"Oh, you're no fun anymore."
Posted on 01/19/2015 7:48:57 AM PST by servo1969
The NFL has confirmed it is looking into charges the New England Patriots cheated Sunday night when they clinched a trip to the Super Bowl Sunday night by using deflated footballs.
NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy confirmed the probe Monday, following the AFC championship game, in which the Patriots demolished the Indianapolis Colts, 45-7. The charge was first made Sunday night, when an Indianapolis reporter that the NFL had seized at least one game ball from the AFC championship game to examine whether pigskins were intentionally deflated to make them easier to throw and catch.
“The NFL is investigating the possibility,” Bob Kravitz, of WTHR, tweeted, adding that, “at one point the officials took a ball out of play and weighed it.”
If the Patriots did cheat, it would not be the first time. The team was penalized a first-round draft pick, fined $250,000 and head coach Belichick was personally fined $500,000 after an investigation by the NFL determined the team had illegally videotaped their opponents hand signals during a 2007 game.
And unsubstantiated accusations of cheating have long dogged the team, stemming from their Super Bowl wins in 2002, 2004 and 2005. The St. Louis Rams claimed the team illegally videotaped their walk-through practices prior to the 2002 game, and players on the other defeated opponents have said the Patriots seemed to have inside knowledge of their playbooks.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Thing is...the home team supplies the game balls. If they are under inflated, BOTH teams have to pay with under-inflated balls. they DO NOT accept sideline balls from the individual teams...game balls are separate and controlled.
Did Indy, at the start of the game, complain to the officiating that the balls “didn’t feel right”? That is the time to make issue.
My guess is, if (let me repeat: if) the balls were under-inflated, Indy didn’t complain because the balls would be easier to grip and easier to catch.
What a crock of crap this is! The only problem with balls was the Colts forgot to bring theirs!
FYI: http://www.goodyear.com/cfmx/web/corporate/media/news/story.cfm?a_id=371 “...This time of year serves as a reminder that a drop in tire inflation pressures corresponds with the falling thermometer readings. Goodyear experts explain that air pressure in a tire typically goes down 1-2 pounds for every 10 degrees of temperature change...”
At what temp were the balls filled and what was the temp at game time?
Yes, I know.
Was air temperature accounted for when this measurement was taken?
Furthermore, who took this measurement and when?
Since this is an NFL rule, is there an NFL official that measures and enforces this rule, and was that official at yesterday’s game?
Who exactly is the origin of this accusation, and on what actual evidence was this accusation based?
I can’t wait for another Patriots Super Bowl victory. Looking forward to Super Sunday.
Not arguing that. But you still need to measure both weight and pressure. If the ball weighs more than 15 oz, you can account for that with moisture, and a heavier ball puts the user at a disadvantage. But if the ball weighs less than 14 oz, then there is an issue, rain or no rain.
:: Wouldn’t both teams have the “deflated balls”? ::
A regimen of penicillin can get rid of that..
So please offer your solution if vacating is “dumb”
NFL Rule:
The home club shall have 36 balls for outdoor games and 24 for indoor games available for testing with a pressure gauge by the referee two hours prior to the starting time of the game to meet with League requirements.
bttt
What if the Colts deflated the balls and then tried to blame it on the Patriots.
So the same ball with the same air pressure would weigh different in Denver than it does in New Orleans. That’s why there is a weight variance given etc. The weight variance is not a 1 to 1 with the air pressure.
"Oh, you're no fun anymore."
Really?
Tiger Woods [joke] - “Those are what I use to prop up my balls when I’m driving.”
happend to Romo in the famous field goal fumble
the ball inserted was greased up and it was proven
no consequences tho
Yep.. It is been wrongly reported that it is a matter of weight they were checking for. The advantage is a lack of pressure that helps squeeze the ball. Not weight.
Just throwing it out there. This investigation is going no where. I do like the fact that Belichick is scaring the rest of the league. I can’t wait to see what he is scheming up for the Superbowl.
I don’t think we are in disagreement. It has been pointed out that the pressure in the balls does vary due to temperature changes. Perhaps the league has check the balls once they are back at the typical inflation pressure to verify the pressure.
For instance, suppose the ball is at 15 psi at 70 F. But it is 40 F outside. If the ref measures the pressure at this time, he is going to get a low pressure. But if he takes the balls after the game and lets them warm up to 70 F, and then measure the pressure, the ball better be very close to 15 psi. Otherwise the ball has a leak or has been tampered with.
Likewise, you can wait for the balls to dry to measure the dry weight.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.