Yahoo: Report: Patriots being investigated for using deflated footballs in AFC championship game

[TouchdownSkin]

I think this is very serious. And not surprised the Patriots are at the heart of it. If they win the SB, it will be a tarnished victory, imo.

I do remember the ref calling a time out due to an issue with the ball.

[Vilandil Tasardur]

the officials do not have time to test the PSI of a ball every time a new one is rotated in.   Do you want refs stopping play every time a new ball is brought in to measure it?  Plus it was cold, how would they know the ball was underinflated to begin with?

 

Also note that pounds per square inch is not necessarily the same as weight of the ball.  PSI has to do with how strongly inflated, how concentrated the air was in the ball.. It was wet, rainy, and if the officials were wearing gloves for protection, not 'grip' of the ball, they might not be able to tell.

Agree with this. My question is specifically with regards to that magical moment 2 hours and 15 minutes before the game where the balls get "inspected". Were they measured, found to be in goo standing, and then deflated? Or were they deflated all along and not measured (eye balled instead). The latter is far more an officiating issue, than a Pats issue, to me.

[frostyj]

The refs are supposed to be pro's, they should know what an underinflated ball feels like.

Doesn't the home team supply all the game balls?

[MattFancy]

The refs are supposed to be pro's, they should know what an underinflated ball feels like.

Doesn't the home team supply all the game balls?

 

Nope. Each team has 12 of their own that they use throughout the game.

[Califan007 The Constipated]

Brad Johnson paid a bribe to tamper with footballs at the Super Bowl

 

Former Buccaneers quarterback Brad Johnson has admitted to paying a bribe to have the footballs tampered with before the 2003 Super Bowl.

 

Johnson, whose Buccaneers beat the Raiders at Super Bowl XXXVII, said he paid $7,500 to some people he did not identify so that they would scuff the balls set to be used in the Super Bowl, making them easier to grip. According to Johnson, there were 100 footballs set aside for the game, and the people he bribed tampered with all 100, to Johnson’s specifications.

 

“I paid some guys off to get the balls right,” Johnson told the Tampa Bay Times. “I went and got all 100 footballs, and they took care of all of them.”

 

That’s a shocking admission — Johnson is confessing that he cheated to help his team win the Super Bowl, and that people who work for the NFL accepted a bribe to help one team cheat in the Super Bowl.

[RonArtest15]

Yeah...why isn't Rodgers getting more **** for his comments?  To me, it's not a big deal....

[GoSkins0721]

Yeah...why isn't Rodgers getting more **** for his comments?  To me, it's not a big deal....

 

What comments? The only thing I read was he likes the balls inflated higher because he has big hands & a strong grip. Did he say that GB over-inflates them beyond the acceptable size permitted by the rules? 

[Vilandil Tasardur]

Brad Johnson paid a bribe to tamper with footballs at the Super Bowl

 

Former Buccaneers quarterback Brad Johnson has admitted to paying a bribe to have the footballs tampered with before the 2003 Super Bowl.

 

Johnson, whose Buccaneers beat the Raiders at Super Bowl XXXVII, said he paid $7,500 to some people he did not identify so that they would scuff the balls set to be used in the Super Bowl, making them easier to grip. According to Johnson, there were 100 footballs set aside for the game, and the people he bribed tampered with all 100, to Johnson’s specifications.

 

“I paid some guys off to get the balls right,” Johnson told the Tampa Bay Times. “I went and got all 100 footballs, and they took care of all of them.”

 

That’s a shocking admission — Johnson is confessing that he cheated to help his team win the Super Bowl, and that people who work for the NFL accepted a bribe to help one team cheat in the Super Bowl.

See, once again, to me this is all about the how.

 

Brad Johnson went out of his way, before the game, to plan an illegal activity that gained him a competitive advantage. I am very much NOT okay with this.

 

BUT. If Brad Johnson had grabbed all the rookies on the team during the pregame show or the National Anthem and told them all to hurry up and start scuffing, I don't have a problem with that. Like I said, to me, that's akin to licking the ball or rubbing some dirt on it.

 

So if the Pats had someone sneak into that room Tom Cruise style after the ref's inspection, and systematically deflate all (but one, which is curious) of the balls, I am vey much NOT okay with it. But if they asked Vince Wilfork to sit on them during the pre game? Whatever. 

[MattFancy]

What comments? The only thing I read was he likes the balls inflated higher because he has big hands & a strong grip. Did he say that GB over-inflates them beyond the acceptable size permitted by the rules? 

 

Yes.

 

"I like to push the limits of how much air we can put in the football, even go over what they allow you to do," is what Simms recalls Rodgers telling them.

[GoSkins0721]

Yes.

 

Ok, I missed that. No evidence the over-inflated balls ever made it into a game or that it was done after they were checked by the refs during their pregame inspection. And, to be fair, there's no indication the latter was done by NE, either. 

[megared]

It's a big deal because if you're going to make protecting the 'integrity of the game' a priority, you can't have one organization doing everything within their power to subvert rules that are in place to not give a team a competitive advantage.  It may not have had a major effect on the outcome of this game...but then again how do you know? 

 

We do know having an underinflated football give QBs more grip on the ball, and allows RBs to tuck the ball away more securely. 

 

Who knows if a Patriots RB would have fumbled with a properly inflated ball, and changed the momentum in that game to get Indy back in it early?  Or that Brady would have been more off target because of the cold and wet conditions affecting his ability to throw the ball?  Or if NE receivers don't have a harder time catching a properly inflated ball?  All of their close games make you wonder whether potentially having a competitive advantage made them less prone to mistakes.

 

If what's being said is true, to me it calls into question everything Belichick has ever done.  To be conniving enough to leave one properly inflated ball to hand over in case someone asks questions?  What it did prove was that you can't claim 'environmental conditions' caused 11 of the 12 balls to be out of compliance with rules.  

 

In addition to the penalties levied against the Patriots, I also feel that teams shouldn't be able to practice with game balls, scuff them up, etc.  If you think that's ridiculous, blame the Patriots.    This is much worse than Bountygate.  This tilted the outcome of games in the Patriots' favor.  And the worst part about it, is they didn't NEED to do it.  All of that talk about working hard and doing the right thing is crap if you're going to go out and cheat. 

[Vilandil Tasardur]

Ok, I missed that. No evidence the over-inflated balls ever made it into a game or that it was done after they were checked by the refs during their pregame inspection. And, to be fair, there's no indication the latter was done by NE, either. 

Indeed. That's why I suspect that the refs don't actually measure the PSI when they check the balls. I suspect they just pick them up and say "hmm, seems like the ball's in good condition".

 

It seems like over or under inflating the balls is just part of the gamesmanship that goes on all the time; at least three instances of it have been brought to light now. The question really seems to be whether or not the refs approved the balls in their existing state, or if they were altered after. 

 

 

Also, Rodgers like it over inflated because he has a massive death grip. Other QBs like it under inflated because they can hold it easier. But if it's under inflated, it gets harder to push the ball down field. Rodgers wants a minimum, but no maximum. But seemingly openly admits that he wants this purely because he thinks most QBs are wussies who can't get on his grip level. So maybe the take home in all of this should be, "who cares?" If you want it over inflated to help you push it down field, you can deal with grip issues. If I want it under inflated to help me hold it, I can deal with not getting it past 20 yards. Seems like no big deal.

Looks like the weather may have been at least part of a factor, according to one former Redskin.

 

http://www.sportsgrid.com/nfl/graham-gano-comes-to-patriots-aid-after-nfl-ruling/

 

 

 

(1/4)When checking the game balls, the refs check the psi indoors. This is frustrating bc the ball loses some pressure in cold weather...During our home playoff game this year I asked the official if he could check the psi outside again bc the ball felt flat and he...said he could not.

[FrFan]

Sepp Blatter is tampering with the NFL.

[dsciambi]

It seems like over or under inflating the balls is just part of the gamesmanship that goes on all the time; at least three instances of it have been brought to light now. The question really seems to be whether or not the refs approved the balls in their existing state, or if they were altered after. 

 

This. I'm pretty sure even for spygate lots of teams were doing it. It's just that the Patriots got caught. There's probably all sorts of minor shady things that teams do to get a slight competitive advantage. I don't know why anyone cares.

[RiggosMohawk]

BREAKING NEWS: NFL agrees to inflate and check all game balls in Death Valley on the summer solstice.

 

Seriously though, the game balls for a December game at Lambeau must be 'interesting' to say the least. Much less air pressure inside a completely frozen piece of leather.

[Lombardi's_kid_brother]

This may be my favorite sports scandal ever. It's meaningless and important at the same time. There should be no punishment yet I want everyone fired - mainly for entertainment's sake.

 

And in the middle you have Roger Goodell, who has not only passed Bud Selig as the most over-matched commissioner in sports history, he is lapping him.

 

This is glorious.

[codeorama]

Interesting thing is that there is no story about it on NFL.com

[Rodriggo]

I had no idea but each team plays with their own set of 12 balls. So this did not affect the Colts equally like some have said. The Colts only figured out something was up after the pick by Jackson who literally laid hands on one of their set ... the Patriots really did have a competitive advantage. A drop in the bucket most likely but it was a competitive advantage none the less, a clear breaking of the rules. 11 of the 12 were under inflated ... This could not only be draft picks lost but could also be a suspension for Belicheck. It should be both.

 

To me this is worse than Bounty-gate. Bounty-gate is football to me, Deflate-gate is cowardice.

 

Spy-gate, Eligible-gate, Deflate-gate ... go Hawks.

[JdoubleU]

If this is true, the league should do the following to this organization of cheaters:

1. Suspend the head coach for an entire season. He would have been caught on 2 occassions.
2. Take the top three draft picks for the next season and the top 2 for 2016. This is for being multiple offenders.
3. Reduce their cap room.  The Skins got slammed for Big Al during an uncapped season, thus confirming the league owners colluded against the players union.

[ExoDus84]

**Quote on weather having an affect on ball pressure.**

 

Not the cause, unless the Colts' balls were also underinflated. If they weren't, then it was deliberate.

 

I'm sure it had no impact on the final score, but just another way NE is breaking rules to gain an advantage. You'd think they would have learned their lesson by now.

[LondonSkins77]

Patriots need to fire the equipment guy for not getting all 12 balls deflated in time!

Seriously though would Belichick have ordered or at least given the ok to go ahead, or just something the equipment staff would do on their own?

Did something like that not happen at USC a few years back and Lane Kifffin denied all knowledge?

[Destino]

Would the head coach even have anything to do with this? All the related stories seem to be between the QB and the equipment guy.

[Vilandil Tasardur]

Not the cause, unless the Colts' balls were also underinflated. If they weren't, then it was deliberate.

 

I'm sure it had no impact on the final score, but just another way NE is breaking rules to gain an advantage. You'd think they would have learned their lesson by now.

But we have no idea if the Colt's balls were measured or not (that really needs reworded   ).

 

As far as I can tell, the only thing we DO know is that, at some point after the game, the Patriots's balls were taken for official inspection. We don't know how long after (did it take two hours or two days?) We don't know where (was it in Foxborough, or did they get flown/driven to New York?). Were they any "control" balls also measured, to verify whether the Patriots's balls were outside the standard deviation for all of the balls present at that particular game?

 

 

Also, I think it's worth noting that, yes, the Colts player noticed the ball was odd because he intercepted a ball he otherwise normally wouldn't have touched. But he's a defensive player. It's not like he handles a lot of balls on a regular basis. That might have been the first ball he touched in over an hour (if he touched any balls while warming up at all). If deflation did have anything to do with the cold, he could easily perceive something different because it's not exactly like he's got his mitts all up on his own teams's balls regularly anyway.

 

(That whole paragraph sounds absolutely awful!)

 

I'm just trying to point out that, it's a far cry from Andrew Luck having one of the Pats's balls roll over to him, picking it up, and going "Wait a second...". It's a guy who doesn't usually handle balls thinking they feel a little funny when he finally does. Turns out, they were funny. But were they funny because by malicious design?

[NickyJ]

Vilandil, that's a good point about the Colts player not usually handling footballs, but don't the linebackers usually catch a few balls during pre-game warmups? I usually see some players that don't typically touch the footballs during the game catch warmup passes from QBs or whatever personnel.

[HOF44]

As far as I can tell, the only thing we DO know is that, at some point after the game, the Patriots's balls were taken for official inspection. We don't know how long after (did it take two hours or two days?) We don't know where (was it in Foxborough, or did they get flown/driven to New York?). Were they any "control" balls also measured, to verify whether the Patriots's balls were outside the standard deviation for all of the balls present at that particular game?

In the article it said they were measured at halftime using 2 different devices. It doesn't say if it was corrected or not though.