A simple campaign: we must demand that the NFL comment on #The Big Lie

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

Someone else posted this, but it is such a clear and simple message that I felt it needed the push of a thread.

There was a leak that can be defined by a simple name in this social media era. I suggest: #The Big Lie

It needs to be called #The Big Lie so often that the phrase is recognizable, so post this everywhere:

#The Big Lie = the claim that “11 of 12 Patriots footballs were 2 psi or more deflated”. Why did the NFL leak #The Big Lie to Chris Mortensen? Why did the NFL allow #The Big Lie to remain out there, unchallenged and wrongly accepted as fact, for three entire months?

No further explanation SHOULD be needed. If anyone requires it, though....

There is no debate about the existence and importance of #The Big Lie. The NFL had made the halftime pressure measurements, an NFL source then lied about these measurements, and then EVERYONE WHO WAS AWARE OF THE MEASUREMENTS allowed the lie to stand for MONTHS.

#The Big Truth:

By one gauge (the gauge that the refs said he used in pregame) exactly ZERO of 11 footballs were 2 psi or more deflated relative to 12.5. The average drop was 1.01 psi. You'd expect 0.98-1.22 psi drop, even according to Mr. Wells' hired scientists, by the ideal gas law! Two footballs dropped in the 1.5-1.6 range, 7 were right at the expected place, and two even seemed a little OVERINFLATED!

Thus, on average, the Patriots footballs all met the exact prediction of science and even could not have been tampered with, or else they would have been noticeably lower in pressure. There is no sensible way that 9 footballs would have been right where they should be, or even a tad higher in pressure, after being DEFLATED. How is that not obvious?

Even by believing the other gauge, the low-reading gauge that Anderson says that he did not use in pregame but that Wells insists that he did use, just ONE of 11 footballs was 2 psi down.

This isn't hard, NFL:

Why was #The Big Lie put out there and why was it allowed to stand uncorrected?

 

[upstater1]

And ESPN was used to perpetuate that lie.

Where is Chris Mortensen?

 

[Haley]

And ESPN was used to perpetuate that lie.

Where is Chris Mortensen?

And who was his source? It's time to take this to court where unnamed sources require reporters to take jail time for contempt.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

I'd like ESPN to comment on #The Big Lie too, but since they never even corrected the Tomase fake-Rams-walkthrough story in 2007, I know that this would never happen.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

I seem to recall Mort saying at the time the stupid phrase that "the NFL weighed the footballs" at halftime. Can anyone confirm this? I've looked and can't find it. It wasn't in his tweets, but I think it was an on-air remark

Of course, that's a stupid remark. It seemed like Mort did not know what he was talking about at the time, but that was hardly uncommon. You do not "weigh" air pressure.

But an odd thing came out very recently. Right after halftime, Mike Kensil berated someone on the Patriots sideline, saying something like "you're in big effing trouble. We weighed the footballs"

That would not be a coincidence, Kensil making the same brain-dead remark as Mortensen.

It would strongly indicate that Mike Kensil was Mortensen's source, IMO.

 

[The Gr8est]

I seem to recall Mort saying at the time the stupid phrase that "the NFL weighed the footballs" at halftime. Can anyone confirm this? I've looked and can't find it. It wasn't in his tweets, but I think it was an on-air remark

Of course, that's a stupid remark. It seemed like Mort did not know what he was talking about at the time, but that was hardly uncommon. You do not "weigh" air pressure.

But an odd thing came out very recently. Right after halftime, Mike Kensil berated someone on the Patriots sideline, saying something like "you're in big effing trouble. We weighed the footballs"

That would not be a coincidence, Kensil making the same brain-dead remark as Mortensen.

It would strongly indicate that Mike Kensil was Mortensen's source, IMO.

I believe someone else posted from the rule book what the weight of the football should be (14-15 ounces?), but that still is not a good measure since that would assume a dry ball, not one used in the rain.

 

[Ras-IR Dowling]

Why won't the nfl answer this question? Well...

 

[hambone1818]

Yet when Patriots lawyers asked on numerous occasions for the independent Wells investigation to include injurious leaks they refused.

Independent my ass. This whole thing stinks to high hell, and now that everyone's had time to digest the report, the penalty and the Patriots counter these types of questions have to gain traction.

Who lied and why? Why weren't the Pats allowed to correct it in March when they were given the PSI measurements? Why didn't Wells expand his investigation to look at the entire situation and not just the Patriots role (as the railroaded franchise)?

 

[Froob]

We should also be asking why the Colts were tampering with our ball. Direct violation of the rules and there's proof in the Wells report if I'm not mistaken.

 

[Tony2046]

I seem to recall Mort saying at the time the stupid phrase that "the NFL weighed the footballs" at halftime. Can anyone confirm this? I've looked and can't find it. It wasn't in his tweets, but I think it was an on-air remark

Of course, that's a stupid remark. It seemed like Mort did not know what he was talking about at the time, but that was hardly uncommon. You do not "weigh" air pressure.

But an odd thing came out very recently. Right after halftime, Mike Kensil berated someone on the Patriots sideline, saying something like "you're in big effing trouble. We weighed the footballs"

That would not be a coincidence, Kensil making the same brain-dead remark as Mortensen.

It would strongly indicate that Mike Kensil was Mortensen's source, IMO.

This is a huge part of the problem to begin with. We have these scientifically illiterate reporters speculating on the Patriots guilt without understanding what they are talking about. They spread their opinions which is based solely on their ability to analyze text which if they do not understand gas laws, evaporation, atmospheric etc...effects on a football they will come to the conclusion that the Pats cheated and by the time they finally do understand that it could have been weather related the damage has already been done.

 

[farn]

No one wants to learn. They don't want to understand. They prefer the sensational.

 

[RunAmok]

I seem to recall Mort saying at the time the stupid phrase that "the NFL weighed the footballs" at halftime. Can anyone confirm this? I've looked and can't find it. It wasn't in his tweets, but I think it was an on-air remark

Of course, that's a stupid remark. It seemed like Mort did not know what he was talking about at the time, but that was hardly uncommon. You do not "weigh" air pressure.

But an odd thing came out very recently. Right after halftime, Mike Kensil berated someone on the Patriots sideline, saying something like "you're in big effing trouble. We weighed the footballs"

That would not be a coincidence, Kensil making the same brain-dead remark as Mortensen.

It would strongly indicate that Mike Kensil was Mortensen's source, IMO.

From Morts 1/21 column:

The NFL has found that 11 of the New England Patriots' 12 game balls were inflated significantly below the NFL's requirements, league sources involved and familiar with the investigation of Sunday's AFC Championship Game told ESPN.
The investigation found the footballs were inflated 2 pounds per square inch below what's required by NFL regulations during the Pats' 45-7 victory over the Indianapolis Colts, according to sources.
"We are not commenting at this time," said Greg Aiello, the NFL's senior vice president of communications.
Sources earlier this season told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter that the Colts had concerns about underinflated balls after their regular-season game against the visiting Patriots on Nov. 16.
During that game, Colts safety Mike Adams twice intercepted Tom Brady and gave the balls to the Colts' equipment manager to save -- and both times there were concerns about the balls feeling underinflated, sources told Schefter.
Those sources said the Colts raised concerns to the league, which was aware of the issue going into this weekend's AFC title game.





There were a number of 100% wrong statements in the article. Also, wonder why no one pressed the Colts to explain how the balls got deflated in the Nov 16 home game in Indianapolis.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

I am pretty sure that sometime that day Mort was either on ESPN radio or ESPN Sportcenter and made an oral remark (not in his writing) about how the NFL had"weighed the footballs" to determine that they were deflated.

At the time I thought it was just a Dorito Dink sportscaster not knowing how one actually measures air pressure in a football.

What changed is just this week when I've heard the same misstatement attributed to Mike Kensil on the field in the 2nd half.

Kensil was somebody's unnamed NFL source, I am sure of it. The group of potential leakers, those that may have talked to Mort, is pretty small: Kensil, Grigson, Irsay, Vincent, or an on-field referee. Irsay would also make some sense too considering his drug-addled mental state and the high error content of the message.

 

[cmasspatsfan]

This is where the Pats can show bias, the ommissioner should have corrected that false report, if BK has anything to hang his hat on going forward this is a key piece.