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New England Patriots caught deflating game balls


FireChan

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They're not in the league's control at that point, they're in the team's control.

 

The smartest thing for the league to do would have been to tell the Pats "We've got reports you're messing around with the ball pressure. We're going to check them at halftime, and at the end of the game." Then the Patriots don't screw around with them, and there's no issue. But given that they did check, and didn't tell the Pats, they were probably playing "sneaky bastards" trying to catch them in the act as part of their "investigation."

Which is funny as everyone here says the league is trying to hide this and ignore it

Interesting idea, just came to me watching ESPN...

 

Inflate the ball with hot air. 120 degrees or so. Inflate to 12 psi. Officials measure, find the right pressure. Three hours later, during the game, outdoors at 40-50 degrees, balls would be down about 2 psi.

 

Not sure how you'd preheat the air before inflating the ball. I'm also not sure that you couldn't tell by the ball's warmth. And I'm not even saying the Patriots did this. But if I were going to cheat, in a way that was difficult to prove, and maintain any plausible deniability ("No, we didn't tamper with the balls. No, we didn't deflate them. They were properly inflated when the officials checked them, and we left them that way,") that'd be one way of doing it.

 

I'll add it to my list of experiments.

Vikes and pack both got caught using heaters on the balls during a cold day recently. Noting not to support the idea that it's what happened here but to give a nod that ball temp is an idea teams consider. Edited by NoSaint
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Wow. 86 pages of crybabiness. Seriously...what are we talking about here? Some of you want absolutely outrageous penalities for underinflated footballs! The only thing the NFL should do it tightenup up their monitoring process. 99% of the players/ex-players that have commented on this couldn't care less.

Well, we're talking about the systematic undermining of the integrity of the league. Kind of an issue. And the players don't care? You haven't been paying attention. The players I've seen have been 100% against the joke that was the Brady press conference. It's all a big lie, and apparently you're buying it. (Or a Patriot fan.) Is it a HUGE violation? No, but it is a big "up yours" from the previously convicted Pats to the rest of the league. And it is certainly a competitive advantage. That is CHEATING. I wouldn't want to do business with anyone who doesn't understand that.

Edited by Augie
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Like the ending of the Sopranos? "But wait what happened to the Russian??"

Yes. Or, if you remember, the whole business off Dr. Melfi getting raped. That entire plot line just got dropped, deliberately, and there was never anyone found, no accused, no trial, no nothing.

I once saw an interview with David Chase and he said "I wanted to reflect reality; not everything in real life is always cleanly resolved" or some such.

 

I think this is going to be Goodell's strategy. Just never comment on this....ever!

 

:w00t::w00t::w00t::w00t:

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Yes. Or, if you remember, the whole business off Dr. Melfi getting raped. That entire plot line just got dropped, deliberately, and there was never anyone found, no accused, no trial, no nothing.

I once saw an interview with David Chase and he said "I wanted to reflect reality; not everything in real life is always cleanly resolved" or some such.

 

I think this is going to be Goodell's strategy. Just never comment on this....ever!

 

:w00t::w00t::w00t::w00t:

I can see the NFL doing that absolutely. Think it strange as chit they have said nothing yet.

 

The hate being spewed WEEI for ESPN is just Classic

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I just had an idea. How about the NFL controls the balls from now on?

 

 

 

 

 

Oh and ban Brady and Belicheat for the 2015 season for lying. That is all

Cuz the NFL wouldn't know what to do if it had balls.

Anyone who expects the NFL to hand down possible suspensions BEFORE the Super Bowl has to lower their expectations.

I'd be shocked if the NFL announces anything other than "there is an investigation ongoing" before FA starts.

Edited by The Wiz
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Just saw mark Brunell nearly cry over this after talking about how he prepped the ball for his 151 starts. He neglected that half of those he was the road qb and it was before the rule change - so a tiny bit of overplaying (not serious, but a little)

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Just saw mark Brunell nearly cry over this after talking about how he prepped the ball for his 151 starts. He neglected that half of those he was the road qb and it was before the rule change - so a tiny bit of overplaying (not serious, but a little)

crying was a little over the top. It's not ISIS, Mark. No one is dying.
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If the NFL felt that having a deflated ball was a serious advantage, they would have a much harsher penalty in place. Yet, people on this board are somehow reaching the conclusion that it can have a massive effect on the game.

 

No one seems to know EXACTLY the pre-game procedure with the balls, but instead just want to talk out their backend like they have a clue.

 

There is NO evidence so far, that Belichick has anything to do with the balls. Personally, I think he has his mind on discovering more rewarding ways to cheat.

 

To hold him responsible, is akin to holding a coach responsible for a player using PED's (a far more serious advantage to a player and team, in my mind).


Just saw mark Brunell nearly cry over this after talking about how he prepped the ball for his 151 starts. He neglected that half of those he was the road qb and it was before the rule change - so a tiny bit of overplaying (not serious, but a little)

 

BRunell was with the Jets when the bad blood was raging between the Pats and Jets....

THe other "holier than thou" QB, Troy Aikman, is about as impartial as Jim Kelly at a home game.

Edited by HoF Watkins
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If the NFL felt that having a deflated ball was a serious advantage, they would have a much harsher penalty in place. Yet, people on this board are somehow reaching the conclusion that it can have a massive effect on the game.

 

No one seems to know EXACTLY the pre-game procedure with the balls, but instead just want to talk out their backend like they have a clue.

 

There is NO evidence so far, that Belichick has anything to do with the balls. Personally, I think he has his mind on discovering more rewarding ways to cheat.

 

To hold him responsible, is akin to holding a coach responsible for a player using PED's (a far more serious advantage to a player, in my mind).

 

 

BRunell was with the Jets when the bad blood was raging between the Pats and Jets....

THe other "holier than thou" QB, Troy Aikman, is about as impartial as Jim Kelly at a home game.

Plus mark may see an angle to make some money.... Which he needs....

 

That's why I want to see less crying and more ball throwing from him already

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Just saw mark Brunell nearly cry over this after talking about how he prepped the ball for his 151 starts. He neglected that half of those he was the road qb and it was before the rule change - so a tiny bit of overplaying (not serious, but a little)

crying was a little over the top. It's not ISIS, Mark. No one is dying.

Bettis and Dawkins were equally angry. I played QB in his school. You can tell the weights of the ball. Brady is a liar. Own up, take it on the chin (we all know you already do) and let's move on. This has been dragged on long enough and Brady only added fuel to the fire

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I'm not sure I follow. The balls were presumably deflated so that they were softer, could be gripped better. What does that have to do with a dollar bill?

 

Your second line I'm not sure how to comment on.

 

that it had no barring on the ball, they also said that the ball would be slower and not go as far and that the grip indent was only 2 milimeters, this is much ado about nothing.

 

I think each QB should get their own footballs and adjust them how they want.

 

It's better for the game if QBs can throw better and WRs catch better.

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Did anyone watch Adam Schefter at ESPN?

 

He is now saying "The NFL is having a tough time coming up with actual evidence that this knowingly went on."

 

and "It's up to the league to prove that it it did."

 

This is the NFL, not a legitimate court of law as part of a real legal system.

 

Rule 2 Section 1: THE BALL

 

 

The ball shall be made up of an inflated (12 1/2 to 13 1/2 pounds) urethane bladder enclosed in a pebble grained, leather case (natural tan color) without corrugations of any kind. It shall have the form of a prolate spheroid and the size and weight shall be: long axis, 11 to 11 1/4 inches; long circumference, 28 to 28 1/2 inches; short circumference, 21 to 21 1/4 inches; weight, 14 to 15 ounces.

 

OK: there is no mens rea or mental element to the rule stated here.

 

For all we know, the mental element of the crime could be assumed to be one of recklessness...simply meaning if it can be shown that the Patriots were reckless and did not exercise due diligence in ensuring the balls were inflated to the proper pressure, the mental element of the "crime" has been satisfied.

 

You then demonstrate that the balls were in fact below proper PSI levels, and boom! Guilty.

 

Or you could assume no mental element here at all. Show the ball is under pressure and the crime has been committed.

So where does Schefter get off talking about how the NFL has to go running around proving what as in the mind of Bill, Tom, or anyone else at the Patriots?

 

Where does that come from? How would anyone know that? It's not enumerated in the rule book.

 

This stuff is beyond Mickey Mouse.

 

The elements of the "crime" will be whatever the NFL deems them to be.

 

For that reason, this all comes down to politics and whatever will exists at the NFL to nail Brady, Belicheat, or the Patriots to a cross.

 

 

 

 

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