Is there any indication of when the air was taken out of the balls? Could the Pats have actually played the game with a ball that was tampered with by the Colts? This would have reduced Brady's ability to throw well. That adds insult to injury.
Yes, we know EXACTLY when the air was taken out of the balls: NEVER.
We also know exactly when the pressure of the
constant quantity of air inside the balls decreased
due solely to its drop in temperature: gradually, during the first half of the game, as the balls were used.
Those balls that were exposed most to the cold rain (the most effective heat sink) had their pressure drop the fastest. Those that were used the least, and/or only exposed to the cold air (the less effective heat sink) had their pressure drop the slowest.
The Colts didn't tamper with any balls.
The Pats didn't tamper with any balls.
Mother Nature did, by dropping the game time temperature.
In a funny irony, when they re-inflated the balls at half time to 12.5 to 13 psig, they actually produced balls that were "illegally over-inflated" compared to every other "legally inflated" football ever used in every cold weather game ever played in the NFL.!!
And Brady seemed to throw these over-inflated ball just fine, and the receivers seemed to catch these over-inflated balls just fine.!!
So much for the "under-inflated balls are easier to throw & catch" ********.