMC00]

That's not true.

This is the exact same "source" who openly stated that the Pats would be exonerated "over the weekend."

There have been threads here started linking Sharks of Vegas, who have already been proven wrong this week. Hopefully they're right this time.

No. SharkofVegas said his source said that the NFL would exonerate the Pats this weekend but he has openly said that he disagreed with that and didn't think the NFL would announce anything this weekend.