Slanted article... referees hold the footballs as much as the players do. Why did the referees put the footballs back into play? Why are they not called to question? The players play the game and more and likely did not notice, until cry babies cry. Oh how absurd to bring the Patriots Back Into Turbulence...
22
I think we should all now accept pro-football as simply a decidedly more expensive and more dangerous 'sport-form' like pro-wrestling.
5
Hate to be picky, but would just like to remind folks of one small matter. We don't know what happened, nor do we know who made whatever happened happen.
19
'...But that point of view misses the larger point — whether New England, the pre-eminent N.F.L. team of the last 15 years, went into the game intending to cheat...'
The point is that if the Patriots have done it once, they have done it many times, which brings their entire record into question.
The point is that if the Patriots have done it once, they have done it many times, which brings their entire record into question.
9
The definition of cheating is to act dishonestly or unfairly in order to gain an advantage. By this definition, I'm not sure the Pats cheated, as using deflated footballs would obviously affect both teams, thus giving an advantage to no one. Accusing the Pats of cheating for using deflated balls seems like a step removed from accusing the Pats of cheating for using bad weather (another factor that affects both teams) to their advantage. The Pats and Colts both have a pass-centric offense, so the only way a slightly deflated ball could give an advantage to the Pats is if they practiced with similarly deflated balls. Which is entirely possible, although so far unproven.
It seems to me though, that if the difference in ball pressure was so great as to affect the game, then the referees should be blamed for doing nothing about it. Those guys touch the ball before every play. They're paid to make sure people are playing by the rules.
Spygate scandal aside, the Patriots aren't cheaters. They're innovators. When the militiamen, the patriots for which the Pats were named, fought the redcoats, the redcoats accused the militiamen of "cheating" because they used strategy (sniping from behind stone walls and trees) to their advantage. Lets not forget that the vast majority of the time the Pats harness teamwork, superior knowledge of the rules, and the unique abilities of each player to get the W.
It seems to me though, that if the difference in ball pressure was so great as to affect the game, then the referees should be blamed for doing nothing about it. Those guys touch the ball before every play. They're paid to make sure people are playing by the rules.
Spygate scandal aside, the Patriots aren't cheaters. They're innovators. When the militiamen, the patriots for which the Pats were named, fought the redcoats, the redcoats accused the militiamen of "cheating" because they used strategy (sniping from behind stone walls and trees) to their advantage. Lets not forget that the vast majority of the time the Pats harness teamwork, superior knowledge of the rules, and the unique abilities of each player to get the W.
20
For the record, Patriots fans think it's hilarious how frustrated and angry Jets fans are.
7
And to think there remains 10 more days before Super Bowl!
Media must love its new & unexpected gift - certainly beats reporters asking players their favorite color, animal ... or other absurd questions seeking desperate ways to fill space. However I now know more useless details about 'footballs' then ever imagined.
Is it not ironic that the so called 'cheating' to gain an advantage was discovered on a INTERCEPTION? Does it not still require accuracy & timing to toss & catch the ball? Mr. Rhoden's article would have been sufficiently complete if stopped after 2nd paragraph.
The only thing "old & reliable' about NE Pats is they consistently WIN! If you want conspiracies take another look at Packers miraculous 'choke' ... or how did Colts get so 'flogged' in a Championship match?
So there's more intense investigations about proper inflation while we disregard blown calls by Refs that determined game outcomes ... and the myriad of serious issues the NFL faces while making a fortune for its League members.
As the media drones on with pure speculation - I just became a Pats fan!
Media must love its new & unexpected gift - certainly beats reporters asking players their favorite color, animal ... or other absurd questions seeking desperate ways to fill space. However I now know more useless details about 'footballs' then ever imagined.
Is it not ironic that the so called 'cheating' to gain an advantage was discovered on a INTERCEPTION? Does it not still require accuracy & timing to toss & catch the ball? Mr. Rhoden's article would have been sufficiently complete if stopped after 2nd paragraph.
The only thing "old & reliable' about NE Pats is they consistently WIN! If you want conspiracies take another look at Packers miraculous 'choke' ... or how did Colts get so 'flogged' in a Championship match?
So there's more intense investigations about proper inflation while we disregard blown calls by Refs that determined game outcomes ... and the myriad of serious issues the NFL faces while making a fortune for its League members.
As the media drones on with pure speculation - I just became a Pats fan!
12
It's a little-known fact that the field at Gillette Stadium is on gimbals, so the Colts had to go uphill to their end zone on each possession.
20
Did anyone else see Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson offer his profound thanks to god last Sunday for helping him defeat the Packers in the NFC championship game? Wilson knows what so many of his colleagues in the NFL know: that god really is concerned about what happens on the gridiron each week. So when eleven of twelve footballs mysteriously deflate on the sidelines in Foxboro, giving the Patriots a slight edge in their romp over the Colts, there’s no need to declare the team cheaters or ponder the effects of shifting barometric pressure. It’s just divine intervention, and proof that god loves the Patriots. The only question that remains: who will he (or she?) be rooting for in two weeks?
20
"The only question that remains: who will he (or she?) be rooting for in two weeks?"
Obviously the winning team. Don't forget that God gets to read tomorrow's newspapers today, and what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.
Obviously the winning team. Don't forget that God gets to read tomorrow's newspapers today, and what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.
7
That's Our Yahweh!
Yeah ... that's the way God is. He helps Russell Wilson and Tom Brady win their football games and He keeps Tim Tebow employed at ESPN ... but He can't cure world hunger.
Yeah ... that's the way God is. He helps Russell Wilson and Tom Brady win their football games and He keeps Tim Tebow employed at ESPN ... but He can't cure world hunger.
11
If deflating the balls is supposed to help the PASSING attack, consider the following:
2014 season rankings in passing yards: Pats: 9th, Colts: 1st
Number of Passes thrown in AFC championship game: Pats 35, Colts 33
Number of RUNS in AFC championship game: Pats 40, Colts 19
So tell me - why would the pats deflate the ball to help the Colts, who are much more of a passing team than the Pats? Perhaps the NFL should investigate how the COLTS were able to deflate the balls, since this could only help THEM.
And maybe, just maybe, one should consider that the colts have NEVER beaten the pats in a playoff game played in New England - partly because the colts are a dome team and the pats are virtually unbeatable in bad weather at home. Which is generally true for all dome vs cold weather teams. Can anyone say New Orleans Saints? And oh, BTW, the pats are a far superior team.
Since when did the NFL turn into a congressional witch hunt committee?
2014 season rankings in passing yards: Pats: 9th, Colts: 1st
Number of Passes thrown in AFC championship game: Pats 35, Colts 33
Number of RUNS in AFC championship game: Pats 40, Colts 19
So tell me - why would the pats deflate the ball to help the Colts, who are much more of a passing team than the Pats? Perhaps the NFL should investigate how the COLTS were able to deflate the balls, since this could only help THEM.
And maybe, just maybe, one should consider that the colts have NEVER beaten the pats in a playoff game played in New England - partly because the colts are a dome team and the pats are virtually unbeatable in bad weather at home. Which is generally true for all dome vs cold weather teams. Can anyone say New Orleans Saints? And oh, BTW, the pats are a far superior team.
Since when did the NFL turn into a congressional witch hunt committee?
8
Well, part of the problem here is that the offensive team provides the ball for their own offense and the only time the defensive team touches it is on interceptions, fumbles, kicks. Both sides footballs were tested and the Colt's footballs were normal and the Pats not which is why there is a controversy at all.
12
I totally agree: ban Belichick from the Super Bowl. But Brady must have known as well since he was throwing those deflateables. His penalty?
2
Did the referees used the same gage to meassure the balls before and after? Just thinking.
5
Athletes that knowingly cheat - behave and perform deceptively ( Lance Armstrong). No one is suggesting the Pats needed any cheat driven advantage to win against the Colts. If the game balls were inspected at the start of the game, were re-inflated at the half it would seem there is an explainable phenomena : hot air start + weather (could be reproduced in a controlled test). An overly loyal ball boy sticking pins in??? I'll wait for the selfie to believe that one.
American excellence all over again, cheat, win any way you can, this is the new American way and many are proud of it. And then they ask what is the matter with our kids, or this, or that. Well, what is the matter is this culture has lost almost all of its integrity. Just watch as we move into another drunken presidential election process. Gerrymandering anyone? Bald faced lies.
6
All the hand wringing over CHEATING!! and INTEGRITY!! is such nonsense.
On every single play there are illegal blocks that aren't called, picks that are ignored, hands to the face, leading with the helmet, and on every other replay you can clearly see defensive backs (and often receivers) holding, grabbing and pushing. These are not spur of the moment miscues but techniques methodically coached throughout a player's career starting in high school if not before. Let's not even start with PEDs. In every facet of the game cheating is condoned and encouraged.
How many times have you heard "if you're not cheating you're not trying"? That's the way it is in many sports as in many occupations in general. That holds true especially in football where the players move so fast, are often masked by other players, and plays are over so quickly that even with 6 refs on the field hundreds of infractions are missed every game.
We don't know yet what the deal is in Patriot-land (micro-waved balls? super-heated air? simple deflation by ball person?) but whatever it is it's just part of the culture and frankly it doesn't bother me at all. I'll worry about it when every play is reviewed for penalties, every penalty is called, and every player is tested every game.
On every single play there are illegal blocks that aren't called, picks that are ignored, hands to the face, leading with the helmet, and on every other replay you can clearly see defensive backs (and often receivers) holding, grabbing and pushing. These are not spur of the moment miscues but techniques methodically coached throughout a player's career starting in high school if not before. Let's not even start with PEDs. In every facet of the game cheating is condoned and encouraged.
How many times have you heard "if you're not cheating you're not trying"? That's the way it is in many sports as in many occupations in general. That holds true especially in football where the players move so fast, are often masked by other players, and plays are over so quickly that even with 6 refs on the field hundreds of infractions are missed every game.
We don't know yet what the deal is in Patriot-land (micro-waved balls? super-heated air? simple deflation by ball person?) but whatever it is it's just part of the culture and frankly it doesn't bother me at all. I'll worry about it when every play is reviewed for penalties, every penalty is called, and every player is tested every game.
7
Really? Really? OK, you stop this mini crisis by having the refs control all of the game balls. End of story. As for Sunday's game (I love Arron, so there you have it), Andrew and his guys could not have beaten Tom and his guys even with a 30 pt advantage. STOP this nonsense. HELLO, we have real problems, OK. Moreover, me thinks this has been going on all over college and pro ball forever. USC v Oregon. Recall! Also, you can bet you bottom dollar that Pete knows all about how this is done. GROW UP!!!
4
What if the ref who checked the balls let the air out? Think about it....
3
As a proud New England resident, I chose to watch the Great British Baking Show on PBS while the Patriots were standing around most of the time and won against the Colts. The reference to standing around is that according to a WSJ article - http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704281204575002852055561406 - in an average game of American Football (better name would be Tosserball) 67 minutes is spent standing around, while 11 minutes for actual playing.
I can attest that all the contestants in the Baking Show were very busy making a mess of their choices, but none them tried to change the air pressure to get a softer sponge or a saucier pud!
The idea that each team brings and plays with balls brought by them in itself is a strange rule. After all, Tosserball is a sport with very strange rules - and one cannot still fathom why when 60 to 70% of Tosserball players are Black the QBs and Kickers are predominantly White! Perhaps the NFL can look into that as well.
I can attest that all the contestants in the Baking Show were very busy making a mess of their choices, but none them tried to change the air pressure to get a softer sponge or a saucier pud!
The idea that each team brings and plays with balls brought by them in itself is a strange rule. After all, Tosserball is a sport with very strange rules - and one cannot still fathom why when 60 to 70% of Tosserball players are Black the QBs and Kickers are predominantly White! Perhaps the NFL can look into that as well.
1
Let's Have More Analysis
I won't rest until the Times pays Nate Silver to use the films of the Patriots-Colts game to analyze the behavior of those allegedly deflated balls when they were spiked in the end zone after the Patriots made their six touchdowns.
That should provide definitive evidence of the altered behavior of the balls when used for their most important function.
I won't rest until the Times pays Nate Silver to use the films of the Patriots-Colts game to analyze the behavior of those allegedly deflated balls when they were spiked in the end zone after the Patriots made their six touchdowns.
That should provide definitive evidence of the altered behavior of the balls when used for their most important function.
2
Perhaps everyone should take a deep breath and wait for the official findings rather than speculate and pontificate. From what I have seen with the officials handling the game balls on each and every play it would seem that any irregularities would be noticed by them, unless, of course, they were part of the dark scheme!
5
I am astonished at the court of public opinion. Even if the balls were underinflated, it is up to the refs to call the game and make sure all equipment is in order.
To blame a team for pushing limits, as they all are want to do, and go ga-ga over an underinflated ball which is a referees responsibility, is a bit much. At least no one got knocked out in an elevator.
To blame a team for pushing limits, as they all are want to do, and go ga-ga over an underinflated ball which is a referees responsibility, is a bit much. At least no one got knocked out in an elevator.
9
So, Belichick has been caught again (or not). And he's playing against a team coached by Pete Carroll who broke enough NCAA rules at USC to have the Trojans excluded from Bowl play for a number of years (while Pete was punished with a multimillion dollar contract in the NFL.) Who knows what rules Pete has broken in the NFL? It is a tarnished product. It makes one feel old. Remember when you were young and the game was played for the spirit of competition? But its always been that way (the Black Sox, any cold war and post cold war Olympics, Lance Armstrong ). It really is absurd. Kafka and Sartre should have been sports reporters.
5
From Richard Sherman of the Seahawks - "They were trying to suspend Marshawn for gold shoes . That really affects the game if you suspend Marshawn for gold shoes. But then you got balls being deflated, and that’s an issue."
Yes, the NFL may just try to hit the Patriots wallet, again if the investigation does prove cheating. What would really send a message is that for the 2015-16 season, all gate receipts, home and away as well as merchandise sales should be given to charities.
Yes, the NFL may just try to hit the Patriots wallet, again if the investigation does prove cheating. What would really send a message is that for the 2015-16 season, all gate receipts, home and away as well as merchandise sales should be given to charities.
1
I'd like to trademark the name "New England Cheatriots". Just for the record.
1
11 of 12 balls for the Patriots were under-inflated but what about those for Seattle?
In the tenth paragraph, Rhoden acknowledges that he really doesn't know "if indeed [intentional deflation] happened," then goes on to recommend that Goodell suspend Belichick for the Super Bowl. It's amazing how many columnists, like Rhoden, and fans have arrogantly concluded that Belichick is guilty of cheating while an investigation is still underway. The question no one brings up is why the teams supply the balls in the first place. Shouldn't the league designate someone to supply and safeguard the balls for each game? Finally, the league should investigate the unnamed source who leaked the supposed reactions of "distraught, angry" NFL officials. There's a lot at stake in this Super Bowl. If Brady and Belichick win their fourth title, they would be considered one of the all-time great tandems. I'm sure there is still a lot of lingering resentment from the way Belichick jilted the Jets. Maybe what's motivating all of this is sour grapes.
6
Maybe the balls, to put it politely, passed wind? They felt comfortable in their skins, and voila!
2
The problem with getting caught cheating once is that everyone is predisposed to believe the worst about you. I certainly do, or at least, I think the burden should be on the Patriots here to provide an alternative to explain the underinflated balls. Well, whatever, I won't be watching the Super Bowl. It now seems pointless.
2
Solutions are easy. Boycott all NFL games and products. Take their money away and watch how fast things change. Also no more tax payer funded stadiums with all the sweet money making deals that go with it. Take away exemptions for all the business related expense of the NFL owners.
I know none of these will be put in place but, if you want to make the NFL change then take away the easy money.
I know none of these will be put in place but, if you want to make the NFL change then take away the easy money.
3
I've never seen such a trivial unimportant non issue blown up as much as this one. But then again, what else are Jets fans supposed to talk about during the postseason ?
4
The investigation hasn't taken place, and so far there are only hysterical accusations. Yet everyone seems to believe the Patriots are guilty. What that shows me is that no one takes the NFL any more seriously than professional wrestling. Maybe it's time for the sport to change its rules drastically. . .or just go away. Wishful thinking, that last.
3
Yes, its only a game. But it hurts.
2
Yet another case of an NFL "whodunit!" If the footballs were truly purposely deflated, and it appears they were, how does the NFL punish just one person? Bilichick? Brady? The water boy? If the NFL does anything less than keep the Patriot's out of the Super Bowl, then let's ALL get our brooms out of the closet and help the NFL sweep, yet another, unsolved case, under the carpet.
1
Is there any other sport where a team gets to choose it's own balls?
One set of balls. End of story.
One set of balls. End of story.
1
First, the NFL needs to learn about "ball control." Just like umpires in baseball, the refs should control the balls--no scuffing, etc., allowed. Or make the balls with a rougher finish.
Second, the NFL needs to punish by penalizing what the teams wants, wins. Appropriatet action would mean two things: (1) suspending the coach and quarterback some number of games, say, eight, next season--and different games, say, four games for one, four games for the other; and (2) loss of first and second round players for three consecutive years.
One could even imagine letting the game be played, and, if the Patriots win, declare it forfeit. Kraft will think again; Belichick will think again; Brady will think again--before the franchise cheats again.
Second, the NFL needs to punish by penalizing what the teams wants, wins. Appropriatet action would mean two things: (1) suspending the coach and quarterback some number of games, say, eight, next season--and different games, say, four games for one, four games for the other; and (2) loss of first and second round players for three consecutive years.
One could even imagine letting the game be played, and, if the Patriots win, declare it forfeit. Kraft will think again; Belichick will think again; Brady will think again--before the franchise cheats again.
3
Wow, James, this is way too early to make such a strong statement about the cheating Pats.
ESPN claims 11 of the 12 balls were under-inflated from an NFL "source" and another report says they were two pounds under-inflated. Were they all under-inflated by exactly two pounds? If the Pats inflate them to the lower limit, natural temperature differences (from 70 inside to 50 outside) drops the pressure by a pound, assuming they are prepared and tested inside before they go outside. From the top limit that is two pounds.
That seems like splitting hairs, but the precise numbers, different pressures, times of measurement, etc., are crucial to determining whether the Pats cheated.
Write the piece again when it's incontrovertible that they cheated. And make sure you put an extra heaping of how stupid they are, for all their brilliance and careful reading of the rule book, to cheat in such an obvious and easily found out manner.
ESPN claims 11 of the 12 balls were under-inflated from an NFL "source" and another report says they were two pounds under-inflated. Were they all under-inflated by exactly two pounds? If the Pats inflate them to the lower limit, natural temperature differences (from 70 inside to 50 outside) drops the pressure by a pound, assuming they are prepared and tested inside before they go outside. From the top limit that is two pounds.
That seems like splitting hairs, but the precise numbers, different pressures, times of measurement, etc., are crucial to determining whether the Pats cheated.
Write the piece again when it's incontrovertible that they cheated. And make sure you put an extra heaping of how stupid they are, for all their brilliance and careful reading of the rule book, to cheat in such an obvious and easily found out manner.
5
If a defensive player in one opportunity to touch the football realizes that it is under-inflated, wouldn't one assume that the quarterback, running backs and center would also realize it? It seems likely that the Patriots play with under-inflated footballs in every game, which means they are cheating in every game. Of course the NFL won't do the right thing. The Patriots entire season and entire history is under suspicion. Belichick should be banned from the NFL for life. The only way to get the NFL to notice that the fans aren't going to put up with this kink of behavior is not to watch the Superbowl. #don'twatchcheaters
2
The official handles the ball in between every play. The official did not notice.
7
Some how Petee Rose and Donald Sterling come to mind. Ban Belichick for life, starting today, and require Kraft to sell the Cheatriots. Problem solved going forward, and there will be no repetitions in the NFL.
Both MLB and the NBA actually took effective actions.
The NFL will not do so, though.
Instead there will be figurative asterickxs attached to every Patriots Superbowl victory and every one of Tom Brady's records.
Both MLB and the NBA actually took effective actions.
The NFL will not do so, though.
Instead there will be figurative asterickxs attached to every Patriots Superbowl victory and every one of Tom Brady's records.
2
Were all 11 balls that were low at the same pressure?
If 1 ball was at 10.5 pounds and 4 balls were at 12.4 pounds and 3 balls were at 12.3 pounds and 3 balls were at 12.2 pounds it's a whole lot less interesting than if all 11 balls were at 10.5 PSI.
If 1 ball was at 10.5 pounds and 4 balls were at 12.4 pounds and 3 balls were at 12.3 pounds and 3 balls were at 12.2 pounds it's a whole lot less interesting than if all 11 balls were at 10.5 PSI.
1
Who was the whistle blower? How did this thing come to light in the first place? "Inside The NFL" last night on TV said it wasn't just one or two balls, but something like 9 of the 11 balls used by New England, increasing the suspicion of tampering.
Sounds like this team will do anything to win a football game. Fans won't take kindly to compulsive cheaters. It will be interesting to see approximately 75% of Super Bowl fans loudly booing the Patriots when they take the field.
Go Seahawks!
Go Seahawks!
2
Yes, let's try, convict and execute the Pats before we know too many facts - then we may have to be actually rational.
4
I think that everyone is wasting a lot of energy on this issue. I, like many people, enjoy watching playoff football, but it's an entertainment industry. Roger Goodell does not share your righteous indignation - for him, it is just an embarassing blemish on the NFL brand. It's another in a series of small headaches that he is paid $45M a year to resolve. Whether or not it was an intentional act by the Patriots, the league got caught failing to ensure that their "product" is as pure as they want it to be perceived, so in the end, it's really just a marketing issue.
If the Patriots are proven guilty, they will be given a financial or draft pick penalty. Anyone who thinks that they will be somehow put at a disadvantage for the Superbowl (by suspending Belichick, for example) is not thinking it through. It would punish Seattle, for whom a win would always be subject to the caveat that they didn't beat Belichick, and it would provide a convenient excuse for New England should they lose.
My advice is to move on - there is nothing here that can be "fixed." As for the moral side, well, I don't recommend using professional sports as a model for personal behavior, but that's your choice. You can boycott the Superbowl, or use the Patriots to teach the evils of cheating to your children - more power to you. Personally, I am going to enjoy the upcoming NFL production and then go back to my life, just as I always do. I doubt that I'll like it as much as Birdman, but you never know...
If the Patriots are proven guilty, they will be given a financial or draft pick penalty. Anyone who thinks that they will be somehow put at a disadvantage for the Superbowl (by suspending Belichick, for example) is not thinking it through. It would punish Seattle, for whom a win would always be subject to the caveat that they didn't beat Belichick, and it would provide a convenient excuse for New England should they lose.
My advice is to move on - there is nothing here that can be "fixed." As for the moral side, well, I don't recommend using professional sports as a model for personal behavior, but that's your choice. You can boycott the Superbowl, or use the Patriots to teach the evils of cheating to your children - more power to you. Personally, I am going to enjoy the upcoming NFL production and then go back to my life, just as I always do. I doubt that I'll like it as much as Birdman, but you never know...
4
Does a team only use the balls it brings with, they switch balls when the offense switches? If so, that makes it worse but why switch balls? Asking for trouble.
Punishment should double for each offense until the behavior changes. Kinda like with kids. Thus $1.5 mil fine, forfeit 1st & 2nd round draft pick. Eventually it will hurt. Or not...
BTW PV=nRT. Learned that in HS!
BTW PV=nRT. Learned that in HS!
How the hell does it matter if the balls were deflated, if both quarterbacks and all of the receivers on BOTH teams would have benefited from the deflation of the footballs equally? If it makes it easier to grip, then Andrew Luck and Colts receivers would have benefited also.
There is no clear "cheating" because there is no clear "advantage".
Also, if the players and the quarterbacks prefer balls inflated a little less, they should appeal to the NFL to allow them to play with balls a little less inflated.
There is no clear "cheating" because there is no clear "advantage".
Also, if the players and the quarterbacks prefer balls inflated a little less, they should appeal to the NFL to allow them to play with balls a little less inflated.
No. My understanding is that the K ball is replaced after the kick off or punt is caught. The new ball would come from the offensive teams ball boy. Advantage to the deflating team. The only way the other team gets their hands on a 'deflated' ball would be though interception or fumble. And then on he next play from scrimmage, their team's ball would be put in play.
3
If 1 or 11 or however many footballs were found to be underinflated, why wasn't anything done right then and there?
Also, for a sport built on a reputation for toughness, what is the explanation for teams being allowed to bring their own balls and inflate them to their quarterback's liking. I was surprised years ago to learn that different balls were brought into the game for kicking but had no idea each team was planing with a different set of balls. I don't care who supplies the footballs and who inflates them or to what pressure. But the same ball should be on the field for both teams to use in all aspects of the game.
Also, for a sport built on a reputation for toughness, what is the explanation for teams being allowed to bring their own balls and inflate them to their quarterback's liking. I was surprised years ago to learn that different balls were brought into the game for kicking but had no idea each team was planing with a different set of balls. I don't care who supplies the footballs and who inflates them or to what pressure. But the same ball should be on the field for both teams to use in all aspects of the game.
2
Not to diminish the horrible behavior of a few players in the NFL, but those criminal acts have an avenue in which to be addressed which should have been full pursued with the full cooperation of the NFL - and then the NFL should penalize as they see fit based on the damage to the profession. But this is plain and simple cheating - and in a hugely important game - and this should be the most important thing on the list of things the NFL should address. This is totally about the game, the coach, the players and the inherent integrity (which I say with a bit of a grimace) of the game. What does it say that cheating is treated so lightly. It should bring about the most extreme penalty - to show the professionals and every fan out there that this is not acceptable. I don't care if the Patriots would have won regardless - and it seems that maybe their very presence in the playoffs may be tainted - intentional cheating should not be tolerated in any way. Fines and the so-called shame is no penalty for what is the worst offence in sports. And since the average attention span of most sports fans seems to be that of a gnat - it will have no lasting impact. We must to more or the beginning of cheating as par for the course has begun.
2
After hearing Aaron Rodgers discuss how he likes his footballs over-inflated and how it was apparently a game of cat and mouse as to whether the NFL officials would "notice" and deflate those footballs to the NFL "standard" I cannot feel other than the NFL let each team/quarterback set the footballs any way they preferred and then would occasionally check the balls and remediate as needed. Considering this, I find it a bit suspicious that this under-inflation was suddenly discovered in 11 out of 12 balls. Either the NFL didn't bother to check the balls at all prior to the game or there was some serious (and I would think obvious to bystanders) tampering going on after the supposed check of the balls. It seems more likely that the NFL regularly ignored the "rule" and every team took advantage of it. Kind of similar to the "Spygate" situation. The NFL only addressed an ongoing "situation" when someone decides to complain or it suited them. Nonprofit, hahaha it is a business, pure and simple.
Of note, although I live in New England, I am firstly an LA Raiders fan and moved here the year that the Patriots beat the Raiders in that famous game. I find the vitriol towards the Patriots organization completely out of proportion and find it extremely coincidental that just as the Patriots would be headed to another Super Bowl this deflation anomaly was found.
Of note, although I live in New England, I am firstly an LA Raiders fan and moved here the year that the Patriots beat the Raiders in that famous game. I find the vitriol towards the Patriots organization completely out of proportion and find it extremely coincidental that just as the Patriots would be headed to another Super Bowl this deflation anomaly was found.
2
Both teams had the same balls didn't they? What's the problem?
How about throwing a season to get Lucky in the draft? How about every time a player is caught using PED's a team vacates every win that the player participated in?
2
Taking an unfair advantage is cheating or attempting to take an unfair advantage is cheating. Why are they playing in the Super Bowl. Why not play play the Ravens and Colts again and let the winner play in the Super Bowl. The fine is not even a pittance to them and their standing would make any draft pick minor.
1
I have one question for Patriot fans/owners/players. What would you want if the shoe was on the other foot?
Seems like a really poor system for ensuring that the balls are legitimate. Also seems that if there were issues at half time, they should have been checking the ball every time in went in. Colts players touched those balls and the officials touched them every play. They could have told if there was a problem. Making a bunch of noise after the fact seems suspiciously like whining. Writing an article that makes this seem like a decade long pattern unique to the Patriots seems irresponsible.
4
Rhoden despises the Patriots. This is the same guy who wrote about the Patriots' "crumbling empire" and “The shift has occurred: the Jets are in ascendancy, while New England is in retrograde."
That was back in 2010. Prior to the Jets-Pats game. The Pats proceeded to thrash the Jets 45-3. And the Times proceeded to heavily amend his column.
Although numerous players have called the charges ridiculous or admitted to messing with the ball prior to the S.B (Matt Leinhardt, Brad Johnson), my point isn't to justify the Patriot's actions with the "Everyone does it," excuse.
It's to point out Rhoden's -as usual- histrionics, when it comes to anything Patriots.
His call to suspend "Suspend Belichick." The punishment doesn't fit the crime, but as usual Rhoden is living in his own Wonderful World of Oz, where the "Jets are in ascendancy." Hope you find those emerald slippers soon Mr. Rhoden.
That was back in 2010. Prior to the Jets-Pats game. The Pats proceeded to thrash the Jets 45-3. And the Times proceeded to heavily amend his column.
Although numerous players have called the charges ridiculous or admitted to messing with the ball prior to the S.B (Matt Leinhardt, Brad Johnson), my point isn't to justify the Patriot's actions with the "Everyone does it," excuse.
It's to point out Rhoden's -as usual- histrionics, when it comes to anything Patriots.
His call to suspend "Suspend Belichick." The punishment doesn't fit the crime, but as usual Rhoden is living in his own Wonderful World of Oz, where the "Jets are in ascendancy." Hope you find those emerald slippers soon Mr. Rhoden.
7
Pathetic. No achievement by the Patriots can remove the taint of these premeditated cheating episodes. Ethics aside; it would be interesting to see the passing statistics broken out between the 1st and 2nd half of last Sunday's game. Presumably, the Patriots used properly inflated balls in the 2nd half. In particular, did the long passes attempted by the Patriots occur in the 1st or 2nd half?
1
I suggest they appoint a Special Prosecutor and that they should release all the tapes.
1
I'm confused, if the officials inspected the balls at halftime and found some underinflated, did they do something about it then?
Even bigger question, why doesn't the NFL provide the game balls!?!?! If it's potentially that big an advantage to mess with them that seems like a very, very easy way to resolve it (frankly I was surprised to find out the teams provided them at all, I would have assumed the NFL did).
Even bigger question, why doesn't the NFL provide the game balls!?!?! If it's potentially that big an advantage to mess with them that seems like a very, very easy way to resolve it (frankly I was surprised to find out the teams provided them at all, I would have assumed the NFL did).
1
Brady had to know, of course, but if he made arrangements with the team's equipment handler, Belichick need not have been aware of it.
That said, it seems to me that it's a silly rule. Let each team put as much (or as little) air into their footballs as their quarterback likes, and nobody has an "unfair advantage". Aaron Rodgers can pump them up, Brady can soften them up, and the fans can see both perform at their best.
That said, it seems to me that it's a silly rule. Let each team put as much (or as little) air into their footballs as their quarterback likes, and nobody has an "unfair advantage". Aaron Rodgers can pump them up, Brady can soften them up, and the fans can see both perform at their best.
1
If I understand what I have been reading, each team gets to use the balls that they brought to the game. Doesn't that imply that there must be some difference in the balls in the first place, that they have been "tweaked" to each quarterback's preferences?
If this issue is such a big deal it seems to me the league must bear some responsibility for the current flap.
If this issue is such a big deal it seems to me the league must bear some responsibility for the current flap.
1
Thank you!! Best link so far I have seen!!
1
First off this never would have happened if the league would have provided the balls and secondly, the low pressure balls had absolutely no effect on the holes that the offensive line blew into the Colt defense. This is a time honored tradition of trying to get every advantage possible (spitballs). I say this is egg on the face of the NFL for not catching this during the game and putting a stop to it. I am not condoning cheating and I think they should get some kind of punishment, but the real losers here are the league and its officials.
1
" I say this is egg on the face of the NFL for not catching this during the game and putting a stop to it."
Actually, NFL did catch it during the game. At halftime, all game balls were re-inflated back to the specified PSI - a fact that is hardly mentioned in a million articles written on this minor issue.
Actually, NFL did catch it during the game. At halftime, all game balls were re-inflated back to the specified PSI - a fact that is hardly mentioned in a million articles written on this minor issue.
1
I bet the same guy who drove the snow plow when they cheated the Raiders in 2000 (?) was behind this. He deserves prison time. ;-)
That was in Miami.
Pats should forfeit the game and Colts should be declared the winners..Cheating is cheating..
17
A fine is meaningless. How about taking away their first and second round draft picks for the next 3 years? Like any repeat offender they deserve an enhanced sentence.
3
The hard part for me is how my freshman football player is influenced. He's 14, working hard, and getting great life lessons from a stand-up coach who is focused on developing integrity and sportsmanship. I think The Pats should visit a High School football game between now and the Super Bowl and remember what kind of an influence they are in today's youth. Those kids are their future. They have an obligation.
3
The kids are their own future. If any of them make it to the highest level they will be looking for every advantage to exploit.
Let's stop sugarcoating and analyzing all of this. The Patriots are cheaters. End of story.
13
And the Giants are just lucky! ;-) And the Jets.. well, they are the Jets.
1
Someone smarter than I said that if you heat the footballs and blow them up with hot air, they can be inflated to the proper pressure under those conditions, but when they are moved outside, the air inside contracts, and the pressure decreases. The spirit of the rule would be broken, but technically, not the rule as it was written.
5
Actually, this is not too farfetched. Using the ideal gas law PV=NRT, if the ball was inflated to the minimum allowed 11.5 psi in an 80 degree (310 Kelvin) locker room, the pressure would drop to about 10.5 psi when the ball was transported outside to the, say, 45 degree (280 Kelvin) playing field. The Patriot's ball boy may have known that Brady liked the ball on the lower end of the pressure range and pumped them up indoors to meet the minimum league requirement, not accounting for the temperature difference. Of course, this is just hypothetical. They could also have deliberately deflated the balls, too.
2
Having never really played the game, I am not sure I understand....how do you get 11 balls all deflated exactly 2psi, all within the few minutes before kickoff, or during the game in plain view ? If the allegations are to be proven true, this question must be answered. I mean , what if if you deflate a few too much ?
On the other hand, If the charges are not substantiated, or at least point toward a rogue ball boy or something....I wonder if it's too late as the court of public opinion has already issued a guilty verdict.
On the other hand, If the charges are not substantiated, or at least point toward a rogue ball boy or something....I wonder if it's too late as the court of public opinion has already issued a guilty verdict.
13
And, of course, the court of public opinion is never wrong. For example, see...."too many to list".
4
If found guilty, the punishment should fit the crime. Did Belichik even know? When Sammy Sosa used a corked bat he got suspended, but the coach was not. If guilty, Brady probably knew, and should be suspended. But for the Superbowl? Not going to happen.
1
A federal administrator must be appointed to oversee the NFL in order to bring an end to the domestic violence, cheating, drug use and other depravities in the game today.
1
Right! Let's bring in the Feds - they'll keep things clean! Maybe Mr. Silver could fill the spot?
1
NO, this is a game. Period. None of we regular fans has a dog in the fight. We watch on Sunday, etc., root, bet a bit and go back to our normal lives. This is big business, and I dare say, organized crime as well. Let them fight it out. We have more important issues to worry about.
With the players all now capable of wearing "voices in their heads" helmets, suspending the coach would only mean he would not be on the field. He could, however, still call the plays from his mansion living room.
1
It makes sense that one football measured at full air pressure --- that would have been the ball the Patriots used for field goals and punting.
1
There are a different set of balls for that called K balls
2
Kickers use different balls.
1
Cheating whether it gets you the win or not is wrong. Pats send a very bad message to our kids. The penalty is going to include a scarlet letter of cheating no matter what else is decided.
3
STOP! Do you want your kids getting values from drugged up thugs riddled with tats? This is big business and a game. I watch b/c I love a game. After I am finished/I go about my life of reality. Do you think Wall Street is honest/Washington DC??? Give you kids the best example and they will never let you or themselves down. OK.
1
The influence of sports betting can't be ignored. Was someone just trying to insure the spread?
2
I would guess that there were very few days in the past 20 years that Brady hasn't held a properly inflated football in his hands. I doubt he would be ignorant of the change in grip/feel. Most likely, considering how Belichick prepares his teams, they probably practiced with uninflated balls at one point.
In terms of deflating, how hard could it be for the ball boy to figure out an average amount of time to hold the needle in to get a pound out? Needle in, one thousand one, needle out. After enough rehearsal, it could probably be done both accurately and while having facetime with a ref.
In terms of deflating, how hard could it be for the ball boy to figure out an average amount of time to hold the needle in to get a pound out? Needle in, one thousand one, needle out. After enough rehearsal, it could probably be done both accurately and while having facetime with a ref.
5
I figured it out. The ball boy deflated the balls in an elevator ride from the clubhouse to Mr. Kraft's suite at Gillette Stadium. If there is a resultant video tape of that elevator ride, the Commissioner and League would never look there.
4
Sour grapes, plain and simple. New England wins and all the losers gang up looking for a rationalization. Like Duke with its basketball team, they've beaten everybody else just one too many times and have never apologized for it.
11
Sorry, its NOT sour grapes. I am a NE fan. I am a Tom Brady fan. I am even a Belichick fan (as much as it is possible to be one anyway, given that he has all the personal warmth and charm of a dead fish).
But there is no way to dress up cheating into anything other than what it is. Cheating.
They should be stripped of the win.
But there is no way to dress up cheating into anything other than what it is. Cheating.
They should be stripped of the win.
3
Professional sports is so far away from being an athletic contest, I honestly don't see how anyone can enjoy it on any level. Football is particularly horrible: the brutality of play and of the sensibility cultivated in players. The episodes of violence are not an anomaly. The cheating is not an anomaly. The "sport" exists to generate ungodly amounts of money for creeps who don't give a f. about women beaten up in elevators or men who will spend their shortened lives suffering the after-effects of repeated concussions. Stop watching.
3
I won't stop watching, but I agree with everything you wrote. I guess b/c I was raised ..many yrs ago with the love for college FB, and fell in love w/ the pro game yrs ago, I put on blinders when I watch my fav teams. But is Washington DC or Wall Street or Corp America any better? No. This is big money run by organized crime. Period.
If any team should benefit from any penalty against the Patriots, it should be the Ravens, not the Colts. A 4 point loss is a whole lot different than a 38 point loss.
3
Gotta laugh. A deflated ball is as much of a benefit to one team as it is to the other.
Play your games I will watch figure Skating.
Play your games I will watch figure Skating.
1
Probably is best if you stick with figure skating. Each team uses its own footballs while on offense, and there is a different set of footballs altogether for the kicking game. So, one team DOES benefit while the other does not if the footballs that only they use are altered in order to make them easier to throw or catch.
1
What you fail to grasp is that the two teams use separate footballs. Only the Pats played with the deflated footballs.
Would the Patriots have won without under inflating the balls? Absolutely. However that misses the point. The NFL must punish cheating severely for the deterrent effect. For every cheating incident caught, many more go uncaught.
2
I agree with the article except there is an incorrect point. According to the in depth outside investigation the commissioner not his staff had seen the Ray Rice video before the 2 game suspension.
As an ardent fan of the Patriots, I have been devastated by all this, reading everything I can find about the what, why, and wherefore of this mess. It's hard to believe my excitement of last Sunday has evaporated in a cloud of gloom.
It's maddening to listen to the comments, accusations, assumptions, and conclusions from Globe columnists, sports commentators, local wags, and social media. Because we're still in the middle of this-- and I want to know all the facts and judgments.
Some of my friends are amazingly cavalier about the controversy. Many point out that were it not the Patriots, it would be a blip on the media radar. It's been stated, and shown in video clips that other quarterbacks have done what they can to bend the rules to overinflate the ball, or otherwise figure out how to skirt the rules. They say as long as sport has existed, that competitors have sought an edge. "It's just part of the game."
I don't know. As a fan, I'm unhappy. I don't care if the NFL, in its utmost stupidity has a rulebooks so full of potential traps that it has one arrangement for kicking balls, and one for game balls. I don't care if this whole mess forces them to put all balls under the control of refs (which makes the most sense in the cutthroat world of football).
I just want to the truth from my team: the coaches, players, and owner. They must come clean and not evade. But even if they are cleared and there is a documented explanation, the damage has been done.
It's maddening to listen to the comments, accusations, assumptions, and conclusions from Globe columnists, sports commentators, local wags, and social media. Because we're still in the middle of this-- and I want to know all the facts and judgments.
Some of my friends are amazingly cavalier about the controversy. Many point out that were it not the Patriots, it would be a blip on the media radar. It's been stated, and shown in video clips that other quarterbacks have done what they can to bend the rules to overinflate the ball, or otherwise figure out how to skirt the rules. They say as long as sport has existed, that competitors have sought an edge. "It's just part of the game."
I don't know. As a fan, I'm unhappy. I don't care if the NFL, in its utmost stupidity has a rulebooks so full of potential traps that it has one arrangement for kicking balls, and one for game balls. I don't care if this whole mess forces them to put all balls under the control of refs (which makes the most sense in the cutthroat world of football).
I just want to the truth from my team: the coaches, players, and owner. They must come clean and not evade. But even if they are cleared and there is a documented explanation, the damage has been done.
8
I feel the same way about my beloved Pac 12 Conf teams, and Aaron and Green Bay and Peyton and Denver. But I think this goes on everywhere. I hate to say it, but I think it does. Sounds as if we love football. But it is a ruthless business, loaded with cheaters and shysters of every stripe. I am going to my friends' house for Super Bowl. We will have a great time rooting for our teams. I will go home and resume my life. Nothing we can do about Washington D.C either.
1
I am a long-time Patriots fan. I was thrilled by the Pats' recent wins (for the reasons I describe below). Now, I feel physically sickened, just as I did after "spygate." The Patriots should be declared by the NFL to have FORFEITED the AFC Championship game! While teams and QB's are allowed by the NFL to scuff up the new balls to be used in a game, the rulebook explicitly sets forth a required inflation range of PSI. The Patriots' deflating the balls they provided for, and they used in, the game, is no different than if every batter on a baseball team used a corked bat!
I loved Belichick's revival of LEGAL but forgotten (by most) formations and plays. CHEATING, THOUGH, IS CHEATING!
It does not matter that the Pats would have won the game anyway. In baseball, the relevant issue is referred to as "the integrity of the game."
(Note: Yes, I was thrilled by the Pats' innovative use of long-forgotten (by most) unusual, but LEGAL, formations. Combined with the Pats' hurry-up offense, use of these formations was brilliant, fun to watch, and, probably, an important moment in the historic cycles found in the history of the game (similar to Tom Landry bringing back the shotgun)! Most media reports have not explained this accurately. These formations change the usual players lined up on the END of the line of scrimmage thereby changing (by virtue of the formation itself; NOT due to the separate requirement to report to the officials) which players are eligible to catch a forward pass.)
I loved Belichick's revival of LEGAL but forgotten (by most) formations and plays. CHEATING, THOUGH, IS CHEATING!
It does not matter that the Pats would have won the game anyway. In baseball, the relevant issue is referred to as "the integrity of the game."
(Note: Yes, I was thrilled by the Pats' innovative use of long-forgotten (by most) unusual, but LEGAL, formations. Combined with the Pats' hurry-up offense, use of these formations was brilliant, fun to watch, and, probably, an important moment in the historic cycles found in the history of the game (similar to Tom Landry bringing back the shotgun)! Most media reports have not explained this accurately. These formations change the usual players lined up on the END of the line of scrimmage thereby changing (by virtue of the formation itself; NOT due to the separate requirement to report to the officials) which players are eligible to catch a forward pass.)
5
So let me get this straight. The deflated balls were used in the first half of the Patriots-Colts game, when the Patriots scored 17 points.
The properly inflated balls were used in the second half, and the Patriots scored 28 points. Final score 45 to 7.
But in the Patriots-Ravens game, which was also played in Foxboro, the Patriots presumably had use of the deflated balls for the entire game, and won by 4 points.
And the conclusion is: Put the Colts in the Super Bowl?
Yeah, that makes all kinds of sense. Reward the team that lost by 38 points and forget about the team that lost by 4.
Of course all of this is beyond silly, because nobody's going to forfeit anything and give the Seattle Seahawks a wholly undeserved advantage of facing the 4th or 5th best team in the AFC. Maybe if the NFL let the footballs be inflated under a referee's supervision, and then kept them under a league official's control for the entire game, none of this sort of nonsense would ever have happened.
The properly inflated balls were used in the second half, and the Patriots scored 28 points. Final score 45 to 7.
But in the Patriots-Ravens game, which was also played in Foxboro, the Patriots presumably had use of the deflated balls for the entire game, and won by 4 points.
And the conclusion is: Put the Colts in the Super Bowl?
Yeah, that makes all kinds of sense. Reward the team that lost by 38 points and forget about the team that lost by 4.
Of course all of this is beyond silly, because nobody's going to forfeit anything and give the Seattle Seahawks a wholly undeserved advantage of facing the 4th or 5th best team in the AFC. Maybe if the NFL let the footballs be inflated under a referee's supervision, and then kept them under a league official's control for the entire game, none of this sort of nonsense would ever have happened.
2
When and if the dust settles we will learn this is common practice. Some time ago the NFL gave control of the balls back to each team. Many QB's will set aside 3-4 preferred balls during warmups to be used in the game rotation. Because of who they are, it has become a national crisis. This past Sunday the Colts failed to stop them not because of an under inflated football. A ball that is handled by 2-3 officials on every play. Cancel the SB? Get a grip. The biggest advertising day of the year?
9
Common practice? The same report that stated that the NFL found that 11 of 12 of the footballs used by the Patriots were materially underinflated stated that the NFL also tested the footballs used by the Colts and found that they were not altered.
The "everybody does it" defense is tiring and cynical, whether in sports or other parts of life. Let's stop using that excuse and start insisting that either everyone plays by the rules or we eliminate the rules that we do not really care about.
The "everybody does it" defense is tiring and cynical, whether in sports or other parts of life. Let's stop using that excuse and start insisting that either everyone plays by the rules or we eliminate the rules that we do not really care about.
1
What happened to innocent until proven quilty??
7
That's true for the court of law (or should be). In the court of public opinion, not so much. Ask Jian Ghomeshi (in Canada) or Bill Cosby (in the US).
People, if you would just go outdoors and get a life instead of building yours around a stupid, insanely funded game of millionaires that makes a mockery of ethics and intelligence, none of this utter foolishness would matter to you. Turn off your TV and find better, more fulfilling things to do with your time than worry about the outcomes of what in reality are meaningless, silly games foisted on the masses so players who would otherwise be cleaning out horse stalls can become millionaires (with early onset dementia) and owners can become billionaires. Suckers.
11
It's called entertainment. That's all. And the game clearly has you in its evil grasp to some degree, if you are here writing comments instead of being outdoors.
Good luck with your existential angst.
Good luck with your existential angst.
2
I'll bet a number of NFL teams mess with the balls before playtime. Air pressure, scuffing, washing, treatment - this is not new, ask a number of ex players and equipment managers. The NFL just turned a blind eye to it in the past as frankly it really does not matter on the bigger result if Tom Brady likes a ball with slightly less pressure and Aaron Rodgers one with slightly more.
The Patriots are being dragged out as the poster boy however because their competitor chose to complain, the media jumped on it, and because it was the NE patriots. This would have not been a story in Seattle. I don't believe that's fair in a league where this has hardly been rare or where it offers no meaningful advantage.
The Patriots are being dragged out as the poster boy however because their competitor chose to complain, the media jumped on it, and because it was the NE patriots. This would have not been a story in Seattle. I don't believe that's fair in a league where this has hardly been rare or where it offers no meaningful advantage.
7
Anyone who expects to find ethics and good sportsmanship in the NFL is very naive. It's all about the BIg Money.
3
Two points
Intent:
Short of someone confessing or video emerging of the balls being delated by a Patriots employee it is basically impossible to prove that this was intentional. There is simply zero evidence of intent.
Measurement:
How accurate the gauges the officials carry to measure air pressure are? Are they calibrated to one another? Was the reading before the game made with the same gauge as the reading at half time. Are the pressure gauges provided and certified by the league or do the officials supply their own? What was the measured pressure pre-game? How much air pressure does an average football lose in the course of a game?
Intent:
Short of someone confessing or video emerging of the balls being delated by a Patriots employee it is basically impossible to prove that this was intentional. There is simply zero evidence of intent.
Measurement:
How accurate the gauges the officials carry to measure air pressure are? Are they calibrated to one another? Was the reading before the game made with the same gauge as the reading at half time. Are the pressure gauges provided and certified by the league or do the officials supply their own? What was the measured pressure pre-game? How much air pressure does an average football lose in the course of a game?
5
Belichick has always cheated. Makes you wonder just what all he has gotten away with over the years. And why does he cheat when he has a good team? Probably because it makes him feel superior to others. He should be banned from football, starting with the super bowl. Anyone who has ever throw a football knows that it is much easier to handle when deflated. Especially in the rain and cold. Ban him and try to have sportsmanship and honesty in football if that is possible.
5
hey, it's the nfl, c'mon...free pete rose!
1
This is not the Patriots' or Belichick's first ride with scandal.
I'm neither a fan of the Patriots or Colts, instead a Gaints fan, so if the Patriots and Belichcick have once again knowingly and deliberately cheated...as they did back in 2007, then either the game should be replayed with heavy fines to the Patriots and Belichcik or the Patriots disqualified.
Cheating has to have consequences!
I'm neither a fan of the Patriots or Colts, instead a Gaints fan, so if the Patriots and Belichcick have once again knowingly and deliberately cheated...as they did back in 2007, then either the game should be replayed with heavy fines to the Patriots and Belichcik or the Patriots disqualified.
Cheating has to have consequences!
2
I'm a Pats fan, so they're innocent.... or at least I don't care. This is funny to me.
But the NFL is the home of hypocrisy, so they will take this nothing incident, something which apparently is done in many of the top-tier colleges and often in the NFL, and overreact for the sake of appearances...
But everytime a linebacker holds and gets away with it.... everytime a corner interferes and gets away with it... it's not cheating. It's only cheating IF YOU GET CAUGHT....
That isn't just life in the NFL, it's life in the USA. So, yes, the Pats are America's team.... And remember, losers are rarely accused of cheating!
Got Pats! Deflate Seattle!
But the NFL is the home of hypocrisy, so they will take this nothing incident, something which apparently is done in many of the top-tier colleges and often in the NFL, and overreact for the sake of appearances...
But everytime a linebacker holds and gets away with it.... everytime a corner interferes and gets away with it... it's not cheating. It's only cheating IF YOU GET CAUGHT....
That isn't just life in the NFL, it's life in the USA. So, yes, the Pats are America's team.... And remember, losers are rarely accused of cheating!
Got Pats! Deflate Seattle!
2
Suspending Belichik is not enough. The deflated footballs and spying on other teems suggests a pattern of cheating. In their game against the Ravens they pushed the envelope of the rules (which need to be changed) in trying to deceive the Ravens defense on their eligible down-field receivers. How else have the Patriots cheated over the years? This is a team that has demonstrated they need to cheat to win.
If the NFL wants to clean up its act and image it needs to take away their win against the Colts. Let the Colts go to the Super Bowl. At the very least ALL Patriots wins and all Brady statistics should be footnoted with the cheating and questions of whether the team and quarterback really deserved any of the wins.
If the NFL wants to clean up its act and image it needs to take away their win against the Colts. Let the Colts go to the Super Bowl. At the very least ALL Patriots wins and all Brady statistics should be footnoted with the cheating and questions of whether the team and quarterback really deserved any of the wins.
2
This ball deflation thing is getting fun. Not because I give darn but because it involves the Patriots and New England/Boston fans, who, of course, are morally superior to us.
I will say that Brady's response to the question the day after the game was bizarre. His demeanor can best described as nervous and his response a little contradictor. My wife, who wouldn't know Brady or a football if she tripped over him/one thought he was lying. (She was a prosecutor.)
If the Patriots win I guess The Daily News will add an asterisk after the entry for that team for the 2014/15 season. They did so for the spygate season.
*Caught Cheating
I will say that Brady's response to the question the day after the game was bizarre. His demeanor can best described as nervous and his response a little contradictor. My wife, who wouldn't know Brady or a football if she tripped over him/one thought he was lying. (She was a prosecutor.)
If the Patriots win I guess The Daily News will add an asterisk after the entry for that team for the 2014/15 season. They did so for the spygate season.
*Caught Cheating
6
In other sports if you cheat you lose. What message does this send to younger players if there is no team punishment? New England should forfeit the game. Period.
4
When the NFL gets to the bottom of this in dilatory Ray Rice fashion, Coach Bill Belichick probably should be suspended.
Of course, the Super Bowl is a huge, global, billion-dollar business. And part of that business is off the NFL books in Las Vegas and with a legion of analog and digital bookies.
Belichick's suspension would mean either a scratch or a great diminution of the total bet on the Super Bowl. And gambling is part and parcel of the NFL's success.
Hence, a suspension of the New England head coach ain't gonna happen.
The comments suggesting a $1 M fine and loss of draft picks probably have it correct.
Of course, the Super Bowl is a huge, global, billion-dollar business. And part of that business is off the NFL books in Las Vegas and with a legion of analog and digital bookies.
Belichick's suspension would mean either a scratch or a great diminution of the total bet on the Super Bowl. And gambling is part and parcel of the NFL's success.
Hence, a suspension of the New England head coach ain't gonna happen.
The comments suggesting a $1 M fine and loss of draft picks probably have it correct.
3
Deflating balls to gain an unfair advantage is only one example of the cheating that is part of football. Officials on the field are as much there to determine if a catch is valid as they are to monitor an offensive player grabbing an opponent or a defensive back improperly preventing a receiver from catching a ball.
Moreover the expectation of commentators of the game is often to chide the officials for calling "too many" fouls using the refrain "let 'me play". And that is what happens in championship games where all but the most severe and well televised penalties are called.
I say this as a fan of football, a regular viewer of college and pro games. I'm also sure that cheating has always been part of football but until the clinical-level camera coverage of games using slow motion and multiple camera angles were implemented the depth of cheating just wasn't apparent.
And since cheating is part of football it draws players, coaches and owners who have to decide to what degree they will cheat in order to win. This brings us to Belichick. His reputation is that he will "do whatever he has to to win" which is another way of saying ...he cheats.
If the NFL is to maintain any pretense of integrity, particularly in view of the disaster this season has been for them, they have to take Belichick off the field. He is not only a corrupting influence on the game but also to many who follow it.
Moreover the expectation of commentators of the game is often to chide the officials for calling "too many" fouls using the refrain "let 'me play". And that is what happens in championship games where all but the most severe and well televised penalties are called.
I say this as a fan of football, a regular viewer of college and pro games. I'm also sure that cheating has always been part of football but until the clinical-level camera coverage of games using slow motion and multiple camera angles were implemented the depth of cheating just wasn't apparent.
And since cheating is part of football it draws players, coaches and owners who have to decide to what degree they will cheat in order to win. This brings us to Belichick. His reputation is that he will "do whatever he has to to win" which is another way of saying ...he cheats.
If the NFL is to maintain any pretense of integrity, particularly in view of the disaster this season has been for them, they have to take Belichick off the field. He is not only a corrupting influence on the game but also to many who follow it.
4
The issue becomes a non-issue if the refs control the game balls. Period. Now, what about wife-beating?
1
The balls were in the hands of the referees 2 hours before kickoff. Why weren't the balls checked then? Aaron Rodgers prefers is balls slightly over-inflated. I don't see this issue as having a huge effect on any of these games. The Patriots killed the Colts on defense. Spying on an opponent is one thing. Underinflating a football by 1 or 2 psi?? Please.
6
The officials certified the balls were in proper condition (including inflation) before the game began; then those 12 balls were given to a New England employee on the sideline, and then collected at halftime by the officials for safekeeping, when supposedly 11 of 12 were found to be underinflated, and the 12 balls Indy had control of were found to still be properly inflated.
They were tampered with after the start of the game. There will be consequences, probably fines and suspensions issued after the Super Bowl.
And yes, deflating the balls created an unfair advantage, no matter the score.
And yes, deflating the balls created an unfair advantage, no matter the score.
1
Again, you mis understand the process. The footballs are supplied to the officials 2 hours and 15 minutes before each game. The footballs are inspected, marked by the officials, and returned to the "ball boys" for ecah team. The balls remain in the control of each team's "ball boy".
There is ample opportunity for tampering after the balls are checked by the officials and returned to the teams.
There is ample opportunity for tampering after the balls are checked by the officials and returned to the teams.
This is very bad. If this was a one-time incident, then it would at least be forgivable. However the Patriots, especially Belichik and Brady, have a long history of being crooked and breaking the rules and bending them against the spirit of fair play. This is a deeply, deeply corrupt football organization and it deserves the ultimate sanctions: immediate disqualification of the team from the Superbowl (use a coin toss to select either the Colts or Ravens as the AFC representatives) to prevent their unjust enrichment from cheating, permanent ban of Belichik and Brady from the NFL including bans from the Hall of Fame, and the franchise should be punished by cancelling their first round draft picks for the next three NFL drafts.
The Patriots seem not to have learned their lesson, or more correctly they are simply flouting the rules. This cannot be allowed to stand with a milquetoast response. The hammer needs to be dropped on this.
The Patriots seem not to have learned their lesson, or more correctly they are simply flouting the rules. This cannot be allowed to stand with a milquetoast response. The hammer needs to be dropped on this.
2
This is total BS! Hasn't ANYONE else heard that most of the NFL quarterbacks have the air changed to suit them? This is not about one team changing air pressure, it's about most of them doing it. Doesn't anyone remember George Brett hitting a home run, only to have a complaint about the pine tar on his bat being higher up than allowed? Then, we found out that almost ALL batters had the pine tar higher than allowed. It didn't improve the average of any batter. THIS is the pine tar complaint for football. Most of the quarterbacks have the pressure changed to their liking-----but the complaint only came in a playoff game, by the team that was losing. Case closed!
6
There is an allowable range of PSI for which other QBs have there personal peferences. This is different as it is outside the allowable range. What's so hard to understand?
2
Here's what will happen to the Patriots: nothing. Or, at least, nothing their fans will care about.
The NFL won't suspend Belichik for the training period (they're "investigating" what?) and they won't forfeit the game ($). The punishment will be something after-the-fact, like a loss of a draft pick, suspend Belichik for a stretch next year or a fine.
Who will care about that if they win the game? Nobody. The cheaters will again have gotten away with it, in the same way teams file protests about games but have them recorded as losses anyway.
And the Patriots cheating will continue.
The NFL won't suspend Belichik for the training period (they're "investigating" what?) and they won't forfeit the game ($). The punishment will be something after-the-fact, like a loss of a draft pick, suspend Belichik for a stretch next year or a fine.
Who will care about that if they win the game? Nobody. The cheaters will again have gotten away with it, in the same way teams file protests about games but have them recorded as losses anyway.
And the Patriots cheating will continue.
2
Come on. everyone is missing the obvious cause for the low pressure balls:
Deflater mouse!!!
It's amazing that a team would have to resort to this sort of improper activity. Great team. Great coaching. Good players, well coached and disciplined, playing well.
But it appears that the envelope is always being pushed. The scrambling of eligible receivers and getting into the Ravens' head.
What return on investment did they expect?
Was this the only time this has happened. It appears that after inspection by the refereeing crew, Brady would have worked on the balls with an equipment guy. That seems to be the practice.
Did the officials not test the pressure?
Sad that a win at all costs attitude seems to be the Bellicheck way. Or is it the Kraft way? Brady way?
Deflater mouse!!!
It's amazing that a team would have to resort to this sort of improper activity. Great team. Great coaching. Good players, well coached and disciplined, playing well.
But it appears that the envelope is always being pushed. The scrambling of eligible receivers and getting into the Ravens' head.
What return on investment did they expect?
Was this the only time this has happened. It appears that after inspection by the refereeing crew, Brady would have worked on the balls with an equipment guy. That seems to be the practice.
Did the officials not test the pressure?
Sad that a win at all costs attitude seems to be the Bellicheck way. Or is it the Kraft way? Brady way?
2
Assuming this is true, unless I'm missing something here, didn't Luck use the same underinflated balls as Brady? Does Saint Thomas gain an edge with an easier-to-grip ball over mere Mortal Andrew?
This is also what I first heard. But later articles have explained that each side uses its own set of balls. So Luck never saw/used Brady's balls. An accompanying article shows stats for who threw the ball farther (under inflated balls don't go as far), but this is also irrelevant as The Patriot balls would have no influence on how far Luck could throw the Colts' balls.
Most interesting article on this was the first one explaining how "impossible" it would be to deflate the balls once passed to the ball boys, but anyone who has ever used a bicycle pump knows how each it is to deflate a tire. Was that first article deliberately fed to the press to muddy the waters?
The bottom line is that after the officials hand the balls over to the teams just before the start of the game, anything can happen. With all the cameras in the stadium, it would be interesting if something turns up.
Most interesting article on this was the first one explaining how "impossible" it would be to deflate the balls once passed to the ball boys, but anyone who has ever used a bicycle pump knows how each it is to deflate a tire. Was that first article deliberately fed to the press to muddy the waters?
The bottom line is that after the officials hand the balls over to the teams just before the start of the game, anything can happen. With all the cameras in the stadium, it would be interesting if something turns up.
If they were really cheating, why would they underinflate only 11 of the 12 balls?
1
Probably thought they got all the balls but missed one? That's my guess.
One has to be fully inflated for kicking.
1
The Patriots should have to play the super bowl with 12 common bricks; difficult to deflate. I'm not much of a football fan, but I'd sit through several commercials to watch that.
2
The Patriots intentionally deflated the balls. BUT, I believe that they handed these slightly under inflated balls to the refs for inspection PRIOR to the game, hoping that the refs would not notice. AND, I don't think the refs did, because their testing procedures are not as rigorous as they should be. IN ADDITION, I think there was a modest weather impact, and the combination of the two was what created the approximately 2 PSI differential.
Before the game started, the ball-inspector-zebra was given a set of balls that might have been a touch under-inflated. Let's say 11.5 PSI, which is the way Brady likes it.
I watched Peter King’s video (on MMQB) on the ball testing procedures. In this instance a pressure gauge was used, but I wonder if, in every game, a pressure gauge is used. I’d also point out something in the video at 0:18 — the ref tests the ball, reads out the pressure, “twelve and a half, close enough”. Close enough? If it was accurate, why was it “close enough”. I’m speculating that the Brady balls were handed in at 11.5 PSI, and they were “close enough”, or not tested with a pressure gauge.
Add to this a modest weather effect. It is possible that out in the cold, the ball pressure dropped by a modest 0.5 - 1 PSI impact. If the ball started out at 11.5 PSI, then you're at 10.5 PSI.
One explanation:
1. Brady likes softer balls, and hands refs balls that are “close enough”
2. Refs not having very rigorous testing procedures
3. A modest weather impact
Before the game started, the ball-inspector-zebra was given a set of balls that might have been a touch under-inflated. Let's say 11.5 PSI, which is the way Brady likes it.
I watched Peter King’s video (on MMQB) on the ball testing procedures. In this instance a pressure gauge was used, but I wonder if, in every game, a pressure gauge is used. I’d also point out something in the video at 0:18 — the ref tests the ball, reads out the pressure, “twelve and a half, close enough”. Close enough? If it was accurate, why was it “close enough”. I’m speculating that the Brady balls were handed in at 11.5 PSI, and they were “close enough”, or not tested with a pressure gauge.
Add to this a modest weather effect. It is possible that out in the cold, the ball pressure dropped by a modest 0.5 - 1 PSI impact. If the ball started out at 11.5 PSI, then you're at 10.5 PSI.
One explanation:
1. Brady likes softer balls, and hands refs balls that are “close enough”
2. Refs not having very rigorous testing procedures
3. A modest weather impact
2
WHY WHY WHY is nobody blaming the refs for this. They were the ones responsible for inspecting the footballs.
5
Well, i think they share some of the explanation, if not the blame. Start with slightly under inflated balls (that Tom likes), a loose testing process (have you seen those pressure gauges?), and a drop in pressure because of weather. To me that's the start, middle, and end.
2
Exactly. They should be suspended at a minimum.
1
I have to vent here about a pet peeve. It's the use of the suffix "gate" to describe nearly every scandal that comes along. the origin , of course, was "Watergate", but that was 40 years ago.
Can't journalists devise a catchy new phrase or suffix? Or, how about not trying to be clever or catchy at all and simply using a descriptive phrase such as "deflation scandal"?
I'd never expect the likes of ESPN, Fox or CNN to take the lead, but the NYT writers can do better.
Can't journalists devise a catchy new phrase or suffix? Or, how about not trying to be clever or catchy at all and simply using a descriptive phrase such as "deflation scandal"?
I'd never expect the likes of ESPN, Fox or CNN to take the lead, but the NYT writers can do better.
4
Tom Brady laughed but he never directly denied the charge. Supposedly the balls were underiflated by 2 psi. That's the difference between 12.5 and 10.5, or 16%. The QB who handles the ball on every offensive play would almost have to notice the deflation.
4
The balls were changed at the half when the error was discovered. The second half where the Patriots established a commanding lead was not affected.
Several quarterbacks have spoken up that the rule doesn't allow for the feel they want so they circumvent the rule.
Aaron Rodgers readily admits he over inflates the balls and is angry when officials let the air out. He then has to refine each ball again.
If the NFL really felt this was a problem they'd keep the balls secure until game time. They don't.
Both the Colts and Ravens are on record this under inflation would not have changed the outcome of their games at all.
The league has two choices - they can change the rule or be the custodian of the football.
Clearly each quarterback requires precise ball conditions and this rule prevents their optimum performance whether we think so or not. It is their tool for success and they are accountable for ball execution. Try using a vital piece of equipment for your success that doesn't work correctly. Frustration I bet and circumvention if no one listens to you. Peyton Manning and Tom Brady went to the league and complained about the rules on behalf of all quarterbacks and could only get outside ball conditioning passed. It is not just about winning, but the rules that did not work for the teams.
If this had been so egregious why didn't the Colts act on this with the league if they supposedly felt something was off in the Nov. game. They never said a word.
Several quarterbacks have spoken up that the rule doesn't allow for the feel they want so they circumvent the rule.
Aaron Rodgers readily admits he over inflates the balls and is angry when officials let the air out. He then has to refine each ball again.
If the NFL really felt this was a problem they'd keep the balls secure until game time. They don't.
Both the Colts and Ravens are on record this under inflation would not have changed the outcome of their games at all.
The league has two choices - they can change the rule or be the custodian of the football.
Clearly each quarterback requires precise ball conditions and this rule prevents their optimum performance whether we think so or not. It is their tool for success and they are accountable for ball execution. Try using a vital piece of equipment for your success that doesn't work correctly. Frustration I bet and circumvention if no one listens to you. Peyton Manning and Tom Brady went to the league and complained about the rules on behalf of all quarterbacks and could only get outside ball conditioning passed. It is not just about winning, but the rules that did not work for the teams.
If this had been so egregious why didn't the Colts act on this with the league if they supposedly felt something was off in the Nov. game. They never said a word.
5
Speaking as a Patriots fan I am waiting for the NFL to complete its investigation. Way to much judgment has been passed without knowing fully all the facts. The results of interviews will be particularly enlightening. I am sorry this whole mess has come up. If it is found that the Patriots organization in some way altered the footballs to gain a competitive advantage then consequences must be handed down and for me the SB will have lost its luster. It just about has lost it already but let's see the result of an investigation and maybe the Patriots have been unfairly judged. If they are guilty of tampering with the footballs then many many fans of the Pats (including myself) will have had enough. When I heard the news monday morning my heart sank and like those footballs the air went out of me. Yes I do feel a bit deflated at the moment. Maybe that will change , maybe not ...we shall see.
1
There is only one thing to say about this case:
Go Hawks!!!!
Go Hawks!!!!
1
Brady is is just as guilty as Belichick. He should be suspended too.
4
Spygate, Aaron Hernandez, Deflatgate. There is a stench coming from the Patriots' organization. I agree with John Madden who speculated that the idea to deflate the balls must have come from the quarterback. Whether true or not, Tom Brady's legacy is forever stained.
2
I pointed out to my daughter that this is a perfect illustration of how someone can destroy their reputation, and how hard it can be to ever win it back. In light of this, even if the Patriots win the next three superbowls, they will never be considered great champions like the Steelers and Cowboys. "Cheaters" will follow their legacy forever. I wonder if Belichick's arrogance will ever permit him to admit that this is true. Turns out that winning at all cost may have come at the dearest cost of all for the coach and his team.
If this is confirmed true and I am Brady or Revis, I think I'd start looking for an exit strategy to prove my worth on a clean team.
If this is confirmed true and I am Brady or Revis, I think I'd start looking for an exit strategy to prove my worth on a clean team.
27
Except they've been caught before (spying on the Jets) and that memory seemed to fade. The problem is that people are outraged for about 4 1/2 minutes and then move on to the next shiny object.
1
Until someone proves it was the coach who ordered, or was even aware of, the deflated balls, I'll reserve opinion on whether or not their accomplishments are tarnished. They are still one of the greatest dynasties ever. Right their with the Steelers and 49ers.
3
I write this as a long-time Patriots fan, as someone who as a resident of Foxborough voted for the first Patriots stadium to be built in that community.
I do genuinely love the Patriots and I'm proud of and grateful for their outstanding record under Robert Kraft, Bill Belilchick and Tom Brady.
However, it hurts enormously that this shadow (and other prior ones including the Aaron Hernandez debacle and spy gate) hangs over the Patriots.
I held out emotionally for these charges to be unfounded or to be easily explained away somehow.
Now, though, if the charges are proven and if they lead back to the top people in the Patriots organization, I think the Super Bowl ought to be cancelled and the victory awarded to the Seahawks. The Patriots would deserve to "live in infamy," but so too would the NFL which by its own negligence essentially permitted this to happen.
I do genuinely love the Patriots and I'm proud of and grateful for their outstanding record under Robert Kraft, Bill Belilchick and Tom Brady.
However, it hurts enormously that this shadow (and other prior ones including the Aaron Hernandez debacle and spy gate) hangs over the Patriots.
I held out emotionally for these charges to be unfounded or to be easily explained away somehow.
Now, though, if the charges are proven and if they lead back to the top people in the Patriots organization, I think the Super Bowl ought to be cancelled and the victory awarded to the Seahawks. The Patriots would deserve to "live in infamy," but so too would the NFL which by its own negligence essentially permitted this to happen.
51
Why cancel the Super Bowl? Declare a forceit and have the Colts and Seahawks play in the Super Bowl.
2
The balls found to be underinflated were each tested twice, with different equipment each time. As to the weather, it was 51 degrees at kickoff, pretty warm for November in Boston, so I don't think you can say the temperature affected the pressure.
16
Why in the world doesn't the league provide all balls used in play? Why have each team contribute a dozen balls? Can't each competing time they just drop their allotted dozen in a hopper and when a ball gets damaged or for any reason unplayable, gets nicked or something, just go grab another? It's all most mysterious. --Does this come up in soccer games?
33
It did at one time, but the QB's lobbied to get more "control" over the balls.
1
Shame on the NFL for the practice that each team uses its own set of footballs. How dumb is that?!!
78
What I find hard to believe in all this saga is how would a Quarterback not know if balls are under-inflated, whether it was intentional or not. And then how does Tom Brady go on radio and flat out deny it (okay, he didn't exactly say 'no' but he wasn't compelled to answer either).
That is one big reason I have never liked this franchise. The mentality is to win at all costs. Of course, even the highly revered Mr. Lombardi said winning is the only thing. So why should anyone even show any surprise at any of this.
That is one big reason I have never liked this franchise. The mentality is to win at all costs. Of course, even the highly revered Mr. Lombardi said winning is the only thing. So why should anyone even show any surprise at any of this.
29
Vince Lombardi never cheated to win.
2
Brady clearly lied in that radio interview - in 2011 he is on record stating that he prefers underinflated balls because he can grasp and throw them better and are less likely to fumble as well.
Cheating is one count. LYING about it is just as serious if not moreso.
Cheating is one count. LYING about it is just as serious if not moreso.
1
The officials handle the balls after every play. Incomplete passes along the Colts sidelines could be picked up by Colt's players, coaches, or other personnel. If the Colts suspected anything I'm sure they would have instructed their defensive players to check the balls on the field.
Brady may have benefited from using under inflated balls, but did he really need them? He's thrown for over 50,000 yards and nearly 400 touchdowns. Were all those completions thrown with squishy balls? How about Blount; did he trample the Colts run defense because the balls were softer?
Wide receivers routinely wear gloves for better traction. It was 50 degrees at game time. Edelman and Gronkowsky are two of the sure handed receivers in the game.
How much of an advantage does an under inflated ball provide, if any? Has it been studied? Presumably the balls used in the second half met the specifications when the Colts were outscored 28 to 0.
Find the link to Brady and Belichick and get back to me. Until them wait for he evidence.
Brady may have benefited from using under inflated balls, but did he really need them? He's thrown for over 50,000 yards and nearly 400 touchdowns. Were all those completions thrown with squishy balls? How about Blount; did he trample the Colts run defense because the balls were softer?
Wide receivers routinely wear gloves for better traction. It was 50 degrees at game time. Edelman and Gronkowsky are two of the sure handed receivers in the game.
How much of an advantage does an under inflated ball provide, if any? Has it been studied? Presumably the balls used in the second half met the specifications when the Colts were outscored 28 to 0.
Find the link to Brady and Belichick and get back to me. Until them wait for he evidence.
4
Which is worse -- problems at home (or hotel elevators) or cheating at the game you represent? Since you've decided, after getting dragged through a PR disaster, to throw the book at protagonists in the former, what will you do to those who blaspheme in your sacred church?
3
The Commissioner may order that the Patriots give back the air they removed from the balls.
55
Is this what passes for 'humor' in Canada??
1
I think it passes for humor anywhere.
4
$1 million fine of ownership (maybe more …)
no draft choices - five rounds
Just don't watch this bunch of hypocrites - ever.
Simple.
no draft choices - five rounds
Just don't watch this bunch of hypocrites - ever.
Simple.
24
Bill Belichick reminds me of “dirty tricks” that disgraced Richard M. Nixon used to do his political opponents. How many times did Belichick get caught? We all know about his “spy gate” like Nixon’s “Watergate.” Tom Brady is the main beneficiary of Belichick’s “underhanded dirty tricks.” Does the New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft know what’s going under his nose? Or is looking the other way? But what shocks me this that judging from the comments I can see many New England “Patriot” football fans think this kind of socio-psychopathic behavior is “normal.” May be even Aaron Hernandez thought murder is “normal” in New England! After all Aaron was Bill Belichick’s student and Tom Brady’s team buddy… Sound to me like Robert Kraft’s New England Patriots are more like a criminal enterprise than a NFL team! But the question is is Mr. Kraft going to clean up this slimy Patriot mess?
25
By the way--Nixon turned over the tapes, and his staff testified and responded to the senate inquiry----try getting today's politicians or staff members to testify without taking the 5th amendment. More corrupt today.
If the balls were inflated indoors, and then taken out in to the cold, their pressure would have automatically decreased.
3
Why am I waiting for George Costanza to start yelling, "there was shrinkage, there was shrinkage!"
26
But all 12 of Indy's balls didn't lose pressure.
34
Yes.....the laws of physics only applied to the balls the Patriots used. Got it.
19
Suspending belichick for the game does little - he still will prep the team - which is his value. A monkey could stand on the sidelines and green light game decisions. This is another huge problem for a corporation that is developing an image problem. If they ignore it, it will go away eventually - which is exactly what the nfl will do. But the next scandal is going to hit that much harder.
7
In other words, if he's suspended he'll cheat?
1
Its the to big to fail defense--if Brady says he's not playing without Bill, the NFL will fold and just fine the team or take draft positions. But Bill will be on the sideline.
Bet the Packers wish they had that monkey.
Why only ban the coach from the Super Bowl? That doesn't seem like much of a punishment to me. I say, ban the whole team and let the Colts play.
50
When a team wins using suspicious means, the honorable thing to do is vacate the win for the sake of integrity, the way colleges convicted of NCAA violations are required to do.
36
Ban the team. ..
Are the teams that follow the rules just "suckers" who deserve to lose?
Are the teams that follow the rules just "suckers" who deserve to lose?
2
after all these years, does the NFL really have no rule about being caught cheating? I agree, they vacate and the colts play.
2
I believe the accusations.
I will purposely not patronize any products advertised during the Superbowl.
I hope any fan of the NFL who enjoys the competition will boycott anything having to do with Belichick and the Patriots and I imagine many people like me (Giants season ticketholders) will do the same.
And frankly, I would not be sorry to see the Patriots forfeit the season and Belichick be banned from the NFL forever.
The fun is gone.
I will purposely not patronize any products advertised during the Superbowl.
I hope any fan of the NFL who enjoys the competition will boycott anything having to do with Belichick and the Patriots and I imagine many people like me (Giants season ticketholders) will do the same.
And frankly, I would not be sorry to see the Patriots forfeit the season and Belichick be banned from the NFL forever.
The fun is gone.
16
oh give me a break. The pats did not cheat. The media is blowing everything out of proportion.
5
Boo hoo. The Giants stink so take it out on the Patriots.
Do you seriously think Brady and Belichick sat in a room before Sunday's game and thought, 'if we could only deflate the balls a little bit we wouldn't have to worry about the Colts' secondary'.
The Patriots throw a lot of short passes i.e. screens. Most of these passes are soft throws, which would not appear to be enhanced by a softer ball. Other so called short routes are thrown with high velocity over 10 to 20 yards, a level harder to achieve using an under inflated ball.
If Belichick is the genius many fans think he is, why would he order the balls deflated to achieve an advantage that is dubious at best?
The Patriots had some fun the last two games by legally interpreting the receiver eligibility rules that seemed to befuddle two professional football teams. There were cries of deception by the Ravens who looked foolish complaining about a rule they didn't understand.
And now we're deflating the balls? Here's my recommendation for a penalty; wipe out the first half score when the balls were purportedly being used. Final score, Pats 28 - Colts 0.
Do you seriously think Brady and Belichick sat in a room before Sunday's game and thought, 'if we could only deflate the balls a little bit we wouldn't have to worry about the Colts' secondary'.
The Patriots throw a lot of short passes i.e. screens. Most of these passes are soft throws, which would not appear to be enhanced by a softer ball. Other so called short routes are thrown with high velocity over 10 to 20 yards, a level harder to achieve using an under inflated ball.
If Belichick is the genius many fans think he is, why would he order the balls deflated to achieve an advantage that is dubious at best?
The Patriots had some fun the last two games by legally interpreting the receiver eligibility rules that seemed to befuddle two professional football teams. There were cries of deception by the Ravens who looked foolish complaining about a rule they didn't understand.
And now we're deflating the balls? Here's my recommendation for a penalty; wipe out the first half score when the balls were purportedly being used. Final score, Pats 28 - Colts 0.
7
I believe we are seeing a pattern of abuse 11-12 Footballs doctored up made to grip and catch easier. The freaking integrity of the game has been violated heck its a performance enhancement all by design. The referees took balls out of play during game weighed them they failed. The league had better get it together and allow the rules and competition committee to bring some sort of punishment that makes even a rich team owner feel the sting for quite some time. The coaching staff needs to be held accountable to protect the integrity of the sport.
13
This is absurd. It is all "ifs" and maybes. Does anyone really know anything or is it all sour grapes. Is it all publicity to keep the overrated "super Bowl" in the news. That might be the real story.
12
mr. hughes has an interesting theory. i have no idea if it might hold water. if true, the NFL would be the main culprit in this story. after all, the process of how they obtain and use the balls seems to intentionally beg for cheating. if coach belicheat is hanged because he is in charge, what about the owner? he has claimed in the past to be pure, etc, but has continued to employ the coach.
"You can argue that in comparison to head injuries on the field and domestic violence off it, the deflating of footballs — if indeed it happened — is a minor issue, maybe even a somewhat silly one. "
Indeed you can. Unlike the footballs involved, this is a "controversy" that has been greatly overblown.
Indeed you can. Unlike the footballs involved, this is a "controversy" that has been greatly overblown.
15
Reading this I immediately thought about the NYTimes article earlier this week about the care that goes into making the balls ready for Eli Manning. if the game balls were under inflated, the Patriots should have to play without Belichick or Brady. And, yes, that would hurt the Super Bowl TV ratings and the NFL wouldn't do that... but it would be the right thing to do.
Vince Lombardi once said, "The quality of a person's life is their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor." And Washington Post sports columnist Tom Boswell has written, "There is no substitute for excellence--not even success." The NFL is certainly successful, but it's commitment to excellence falls far short of that of the namesake of the Super Bowl trophy.
Ray Glennon
Twitter: @RayGlennon
Vince Lombardi once said, "The quality of a person's life is their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor." And Washington Post sports columnist Tom Boswell has written, "There is no substitute for excellence--not even success." The NFL is certainly successful, but it's commitment to excellence falls far short of that of the namesake of the Super Bowl trophy.
Ray Glennon
Twitter: @RayGlennon
41
Totally agree, a QB has to know and Brady has to take the fall for this, equally or more so than Bellichick. By the way, most teams follow other Lombardi quote "winning is the only thing".
11
Why doesn't the league supply the balls to be used during the game? If the NFL were to do this nobody would be considered tampering.
14
This is a joke. This is on the level of the colorful snowblow, not the nefarious bounties on opposing players.
9
Not sure how this is a joke. Unlike bounties, this likely affects outcomes. It is a brutal league where defensive players are rewarded for sacking and big hits. The bounties had no impact - and indeed the saints were one of the worst defenses in the nfl.
7
AK: not sure how can say bounties had no impact on a game's outcome. If the intent was to reward a player for deliberately putting another player out of the game by inflicting injury, then that intent absolutely affects the outcome of the game,
So deflating footballs is worse than deliberately trying to hurt an opposing player? You make a lot of sense.
2
I am waiting to see the evidence. How is it possible for them to have deflated these footballs on the sidelines in full view? That said, I am a Patriots fan and will be disgusted if this turns out to be true. That will mean to me that Tom Brady had full knowledge unlike in Spygate. Sure hope to not have a football version of Lance Armstrong in our midst. But if this goes on given the culture of the National Football League, it will not surprise me one whit. They have lost all integrity and it cannot help but filter down.
19
Way too many unanswered question to point fingers here - unless it is just a habit. I would do a basic physics tirst first. After all, it was cold.
7
I'm surprised so few people are considering the most likely explanation - that of measurement error. I don't doubt that the Pats might have filled it up in a hot room, kept the balls warm, prior to measurement but figured (rightly) that the testing of the officials might be cursory at best, and maybe the equipment is not that accurate. And I really don't understand why the league can't just get out the information without leaks, and tell us the facts. What were the pressures, the weights, of all the balls tested? How much variance was there? And what about the Seattle game balls (to get a sense of what is a normal distribution?
I'm going to wait until I have all the facts before I make any judgments.
I'm going to wait until I have all the facts before I make any judgments.
35
Already verified. Colts footballs were all in specification. The weather/nature wouldn't have special affinity for the Patriots.
27
Goodness, why wait until the facts are known? I see that Mr. Rhoden has just barely done that. Not to say that the NFL isn't full of sleaze, top to bottom. Rather, it's simply to recognize that even chronic liars sometimes tell the truth.