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NFL investigating if Patriots used deflated footballs in AFC Championship game
FoxNews.com ^ | 1-19-2015 | Fox News

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 ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: ball; cheat; cheating; deflate; deflategate; deflatriots; football; jealousofthepatriots; newengland; nfl; patriots; patriotswin; sorelosers; whiners
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To: SamAdams76

Yes, and according to the commercial I saw last night, all of those tablets were supplied by Microsoft. The official tablet of the NFL. I wonder if you can get them with the AFC champion New England Patriots logo and colors. It seems like a great marketing strategy. Kind of like the toasters that burn your favorite teams logo on your toasted bread.


181 posted on 01/19/2015 10:07:47 AM PST by woodbutcher1963
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To: woodbutcher1963

As someone who was a center for several years, I can assure you if the QB is taking snaps over the line, and not long snaps...it could lead to a long afternoon of deflated balls.

The happens especially when the QB is the second string QB that comes in after an injury. Getting their hands located wrong can be a memorable experience.

I had one QB ask me to remove my protector. Because his hands were in the wrong place I was snapping it hard enough to bruise his hand. I sure as hell didn’t want those knuckles slamming into my fleshy parts!


182 posted on 01/19/2015 10:13:20 AM PST by Vermont Lt (Ebola: Death is a lagging indicator.)
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To: outpostinmass2
I can’t wait for another Patriots Super Bowl victory

Well, may be (the oddsmakers have opened at "Pick-'Em").

I'm not surprised by the allegation against belly-chick, but I would be very disappointed in Tom Brady if this is true. This morning Brady said this was ridiculous. I hope for the sake of his credibility Brady is right as he would certainly know if he was handling a deflated ball.

183 posted on 01/19/2015 10:14:09 AM PST by glennaro
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To: Cletus.D.Yokel

thanks !


184 posted on 01/19/2015 10:53:36 AM PST by timestax (American Media = Domestic Enemy)
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To: timestax
cheater photo: cheater... cheatz.gif
185 posted on 01/19/2015 10:59:34 AM PST by timestax (American Media = Domestic Enemy)
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To: glennaro
I hope for the sake of his credibility Brady is right as he would certainly know if he was handling a deflated ball.

I'm just thankful that this thread stopped at 183 posts. Lord knows I might have been here all day!

186 posted on 01/19/2015 11:02:48 AM PST by houeto (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate)
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To: timestax

So how much does the air inside a football weigh?


187 posted on 01/19/2015 11:11:41 AM PST by edzo4 (You call us the 'Party Of No', I call us the resistance.)
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To: timestax
cheater photo: unknown 14.gifcheater photo: Cheater Cheater.gif
188 posted on 01/19/2015 11:12:29 AM PST by timestax (American Media = Domestic Enemy)
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To: Cry if I Wanna

Cheating is such a strong word...how about “gaming the system”...which is what the Patriots do better than anyone!


189 posted on 01/19/2015 11:13:21 AM PST by Jan_Sobieski (Sanctification)
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To: woodbutcher1963

With a Microsoft Surface, I can use Miracast, which allows me to wirelessly project my Surface screen and sound to a flat screen TV. From there, I could record what was on the TV. The Surface device would never know.


190 posted on 01/19/2015 11:22:41 AM PST by Alas Babylon!
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To: copaliscrossing

Part of the problem the NFL runs into is a matter of who is in charge. Remember the commissioner works for the owners, so his level of power over them is limited. And there’s CBAs that include punishment limits for the players, coaches and refs.

The biggest punishment on the NFL books is draft pick removal. And they do it, though not lately, mostly because nobody breaks those rules (cap violation, and interfering with player contracts are the big 2) anymore. So maybe the penalties are enough.


191 posted on 01/19/2015 11:24:07 AM PST by discostu (The albatross begins with its vengeance A terrible curse a thirst has begun)
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To: discostu

Makes you wonder why more teams don’t cheat. .. at least to the extent of some teams. Oh, that’s right. .. integrity. I guess nice guys finish last. ..lol. I think some of the teams realize they aren’t as “tight” shall we say with the league HQ so they probably can’t get away with as much. There are definitely the “haves” and the “have nots” in the NFL IMNSHO.


192 posted on 01/19/2015 11:36:58 AM PST by copaliscrossing (Comparison is the beginning of discontent.)
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To: timestax
The Patriots have come under scrutiny with regards to NFL rules in the past, most infamously when they were punished for videotaping sideline signals used by the New York Jets during a 2007 game. Coach Bill Belichick was fined $500,000, and the team was docked $250,000 and stripped of its 2008 first-round draft pick. According to the NFL rule book, home teams are responsible for furnishing playable balls at all time. Each team brings 12 primary balls, while home teams are required to also bring 12 backup balls. Once the referee makes sure the footballs are properly inflated, they're delivered to ball attendants provided by the home team. The league's game operations manual notes: "If any individual alters the footballs, or if a non-approved ball is used in the game, the person responsible and, if appropriate, the head coach or other club personnel will be subject to discipline, including but not limited to, a fine of $25,000." Deflating a football could change the way it would be gripped by a player or the way it travels through the air.
193 posted on 01/19/2015 11:37:28 AM PST by timestax (American Media = Domestic Enemy)
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To: kjam22
“Think about it .... no football weighs 13 pounds. If it did they would have to throw it like a shot put.”

Yes, it would be like trying to pass a football-shaped bowling ball..
I don't know what the temperature was when and where they inflated the balls, vs the temperature on the field at game-time, but if the balls were inflated at room temperature and then cooled down on the field, the psi would drop. That, however, would be the same for both teams. If the balls were different psi for each team, I can't think many reasonable explanations for how that could happen without cheating.

If the NFL does not inflate and check the psi of their game balls under the conditions of play, that is a problem with the NFL not being careful enough - not a problem with the team. Interestingly, if you wanted to cheat like this, all you would have to do is warm the game balls before the opposing team used them (increasing the psi), and cool them down before you use them (decreasing the psi). This could be done with on-field ball warmers set to different temperatures.

Interestingly, if one had ball warmers set to different temperatures for the home team vs the visiting team, one could vary the psi during the game, and after the game - under identical measurement conditions (e.g both balls at room temperature) there would be no differences noted. So, it's a relatively easy way to ‘cheat’ without being caught.

194 posted on 01/19/2015 11:40:28 AM PST by pieceofthepuzzle
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To: copaliscrossing

Makes you wonder why people assume there’s lots of cheating going on. Really big “scandal” of the Pats breaking a stupid rule the league already had the technology to make unnecessary (and then proceeded to use the technology and make it unnecessary) was 8 years ago. People act like it was yesterday.

The land of cheating is the NCAA, where teams know that no matter what happens in the long run they’ll get away with it long enough to get a new job before the NCAA lands on them. Heck that’s how Pete Carroll landed himself a SB ring (and maybe 2), he got out of dodge before the NCAA landed on him and started vacating victories from 5 years earlier. And who did they replace Carroll with? Lane Kiffin, who was fleeing SEC sanctions in Tennessee.


195 posted on 01/19/2015 11:49:18 AM PST by discostu (The albatross begins with its vengeance A terrible curse a thirst has begun)
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To: Alas Babylon!

“The Surface device would never know.”

Since the Surface is actively broadcasting it HAS to know ...


196 posted on 01/19/2015 11:50:55 AM PST by TexasGator (")
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To: timestax
cheater cheater photo: kyokaramaou4 Copyofavatar_cheater.gif
197 posted on 01/19/2015 2:44:34 PM PST by timestax (American Media = Domestic Enemy)
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To: Cletus.D.Yokel
My advice for the “colder” months of the year? Have a pocket in your bag wherein you can stash a few chem-heat packages. Keep all your game balls there. Do not allow an extensive amount of time to pass before teeing off...the ball, under heat, will become soft and pliable and fly a few yards further than if it was cold; I have realized [up to] an additional 10 yards on the fly (roll-out is surface dependent..) Please note that if you have a slice, those extra yards will be added to your left-to-right distance also. YMMV.

What a beautiful day here in OKC. 72 degrees, no wind (and no wind is rare). Incredible January day. Summertime I'm about a 3 handicap. Winter I'm about an 8.5. Today was a great day :) I don't slice btw :)

198 posted on 01/19/2015 2:51:30 PM PST by kjam22 (my music video "If My People" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74b20RjILy4)
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To: TexasGator

No, I meant the Surface device wouldn’t be aware that I was recording the television screen. I can echo the video coming in into an output channel and then record digitally.


199 posted on 01/19/2015 3:14:12 PM PST by Alas Babylon!
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To: Alas Babylon!

“No, I meant the Surface device wouldn’t be aware that I was recording the television screen. I can echo the video coming in into an output channel and then record digitally.”

1. You have to assume that they have NOT disabled WiFi
2. You would have to have a TV and recording device within WiFi reception area.


200 posted on 01/19/2015 3:33:15 PM PST by TexasGator (")
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