When I read that, it seems to me Jastremski asks McNally to do the balls regularly. But when? Obviously not after the refs. And isn't this Jastremski's job?
I would interpret this as Brady/Jastremski wanting McNally to get those balls in spec in concert with the refs, and I'd bet this is how it happens.
The explanation in the Patriots' context report is pretty laughable/implausible.
I think most of the work on balls happens early in the season and they try to use the same balls for all games. But it's also reasonable to think that some balls get taken out of rotation by interceptions, trophies (guys keep balls after tds), Gronk destroying them or NFL officials stealing them to resell. So I could see that on any given week there are five balls to get ready for every game.
From an above mention article on what the Giants equipment guys do for Eli:
I want a brand new ball that feels like it’s 10 years old,” Manning said Wednesday. “You want it to feel like it’s been in your house for 10 years, where you’ve been playing Saturday afternoon games with it for a long time.
"I want it broken in but it should still have nubs on it. The process has gotten better as we’ve changed some schemes and techniques. We’ve honed in what works.”
The Skibas explained the Giants’ procedure.
? The new ball is rubbed vigorously for 45 minutes with a dark brush, which removes the wax and darkens the leather.
? Next, a wet towel is used to scour the ball until the ball’s outer surface is soaked through.
? While the ball is wet, it is brushed again.
? Then the ball is taken over to an electric spin wheel, where it undergoes another high-speed scrubbing.
At this point, the ball is put aside overnight. Then the process is repeated twice over the next couple of days.
About five days after it was removed from its box, the ball might go into the rotation of footballs used in a Giants practice. The goal is to get the new balls banged around, thrown and dropped in the grass and dirt. The players rough up the ball and sweat on it, which helps the aging.
In practice, various balls are in varying stages of being broken in — curing like a pigskin — and all the while, the Skibas are feeling the footballs, waiting to see if one might qualify for Manning’s special bag of footballs.
“You’re always looking for pearls, chasing after the perfect one,” Joe Skiba said. “Meanwhile, every ball Eli is practicing with feels very much like the game balls. So they’re candidates, too. Sometimes he’ll turn around and flip one to me and say, ‘That’s a good one.’ Sometimes, he wants me to throw a ball away, too.
“And we never let him throw a ball in a game that he hasn’t already thrown in practice and liked.”
The rate of attrition in the prized collection of game balls is significant. Receivers catch touchdown passes and keep the balls for souvenirs. Balls are intercepted and taken to the opposing sideline. And the system is not perfect. Ball boys are supposed to make sure the balls are properly rotated during changes of possession, but there are glitches.
When the Giants were at Kansas City earlier this year, safety Antrel Rolle picked off a pass and took the ball to the bench as a souvenir. It had a Giants logo on it. The Chiefs had apparently not substituted their ball when their offense came onto the field. No wonder it was intercepted.
