ESPN: 11 of 12 footballs under inflated by 2 pounds of air.

[Danger Zone]

This is exactly what I was thinking. I have a new truck with 20 inch tires with gauges built into them. The psi should be 39 but that is when the tires are warm. In the morning the psi is always down 2 to 3 psi. As for the 12th ball it could have been over inflated.

We need more facts

It's been mentioned now several times that kicking balls are completely handled by the NFL with neither team ever having access to them. I'm thinking the 12th football is simply an anomaly.

 

[mosi]

The only real damage to the Patriots is if the NFL can prove that the balls were properly inflated when the official inspected them 2 hours and 15 mins before the game AND marked them. This could point to the officials not doing their job before the game.

Plus, you have to show that the Pats ball were underinflatted and the Colts ball were not. Without the Colts balls right after the game, their is no way to determine what happened.

 

[mosi]

In wet weather, an underinflated ball is a little easier to grip and catch. Being that balls are supposed to be inflated anywhere from 12.5 to 13 psi, being under-inflated by 2 psi is somewhat significant. Even more damning, however, is the fact that one ball was not under-inflated. Obviously, this was the ball used for kicking. Thus stated, the Pats would have routed the Colts even if the balls were properly inflated. For this reason, I don't expect the punishment to be anything more than a fine.

No, kicking balls are different and handled by the Refs.

 

[pats4life12]

I guess an interview with the ball boy is in order...

They should do an exclusive Super Bowl media day interview.

 

[mosi]

Plus, you have to show that the Pats ball were underinflatted and the Colts ball were not. Without the Colts balls right after the game, their is no way to determine what happened.

And you have to know the starting point for both the Colts balls and Pats balls and after the game at temperature. If the Colts started at 13.5 and drop to 12 that is one thing. If the Pats started at 12.5 and dropped to 11 that is the same things. You need to know both the starting and ending points.

Pressure is a relative measure - based upon the gauge used - they tend to vary a ton - and the temperature.

 

[Sfpat]

The problem I have is every ball used was inspected by the refs at the moment it was put into play and at that moment the refs didn't believe there were any issues with the balls, including the ball that was intercepted. As had been stated elsewhere, if the refs believed the ball was underinflated they would have either tossed it out or reinflated it. This should not be on the Pats.

 

[Midship]

What the score was is completely irrelevant. Nobody is trying to claim the patriots won because of this. That's not the point tho.

If the score is irrelevant, then why are we even taking about this.....?

Spygate was one thing. Recording a teams plays will absolutely give you an advantage and effect the outcome of the game. If taking some air out of the balls has no effect on the outcome, then it's a moot point.


That's what I'm getting at.

 

[LightSkinSmurf]

If the score is irrelevant, then why are we even taking about this.....?

Spygate was one thing. Recording a teams plays will absolutely give you an advantage and effect the outcome of the game. If taking some air out of the balls has no effect on the outcome, then it's a moot point.


That's what I'm getting at.

Because its against the rules. That is why we are talking about this.

 

[Galeb]

Why is everyone taking what mortensen says as Gospel? He's a proven Patriots hater. I suspect mortensen either put some spin on his info or didn't release all of it. Heck, he may have even outright lied or fabricated it. I'll bet it is more like 11 of 12 footballs were underinflated up to 2 lbs or something similar.

 

[RIpats88]

the thing that I still dont understand is that the Refs handle the ball on each play. I find it hard to believe if the balls were so inflated that a linebacker could tell...they didn't notice this during the game....something doesnt add up here and is missing from the story.

 

[QuantumMechanic]

If the score is irrelevant, then why are we even taking about this.....?.

Because there is a black and white completely unambiguous rule saying the footballs are not to be altered in any way after they are given to the ref.

I haven't seen anyone (even Florio!) saying seriously that this affected the outcome.

But breaking a clear rule (if NE in fact did so) is cheating and there's no way to handwave that away.

 

[GaryfromTO]

much ado, about nothing.

Has the NFL proven this was some sort of deliberate act by the Patriots. NO
It's probably something as simple as a poorly calibrated pressure gauge.

And as stated in this thread, the refs wiped the balls down after every play and yet they didn't notice.

45-7 and seeing as how the Colts are the passing team, shouldn't they have been the ones with an advantage of a lower psi ball?

 

[Patriot_in_NY]

This is exactly what I was thinking. I have a new truck with 20 inch tires with gauges built into them. The psi should be 39 but that is when the tires are warm. In the morning the psi is always down 2 to 3 psi. As for the 12th ball it could have been over inflated.

We need more facts

This.... My understanding is that the complaint was made and the refs took the balls at that half (which had come in from the outside where it was cold and rainy - 45ish) and measured them after being out there for about 1.5 hours. They were all (mostly all) low about 1.5 psi. They pumped them back up (thus altering them from any fair and accurate maeasuing in the correct conditions) and put em back in play.

Likely they were at minimum, or perhaps a smidge under, but certainly not all that much.

Not that any of this will matter. The fix is in and someone will be made to pay, likely BB. Sucks, but that's the way this league is anymore. I'm growing tired of it.

 

[justinb]

NFL.com hasnt run any story..... yet.... hopefully an indication, that the leak, is BS

 

[SHOWTIME15]

Plus, you have to show that the Pats ball were underinflatted and the Colts ball were not. Without the Colts balls right after the game, their is no way to determine what happened.

It doesn't matter. The colts balls could be 12.25 pounds and everyone would still say the pats cheated. What the colts did or did not do is irrelevant to public percepti

the thing that I still dont understand is that the Refs handle the ball on each play. I find it hard to believe if the balls were so inflated that a linebacker could tell...they didn't notice this during the game....something doesnt add up here and is missing from the story.

It wasn't jackson who noticed it. It was a colts equipment guy who took the ball from jackson as a souvenier for jackson. He felt the ball, noticed it was under inflated, and then went to ryan grigson, the GM, who called the league office right away. The colts suspected NE of using under deflated balls in the earlier regular season game. Believe me, the colts were waiting for this moment and planned this all along if they got their hands in one of brady's footballs.

 

[Ivan]

I'm starting to think this may need the final game of football for me. I am so sick of the NFL and the crybaby fans and media that the fun has gone out of it and it's really not worth following anymore. I will wait and see how things play out but if this is going to be another endless trashing of this team I may just stick to hockey and find other uses for my time than following this piece of crap league.

 

[DefenseRules]

I'm starting to think this may need the final game of football for me. I am so sick of the NFL and the crybaby fans and media that the fun has gone out of it and it's really not worth following anymore. I will wait and see how things play out but if this is going to be another endless trashing of this team I may just stick to hockey and find other uses for my time than following this piece of crap league.

I'm starting to feel the same. This entire thing has worn me out. Love the Pats but they are never going to be able to win a game in peace.

 

[Fixit]

Spygate was one thing. Recording a teams plays will absolutely give you an advantage and effect the outcome of the game.

Really? How?

 

[TomPatriot]

Just some idle thoughts other people have probably thought about too.

So now the Pats are hated the way the Raiders were hated in the 1970s. So what? As a fan, I don't really care.

I get the impression from Rodgers comments that the balls are probably pressurized at the psi level the QB wants them for every team in the league.

Tom Brady supposedly "benefits" from the lower psi so if the Pats really did this, then he has a bigger problem that BB.

I think another possible explanation is that neither Anderson nor his crew ever checked the balls until halftime, after Jackson's complaint. That might be what the NFL is distraught about.

Also possible is the point made in various forms by Mosi, Danger Zone and Brewskies above. The psi for the balls was at the low end and the cold weather reduced it. Gil Brandt was interviewed in the NYT this morning and he basically said it was virtually impossible to deflate 11 balls without someone finding out and the advantage of doing that would be minuscule anyway.

I guess we will soon find out.

 

[TomPatriot]

I don't get it a lot of this should be on the refs don't they check every ball and mark them before every game? How do they miss that on 11 out of 12 balls?

Probably because they have a million other things to think about in the middle of a game and the balls' psi doesn't make much of a difference to them or anyone else except the QB.