PFT: Pressure gauge discrepancies undermine Wells report

[NEPats1]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/05/10/pressure-gauge-discrepancies-undermine-wells-report/

Long read but very important. Here are the last 2 paragraphs:

Regardless, scientists don’t dabble in probability or inference; even with the 50.1-vs.-49.9 standard of proof that applies both to civil lawsuits and the NFL’s High Court of Cheating, expert witnesses typically must base their opinions on a reasonable degree of scientific certainty. The fact that two gauges were available to Walt Anderson, the fact that those gauges generated such dramatically different readings, and the fact that Anderson specifically doesn’t remember which of the gauges he used to set the pressure prior to kickoff makes it very difficult to conclude with any degree of certainty whether the accurate measurements taken at halftime are the ones that suggest tampering, or the ones that don’t.

While the full scope of the report suggests that something fishy happened, it was believed all along that a conclusion of tampering would be backed up by sound, scientific evidence that tampering occurred. Despite 243-pages of polish, the scientific evidence in this specific case is significantly undermined by the fact that the NFL was using a clearly defective pressure gauge prior to one of its most important football games of the year.

This is such a joke.

Once and for all, there may have been something nefarious going on BUT THAT REPORT DID NOT PROVE ANYTHING and when TB gets suspended, Pats orgnaziation needs to be ready to fight back. They've been attacked/embarrassed/and disrespected by clowns in the media. If they did nothing wrong, enough with the PR comments about being "disappointed in the report" and TB's agent going on different networks. We need a press conference with TB and whoever saying Point Blanck: I DID NOTHING WRONG AND THE REPORT DIDN'T PROVE ANYTHING.


As Reiss noted, where was the outcry when all this happened:

2. Why do I think this has been made to be a bigger deal than it is? I go back to the Vikings-Panthers game from November, with teams illegally heating footballs on the sideline and simply getting a warning from the NFL, and wonder how we got to this point with the Patriots and underinflated footballs. I go back to the Chargers using an illegal sticky substance on towels in 2012 and getting fined $25,000, and likewise wonder how we got to this point with the Patriots and underinflated footballs. Put the three situations together and only one requires a full-fledged investigation that will cost owners millions of dollars? In the interest of fairness, what am I missing? Add in comments from Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers about his preference for overinflated footballs, and this New York Times story on Eli Manning and his football preparation, and it just seems we've gone off the rails here.