Also by measuring all the Patriots balls, you measure every ball that was actually in circulation by the half, by only measuring 4 colts balls you may not have measured a ball that ever left the bag. So the Patriots balls must have factored in getting wet, being smashed into the ground, being laid on by a few several hundred pounds of football players etc. There is no scientific basis for this for a myriad of reasons all stemming from the lack of protocol on football air pressure maintenance.
This would also explain the other claim, that the variance in the Patriots balls was greater.
That was a key piece that they tried to use.
Some of the Patriots balls were used on the field the others were not. Of course the ones that were not were left in the bag.
How about this possibility:
Patriots balls measured, with gauge Anderson says he used:
10.9
11
11.2
11.35
11.35
11.45
11.50
11.55
11.80
11.95
12.3
3 were below what the IGL predicts JUST DUE TO TEMPERATURE.
Also note that this hinges upon the assumption that they were EXACTLY 12.5 (Anderson says 'about 12.5") and that they were at equilibrium when measured so there is more room for error.
The field was rain soaked and no doubt the ball THAT WERE USED ON THE FIELD were wet. We should also recognize that Tom Brady typically has a football that he warms up with on the sidelines.
If we assume they used only 2 balls on the field (plus the Int'd one) and Brady had one on the sidelines, that explains the 3 lower readings due to the dampness of the ball. It would make sense that one ball was used most often, because why would you switch?
The Patriots had 11 footballs that were measured.
8 of them were above the allowed psi, after accounting for the IGL.
One was below by 1.06% another by 2.8% the third, evidently the one used in the game, was under by 3.7%, which is certainly not only within the range of the tolerance for error in measurement (it would seem that is at least .35 psi (3.1%) since the gauges were off by at least that on EVERY ball but also within the expected impact of the ball being wet.
Read that last paragraph and tell me how in the world you can conclude it is more likely than not that someone remove air from the footballs.
You can't do it.
The 4 Colts balls measured 12.50, 12.55. 12.70, 12.75. Starting at .5 to .6 higher, these would appear to be the balls that remained in the bag.
