"Innocent until proven guilty." An awful lot of commentators are jumping on the Patriots without proof of guilt. If the NFL was so worried about ball pressure, they should take care of the balls. The refs handled the ball in use between every play. If they noticed anything during the first half, they should have acted sooner. If ball pressure was an issue of concern in the past, the NFL needed to have set up much more rigorous procedures to verify that the balls in play were properly inflated.
As for the rule stating the pressure in a football during the game must meet some standard...why don't the referees check the balls 2 hrs before the game? Why don't the referees have some method for determining whether the balls are properly inflated during the game? Why not have the referees bring one set of balls for use by both teams?
Back to my initial point...before the NFL can penalize the Patriots, it needs proof that in fact they knowingly violated the rules. Since the only convention established is a check before the game starts, and there is no procedural checking during the game, finding low pressure balls during the game leaves the NFL gasping for air. If they can't point the finger at some actual act of malice, they've got nothing.
As for the rule stating the pressure in a football during the game must meet some standard...why don't the referees check the balls 2 hrs before the game? Why don't the referees have some method for determining whether the balls are properly inflated during the game? Why not have the referees bring one set of balls for use by both teams?
Back to my initial point...before the NFL can penalize the Patriots, it needs proof that in fact they knowingly violated the rules. Since the only convention established is a check before the game starts, and there is no procedural checking during the game, finding low pressure balls during the game leaves the NFL gasping for air. If they can't point the finger at some actual act of malice, they've got nothing.
2
In one of the recent "Football Lives" films on the NFL network about coach Bill Walsh, it was very clear that Walsh "cheated" in ways that were much more serious than deflated balls. As recounted by Bill Parcells, after Walsh would pre script a dozen or so plays to begin a game, he would feign to the referees that his headsets weren't working, even though they were, forcing by rule for Parcells's and his staff to discard theirs thus giving Walsh a huge advantage. Should we kick Walsh out of the Hall of Fame as a cheater?
1
Now, as you can see, I live in Patriots Territory. I moved up here from Bethesda, MD 34 years ago to go to graduate school. For the first five years, I couldn't care less about the local teams. In 1986, that all changed.
Am I a Pats fan? Yes. Am I biased? Sure . . . I guess. However, I'm pretty decent at conjuring objectivity when it's worthy of such an effort.
Yes, Brady likes the ball at 12.5 psi (the minimum legal pressure). Yes, the ball he uses will ALWAYS be was less than 12.5 psi by halftime in the average conditions that prevail in New England from September through January (if the ball is inflated to 12.5 psi in a 70 degree locker room - - which it is). That is PROBABLY what happened. Do I KNOW the Patriots are innocent of all charges? Nope. I do KNOW that it would be unfair to punish the Patriots for under-inflated balls that could have been the result of Physics . . . if you don't have any proof of tampering - - AND THEY DON'T!!!
There is only one elixir to eliminate this foul, over-reported story: A solid Patriots win in the Super Bowl. If they win it . . . say - - 35 -21, I think the imbalanced lunacy, from which some members of the press are currently suffering, will dissipate.
By the way, I think this Boston/New York rivalry is fun. However, there are people in both cities who take it WAY TOO SERIOUSLY. I'm a person who loves New York City, but prefers to live in Boston. That's all.
Am I a Pats fan? Yes. Am I biased? Sure . . . I guess. However, I'm pretty decent at conjuring objectivity when it's worthy of such an effort.
Yes, Brady likes the ball at 12.5 psi (the minimum legal pressure). Yes, the ball he uses will ALWAYS be was less than 12.5 psi by halftime in the average conditions that prevail in New England from September through January (if the ball is inflated to 12.5 psi in a 70 degree locker room - - which it is). That is PROBABLY what happened. Do I KNOW the Patriots are innocent of all charges? Nope. I do KNOW that it would be unfair to punish the Patriots for under-inflated balls that could have been the result of Physics . . . if you don't have any proof of tampering - - AND THEY DON'T!!!
There is only one elixir to eliminate this foul, over-reported story: A solid Patriots win in the Super Bowl. If they win it . . . say - - 35 -21, I think the imbalanced lunacy, from which some members of the press are currently suffering, will dissipate.
By the way, I think this Boston/New York rivalry is fun. However, there are people in both cities who take it WAY TOO SERIOUSLY. I'm a person who loves New York City, but prefers to live in Boston. That's all.
2
Why have rules at all with regard to football PSI? Apparently, Tom Brady can't tell the difference between an over-inflated or an under-inflated football, so what does it matter? Let the NFL control the footballs and standardize all equipment to a specific standard. No problem for anyone...
1
Oh who cares.
The relationship between pressure, volume and temperature is fairly well known, and the potential impact of the field temperature was almost immediately raised. See, e.g., “Physicist: Cold weather could have deflated Patriots’ footballs” by Owen Boss, Boston Herald, Tuesday, 1/20/2015 (citing the head of the Boston College physics department).
The NFL, with all its resources, must be aware of this potential issue, and should address it in conducting its investigation. It seems quite possible that the NFL has already taken this into account by simply re-testing the pressure after the footballs came back up to room temperature.
Moreover, the Patriots organization (likewise flush with resources and lawyers) would have every incentive to argue this point to the NFL if they believed it was a credible and/or viable explanation. And to put it out to the public as well. However, in all the reporting I am aware of, the Patriots have not made this argument.
The NFL, with all its resources, must be aware of this potential issue, and should address it in conducting its investigation. It seems quite possible that the NFL has already taken this into account by simply re-testing the pressure after the footballs came back up to room temperature.
Moreover, the Patriots organization (likewise flush with resources and lawyers) would have every incentive to argue this point to the NFL if they believed it was a credible and/or viable explanation. And to put it out to the public as well. However, in all the reporting I am aware of, the Patriots have not made this argument.
1
This story is really about sore losers and jealousy. I'm pretty sure the league screwed this up. They were given the balls to inflate before the game and the league removed the footballs to measure them at the half. It's obvious Bill, Kraft, Brady are 100% sure the Patriots had nothing to do with this, Kraft would never let Belichick say what he did otherwise. Can Kraft sue the league? I bet Goodell is gone next year.
3
If ever there was an oxymoron it is professional sports ethics. We all need to realize that the concept of "sport", in the sense in which the term ethics can reasonably be paired with it, long ago passed into oblivion. What we have now is a manifestation of the entertainment business and we all know how ethical that is!
2
All this whole episode shows is (i) a lot of people hate the Pats and (ii) most people (especially sports commentators) have no understanding of physics.
8
Chemistry, not physics.
1
I read the same condemnation from pundits and readers alike.
You all argue so passionately, so in case you missed them, here are a few facts to enjoy along with your passion.
Inflation pressure drops with temperature. If the game balls were inflated to the minimum at room temp, they would have been under-inflated after a half hour in the cold. Would this be a "deliberate violation"?
Retired QBs and others aver that the under-inflation would be really obvious. But contrary to early reports, the Colts' defensive back stated that he noticed nothing about the ball's inflation - he had just asked to set it aside as a trophy. On the other hand, all reports agree that the officials did not remove the footballs until the beginning of the second half. Why not? If it was so obvious to everyone else, why didn't *they* notice? They handle the footballs constantly throughout the game. If the league felt that game ball inflation were as critical as pundits and fellow readers maintain, the league could have devised much tighter controls than the ones they have. Teams supply and use their own footballs and keep custody of them throughout the game. The temperature of the footballs for inflating or checking pressure is not specified. The type, quality or calibration of the gauge is not specified nor whether the same gauge must be used by both teams and by officials. So based on these facts it's still clear that they must have cheated? I envy everyone's ESP. This is a witch hunt so far.
You all argue so passionately, so in case you missed them, here are a few facts to enjoy along with your passion.
Inflation pressure drops with temperature. If the game balls were inflated to the minimum at room temp, they would have been under-inflated after a half hour in the cold. Would this be a "deliberate violation"?
Retired QBs and others aver that the under-inflation would be really obvious. But contrary to early reports, the Colts' defensive back stated that he noticed nothing about the ball's inflation - he had just asked to set it aside as a trophy. On the other hand, all reports agree that the officials did not remove the footballs until the beginning of the second half. Why not? If it was so obvious to everyone else, why didn't *they* notice? They handle the footballs constantly throughout the game. If the league felt that game ball inflation were as critical as pundits and fellow readers maintain, the league could have devised much tighter controls than the ones they have. Teams supply and use their own footballs and keep custody of them throughout the game. The temperature of the footballs for inflating or checking pressure is not specified. The type, quality or calibration of the gauge is not specified nor whether the same gauge must be used by both teams and by officials. So based on these facts it's still clear that they must have cheated? I envy everyone's ESP. This is a witch hunt so far.
12
Here's some facts for you. After the Patriots are found guilty, Kraft will no longer own the team and there will be a new NFL team in LA. without a coach or star QB.
1
Convenient excuse about the ambient temperature significantly altering the psi of the Patriot footballs in a favorable direction. Odd it did not change that of the Colts (or from what we know the rest of the NFL teams). Patriot fans, take ownership of your cheating ways. And I suppose Lance Armstrong and Richard Nixon were also telling the truth - until they were caught.
3
But why were none of the Colts' footballs so affected? Physics is a constant, isn't it?
1
With the accurate hourly weather forecasting today providing temperature and barometric pressure for game time and using gas laws it would be very easy to customize the temperature of air used to pump up the balls thereby providing a passable pressure during inspection and a Brady pressure hours later at game time. Of course, this would also give Belichick and Brady a legal cover, deviously brilliant but the rules say you play the game at minimum 12.5 psi so it still cheating and everyone but the Patriots and their fans will admit it.
1
A comment from squeaky clean Seattle? Surely do appreciate your input. Thanks!
1
The debate should be about ethics in journalism, not ethics in sports. This is a witch hunt and even the Times has joined in.
The simple fact remains that there is not a single shred of evidence that anybody with the Patriots tampered with footballs after they were inspected. NONE.
The simple fact remains that there is not a single shred of evidence that anybody with the Patriots tampered with footballs after they were inspected. NONE.
9
Blame the messenger.
1
Hmmm, Brady convinced Peyton to join him in lobbying the NFL in 2006 to change the age old rule that home teams supply the game balls.
http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_27381757/tom-brady-reached-out-peyt...
Now check out the statistics on the Patriots' fumble advantage starting in 2007. http://www.sharpfootballanalysis.com/blog/?p=2932
Simply stated the Patriots stopped fumbling. Since 2010, the Patriots have been averaging 1 fumble per 187 plays (1/187). 2nd best was Houston at 1/140 in the Astro Dome. 3rd Best Atlanta 1/134 playing in the Georgia Dome. 4th, New Orleans 1/124 playing in the Super Dome. Finally an outdoor venue, Cleveland 1/125 with Green Bay at 1/126. Statistical analysis of the Patriot's huge difference in fumbles against the NFL average 1 per 105 over this time frame would only occur once in 16,234 instances.
Cheaters, heck yes but I say let Brady play with his Nerf balls in the Super Bowl I'm sure the Seahawks will savor the challenge.
http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_27381757/tom-brady-reached-out-peyt...
Now check out the statistics on the Patriots' fumble advantage starting in 2007. http://www.sharpfootballanalysis.com/blog/?p=2932
Simply stated the Patriots stopped fumbling. Since 2010, the Patriots have been averaging 1 fumble per 187 plays (1/187). 2nd best was Houston at 1/140 in the Astro Dome. 3rd Best Atlanta 1/134 playing in the Georgia Dome. 4th, New Orleans 1/124 playing in the Super Dome. Finally an outdoor venue, Cleveland 1/125 with Green Bay at 1/126. Statistical analysis of the Patriot's huge difference in fumbles against the NFL average 1 per 105 over this time frame would only occur once in 16,234 instances.
Cheaters, heck yes but I say let Brady play with his Nerf balls in the Super Bowl I'm sure the Seahawks will savor the challenge.
6
Everybody hates a winner and loves a whiner.
Could it be that the Patriots are simply better than all those other brands? For fumble recoveries, do the Patriots get to grab a different ball than their opponents?
I present 45-7 in the Division championship game, with the most points scored AFTER the half-time ball inspection, as evidence.
www.endthemadnessnow.org
Could it be that the Patriots are simply better than all those other brands? For fumble recoveries, do the Patriots get to grab a different ball than their opponents?
I present 45-7 in the Division championship game, with the most points scored AFTER the half-time ball inspection, as evidence.
www.endthemadnessnow.org
1
Or could it be that the Patriots get a disproportionate amount of yards from passes - more than other teams, so there is less chance for fumbles? And could they train in such a way that reduces fumbles. As Belichick said, they train with greased footballs, and more.
1
That's it Belichick, has all those millionaires in a greased pig(skin)s contest...sow wee! Question is pig lard, axial grease or an MIT invented surfactant?
This is the most boring chronic story I've ever seen. Even CNN is covering it, as if it has somehow made the jump from sports to mainstream news. Of course the Patriots cheat. Their coach is an admitted cheater. They use this stuff to foster a (phony) them-against-us, we-don't-get-no-respect-from-the-media attitude that fires up simple people like football players to go through that brick wall. In baseball, the umpires are in charge of the balls. All you have to do is put the refs in charge of inflating the balls and saying "Here they are, this is what we're using." End of story.
3
You either follow the rules of the game or you do not. You are either playing a game or you are gaming the play. You play fair or you cheat. You either tell the truth or you lie. Professional sports is all about entertainment as in business and money.
The NFL is about playing a kid's game in uniform and equipment pretending to be skilled brave manly risk takers.
They are neither true gladiators nor warriors nor moral icons nor important.. Closer to actors and comedians and clowns and preachers and politicians.
The NFL is about playing a kid's game in uniform and equipment pretending to be skilled brave manly risk takers.
They are neither true gladiators nor warriors nor moral icons nor important.. Closer to actors and comedians and clowns and preachers and politicians.
5
Simple, send a message by taking away the Pat's last win, the punishment is great, out of the Superbowl. But, it will never happen. Just as the games in the Roman collisiusm had to go on. The hoi polloi must be served.
3
Dean Smith once said: "If you make every game a life and death thing, you're going to have problems. You'll be dead alot."
As a result I ask: "What price glory?"
As a result I ask: "What price glory?"
1
One wonders whether Indianapolis let a little air out and if they did not, why not? Each team plays its own ball when on offense, so there should be no controversy. So let the New England oblate spheroids be impounded and measured and weighed, and if they win out, as they did, but the balls were nonspec put an asterisk in their column. Surely this is not the first time this has happened. Integrity? You gotta be kidding!
Kidding indeed, Chris. But it sells advertising.
The Patriots had the game in the books anyways. The Colts couldn't stop the run, and to many mistakes with the offense. So if they did cheat, why? You had the game in your hands. But, for how bad the Colts played, they still don't belong in the Superbowl. So let's see how the Seahawks take care of them.
Caring is good, Richard. Caring is good.
When every crooked politician is telling young people, especially immigrants, to "play by the rules," while they all exalt American Sports as a model of decent and good behavior, it should not be doubted that that any of the behavior described in this article (Jeter a Hall of Famer, but Bonds and Rose excluded from having their nsmes linked to Kenesaw Mountain Landis?) is totally unconscionable, morally no different from lying or any other form of fraud.
4
The Packers' whole left side was supposed to block for Jordy Nelson. The ball was coming at Nelson when Bostick decided to go for it. It hit his helmet and bounced threw his awkwardly outstretched arms. I smell a rat. Please investigate.
There is often gamesmanship on both sides of the "crime". What better time to report the Pats' footballs than immediately after an interception, with the score 17-7 and the Colts well within reach? Remember, Billy Martin didn't challenge George Brett's pine tar bat until right after Brett homered.
What's the penalty for violating Boyle's Law?
1
Any scuba diver, or a physics professor, can tell you that when you increase air pressure, the air temperature rises. This is what happens when you fill a scuba tank, or when you pump air into a football. Given time, the temperature will drop back to normal and so the pressure will decrease due to lowered temperature. If the footballs are pumped up to 12.5, the air temperature and the pressure will drop even if the ambient temperature stays the same.
Why the Colts' balls have normal pressure? Perhaps their balls have stay pumped up and they did not have to pump them as much before giving them to officials for testing, or perhaps they just pumped them to a higher pressure.
Read what Belichick had to say this morning. They were able to replicate the process and show that the air pressure decreased by similar amount. No tampering is involved. This is how science is done --- repeatable experiment.
Throwing around words like "cheating", "scandal", etc., without a shred of evidence, diminishes the credibility of journalism. This is not a "deflategate", it's "jumping-to-conclusion-gate", or "tabloidizationgate", or you fill the blank.
The scandal here is that NFL lacks the basic knowledge of physics and the common sense of keeping the footballs under NFL control after the testing. The scandal is that the whole nation (fans and media) piles on with the presumption of guilt and without the fairness of mind to judge by evidence.
Why the Colts' balls have normal pressure? Perhaps their balls have stay pumped up and they did not have to pump them as much before giving them to officials for testing, or perhaps they just pumped them to a higher pressure.
Read what Belichick had to say this morning. They were able to replicate the process and show that the air pressure decreased by similar amount. No tampering is involved. This is how science is done --- repeatable experiment.
Throwing around words like "cheating", "scandal", etc., without a shred of evidence, diminishes the credibility of journalism. This is not a "deflategate", it's "jumping-to-conclusion-gate", or "tabloidizationgate", or you fill the blank.
The scandal here is that NFL lacks the basic knowledge of physics and the common sense of keeping the footballs under NFL control after the testing. The scandal is that the whole nation (fans and media) piles on with the presumption of guilt and without the fairness of mind to judge by evidence.
10
This is what I would have done if I were the Patriots. Brady likes a low pressure ball. So, the balls they prepared were are 250 psi before the game at say 80 or 90 degrees F. Totally legal. Then, as the game goes on at 50F, the balls deflate. Now, it is up to the refs to say these are are not good balls - not the Patriots. Multiple refs handled the ball every play. If there was a problem, it was their responsibility to say so. But they saw no problem. Now the Colts like a firm ball so they present balls at 350 psi, which deflate within the operational definition during the game. That's what happened. Not to mention that John Harbaugh is a wuss and Chuck Pagano is pathetic. And, Troy Aikman is just stupid.
2
I found this column irresponsible. Mr. Rohan has assumed guilt without any proof, his entire line of argument is premature. He should have waited until the investigations are completed and blame (if there was deliberate tampering and not some environmental etc. cause) determined. It is possible that the whole "deflate-gate" was not due to active intervention but some other cause. Until the reason is determined casting blame is irresponsible.
11
Yup, it was the darn soft balls. 45 - 7 loss but the Colts would have won if only those darn balls had 2 more pounds of pressure. Yup, you just cant over inflate the value of the story no matter how much you try.
4
Obviously some low level employee took an initiative that management abhors. That person will take the fall.
1
Perhaps New England Inflated the balls outside to 10.5 psi, then heated the balls until the pressure rose to 12.5 psi, and then immediately took the "hot" balls to the referee to be check. The "hot" balls are approved by the referee, then New England takes the balls back outside. Outside the balls cool and the pressure drops to 10.5 psi. I don't know enough science to know if this is possible, but This might be what Belichick means when he talks about following the "letter of the law."
Nope. Belichick addressed this question specifically during his press conference today.
Please take the time to watch Belichick's press conference - then let it go. In spite of what the mob's been saying all week - there's no story here.
Please take the time to watch Belichick's press conference - then let it go. In spite of what the mob's been saying all week - there's no story here.
5
Yes, and the more we all cheat the less we can trust anyone to do the right thing. Hence more and more rules, regulations and policing. It sounds like our society.
2
Thank you for finally taking some air out of this issue after six days of the rest of the media blowing it way out of proportion.
I really thought I was in Bizzaro World the other day when the "fake news" Daily Show focused on the lack of world response to recent Bokum Harum massacres in Nigeria, while all three network news shows lead with this bogus '"ball gate"
controversy.
controversy.
5
I guess some people are brought up being told cheating is OK. Other peopler brought up being told cheating is OK if you don't get caught. And others are brought up being told cheating is never OK.
This gives the people who don't cheat at a disadvantage and of course that is not fair.
So I propose we add courses in schools and colleges on why it's important to cheat and how to do it without getting caught so the good people have a fair chance at success in life.
Or of course, we could adopt the idea that lying and cheating are not good and only make rules that are going to enforced. And above all, honor the people that play by the rules, not the ones who don't.
This gives the people who don't cheat at a disadvantage and of course that is not fair.
So I propose we add courses in schools and colleges on why it's important to cheat and how to do it without getting caught so the good people have a fair chance at success in life.
Or of course, we could adopt the idea that lying and cheating are not good and only make rules that are going to enforced. And above all, honor the people that play by the rules, not the ones who don't.
4
Everyday I find another reAdon to love baseball.
1
The NFL checks the balls, and then Team A gets their balls and Team B gets theirs. Wouldn't it seem logical that if it mattered that they would have 1 set of balls that everyone would use and it would be guarded by an NFL ref?
The only reason that the NFL lets each team have their own balls is because they like offense and they want to QBs to customize them. Put more air in the way Aaron Rodgers likes, scuff them up the way others like, or take some air out the way others like.
But the NFL got caught up in the story and now can't just admit that everyone does it and they condone it.
The only reason that the NFL lets each team have their own balls is because they like offense and they want to QBs to customize them. Put more air in the way Aaron Rodgers likes, scuff them up the way others like, or take some air out the way others like.
But the NFL got caught up in the story and now can't just admit that everyone does it and they condone it.
2
Why doesn't this serve to highlight the ridiculousness of this whole NFL system, where teams supply their own offensive footballs. It makes no sense? Why wouldn't the league supply balls to teams to be used interchangeably by each offense like *every other sport*?
3
As I understand it, most QB's like their footballs scuffed up. The NFL lets each team do the scuffing they want. This kind of thing affects most sports. The NBA went from leather to synthetic basketballs at one time, creating great controversy. And the metal bats in college make adjustment to the major leagues that much harder.
The old rule was home teams supply the balls. Guess who lobbied the NFL to change the rule, Lance Brady.
2
Can anyone really say "sports ethics," particularly with what appears to be one of the most corrupt, for-profit, non-profit by act of Congress, the NFL leadership (that as ALWAYS been in the vanguard of investigating allegations at the first whiff of impropriety) without taking out entire towns with the lengths of his nose?
2
As a business, the NFL should rethink the cheating it allows. Just saying that from a monetary point of view, this is short-sighted and will come back to haunt the dopes who allow it.
3
This is just part of the Patriot culture.
When they videotaped opponents practice sessions they won Superbowls.
When they couldn't they didn't win any.
And they got off lightly. Belechek should of been suspended for at least a season.
The NFL has an agenda, they favor certain teams which has been clearly shown with bad referee calls deciding 2 playoff games.
A way to tell who will be favored by the officials is to watch the ball spots which can give or take away first downs.
When they videotaped opponents practice sessions they won Superbowls.
When they couldn't they didn't win any.
And they got off lightly. Belechek should of been suspended for at least a season.
The NFL has an agenda, they favor certain teams which has been clearly shown with bad referee calls deciding 2 playoff games.
A way to tell who will be favored by the officials is to watch the ball spots which can give or take away first downs.
2
Your argument, which was weak to begin with (videotaping was common practice in the NFL, and NFL coaches such as Bill Cower admitted to doing it), was completely thrown out the window with your "conspiracy theory" regarding rigged calls by the refs. Do us all a favor, and find out who really shot JFK.
3
That's a lie. They were the only team doing it and Bellechek was suspended for a game or two. And the Pats have not won a Super Bowl since the despite their great Super Bowl record up to that point
1
Sports mirrors society. College and pro sports are riddled with cheating, lies, deception, greed and hypocrisy. Just like everything else...
6
The NFL rules allow some differences in the amount of air in their footballs during games. If the New England team inflated the ball to exactly the lower limits prior to the game, it is likely that due to temperature changes from inside (hotter) and outside (colder) and in time, some pressure might naturally escape the football. Supposedly, 11 of 12 balls were below that limit when checked at half time. The NFL didn't say.....how much below the allowable limit the balls were when checked. One must also assume, when sticking a needle into a football, some air will likely escape. And a football is much smaller than a car tire.
There is a likelihood that the balls were properly inflated, right to the lower limits prior to the game and then were below that limit when checked at half time.
This can easily be research to see what can happen without altering the balls by any team.
There is a likelihood that the balls were properly inflated, right to the lower limits prior to the game and then were below that limit when checked at half time.
This can easily be research to see what can happen without altering the balls by any team.
2
Improve your deflation by pumping the ball up with hot air for presentation to the Refs. The cooling would get you down to 10.5 easily.
This just reflects society in general. Nothing is wrong unless it is a crime. Nothing is illegal, until you get caught and convicted by a jury. Our society says it is ok to commit minor crimes, however that is defined, because everybody does it. And Bill de Blasio says Shelly Silver is a man of integrity.
5
"If you don't get caught, it ain't cheating." Are we talking about politics or sports? Or both? Rubbing up a baseball with your hands and putting spit on it are two different things. What people are suggesting passes for gamesmanship is pure cheating and nothing else. The example of Jeter's behavior around the plate is not cheating. That is gamesmanship. The umpire still calls the balls and strikes, and if an umpire is influenced by extraneous behavior, he needs to practice his craft a little more.
Some one deflated the footballs. The Quaterback and the Coach know a little more about this than they are saying because they understand that it is cheating. They can deny knowledge, but when you wake up in the morning and there is snow on the ground, even though nobody saw it snow, it snowed, and this is a snow job. Tiger Woods stygmitized himself as a cheater forever with that one action (which one?) on his part. Ignorance is 9/10ths of the law. There are a gazillion marshalls all over the course with whom to consult. It makes you wonder about the marshalls, I guess, too. In the end, behavior is changed by an assessment of the consequences. A $25,000 fine for over deflation/inflation is a drop in the bucket, and the price any one would pay, and some have, for a seat at the Super Bowl, let alone right on the field. This is our culture: Win at all cost. Integrity has gone out the window, but people still watch and make believe it is all above board; take cycling, for an example.
Some one deflated the footballs. The Quaterback and the Coach know a little more about this than they are saying because they understand that it is cheating. They can deny knowledge, but when you wake up in the morning and there is snow on the ground, even though nobody saw it snow, it snowed, and this is a snow job. Tiger Woods stygmitized himself as a cheater forever with that one action (which one?) on his part. Ignorance is 9/10ths of the law. There are a gazillion marshalls all over the course with whom to consult. It makes you wonder about the marshalls, I guess, too. In the end, behavior is changed by an assessment of the consequences. A $25,000 fine for over deflation/inflation is a drop in the bucket, and the price any one would pay, and some have, for a seat at the Super Bowl, let alone right on the field. This is our culture: Win at all cost. Integrity has gone out the window, but people still watch and make believe it is all above board; take cycling, for an example.
4
Am I the only one who sees this as a planted "scandal" to give the NFL and the SuperBowl 2 weeks of free, 24/7 publicity and hype leading into the game?
This reads like the most basic play from Vince McMahon's WWE playbook to build up hype for the WrestleMania title match, the goldenboy vs. the hated cheater. It's been played well and worked like a charm, the NFL is unrivaled in US professional sports in its ability to market itself, it sells <5 minutes of actual play per game with 55 minutes of replay and commentary while they move the ball, huddle, lineup and 120 minutes of commercials and self promition
This reads like the most basic play from Vince McMahon's WWE playbook to build up hype for the WrestleMania title match, the goldenboy vs. the hated cheater. It's been played well and worked like a charm, the NFL is unrivaled in US professional sports in its ability to market itself, it sells <5 minutes of actual play per game with 55 minutes of replay and commentary while they move the ball, huddle, lineup and 120 minutes of commercials and self promition
4
You are so right. Once upon a time, because of the vagaries of the calendar, they would have only one week between the conference championship and the superbowl. What a relief. This extra week is tedious, and only exists because more media days can be sandwiched in. Of course a controversy has to be implemented, encouraged, imagined, whatever. It fills the time....
1
if the author is correct, if this is indeed something that all teams do, then we can add lying to the list of questionable ethics. Bill Belichick claimed to know nothing of the pre-game process involving game balls and never to have spoken about psi. Certainly, if this were as commonplace as everyone outside the NFL is telling us, then he would have brought it up at least once - if even to make a comment about other teams doing it. You can't have it both ways: you can't believe this is an everyday thing and believe Bill is unaware of it.
2
All the hype, sensationalism, assumed guilt, assume innocence tied to inflat-gate is DEFLATING my mental border between caring and not caring about the super bowl.
Sometimes cheating is just cheating!
4
When you hear sore losers and outright jerks like ex- Carolina Panthers general manager Marty Hurney trying to figure out why they lost the Super Bowl to the Patriots and grasp at outlandish claims that they were cheated out of it, it's no wonder most of the idiots on ESPN and other Sports Media outlets, they aren't concerned with what the actual fact show the truth to be....they are more concerned with gotcha and jump to unjustified character assassination on both Bill Belichick and Tom Brady without any verified evidence or substantiated facts.
This is beyond ridiculous and goes more to the point of less than competent Sports journalism now a days. When you read columns from Michael Rosenberg of Sports Illustrated that is so full of inaccuracies, errors and mistruths, and stating things that are just blatantly not true......it's no wonder people don't let the facts get in the way of what they want the truth to be....Thank God the Patriots know how to shut the noise.......what a country!
Hey Marty,....get some sleep, the Patriots are still trying to figure out how they lost in the 2007 and 2011 Super Bowls....it's called great plays, one team made the plays and the other team didn't, it's that simple....now, stop whining!
This is beyond ridiculous and goes more to the point of less than competent Sports journalism now a days. When you read columns from Michael Rosenberg of Sports Illustrated that is so full of inaccuracies, errors and mistruths, and stating things that are just blatantly not true......it's no wonder people don't let the facts get in the way of what they want the truth to be....Thank God the Patriots know how to shut the noise.......what a country!
Hey Marty,....get some sleep, the Patriots are still trying to figure out how they lost in the 2007 and 2011 Super Bowls....it's called great plays, one team made the plays and the other team didn't, it's that simple....now, stop whining!
5
Interesting how Patriot fans go to great lengths to excuse the cheating. No objective analysis, just self interest. Like what we all do everyday. Kinda sad.
1
I'm not a football fan, but those who are might want to take a look at Slate. They have reprinted a statistician's blog analyzing Patriots rate of fumbles over the past several years. He finds it statistically "nearly impossible" for them to be so consistently good at preventing fumbles vs all other teams.
http://www.slate.com/articles/sports/sports_nut/2015/01/ballghazi_the_ne...
http://www.slate.com/articles/sports/sports_nut/2015/01/ballghazi_the_ne...
2
This article is really meaningless when it measure not a ranking of total fumbles but fumbles lost. Any imagined changes in ball pressure would only affect
total fumbles. The recovery of fumbles- subtracted from total fumbles to get the fumbles lost figure- could be based on coaching, drills, personnel or just luck but has nothing to do with the ball.
total fumbles. The recovery of fumbles- subtracted from total fumbles to get the fumbles lost figure- could be based on coaching, drills, personnel or just luck but has nothing to do with the ball.
This country is now made up of cheats and liars, that include all politicians, the media, sports and the supreme court.
3
Deflating game balls below the regulation psi violates an express rule. This is not simply "gaming the system." Shame on the author for trying to confuse the two.
2
I suppose there are things more contemptible than MLBs promotion of PEDs under Bud Selig in life, but not too many come to mind immediately. The "degree" to which one is cheating or bending the rules is a fine line as the author states. But let's be clear - there is nothing unclear about MLB and PEDs. For those that wish Barry Bonds and his contemptible ilk to be in the Hall of Fame, I say absolutely, they should. But first, let's change the name of the Hall of Fame to something more appropriate. How about the Hall of PEDs Users?
What were the results of testing the Colt's balls? What? They didn't test them? Maybe their balls were so underinflated that it caused them to play so poorly. Who did it? Who paid the Colt ball boys?
Let's worry about Ndamukong Suh stomping on Aaron Rodgers leg. Or, Jon Runyon, dirtiest offensive lineman since Conrad Dobler, becoming a Congressman. At least worry about something that's real, or, something outside of football that's really important, like PTSD. Deflategate ain't worth any more column inches.
Let's worry about Ndamukong Suh stomping on Aaron Rodgers leg. Or, Jon Runyon, dirtiest offensive lineman since Conrad Dobler, becoming a Congressman. At least worry about something that's real, or, something outside of football that's really important, like PTSD. Deflategate ain't worth any more column inches.
2
How about spending as much thought and discussion about Cheating vs Gamesmanship on something a little more important?
For starters, was the statement "We don't want the smoking gun to come in the form of a mushroom cloud" cheating or just gamesmanship? Should the perpetrators be punished or not? If the Patriots should indeed be punished, how about the members of a certain administration?
For starters, was the statement "We don't want the smoking gun to come in the form of a mushroom cloud" cheating or just gamesmanship? Should the perpetrators be punished or not? If the Patriots should indeed be punished, how about the members of a certain administration?
1
Did I miss Lance Armstrong's name somewhere in this article about cheating in sports? He came to mind every time I heard about the Patriots and deflategate.
Easy. If the Pats do it, it's cheating. Any other team -gamesmanship.
1
Gamesmanship and Championship? Accusation and Guilt? How about the ethics of a rush to judgement? It's just another version of Stop 'n Frisk.
2
I feel cheated aesthetically every time I see the Patriots' horrible uniforms.
i heard that in the November game with Indy the same thing happened and the league warned the Pats not to do it anymore. If that's true then Belichick and Brady are flat out lying at this stage of the investigation. They have probably been deflating all along.
The Patriots should go ahead and play the game, but donate all their Super Bowl profits and earnings to a charity that has something to do with air: maybe a children's asthma fund?
1
Gamesmanship involves fouling on purpose and smack talk in the heat of battle. Cheating is when you tweak equipment while not in the heat of battle, hours before a game. I forgive the hot-headed gamesmanship in the heat of playing, but not the laying-in-wait, pre-planned, weirdo cheating.
2
Thank you for not mentioning cycling.
The patriots just won't quit cheating till someone stops them. And who will stop them? Not the NFL and not anyone else. Time to stop allowing cheaters to play.
1
Deflategate=Blabbergate. On to kickoff. The Colts could simply not run with the Horses.
3
While Tim Rohan has written a thoughtful article concerning ethics in sports; he and most writers continue to blur the true meaning of the term "gamesmanship". The word "gamesmanship" was created by the British writer Stephen Potter in his book "The Theory and Practice of Gamesmanship (or the art of winning without actually cheating)", written in 1947. In the practice of gamesmanship Potter urged "gamesmen" to be sporting and adhere to all the rules of the game; while at the same time employing tactics to undermine opponents confidence or to induce them to play badly. A gamesman was never a cheat. The behavior by the Patriots, if proven, could never be considered gamesmanship.
Unfortunately, today's "gamesman" is one who spews venom and cheats without compunction. It is a sad commentary on our society that these behaviors can be viewed by some as acceptable.
Unfortunately, today's "gamesman" is one who spews venom and cheats without compunction. It is a sad commentary on our society that these behaviors can be viewed by some as acceptable.
I don't really follow football, nor know much about it, but isn't it obvious that both teams should use the same ball? The fact that each team supplies its own balls seems like an invitation to doctor the ball.
1
Stephen Mosher: "...if you don’t get caught, it ain’t cheating.”
That is illogical and just plain wrong. In fact one of the most time consuming aspects of cheating is figuring out how not to get caught.
The article cites numerous types of "gamesmanship", like corking bats and flopping for fouls, that is not considered cheating. But it's interesting to note that all of those instances are penalized as violations of the rules.
The only question now is whether the Patriots will be penalized for cheating and lying about it. At the very least their name should always bear the "asterisk of shame" and the footnote that for all their vaunted skill, they had to cheat to win.
That is illogical and just plain wrong. In fact one of the most time consuming aspects of cheating is figuring out how not to get caught.
The article cites numerous types of "gamesmanship", like corking bats and flopping for fouls, that is not considered cheating. But it's interesting to note that all of those instances are penalized as violations of the rules.
The only question now is whether the Patriots will be penalized for cheating and lying about it. At the very least their name should always bear the "asterisk of shame" and the footnote that for all their vaunted skill, they had to cheat to win.
Well, you may be right.....but it is not blurred very much, is it?
I'm sure an answer will emerge about the low ball pressure with all the interviews and camera coverage of the playing field during the game. And it may well turn out that there was no cheating or gamesmanship by the Patriots -so all these diatribes may turn out to be hot air. But ultimately the league should provide and control the balls for the game just as baseball does. And I don't believe there should be special "K" (kicking) balls-one ball for all plays.
1
The line between cheating and gamesmanship is not confusing or blurred at all. Is there an explicit rule prohibiting the behavior? If yes, then breaking the rule is cheating. If no, then you get into the question of gamesmanship and ethics. Scuffing a baseball is cheating. Jeter sticking out his rear-end is not. Deflating a football is cheating. There is a rule that requires the footballs be inflated to a certain PSI range. Taking the air out of the football is cheating. Plain and simple.
It seems clear the NFL needs grip and arm strength tests on an annual bases. If ball handling players are too weak or too strong they are barred from the NFL.
Meh. concussions, wife and child beatings, multiple rape allegations, non profit status, homophobia, faux patriotism, enforced fashion, animal cruelty, commentators absurd prattle, etc. I went from being a fan, to watching with the sound off, to I've had enough. I've lost all interest. Sunday I'll be on my bike preparing for my next century.
You don't know the half of it. The Patriots and The Weather Channel have teamed up to reduce the atmospheric pressure over Arizona on the day of the Superbowl which will give Bradey's passing game greater range in the thin Arizona air. And the running game will be improved by using shoe polish directly on the cleats of the running backs, which free the shoe from the playing field quicker as they run. Of course they cheat, how else could they win so many games?
2
Why are we surprised? We live in a society that teaches that winning is everything. As my college coach once screamed at us, "there's first place and no place!" And then he proceeded to teach us how to cheat: how to put the tape on our wrists with little bumps that we could use to rake across opposing players skin and make little cuts, how to flick a bit of dust into a players eyes as the ball was snapped, how to use a "forearm shiver" (a blow with rhe elbow to the oppositions jaw ) to make them woozy, or at least to make them hesitate before moving Everyone in our society cheats and lies: Wall Street, sports figures, politicians, statesmen, people preparing their income tax, everyone! We were precipitated into a war, for crying out loud, on the basis of what was, at the very least, a half-truth. On rare occasions cheaters are caught and penalized. The lesson there isn't don't cheat, don't lie; it's don't get caught. And if you are caught, be wealthy so you can avoid being punished.
We are a nation of cheats. No wonder no one trusts us.
We are a nation of cheats. No wonder no one trusts us.
Deception is really at the heart of all sport. If a pitcher can throw a perfectly straight fastball 100 MPH and does not have a curve ball or changeup in his arsenal, he won't make it past the low minor leagues. Soccer players 'bend' their shots to confuse the opponents. Almost everything in football is designed to confuse the opponent, whether it is a pass route, a block, etc. So deception is not the issue. However, all of the above mentioned deceptions are within the rules of their sport, and what seems to have happened to the Patriots (and I am a life long Patriots fan), seems different. If Brady has a better grip on the ball than is allowed, or if their running back similarly has a better grip, especially in inclement weather, this is clearly a problem. I'd bet that they did this whenever the weather conditions warranted it. And for all I know, lots of other folks do it as well. So sad...it takes away from our enjoyment of the super bowl
1
"Golfers would probably have taken offense, too. More than any other sport, golfers are expected to live up to a high moral code on the course. There is no referee watching their every move to make sure that they don’t have extra clubs in their bag or that they drop their ball in the correct spot. Golfers are expected to police themselves."
Poor analogy. A golf competition is conducted over 200 acres of land, much of it played in solitude,without any cameras or any spectators watching. Golf HAS to self-police, HAS to rely on its participants' honor. Without it, competitive golf and probably the game itself would cease to exist.
ALL other major (and most minor) sports are conducted in confined, defined arenas or fields of play, which, because officials and spectators are watching every move, encourages contestants to try to steal an advantage in the arena, knowing that if they're caught they'll be penalized, but their honor won't be at stake.
Poor analogy. A golf competition is conducted over 200 acres of land, much of it played in solitude,without any cameras or any spectators watching. Golf HAS to self-police, HAS to rely on its participants' honor. Without it, competitive golf and probably the game itself would cease to exist.
ALL other major (and most minor) sports are conducted in confined, defined arenas or fields of play, which, because officials and spectators are watching every move, encourages contestants to try to steal an advantage in the arena, knowing that if they're caught they'll be penalized, but their honor won't be at stake.
Wait a minute. There is no blurred line here - deliberately deflating the air pressure in a football in order to more easily throw and catch it is flat out cheating, not so-called gamesmanship. The NFL is obviously slow-walking this investigation until after the Super Bowl as it does not wish to suspend any player or coach for the game. It is obvious to everyone, even to the most strident Patriot fan, that Tom Brady knew of and approved of the deflated footballs. Otherwise he would have halted the game and informed the officials of the obvious transgression of rules and asked for a new set of balls.
A lesson for all you kids out there - should New England win and Tom Brady be named MVP with all of its financial benefits - cheating pays!
A lesson for all you kids out there - should New England win and Tom Brady be named MVP with all of its financial benefits - cheating pays!
2
I don't know who to be more disappointed with - the NFL or the media, On the one hand, the NFL should be ashamed of the way they are conducting this investigation (not that anyone will be surprised). Brady still not interviewed? Findings not out until after the Super Bowl?
On the other hand, there is the media hungrily feasting on this "Patriots Scandal" (to quote the NYT). How is this a scandal when we've yet to be presented any evidence that the team did anything wrong? Why should we trust the media on this story when they have already made errors in reporting (oops, sorry, Colts defensive back D'Well Jackson didn't notice any weight issue after all)?
The NFL has far more weighty issues to address (domestic violence and head trauma, to name a couple) and God knows the media does as well. As for me, I'm tuning out until there is real news - or Super Sunday rolls around.
On the other hand, there is the media hungrily feasting on this "Patriots Scandal" (to quote the NYT). How is this a scandal when we've yet to be presented any evidence that the team did anything wrong? Why should we trust the media on this story when they have already made errors in reporting (oops, sorry, Colts defensive back D'Well Jackson didn't notice any weight issue after all)?
The NFL has far more weighty issues to address (domestic violence and head trauma, to name a couple) and God knows the media does as well. As for me, I'm tuning out until there is real news - or Super Sunday rolls around.
2
Here's my theory on "Deflategate." Teams have been tinkering with ball pressure forever and the NFL, along with referees, have turned a blind eye. It's sort of like the scene in Casablanca when authorities are "shocked" when they "discover" gambling is going on. At that point, they have no choice but to show they are do something about it so they round up the usual suspects. Well, if my theory is right, the league should give the Patriots a pass on this, but should also change or enforce the rules going forward. It would be unfair to punish just one team. I think the Indy player who brought up the issue did so to rattle the Pats during a key game. He probably had no idea it would explode to an issue of this level. It's just a theory, though.
3
The use of steroids by hundreds of ball players in baseball was known and silently condoned by MLB and the media for years. It was part of the game until sancrosant records started to be broken and the public began to have second thoughts. The Patriots scandal seems to me to be equally if not more sordid. It is cheating, pure and simple and if orchestrated in any way by management, it should be severely punished. If Bonds and Clemens are denied Hall of Fame status, something similar should happen to the Patriots.
There is a difference between using cleverness to identify a loophole in the rules or use a tactic that hasn't been addressed in the rules to gain an advantage. I am thinking of Kenny Stabler "fumbling" the ball into the endzone then recovering it for a touchdown or the whole "four corners offense" of Al McGuire before shot clocks. If it hurts the game then rules are usually created in response. I have no problem with this. On the other hand deliberately breaking the rules but not getting caught is another thing entirely. To excuse that has far worse consequences in the long run. I'm thinking of the steroid era of baseball which has really hurt the sport. With this sort of ethics, it comes down to lines you do or don't cross. Why not poison the food of the opposing team or pump toxins into their locker room? Deliberately breaking the rules needs to be dealt with firmly and not just with fines but with season hurting sanctions.
1
Remember, too, that rules are developed over years and change with the times. I can guarantee you that the current rules on how the football is to made, shaped and inflated were not in the first NFL rulebook. Such rules change with the times, and from being tested.
Further, this kind of testing of an equipment rule is done because there is almost no risk to it if it's done within reason. The other team is unlikely to care if you're not completely flouting the rule (and according to interviews opposing NFL players don't care), and if there's a challenge the penalty is minor. It would be different if, say, a QB caught the defense offguard by throwing a ball filled with helium for a game-winning, 95-yard hail mary.
Longtime NHL ref Paul Stewart has a piece about the illegal stick penalty on his blog and how it's rarely called anymore even though lots of players use noticeably illegal sticks. He says that players do it because it's just a 2 minute minor, and that no one challenges it because it's understood as a technical violation and in no way egregious. So thank you for this article and play on.
Further, this kind of testing of an equipment rule is done because there is almost no risk to it if it's done within reason. The other team is unlikely to care if you're not completely flouting the rule (and according to interviews opposing NFL players don't care), and if there's a challenge the penalty is minor. It would be different if, say, a QB caught the defense offguard by throwing a ball filled with helium for a game-winning, 95-yard hail mary.
Longtime NHL ref Paul Stewart has a piece about the illegal stick penalty on his blog and how it's rarely called anymore even though lots of players use noticeably illegal sticks. He says that players do it because it's just a 2 minute minor, and that no one challenges it because it's understood as a technical violation and in no way egregious. So thank you for this article and play on.
1
A very revealing moment during Tom Brady's press conference: he referred to the football as "his equipment...just like his cleats, pads or helmet." Excuse me. The ball--in any athletic endeavor--is not part of anyone's equipment; it is the object being contested, presumably in a fair manner, and presumably, untampered with. If an athlete regards the ball as part of "his equipment," then he also obviously considers it "fair" game for adjusting, modifying and tinkering to suit his preference, and for gaining an unfair advantage. Brady's arguments are just, well, too pat.
1
I'm much more concerned that league officials helped Dallas beat Detroit and Green Bay defeat Dallas with highly suspect interpretations of the rules then deflate gate.
Gamesmanship or if you will pushing the rules to the limit for an edge is to be expected in any highly competitive sport with huge money on the line. The league is responsible for enforcing the rules during the game and it appears they are quick to point fingers and investigate when the team is responsible for league rules but they aren't investigating the official conduct on the field in either the Dallas Detroit game or the Dallas Green bay game.
The league is the issue here not gamesmanship. It's also telling that the burnt the tapes regarding the taping incident. Why is the league putting teams in a position of either gamesmanship or cheating within the context of rules neutral officials should be responsible for?
I want to disclose that I hate the Pats, hate both BB and Tom Brady and believe both would do anything to get an edge over an opponent. That said the league should be investigating themselves not the Pats.
Gamesmanship or if you will pushing the rules to the limit for an edge is to be expected in any highly competitive sport with huge money on the line. The league is responsible for enforcing the rules during the game and it appears they are quick to point fingers and investigate when the team is responsible for league rules but they aren't investigating the official conduct on the field in either the Dallas Detroit game or the Dallas Green bay game.
The league is the issue here not gamesmanship. It's also telling that the burnt the tapes regarding the taping incident. Why is the league putting teams in a position of either gamesmanship or cheating within the context of rules neutral officials should be responsible for?
I want to disclose that I hate the Pats, hate both BB and Tom Brady and believe both would do anything to get an edge over an opponent. That said the league should be investigating themselves not the Pats.
1
What I find unbelievable is the overreaction and accusations from the media, they are saying the Patriots are guilty before the NFL gives an official determination of its investigation. According to the experts, balls can deflate by one pound in cooler weather when they transition from one temperature to a cooler one. if the Patriots quarterback likes the ball at 12.5 (the legal lower limit) it could potentially deflate by itself below that when taken outside. The other team quarterback might like the balls at the higher end of permitted inflation, so even if they deflate, they would still be within legal limits. This only happened during the first half, according to NFL second half balls were ok. Well, it seems the Patriots beat the Colts pretty badly during the second half when the balls were proper, according to the NFL. Deflated balls did not give them any advantages. There were also numerous pass interferences against the Patriots that were never called. The thing is, if NFL rules says each team must hand the balls for inspection before the game and remain in custody until they are used, how could any team alter the balls? It makes no sense. What I see is unfair and unbalanced outrage from the media against the Patriots and Tom Brady. They deserve the benefit of the doubt and innocent till proven guilty. Tom Brady must be the most hated guy in the NFL. I guess being good looking and married to a model might have something to do with it, given the irrational attacks.
4
A cheat is a cheat.
2
Gamesmanship is just a spiffed up expression for cheating.
2
A former pro athlete appeared on ESPN the other day and said that all on-field "cheating" is acceptable and in many situations encouraged by teammates and coaches. This includes, for example, protesting to the officials that a pass that clearly and knowingly touches the ground first is a completion. Yet this same person is intolerant of any off-field cheating. This seems somewhat hypocritical to me.
Can you imagine Jack or Arnie cheating in a tournament?
Can you imagine Jack or Arnie cheating in a tournament?
2
Just bought a copy of Me and the Spitter on eBay -- out of print but perhaps this whole thing will get it back in print. There is a great doctoral thesis in this for someone.
If the NFL cared about this issue why would they leave it to the teams to regulate and not take control of all balls for both teams for all games. The answer is the league likes scoring and wants each QB to be comfortable with the balls they use. The Pats and Brady took a nuanced view of this (as usual)
2
Perhaps, if it's not considered too quaint, we can work the idea of sportsmanship into the conversation.
2
Well, I hope the NY Times one of these days gets around to talking about how politicians, corporations, and CEOs bend the rules of the law just this side of cheating, and sometimes outside of the law, and get away with it. That would be worth more than this screed on how athletes bend the rule.
The latest egregious example, being the tactic of "inversion" whereby companies evade full taxes by "headquartering" in a foreign country where operations are a mere fraction of what they really are in the States. Now that is cheating on a grand scale.
And yes, I am looking at you, Apple!
The latest egregious example, being the tactic of "inversion" whereby companies evade full taxes by "headquartering" in a foreign country where operations are a mere fraction of what they really are in the States. Now that is cheating on a grand scale.
And yes, I am looking at you, Apple!
5
“This kind of gamesmanship goes on all the time,” said Stephen Mosher, a professor at Ithaca College who studies sports ethics. “It’s certainly accepted as part of the culture that you game the system as much as you possibly can, and if you don’t get caught, it ain’t cheating.”
1. This is true only to a cheater.
2. It is not "gamesmanship" it is CHEATING.
3. Frequency of occurrence or ubiquity of the attempts do not change the facts of 1 & 2.
1. This is true only to a cheater.
2. It is not "gamesmanship" it is CHEATING.
3. Frequency of occurrence or ubiquity of the attempts do not change the facts of 1 & 2.
2
What a shameful and sorry comment - from a professor, no less.
Oh, all these athletes need to stopmtheir whining. These are games and not real jobs, anyway.
"These are games and not real jobs anyway."
This is a very apt observation. But by the same token, neither is being Speaker of the House of Congress a "real job" (just a politician), nor being an Oscar winner a "real job" (just an actor), or being a TV News anchor a "real job" (just a reader of prepared scripts). None of these are real jobs.
As for the guy who takes away my garbage twice a week, or the teacher who taught your child to do math, those are real jobs.
This is a very apt observation. But by the same token, neither is being Speaker of the House of Congress a "real job" (just a politician), nor being an Oscar winner a "real job" (just an actor), or being a TV News anchor a "real job" (just a reader of prepared scripts). None of these are real jobs.
As for the guy who takes away my garbage twice a week, or the teacher who taught your child to do math, those are real jobs.
A lot of these actions such as Jeter's are attempts to influence a call, while Jeter is doing his act to suggest the ball was well inside the catcher is framing the ball to suggest it caught the inside corner. These things are all perfectly acceptable because it the umpire/referee who makes the call. As a famous umpire once said after a close play at 2B when the runner yelled safe and the fielder yelled out -"It ain't nothin' 'till I call it"
1
true
How about when Jeter shook his wrist pretending to have been hit on it? Stil ,just gamesmanship? Or cheating? I would lean towards cheating, but overall would not consider Jeter a cheater. Similarly when a soccer goalkeeper quickly grabs a ball that crossed the goal line and kicks it upfield (Manuel Neuer against England, e.g.) so the referee gets fooled into not calling the goal. Cheating, but generally accepted.
And herein lies the issue in most sports, even the most "honorable" players (outside of golf) will cross the line into cheating at times.
And herein lies the issue in most sports, even the most "honorable" players (outside of golf) will cross the line into cheating at times.
Belichick and Brady's image and legacy will be tarnished forever after fourteen years of deflation. To be so stupid knowing all too well what they were doing was illegal especially in championship games is just a shame for one of the best runs in football history. All other teams that have been doing this will now conform to the rules, rest assured. ... It will be interesting to see how Brady will perform with fully inflated game balls for the entire game. If he does well the scandal will subside but if he does poorly it will carry on ad nauseum. It's a win or no win situation for the Patriots .
Either the coach or the quarterback on th Patriots should be suspended BEFORE the Super Bowl because there is no way that the footballs were deflated without their knowledge. The coach's past history has shown that nothing on his team goes unnoticed by him. Brady has been playing football for over 20 years and he knows when a football is under inflated. If no one of consequence is not suspended before the game this Super Bowl will be forever tainted by this controversy.
2
While we can speculate, even you, edthefed, aren't sure which person should get suspended. You cannot hand down punishment to individuals without proof that they, personally, did something. If the league decides that trickery was used, they can punish the organization without specifying an individual. Or, they could punish Belichick as head coach and GM for being where the buck stops (even if he did not specifically order it)--this sets a precedent for future acts across the league; not a bad idea. Without proof, though, it ruins the league's integrity to blame a specific individual without being sure of what they did or did not do. It also allows the guilty person to do it again.
The footballs were changed at halftime for regulation compliant balls and the Patriots scored more second half points than they scored in the first half!
3
I totally agree. The whole argument is ridiculous because of that. The league should supply the balls. End of problem.
1
You are talking about the outcome of the game, which has nothing to do with the methods. Completely different subjects
Mr. Rohan, is there a point you are trying to make? Or are you just using up space? Framing a pitch and using pine tar are not the same in any sense. Jeter's stance is not using drugs to enhance performance. You conflate behavior that is prohibited with behavior that is not prohibited. Are you doing this to soft sell the issue? Deflated footballs like steroids and pine tar are prohibited! You used a great deal of space and said nothing of any use.
1
His point is that we seem to accept some rule breaking (calling it "gamesmanship") while being upset at other acts (against the rules). Baseball is the best example of this, with its storied history and lore. The part of the article about a runner stealing signs (crafty) vs. a video set up (gauche, at best) are both poor sportsmanship, but we accept one. Baseball lore is filled with rule breakers (all of those doctored balls) that we celebrate for making the game interesting (the Niekro brothers), while accepting when they get tossed. Football, too, if filled with dirty tricks used by players, coaches and teams (i.e., the Raiders) that are wistfully looked back on as "real football". The author is not justifying the behavior, but noting how grey we fans mark the line.
Let me commend this article for not demonstrating the usual full throttle bias of "so jealous I could spit" Patriot Haters;demanding such Draconian punishments as asterisks next to their long line of championships;removal from the record books, and public crucifixion of Bellichick and Brady.
Unless and until some HARD, CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE is presented - i.e.- a video of Belichick, Brady, et. al. personally deflating the footballs...the Pats remain innocent of any wrong doing. indeed, 'tis the NFL that must take responsibility and rewrite their football inspection procedures. MIT has pointed out that balls properly inflated in certain conditions will deflate when exposed to weather conditions such as those on Sunday.
Fact remains that the Pats would have crushed the Colts had they used a beach ball.
GET OVER IT!
The Patriots are THE most successful NFL franchise in this century but receive more than the usual level of jealous venom. Considering the media free pass granted to the New Orleans Saints for far more egregious acts yet these are never revisited by the media- Saint's are welcomed into the good ole boys NFL club by all....no "spygate" memories here.
The NY Yankees won most of "the Captain's" World Series Championship[s with a clubhouse LOADED with most of MLB's biggest PED users ....no one dares speak out against the record of "The Captain's" leadership....
Hypocrisy, thy name is New York. (especially the media) and it's oh so jealous minions.....
GO PATRIOTS!!!
Unless and until some HARD, CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE is presented - i.e.- a video of Belichick, Brady, et. al. personally deflating the footballs...the Pats remain innocent of any wrong doing. indeed, 'tis the NFL that must take responsibility and rewrite their football inspection procedures. MIT has pointed out that balls properly inflated in certain conditions will deflate when exposed to weather conditions such as those on Sunday.
Fact remains that the Pats would have crushed the Colts had they used a beach ball.
GET OVER IT!
The Patriots are THE most successful NFL franchise in this century but receive more than the usual level of jealous venom. Considering the media free pass granted to the New Orleans Saints for far more egregious acts yet these are never revisited by the media- Saint's are welcomed into the good ole boys NFL club by all....no "spygate" memories here.
The NY Yankees won most of "the Captain's" World Series Championship[s with a clubhouse LOADED with most of MLB's biggest PED users ....no one dares speak out against the record of "The Captain's" leadership....
Hypocrisy, thy name is New York. (especially the media) and it's oh so jealous minions.....
GO PATRIOTS!!!
9
You are trying to direct attention away from the deeds by converting the subject to how kind and considerate are the players, and how great it is to be a Patriot supporter. Didn't work with me. And living in Florida, I care not about who wins, only about how they play......
The article ridiculously tries to conflate gamesmanship with cheating. What Jeter was doing all those years was done right out there in public. If it was dishonest or anything else, the whole world had a chance to say so. Spygate and Deflategate (if true) were done in secret.
I play tennis. Sometimes I position my body so my opponent thinks I'm going to hit the ball down the line, and at the last second hit it crosscourt. Is that also "dishonest" gamesmanship? I really think this article is absurd.
I play tennis. Sometimes I position my body so my opponent thinks I'm going to hit the ball down the line, and at the last second hit it crosscourt. Is that also "dishonest" gamesmanship? I really think this article is absurd.
3
Question: Last season, the Seahawks were known to push the holding and pass interference rules. In fact, they did it every play because they knew they would not be called every play. Their view was, "if the ref doesn't call it, it's legal". But it wasn't. Those rules were clear, but their actions, in full view, were broken every game and pushed the line of what was called--making an illegal play legal. Is that cheating (knowing you are breaking a clear rule, but not getting caught) or gamesmanship? Does it taint their SB win? If a ref doesn't call it, is it cheating?
Note: When the league enforced the rule with them this year, their record suffered. Also note that the refs and the league were tipped off before the game, did not warn the Pats, handled every ball and saw nothing until the half. Legal?
Note: When the league enforced the rule with them this year, their record suffered. Also note that the refs and the league were tipped off before the game, did not warn the Pats, handled every ball and saw nothing until the half. Legal?
1
It's only a game. It's not like these were big banks or anything.
3
This is another huge example of the media keeping this alive and pretending it is something. Its exhausting.
So...
- The Referees handle EVERY ball for EVERY play during the game and they don't notice anything?
- Someone posted a physics analysis and showed how just having them inflated inside but then bringing them out could be enough to deflate them by that amount.
- The Patriots scored less points in the first half than the second; apparently the under inflated balls were only used in the first half.
- An under inflated ball would likely hurt the punter and kickers.
Typical American conspiracy - you just can't ever prove that it was not on purpose. They took the balls to the grassy knoll .....
If my Vikings had just beaten the Patriots and foul play was suspected then I might think that that could have made a difference. This was a very convincing win for the Patriots. There is nothing here other that the absurdity that Teams provide their own balls which I doubt many people knew. Even then there is an approved range in which balls can be inflated so apparently teams do apply their preference to the balls before hand.
This is journalists trying to find something to write about rather than celebrating one of the greatest duos in footboy history in Brady and Belichik.
And in no way am I a Patriots fan..but I prefer them to Seattle.
Go Vikings!
So...
- The Referees handle EVERY ball for EVERY play during the game and they don't notice anything?
- Someone posted a physics analysis and showed how just having them inflated inside but then bringing them out could be enough to deflate them by that amount.
- The Patriots scored less points in the first half than the second; apparently the under inflated balls were only used in the first half.
- An under inflated ball would likely hurt the punter and kickers.
Typical American conspiracy - you just can't ever prove that it was not on purpose. They took the balls to the grassy knoll .....
If my Vikings had just beaten the Patriots and foul play was suspected then I might think that that could have made a difference. This was a very convincing win for the Patriots. There is nothing here other that the absurdity that Teams provide their own balls which I doubt many people knew. Even then there is an approved range in which balls can be inflated so apparently teams do apply their preference to the balls before hand.
This is journalists trying to find something to write about rather than celebrating one of the greatest duos in footboy history in Brady and Belichik.
And in no way am I a Patriots fan..but I prefer them to Seattle.
Go Vikings!
7
Thanks for "keeping it alive" and pretending it is something. Sure took you a lot of words to pretend........
Roger Goodell's worst nightmare is the thought he might have to hand the Lombardi trophy to Kraft and Belichik. As a rabid Patriots fan, I am convinced that Goodell and co. are deliberately dragging this out, leaking tidbits that make the team look bad, inciting the media to try and condemn the Patriots in the court of public opinion--hoping at a minimum to distract the team and make them vulnerable in the Super Bowl. But if Seattle wins with an assist, that win will be tainted too. It's a shame that the match-up of two legitimately great teams is being sabotaged by the league itself. Take it seriously, yes; sanctions and penalties, once there's proof, yes. But the way the league is dragging it out and vicariously lynching various participants without proof doesn't do the game any favors.
4
Without getting into the evidence that overwhelmingly points the finger at Tom Brady as the culprit, I find it fascinating how easily most are willing to accept Brady's version of the story and/or trivialize his alleged actions. Typical selective reporting and biased commentary. Look in the mirror and ask yourselves: how objective are we? It is notable that folks from Massachusetts are clearly dismissive of the importance of this behavior. Of course the real villain in this episode is the NFL which will mete out a slap on the wrist at best. And you whine about the dishonesty in Washington but when it works to your ends, it's OK. Liberals, conservatives ... all cast from the same mold ... cheating is OK when it suits one's purposes.
what evidence are you talking about? No final determination has been made. The real villain is the one who accuses without hard evidence. Look in the mirror and see how objective you are. Wait for the evidence, then talk.
1
I think Tim has missed something.
If you hold in football, or pull someone's shirt in soccer or slap a shooter's arm in basketball you have to do it in plain sight and hope the referees don't call you for it because if they do, you get penalized right there, during the game in a way that in some sense is intended to compensate for your attempt to cheat. Both teams face the same situation. In a sense, then, that is fair.
But if you take banned drugs, or conspire to throw a game, or such, you are not doing that in plain sight of the referees and generally not during the game. The fans don't know you did it, they think the game is being played under different circumstances. No referee or instant replay is going to catch you. Deceiving the fans in that way is different and different in a way that causes the fans to lose faith in the fairness and honesty of the sport.
Agree?
If you hold in football, or pull someone's shirt in soccer or slap a shooter's arm in basketball you have to do it in plain sight and hope the referees don't call you for it because if they do, you get penalized right there, during the game in a way that in some sense is intended to compensate for your attempt to cheat. Both teams face the same situation. In a sense, then, that is fair.
But if you take banned drugs, or conspire to throw a game, or such, you are not doing that in plain sight of the referees and generally not during the game. The fans don't know you did it, they think the game is being played under different circumstances. No referee or instant replay is going to catch you. Deceiving the fans in that way is different and different in a way that causes the fans to lose faith in the fairness and honesty of the sport.
Agree?
1
How is it cheating if the other team, the Colts, used the same ball as the Patriots? Just asking, hate to ruin a great non-story like this.
2
Peter: I initially thought the same thing when the story first broke. But, contrary to what most would expect, in the NFL each team uses its own game-balls on offense and exercises control over those balls on the sidelines during the game. (Both sets of balls are tested by the officials for proper pressure before the game.) So one team's football would not typically/regularly be handled by the other team's (defensive) players. And in fact it is reported that an interception by a Colts' receiver began this whole controversy...
BTW, an interesting question in my mind is, why does the NFL use this, at best, counter-intuitive procedure?
BTW, an interesting question in my mind is, why does the NFL use this, at best, counter-intuitive procedure?
they do not use the same balls, each team brings their own balls. The underinflated balls were only used in the first half, for the second half they were given properly inflated balls. It was during the second half that the colts were crushed, when the balls were ok. It is obvious the Patriots were far superior to the Colts and that it was a journalist from Indianapolis who first broke the non story and was followed by all the male journalists green with envy and eager to blow it out of proportion.
1
Each team uses their own balls on offense.
“You might consider me the last guy to have anything to say about cheating, but golf is different. I love adhering to a code of honour that we in cycling didn’t have.
“If I moved my ball in the rough and got caught, I wouldn’t just regret it, I’d be heartbroken forever. When I think about reform in cycling, I think about golf.”
Lance Armstrong Golf Digest
“If I moved my ball in the rough and got caught, I wouldn’t just regret it, I’d be heartbroken forever. When I think about reform in cycling, I think about golf.”
Lance Armstrong Golf Digest
How is it-- the Patriots-Colt deflategame bore --cheating if the other team uses the same ball that you do? Just asking, hate to ruin a good non-story but..
1
Both teams don't use the same ball. Each team is given 12 balls, and when each team takes the field on offense, they use their own balls. The only way the tampering was discovered was when a Colt intercepted a throw and took it to their sideline and expressed the notion that something was wrong with the ball. When the balls were checked, 11 of 12 were about 2 lbs. lighter than what's required, which obviously would make the ball easier to handle.
Seems like a simple solution would be for the NFL to be in charge of all game balls, all the time.
Baseball teams don't get to use or their own baseballs, so why should football teams be allowed to use their own footballs?
Baseball teams don't get to use or their own baseballs, so why should football teams be allowed to use their own footballs?
2
Let's be frank with ourselves on this, and take it for what it is, nobody follows all of the rules all of the time - sportsmen, legislators, clergy, citizens etc.
This whole episode reminds me of an interview of a NHL goalie, a favorite of mine. His team had been taking quite a few penalties as of late, giving him lots more work and goals against. Asked if he minded his team going short handed so often he replied "not at all, if you're not cheating you're not trying to win".
This whole episode reminds me of an interview of a NHL goalie, a favorite of mine. His team had been taking quite a few penalties as of late, giving him lots more work and goals against. Asked if he minded his team going short handed so often he replied "not at all, if you're not cheating you're not trying to win".
Has anyone ever seen a football game? The entire game is based on secrets and deception. The whole point is to deceive your opponent play after play to believe that you are trying to do one thing while doing something else. This is the culture that football breeds. Its three card Monty with helmets and pads. Golf on the other hand has no deception in it.
Regarding this specific instance it seems more "gamesmanship" than "death penalty rule breaking cheating". All NFL teams are guilty of doing things outside the rules all the time to gain an advantage. Things related to grounds keeping and equipment are commonplace. Spying and stealing the other teams' plays goes on all the time. If not, why do coaches calling plays on the sidelines hold up something in front of their mouth when they call a play when the other teams 'coaches are 60 feet or more away? The reason is because the other team has coaches sitting up in the press box with high powered binoculars watching the other teams sideline trying to pick up everything they can, and yes, they have people who can read lips. The reason the Pats got penalized so heavily 10 years ago for spying was that the NFL wanted to stop a specific practice that they knew was going on throughout the league by setting an example.
Regarding this specific instance it seems more "gamesmanship" than "death penalty rule breaking cheating". All NFL teams are guilty of doing things outside the rules all the time to gain an advantage. Things related to grounds keeping and equipment are commonplace. Spying and stealing the other teams' plays goes on all the time. If not, why do coaches calling plays on the sidelines hold up something in front of their mouth when they call a play when the other teams 'coaches are 60 feet or more away? The reason is because the other team has coaches sitting up in the press box with high powered binoculars watching the other teams sideline trying to pick up everything they can, and yes, they have people who can read lips. The reason the Pats got penalized so heavily 10 years ago for spying was that the NFL wanted to stop a specific practice that they knew was going on throughout the league by setting an example.
Sports and politics seem to generate similar levels of emotion. Fans are going to cheer for their team and jeer against the other no matter if the issue is right or wrong. Brady/Bellichick are comparable in some ways to the Clintons. They each do self destructive stupid things, cause anguish for their supporters and anger from their foes, and they keep on winning.
Why does anyone need to cheat when he wins by 38 points? Evidently, Belichick and/or Brady are as paranoid and unbalanced as Nixon was when he supervised a "third-rate burglary."
You might mention the spitball -- some pitchers, such as Gaylord Perry, built a career around that!
Whitey Ford was king of the spitball.
What's even more deflating than a few footballs is the import we're giving it especially when compared to the serious life and death struggles of so many around the world.
2
I will boycott the NFL until I feel that cheaters are held accountable. TJL
1
If you ain't cheatin', you ain't trying.
1
Hey so when the Yankees won that string of championships by having 2-3 times the payroll of most other teams - that wasn't cheating though, right?
2
Well, there is "cheating" and then there is "caught cheating". Big difference..........
If it is determined that the Patriots did indeed deliberately deflate the footballs, then they should obviously not be allowed to play in the Superbowl. Why is this not being discussed!?
Seriously? This the United $tate$.
Gamesmanship is the antithesis of integrity, like politicians using parliamentary-procedure tricks to get their way. But it won't be stopped because the audience loves it.
Alpha males engaged in agressive competition. Be it Wall Street or the NFL the sequence is the same: cheat, win big prize, get slap on wrist, get to keep big prize. The "Patriotic" thing to do is to root against the guys who cheated to get there.
The upper limit of the strike zone has been a line across the underarms forever. Yet no umpire calls a strike if the pitch is above the belt. Why? Because they don't wanna.
Also, many times the foot is not on the bag when the ball is in the possession of the pivot man during a double play, yet the runner is called out. Because it's understood.
The rules mean what the ump says they mean.
Also, many times the foot is not on the bag when the ball is in the possession of the pivot man during a double play, yet the runner is called out. Because it's understood.
The rules mean what the ump says they mean.
When events like Deflategate occur there are just two causes: conspiracy and stupidity. Has stupidly or incompetence actually been ruled out? Now the Patriots no longer deserve the benefit of doubt, but stupidity exists in all walks of life.
After one episode many years ago (spygate) they no longer deserve the benefit of the doubt?
This is part of the problem - everyone has labeled them chronic cheaters after spygate (which was only one game of illegal taping), for which there is really no evidence (that said, if this was done intentionally, they should be punished, of course).
This is part of the problem - everyone has labeled them chronic cheaters after spygate (which was only one game of illegal taping), for which there is really no evidence (that said, if this was done intentionally, they should be punished, of course).
Sorry, but no, patriots apologists intentionally letting the air out of the balls (is there anyone who can believe with a straight face that it wasn't intentional?) is clearly, CLEARLY, cheating, doesn't come close to the "gamesmanship" line. Belichick has been caught red handed cheating previously, its time for the league to show him the door.
2
Ernie Banks just passed on. The difference between sportsman/gentleman vs. the 'money-player' has never been more apparent. Mr. Cub will never have a asterisk next to his name...unlike Brady, he had respect for his game.
1
Has there been any attempt anywhere to describe just how these two big names might've deflated 11 footballs with the whole world watching? Or is it simply a need to build a bigger story with the best-known stars attached?
1
The NFL could have done a ruling earlier, ruled New England out, and since it is a by week this week, Indianapolis and Baltimore should have played, with the winner advancing to the Super Bowl. Everyone would have enjoyed the extra game and the rule breakers would think twice about future "Gamesmanship".
1
And found out the facts at a later date. What could possibly go wrong?
It is the role of the referees to spot violations. The held the ball before and after every play. Why didn't they notice a problem?
4
They don't squeeze the ball... and even if they did, it's hard (if not impossible) to detect the difference:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2015/01/21/joe-theismann-steve-...
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2015/01/21/joe-theismann-steve-...
The deflategate story has been going on for a week--still no spec of evidence of any wrongdoing.
3
11 of 12 Patriots footballs were found to be 2 lbs. under-inflated, not random levels of inflation, but precise levels of "outside the rules" under-inflation. What do you consider "evidence"?
That may be true, but "evidence" does not exist in a vacuum: Those most likely to have evidence on this issue, be it incriminating or exculpatory, are the Patriots and their employees themselves.
I'm not aware of the Patriots having offered their equipment manager up in a press conference. And/or others who were actually involved in the process and have first-hand knowledge of Sunday’s events. Such personnel could have described the process and responded -- based on personal knowledge -- to questions from the press. In my mind that would have provided meaningful evidence and would have helped the Patriots’ establish their credibility in this PR nightmare.
But so far, all I have heard is that the Patriots are “cooperating” with the NFL investigation, as well as assertions by their coach and quarterback that they lack any knowledge on the salient issues.
I'm not aware of the Patriots having offered their equipment manager up in a press conference. And/or others who were actually involved in the process and have first-hand knowledge of Sunday’s events. Such personnel could have described the process and responded -- based on personal knowledge -- to questions from the press. In my mind that would have provided meaningful evidence and would have helped the Patriots’ establish their credibility in this PR nightmare.
But so far, all I have heard is that the Patriots are “cooperating” with the NFL investigation, as well as assertions by their coach and quarterback that they lack any knowledge on the salient issues.
Frankly, I believe this is a publicity stunt to insure a large veiwership for th game. frankly, the way the games are played today with so many commercial breaks they become almost meaningless
1
I'm not a sports fan,but I live in the Boston area and this all seems so ridiculous! I guess we are the Yankees of football. Everyone is looking for reasons to discount our success. We are just the best! No need to cheat. And why does everyone assume we did? It's just absurd. Go Pats!
3
Please don't compare the Pats with the Yankees who always win with class.
So let me understand that the officials on the field and the Colts players all handled the the "under-inflated' footballs for the ENTIRE first half and these professionals did not notice the difference in the ball? Seriously? How much of difference could the under-inflation make then?
2
On offense, the Colts used their own set of footballs, which were inflated to whatever pressure Andrew Luck preferred. Only one Colt player handled a "deflated" ball, when he intercepted a Brady pass.
Does any of this silly, stupid, overgrown boy crap matter?
To anyone other than silly, overgrown ,greedy boys?
Where have men gone?
To anyone other than silly, overgrown ,greedy boys?
Where have men gone?
1
One of the places an under-inflated football will show up is the frequency of a fumble over a certain time period.
An excellent analysis of the frequency of a fumble per offensive play shows that the Patriots were off the charts as compared to all 31 other teams since 2007.
See: http://www.sharpfootballanalysis.com/blog/?p=2932
Even if you take into account that this only affected fumbles and nothing else, it is still clear that this is more than a meaningless impact on one game. It had an aggregate impact over several years; it doubtless added to the Patriots win record in some way.
Put another way, under-inflation of the Patriots footballs has likely over-inflated the Patriots win column for the last eight years now.
I leave it to others to decide whether that's just clever gamesmanship or cheating.
But to claim it was one time and had no impact is a complete fabrication.
An excellent analysis of the frequency of a fumble per offensive play shows that the Patriots were off the charts as compared to all 31 other teams since 2007.
See: http://www.sharpfootballanalysis.com/blog/?p=2932
Even if you take into account that this only affected fumbles and nothing else, it is still clear that this is more than a meaningless impact on one game. It had an aggregate impact over several years; it doubtless added to the Patriots win record in some way.
Put another way, under-inflation of the Patriots footballs has likely over-inflated the Patriots win column for the last eight years now.
I leave it to others to decide whether that's just clever gamesmanship or cheating.
But to claim it was one time and had no impact is a complete fabrication.
1
If the Patriots had not been caught cheating in the past, this would be a non-story. (See Spygate.) If the Giants were caught deflating balls and Tom Coughlin said he knew nothing about it he would be believed. Belichick has lost his credibility.
Go Seattle!
1
And what of journalists? For the sake of accuracy why not write "the N.F.L. is investigating whether the team intentionally deflated balls it used on offense during THE FIRST HALF of last week’s A.F.C. championship game. The Patriots led at half-time by a score of 17-7, played the second half with a set of fully inflated footballs and beat the Colts, 45-7, to advance to the Super Bowl. Deflated footballs are easier to handle, especially in wet conditions."
Too wordy? or just lazy?
This is a petty concern to be sure what with concussions, dementia, murders, domestic abuse and steroid use haunting the league. That doesn't make it acceptable or fair to accuse and pillory these men before a single provable fact is known.
Too wordy? or just lazy?
This is a petty concern to be sure what with concussions, dementia, murders, domestic abuse and steroid use haunting the league. That doesn't make it acceptable or fair to accuse and pillory these men before a single provable fact is known.
1
I stopped believing Brady when he defended himself by saying something to the effect "I don't go around feeling the balls to see of they are under inflated, I have other things to think about". You can't tell me a pro like Brady wouldn't notice that. That statement was almost certainly a lie or indicative of some knowledge. And if you go around saying Brady likes under inflated balls, especially in cold weather, be sure someone on staff will do it without asking. There is too much slack cut for cheaters, rule benders and the unethical in all aspects of life. Sports often sets an example. They need evidence and if it is found they should come down on the offenders like a ton of bricks.
As a very old person, I frequently recall, when musing about sports in general, that old childhood chant we shouted when we discovered one among us was cheating - "Cheaters Never Prosper"! How wrong that has proved to be! They are now the wealthiest among us.
1
This year, the Patriots hd a fumble rate of 1 per 187 plays. The next best team has a 1/140 rate and the NFL average is 1/105. The Patriots ability to hold onto the ball has been miraculously increasing since 2006 when the teams were allowed to provide their own game balls. Boston plays half its games in an uncovered stadium located in a city known for its less than balmy weather. This makes its fumble rate even more extraordinary. Belichik has been caught cheating before. Why should anyone be surprised?
1
Come now, "gamesmanship" and cheating are entirely different. The Jeter dance, fluffing a ball against Serena, that is playing the game. Doping, secret videotaping, deflating balls are all clear example of cheating. This article is simply trying to blur a line that is clear to everyone except those who want to excuse their favorite team or athlete.
If you cheat, it's clear proof that you can't really win legitimately. Cheaters are losers. (Except when counting ballots in Florida, but I digress). The mentality of winning at all costs is driven by profit, and the anything-for-profit model has damaged many of our formerly fine institutions, like The United States of America.
If you cheat, it's clear proof that you can't really win legitimately. Cheaters are losers. (Except when counting ballots in Florida, but I digress). The mentality of winning at all costs is driven by profit, and the anything-for-profit model has damaged many of our formerly fine institutions, like The United States of America.
1
Thank you for adding some perspective on this story, though a few more NFL examples of would have been appropriate. This is a possibly meaningless infraction (e.g. Where's the actual proof underinflated balls are really such a edge? It's all conjecture.) among a league full of home field tricks and players personal gimmicks to gain an edge. Goodall has created this, once again created his own media take down.
Who initially measured the balls after the first measurement to find that they were underinflated and why did they do that?
Who alerted the Indianapolis reporter and why?
Was there a setup to make the Patriots appear that they altered the pressure?
If the Patriots did not deflate the balls, then who did? Do we know?
Not that anybody is saying.
Might someone have changed the pressure who was not affiliated with the Patriots?
If the game score were closer, then Indy might have been able to claim tampering and void the game. Since the game was not close, this point is moot at present.
Conspiracies abound.
FL
Who alerted the Indianapolis reporter and why?
Was there a setup to make the Patriots appear that they altered the pressure?
If the Patriots did not deflate the balls, then who did? Do we know?
Not that anybody is saying.
Might someone have changed the pressure who was not affiliated with the Patriots?
If the game score were closer, then Indy might have been able to claim tampering and void the game. Since the game was not close, this point is moot at present.
Conspiracies abound.
FL
It's a shame that the NFL, just to establish a 'control' group, didn't request the Colts' footballs from the Colts-Patriots game and test those too. Or did they?
The NFL's policies and procedures enforcement seem to be pretty loosey-goosey regarding many issues, for such a high-profile, well-monied organization.
The NFL's policies and procedures enforcement seem to be pretty loosey-goosey regarding many issues, for such a high-profile, well-monied organization.
1
Let me suggest that NFL investigative foot-dragging stems from its desire to avoid pressure to impose hasty, counterproductive sanctions before the 2015 Super Bowl game.
What, for example, would be achieved by suspending Tom Brady or Bad Billy for the big game? Who wins with that scenario? Does the nation really want to see its championship game played by a second-string quarterback with an assistant coach on the sideline? Even the Seahawks, should they win or lose, would be gravely ill-served by such an obtuse "solution" to "deflategate."
Somebody elsewhere even suggested replacing the Patriots with the Colts. Really? A team that lost the AFC championship 45-7 to a dominating running game? That day, tennis balls would have made no difference to the outcome.
The other shoe will drop for sure -- after February 1st.
www.endthemadnessnow.org
What, for example, would be achieved by suspending Tom Brady or Bad Billy for the big game? Who wins with that scenario? Does the nation really want to see its championship game played by a second-string quarterback with an assistant coach on the sideline? Even the Seahawks, should they win or lose, would be gravely ill-served by such an obtuse "solution" to "deflategate."
Somebody elsewhere even suggested replacing the Patriots with the Colts. Really? A team that lost the AFC championship 45-7 to a dominating running game? That day, tennis balls would have made no difference to the outcome.
The other shoe will drop for sure -- after February 1st.
www.endthemadnessnow.org
1
The surpising thing about the football pressure hullaballoo is how much hot air is being issued by the media and how few facts are provided by the media. It's as close to nothing reporting as one ever hope to see. How much deflation was there; by whom; what difference would it make to a passer; how much to a receiver; did both teams use the same ball throughout the game; were different balls used at times; did the referees fulfill their responsibilities to check the pressure; none of these facts were introduced into the welter of generalized name calling. If this is sports reporting it has degenerated a long way from the good old days.
1
All asked and answered. Try to pay attention.
Ultimate (frisbee), also called flying disc globally, takes a distinctly unique approach to this issue. The game, which follows rules similar to a combination of football and soccer, is self-officiated by the players on the field (there are 14 players, 7 per team, on the field). Observers are used at the highest levels (national championships) to help with some calls but fouls, rule violations, etc. are self-determined. http://www.usaultimate.org/about/ultimate/spirit_of_the_game.aspx
Give me a set of rules and ask me to follow them and I'll do my best. Add an official into the mix and I'll push the boundaries until the official says I've gone too far. In the first case I have to make determinations about my behaviors, perhaps with some assistance from peers. In the second case I can abdicate responsibility to the official and simply play as "hard" as I want. And if I'm playing a game with officials it would be a disservice to my team if I were to willfully avoid pushing the boundaries...no different than if I decided to avoid using half of the basketball court for some personal reason.
Respect is the other key component here. Officials detract from the interplay between the teams. Adding an official means the players will, first and foremost, concern themselves with what the official thinks of their boundary pushing, not what the other players think.
Give me a set of rules and ask me to follow them and I'll do my best. Add an official into the mix and I'll push the boundaries until the official says I've gone too far. In the first case I have to make determinations about my behaviors, perhaps with some assistance from peers. In the second case I can abdicate responsibility to the official and simply play as "hard" as I want. And if I'm playing a game with officials it would be a disservice to my team if I were to willfully avoid pushing the boundaries...no different than if I decided to avoid using half of the basketball court for some personal reason.
Respect is the other key component here. Officials detract from the interplay between the teams. Adding an official means the players will, first and foremost, concern themselves with what the official thinks of their boundary pushing, not what the other players think.
1
i am a jet. i loathe these guys, but why is this an issue. first, why can each team develop balls separately? this asymmetry is an obvious hole in the rule book. more importantly, how did 7 officials, at least two of whom handle the ball on every play - for both sides - and most of whom have career spans that dwarf those of any player, not notice this? as enforcers of the rule book, aren't they ultimately responsible for raising red flags?
either the officials willfully abdicated responsibility, in which case they are the culprits, or this is a non-issue by definition.
let's try to focus on the important stuff. not this.
either the officials willfully abdicated responsibility, in which case they are the culprits, or this is a non-issue by definition.
let's try to focus on the important stuff. not this.
The deflate gate really is a story to fill up a down news week. It shouldn't be too hard to figure out the chain of custody of twelve footballs. Someone had the job of inflating them and it was someones job to be in control of the balls during the game.
Unless everyone on the Pats side is lying this shouldn't be that hard to figure out. But if they are lying, then that's another issue because it's inconceivable that an equipment manager would make that decision on his own and that trail would lead to the top, in this case the head coach.
But the other story is that Belicheck, who is lauded as one of the greatest football minds of his era did clearly cheat by filming his opposing teams practices. Shouldn't this be disqualifying for hall of fame consideration just as drug use obviously is for baseball? It's not just a rule violation, it's a statement that the only rule is winning, no matter how you do it.
Unless everyone on the Pats side is lying this shouldn't be that hard to figure out. But if they are lying, then that's another issue because it's inconceivable that an equipment manager would make that decision on his own and that trail would lead to the top, in this case the head coach.
But the other story is that Belicheck, who is lauded as one of the greatest football minds of his era did clearly cheat by filming his opposing teams practices. Shouldn't this be disqualifying for hall of fame consideration just as drug use obviously is for baseball? It's not just a rule violation, it's a statement that the only rule is winning, no matter how you do it.
1
The line between gamesmanship and cheating are blurred only if one is not willing to see or judge where that line is. Jeter's "tic", flopping, or even steroid use, while not to everyone's liking, is not cheating (whether it is ethical behavior is another matter). Cheating involves a violation of established rules. Using an underinflated ball is cheating; using pine tar is cheating; stealing signs is cheating. If there are elements of "gamesmanship" that are deemed not in keeping with the spirit of the rules, then change the rules. This is not hard.
We used to teach our children to be honest. We've come so far, or should I say we've gone backward so much, that we accept corruption in government, tax evasion and payoffs by corporations and now make excuses to blur the line for cheating in sports. What lesson are we teaching now?
Actually the reduction of pressure in the balls could have resulted from cooling particularly if the balls were pressurized in a warm moist environment and then taken outside to chill to the ambient temperature. A change in temperature of 50 degrees F alone would have reduced the pressure from 13 psig (the target NFL pressure for the ball) to 11.8 psig notwithstanding addition reductions from condensation of any moisture in the air in the ball and errors in the gauge(s) use to measure the pressure.
Pressurizing the footballs is no more accurate than spotting the football after each play.
Pressurizing the footballs is no more accurate than spotting the football after each play.
Cheating is cheating. Even if it didn't change the outcome (something the cheater did not know in advance) it may well have changed the score (big money on the score). Even if it changed nothing it was an attempt to gain advantage by untoward means. It was cheating.
As with the Black Sox Scandal, as with Pete Rose, the punishment must be severe. If there is a hint that cheating is changing the outcome professional football becomes no better than professional wrestling. As it stands currently there should be no confidence that any game played by any NFL team is being honestly contested.
The NFL is a fraud. Stolen playbooks and deflated footballs are the smoking gun. No game in which Belichik or Brady are contestants can be ever be considered honest.
As with the Black Sox Scandal, as with Pete Rose, the punishment must be severe. If there is a hint that cheating is changing the outcome professional football becomes no better than professional wrestling. As it stands currently there should be no confidence that any game played by any NFL team is being honestly contested.
The NFL is a fraud. Stolen playbooks and deflated footballs are the smoking gun. No game in which Belichik or Brady are contestants can be ever be considered honest.
1
Many have suggested that the “blow-out” score mooted the deflation issue. The final score (45-7) is pointed to, as well as the surge by the Patriots in the third quarter (21-0), when the deflated balls had already been removed...
However, nobody can say with full assurance how the game might have otherwise played out. What if Patriot receivers had dropped a ball here and there in the first half instead of catching them? The teams might have then gone into the half tied, with the Colts down only 10-7, or, perhaps with a lead. Momentum, confidence, pressure (of the psychological type), time of possession, strategic adjustments, etc. in the second half would have been different. For both teams.
It often takes only one or two plays to alter the entire tenor of a game. So just considering the final score and claiming it wouldn’t have mattered anyway is using hindsight and circular reasoning and fails to consider the many intangibles that can factor into and change an athletic competition.
However, nobody can say with full assurance how the game might have otherwise played out. What if Patriot receivers had dropped a ball here and there in the first half instead of catching them? The teams might have then gone into the half tied, with the Colts down only 10-7, or, perhaps with a lead. Momentum, confidence, pressure (of the psychological type), time of possession, strategic adjustments, etc. in the second half would have been different. For both teams.
It often takes only one or two plays to alter the entire tenor of a game. So just considering the final score and claiming it wouldn’t have mattered anyway is using hindsight and circular reasoning and fails to consider the many intangibles that can factor into and change an athletic competition.
2
It's disturbing that so many people are willing to declare the Patriots guilty before the facts are known. One has to wonder if these people teach this behavior to their kids. Many of the same people have insisted that the penalty for the Patriots should be much more severe than penalties of other teams who were actually found guilty of similar offenses. Is it any wonder that these same people make similarly poor choices when electing people to Congress.
1
Clearly, there are some serious issues with the way the NFL handles this issue. First and foremost, ball handlers should be league employees instead of being employed by the home team. Once the officials have checked the footballs pre-game they should never be allowed to be in possession of either team unless they are on the playing field. Second, minimum punishments need to set in advance. Currently, the punishment for violating ball pressure regulations is a minimum fine of $25,000 and could include further penalties (lost draft picks, suspensions, etc.) at the league's discretion. This sets up a problematic grey area when there is no precedent for a situation like this and it becomes increasingly difficult for the league to come up with an appropriate punishment (especially with the Super Bowl just a week away). By coming up with well-defined penalties for rules violations, the league can help avoid controversy down the road. This sort of foresight would have helped immensely in the handling of the Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson controversies from earlier this season.
7
the patriots went 24 zip in the second half with proper balls. imagine how big the score would have been had they used them in the first half!
2
the blur mr. rohan is in your own eye...jeter's tic is gamesmanship, no rules broken or even tested...the air pressure in footballs, the condition of the horsehide on a baseball are set down by regulation and subject to oversight - detection and enforcement - and so, by definition, altering their states contrary to regulation, is cheating...what we know is that, whether its a couple of pounds of air pressure or a violation of college recruiting regulations, said oversight is at least lax and likely, (follow the money), corrupt.
No doubt the NFL's sullied reputation will be restored tomorrow, when one of the Pro Bowl teams is named after Michael Irvin.
It seems pretty basic; every team should play with a football that meets a certain standard. Letting the air out of the ball on a rainy day would give you a big advantage. A better grip for the quarterbacks, eaiser to catch for receivers, and less potential to fumble. In a game where the top teams are very evenly matched any edge a team can take would be huge. What the Patroits did should not be confused with gamesmanship. It was Belichick reverting to past behavior. Take any advantage you can find even if it breaks the rules and hope you don't get caught and if you do deny it.
4
fred your analysis seems spot on except for one thing: the lower pressure doesn't seem to have given the Patriots a big advantage. They did much better after their balls were returned to the proper pressure.
Regardless of the outcome, I think a ball which has less air pressure is easier to grip, throw, hold on to, and catch especially in wet conditions.
It seems to me this author had this story sitting around for a long time and was looking for an opportunity to publish it. Unfortunately the situation with the Patriots does nothing to support his angle. The NFL rule book is clear. It states that the balls shall be inflated to a particular pressure and then be presented to the officials, who will verify the balls. No one else is to touch them before the game. What is alleged (though not proven) is that the balls were not properly inflated or that they were altered. This would constitute a clear violation of the NFL rules. This is not "gamesmanship."
Presumably there were no rules that said "baseball players must not stick out their backsides" or "baseball players must not attempt to read the other team's signals" or "the hockey goalie's jersey must exactly conform to the shape of his body."
Presumably there were no rules that said "baseball players must not stick out their backsides" or "baseball players must not attempt to read the other team's signals" or "the hockey goalie's jersey must exactly conform to the shape of his body."
3
There is a difference between gamesmanship and cheating. Using the Jeter example - I liked Jeter but am NOT a Yankee fan, sorry - but if you tamper with the fundamental elements of a game and that tampering is against the rules, it is cheating. Plain and simple. EPO against the rules? Cheating. Corked bats? Cheating. Incorrect football inflation? Cheating.
Flopping? The Jeter tilt? Pretending you caught the football before it bounced? All gamesmanship. The referees are there to rule of the action that occurs on the field and call penalties if the rules and the situation allow.
In my opinion, There is a BIG difference between cheating and gamesmanship.
Flopping? The Jeter tilt? Pretending you caught the football before it bounced? All gamesmanship. The referees are there to rule of the action that occurs on the field and call penalties if the rules and the situation allow.
In my opinion, There is a BIG difference between cheating and gamesmanship.
2
I think the NFL has to change the policy and not give the balls back to the team before the game. Obviously, some people can't be trusted.
2
Actually, I blame this brouhaha on the Colts. They've claim to have a "deflated" Patriots football in their hands since their earlier season game in the middle of November. If the Colts had raised the issue back then, all teams could have been cautioned back then and this would never have happened.
Why didn't they? What were they thinking? Oh wait, maybe they waited for this post season match up when they could raise it as a distraction and could likely gain an advantage during the game.
Gamesmanship. By every team, at every opportunity. Let it ride Patriots haters. Play the game.
Why didn't they? What were they thinking? Oh wait, maybe they waited for this post season match up when they could raise it as a distraction and could likely gain an advantage during the game.
Gamesmanship. By every team, at every opportunity. Let it ride Patriots haters. Play the game.
2
November 16, 1940 Dartmouth 3 Cornell 0 (look it up - the ref made a mistake, gave Cornell a fifth down which they used to "win," when the mistake was realized Cornell telegrammed back to Hanover forfeiting the game and the national championship - and became famous - it ain't always winning)
A game can be contested by pushing or breaking the rules and hoping not to get caught - as the professor quoted here says, that is the culture, but I'd add "...in some sports more than others, in some leagues and at some levels more than others, and for some teams and some athletes more than others." One can also play by working hard within the rules and accepting both your wins and your losses with humility.
A game can be contested by pushing or breaking the rules and hoping not to get caught - as the professor quoted here says, that is the culture, but I'd add "...in some sports more than others, in some leagues and at some levels more than others, and for some teams and some athletes more than others." One can also play by working hard within the rules and accepting both your wins and your losses with humility.
3
No doubt this is why many employers (and business schools) consider former athletes to be good picks for success, especially male athletes. They've been learning how to push boundaries and "game" the rules since they were little kids playing organized sports. Does anyone think they stop doing that when the "game" is no longer a sport but Wall Street?
2
When Pete Carroll was head coach in New England he was famous for walking around the 1st down markers until they were hopelessly tangled, and referees had to stop the game. A convenient way to give your defense a chance to catch their breath without using a timeout. Bill Parcels did it all the time in the '80's. Is that cheating? Was it illegal? NFL could not prove intent. Marino was famous for using the referee as a pick, who is suppose to duck. One game years ago in Foxboro, he knocked the ref out cold, when it hit him square in the forehead. Marino stood over the ref and screamed at him. Deflatgate is much todo about nothing. But in this helicopter mom environment where there are no winners and no losers, and everyone goes home with a trophy, they are crying foul.
Richard Sherman's implication is on the mark. If an African-American breaks a rule, he is punished by the NFL. But the Patriots are white-on-white owned, coached, and quarterbacked. They won't be penalized at all. Racism lives in the NFL administration.
2
After Spygate, Belichick was fined $500,000, the team (i.e. Kraft) was fined $250,000, and they lost a draft pick.
Jeff---Are you suggesting that a ball boy would, on his own, deflate a dozen footballs? Really? Without telling the quarterback? Really? If so, you're more devious than the Patriots. They should hire you.
Bowling is the only sport where there's no cheating...only gamesmanship
The whole thing is deep,ethereal, the stuff of semiotics (signs and meaning), and at the end of the day, it's war, it's a cheat, albeit a slight one, unprovable accountability, let's move on and play the greatest and, narrative wise if not team, player, coach, franchise, karma-wise, what looks to shape up as the best Super Bowl since the first three. go Pats, and may the best team win, ball pressure, weight, firmness not withstanding. It's all narrative. Believe what you will...
1
Your lead-in indicates there is a debate over sports ethics. How can there be a debate about something which does not exist? The facts have been known for a long time - just ask Lance Armstrong or A-Rod and all the others. There is no debate........
2
Sports ethics: a contridiction in terms where large amounts of money are involved. Why does the NCAA tolerate gambling on their games? Why do "family" newspapers publish the odds? Why have all these "bowl" games been invented?
2
If there is no chain of continuity for the footballs then there is no point in continuing to talk about blame.
1
Wow, news must be slow because even without those deflated balls really didn't give the Patriots a big advantage over the Colts, because the Colts aren't in the same level as New England yet. The Patriots were going to win anyway.
Its Superbowl time so we have a lot of causal fans loving this silly story in my opinion. Yes cheating is wrong, but how did this story become so huge?
Its Superbowl time so we have a lot of causal fans loving this silly story in my opinion. Yes cheating is wrong, but how did this story become so huge?
8
Because, and you said it, cheating is wrong. If it were the first time for the Pats maybe some slack but it isn't the first time.
Agreed John H!
The game was not that close and was a disappointment. Sad state when this story is the most exciting thing about that game. Polar opposite of the first game.
The colts either played themselves out the week before or they're just not on the same level.
The game was not that close and was a disappointment. Sad state when this story is the most exciting thing about that game. Polar opposite of the first game.
The colts either played themselves out the week before or they're just not on the same level.
This story became so huge because football is huge and the media is milking tgis huge cow for all it's worth. This story would be a huge non event without the media hype. Both teams used the same ball so what's all the fuss about?
The same goes for business and for life in general. A "strategic breach" to a contract is an act of rationality. Should the law look at it as simply economics or as immoral? What about planned obsolecence...so your car won't last quite as long, and therefore you will be back in the market for a new one.
As I recall, it was Francis Fukuyama who discussed "face to face" transactions where reputation was on the line. There was little need there for written contracts; written contracts came about when commerce became homogenized, and most importantly impersonal. One's obligation to the other was therefore not defined by the relationship, or better still the relationship between families, both in the past and prospective, but was narrowly defined by the terms of the agreement, just like Shylock in the Merchant of Venice (studied perhaps by every first year law student in contracts).
What is the consequence? Well, it is an impetus for even more rules to abound, because legislation is reactionary. Maybe that's why we have millions of pages of regulations that permeate our lives, rather than simple, global rules, like the Ten Commandments (which, incidentally, we are not permitted to discuss or advocatae).
Are we better off?
As I recall, it was Francis Fukuyama who discussed "face to face" transactions where reputation was on the line. There was little need there for written contracts; written contracts came about when commerce became homogenized, and most importantly impersonal. One's obligation to the other was therefore not defined by the relationship, or better still the relationship between families, both in the past and prospective, but was narrowly defined by the terms of the agreement, just like Shylock in the Merchant of Venice (studied perhaps by every first year law student in contracts).
What is the consequence? Well, it is an impetus for even more rules to abound, because legislation is reactionary. Maybe that's why we have millions of pages of regulations that permeate our lives, rather than simple, global rules, like the Ten Commandments (which, incidentally, we are not permitted to discuss or advocatae).
Are we better off?
1
Everything is different from everything else, and what it is isn't a function of what other things are. Tom Brady did whatever he did with the deflated footballs, and that will be determined by the evidence when it comes in. We need to be careful about lumping him with Barry Bonds and goaltenders' extra padding and inferring conclusions based on the fact that we have put Brady in that category.
4
I am simply amazed and horrified how much hatred there is for the Patriots across this country. People are practically frothing at the mouth and waiting to storm the gates with their pitchforks. It's not just the people commenting in places like this - but the "journalists." ESPN especially has been so biased. Patriots have already been tried and convicted and waiting to be executed. Not because it's been proven that they did anything wrong. But because of their "history" of cheating, which is simply one incident in which the Patriots were taping from an "unapproved" spot.
I really do hope that all this vitriol motivates the Patriots to go out and play their hardest next Sunday. And beat the Seahawks. By a large margin. Perhaps wishful thinking - but that is the only justice for all the hatred that the Patriots had to endure this week.
I really do hope that all this vitriol motivates the Patriots to go out and play their hardest next Sunday. And beat the Seahawks. By a large margin. Perhaps wishful thinking - but that is the only justice for all the hatred that the Patriots had to endure this week.
41
"Not because it's been proven that they did anything wrong"
It has been proven they cheated. 10 out of 12 balls were as much as 2 psi below the NFL standard. The only question is who did it. And it looks like the high dollar guys have thrown the ball boy under the bus.
It has been proven they cheated. 10 out of 12 balls were as much as 2 psi below the NFL standard. The only question is who did it. And it looks like the high dollar guys have thrown the ball boy under the bus.
1
Success breeds resentment. Just ask any Patriots fan what he thinks of the NY Yankees! I think this bit of insight, unique to New England fans, is why you don't hear them complaining too bitterly about the Patriot-haters. They're content to to throw out a healthy dose of ridicule, sit back, and enjoy the Tom Brady show (still in progress.)
Yeah, cheating doesn't really play into parent company, Disney's culture.
Instead of comparing Jeters moves at the plate, the more appropriate comparison is the corked bat in baseball. Major League Baseball rule 6.06(d) states: A batter is out for illegal action when: (d) He uses or attempts to use a bat that, in the umpire's judgment, has been altered or tampered with in such a way to improve the distance factor or cause an unusual reaction on the baseball...In addition to being called out, the player shall be ejected from the game and may be subject to additional penalties as determined by his League Punishment advisor.
The deflated footballs that the Patriots used were (allegedly) altered or tampered in such a way to improve the outcome for the Patriots. In all 6 cases of corked/modified bats the player was suspended for 7 to 8 games. Four of the six MLB players denied any involvement in the altering of their bats, regardless all were suspended. Too bad the NFL doesn't take the integrity of the game as seriously as MLB (which isn't saying much).
The deflated footballs that the Patriots used were (allegedly) altered or tampered in such a way to improve the outcome for the Patriots. In all 6 cases of corked/modified bats the player was suspended for 7 to 8 games. Four of the six MLB players denied any involvement in the altering of their bats, regardless all were suspended. Too bad the NFL doesn't take the integrity of the game as seriously as MLB (which isn't saying much).
5
162 games v. 16
pitcher suspended for 5 or 10 games and miss only 1 or 2 starts
not the same
pitcher suspended for 5 or 10 games and miss only 1 or 2 starts
not the same
Or maybe the PSI of a football is much ado about nothing. Maybe there's no advantage to an NFL football with 10.5 or 11.5 or 12.5 or 13.5 PSI. Has anyone done any kind of blind, "Coke taste test" to see if any pro QBs can tell the difference and if there's any practical difference when they handle and throw them?
Maybe the reason the NFL doesn't control the game balls, and allows the teams to control their own, is because they know that the PSI isn't a relevant factor in the competitive integrity of the game, so long as the ball is hard enough that no one can squeeze it and know that it's "too" soft.
Maybe all this talk about PSI mattering is like someone who says green M&Ms taste better than yellow M&Ms. It's all in the head.
Think any of that's possible?
Maybe the reason the NFL doesn't control the game balls, and allows the teams to control their own, is because they know that the PSI isn't a relevant factor in the competitive integrity of the game, so long as the ball is hard enough that no one can squeeze it and know that it's "too" soft.
Maybe all this talk about PSI mattering is like someone who says green M&Ms taste better than yellow M&Ms. It's all in the head.
Think any of that's possible?
It's easy and fun to pile on when the target is a player or team you dislike - however, when it's one of your childhood idols...
Whitey Ford
After retiring, Ford admitted in interviews to having occasionally doctored baseballs.
Examples were the "mudball," used at home in Yankee Stadium. Yankee groundskeepers would wet down an area near the catcher's box where the Yankee catcher Elston Howard was positioned; pretending to lose balance, Howard would put down his hand with the ball and coat one side of the ball with mud and throw it to Ford. Ford sometimes used the diamond in his wedding ring to gouge the ball, but he was eventually caught by an umpire and warned to stop. Howard sharpened a buckle on his shinguard and used it to scuff the ball.
Ford described his illicit behavior as concession to age: "I didn't begin cheating until late in my career, when I needed something to help me survive. I didn't cheat when I won the twenty-five games in 1961. I don't want anybody to get any ideas and take my Cy Young Award away. And I didn't cheat in 1963 when I won twenty-four games. Well, maybe a little."
Ford admitted to doctoring the ball in the 1961 All Star Game at Candlestick Park to strike out Willie Mays. Ford and Mantle had accumulated $1200 ($9,356 today) in golf pro shop purchases as guests of Horace Stoneham at the Giants owner's country club. Stoneham promised to pay their tab if Ford could strike out Mays.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitey_Ford
Whitey Ford
After retiring, Ford admitted in interviews to having occasionally doctored baseballs.
Examples were the "mudball," used at home in Yankee Stadium. Yankee groundskeepers would wet down an area near the catcher's box where the Yankee catcher Elston Howard was positioned; pretending to lose balance, Howard would put down his hand with the ball and coat one side of the ball with mud and throw it to Ford. Ford sometimes used the diamond in his wedding ring to gouge the ball, but he was eventually caught by an umpire and warned to stop. Howard sharpened a buckle on his shinguard and used it to scuff the ball.
Ford described his illicit behavior as concession to age: "I didn't begin cheating until late in my career, when I needed something to help me survive. I didn't cheat when I won the twenty-five games in 1961. I don't want anybody to get any ideas and take my Cy Young Award away. And I didn't cheat in 1963 when I won twenty-four games. Well, maybe a little."
Ford admitted to doctoring the ball in the 1961 All Star Game at Candlestick Park to strike out Willie Mays. Ford and Mantle had accumulated $1200 ($9,356 today) in golf pro shop purchases as guests of Horace Stoneham at the Giants owner's country club. Stoneham promised to pay their tab if Ford could strike out Mays.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitey_Ford
5
the pats cheated, imho. both Brady and Belichik were able to put themselves in a position of deniability. the team should be punished after the super bowl. never the less, the nfl enabled this with another one of their stupid rules, letting each team control a number of footballs on which to play offense. why aren't the foolballs in the control of the refs and why isn't each team playing with the same set of balls throughout the game. this seems like a reasonable and fair solution. i understand why they have this rule, the league wants to promote offense, the coaches make the rules, and they like this arrangement.
6
After a slow start you hit the nail on the head, Steven. If this were a real issue the refs would take total charge of the balls, just as the umpires do in baseball.
Let's get real here. Professional sports (and perhaps amateur) are very much like war where little is sacred. Professional sports in this country makes big, big money for most players, TV networks, and owners. Of course those playing will look for advantages and the lines between ethics and rules may become blurred. Perhaps we would be better discussing how sports may relate to violence in this world and what might be done about it as opposed to trying to figure out if a football was not inflated properly.
3
What someone in the Patriots organization did was not gamesmanship but cheating. The NFL rules state a specific range of PSI within which the balls must fall. Someone acted to violate that rule; that's cheating plain and simple. No matter that "everyone else is doing it," the act was cheating and should be sanctioned as such. This "Inflate-gate" incident is analogous to putting cork in a baseball bat or feigning an injury on the basketball court because your team is out of times out.
The NFL should come down hard on the Patriots. However, I would be a NFL football that the League will drag its feet until the Patriots cannot pay any price before or during the Super Bowl. Heaven forbid that sanctioning cheaters would impact the Super Bowl game outcome, or detract from the media frenzy surrounding The Game. This expectation aligns with the NFL's attitude and actions with respect to domestic violence and child abuse in 2014 and before. The owners and the League offices, including the Commissioner, are all about what makes them all richer, not what is the right thing to do.
The NFL should come down hard on the Patriots. However, I would be a NFL football that the League will drag its feet until the Patriots cannot pay any price before or during the Super Bowl. Heaven forbid that sanctioning cheaters would impact the Super Bowl game outcome, or detract from the media frenzy surrounding The Game. This expectation aligns with the NFL's attitude and actions with respect to domestic violence and child abuse in 2014 and before. The owners and the League offices, including the Commissioner, are all about what makes them all richer, not what is the right thing to do.
8
Every rule infraction is cheating, most of which is intentional except for the part of getting caught. There are varieties of penalties, some of which are geared to the severity of the penalty.
This particular form of cheating, had no practical consequence - no one was injured - and logically it had no known effect on the outcome of the game.
The ones saying "they cheat, they cheat" are ignoring the every-game-example of cheating evidenced by penalties, many of which are ignored because of the no harm, no foul understanding that cheating is actually part of the game and couldn't possibility be called on every instance due to the fans objections.
The Patriots got caught on a relatively minor example of cheating, and deserve a relatively minor penalty. The problem is with the absurd hypocrisy of the fans, media and the NFL trying to pretend that successful cheating is not a mutual goal of professional football - "the only thing that counts is winning."
This particular form of cheating, had no practical consequence - no one was injured - and logically it had no known effect on the outcome of the game.
The ones saying "they cheat, they cheat" are ignoring the every-game-example of cheating evidenced by penalties, many of which are ignored because of the no harm, no foul understanding that cheating is actually part of the game and couldn't possibility be called on every instance due to the fans objections.
The Patriots got caught on a relatively minor example of cheating, and deserve a relatively minor penalty. The problem is with the absurd hypocrisy of the fans, media and the NFL trying to pretend that successful cheating is not a mutual goal of professional football - "the only thing that counts is winning."
2
Thanks Bronco fan!
First of all, you don't know what they did or did not do! Until the facts come out, making such adamant statements shows that you aren't interested in what actually happened, but are already finding the Patriots guilty.
Did the Referees check the balls properly? Was the gauging calibrated?
I've worked with calibrated air pressure gauges, easily misread if not calibrated or if in a hurry and not resetting properly, how accurate....very likely misread with all being in the same 11 being below minimum....Although, we don't know that yet, because no one has released the actual readings for each ball.
However, it doesn't matter to the haters like yourself, they are already unproven guilty.
Did the Referees check the balls properly? Was the gauging calibrated?
I've worked with calibrated air pressure gauges, easily misread if not calibrated or if in a hurry and not resetting properly, how accurate....very likely misread with all being in the same 11 being below minimum....Although, we don't know that yet, because no one has released the actual readings for each ball.
However, it doesn't matter to the haters like yourself, they are already unproven guilty.
The best way to get the NFL's attention regarding their ineptitude is not to watch the Super Bowl. If enough people don't watch the NFL will surely get the message. I'm looking forward to Katy Perry's halftime performance but probably will not watch the game. I hope there are others out there who will turn off their TVs.
4
@HG Yes this might send a message.
Contact with the sponsors too would send an even louder message.
Contact with the sponsors too would send an even louder message.
Recently, when an invitation went out for a Superbowl party, many of us declined because we didn't want to watch football. When the hosts replied that they also weren't interested in the game, but it was an excuse to get together, we all accepted. The commercials are better than the game.
So I expect you won't be watching any Major League Baseball (stealing signs, pine tar used illegally, 'roids), NBA (flopping), World Cup (even worse flopping), and NHL(illegally curved sticks)? But yet you'll give Kate Perry a pass?(lip syncing).
How come a defensive back who intercepts a pass, and handles the other team's ball once, (allegedly) can tell that the inflation isn't correct while the NFL official who handles the balls for each team on every offensive play can't tell (and doesn't notice that one team's balls are more inflated than the other's)?
35
The linebacker who intercepted the ball had no idea it was underinflated and is on record as saying so. One of the Colts equipment managers, who inflate balls for a living (among other things), noticed.
1
For the record, the Colts' D'Qwell Jackson has refuted reports that felt the ball to be under inflated.
http://espn.go.com/boston/nfl/story/_/id/12213533/dqwell-jackson-indiana...
http://espn.go.com/boston/nfl/story/_/id/12213533/dqwell-jackson-indiana...
Because the DB story is false. And because the PSI issue is more mental than anything. The fact that no one can tell the difference in different PSI balls, and that no one has tried yet to do a "Coke taste test" with, say, 50 balls inflated to 5 different PSIs and a handful of NFL QBs feeling and throwing them, and then trying to guess which balls have which PSI, suggests that people saying PSI matters are the same people who say green M&Ms taste better than red M&Ms.
It's ALL in the head.
It's ALL in the head.
The author confuses intentional violations of rules with tactics within the rules designed to confuse refs, umps or other players. Gaining a competitive edge by intentionally breaking rules that everyone must obey should not be acceptable in sport or in life.
One of the big differences between competitive sports and mere play is that competitive sports have rules. The NFL, the NBA, MLB, USGA and other major sports groups set up rules for a variety of reasons: safety, integrity of the game, insuring equal playing conditions, competitiveness etc. The players and coaches don't decide which rules to obey.
Whether the Patriots intentionally broke the rules and, if so, what should the penalty be is yet to be decided.
If one can feel sorry for someone with tons of money and a very good life, I feel a little sorry for Tom Brady. What should be crowning moment in his hall of fame career is turning into a tarnishing moment. If he or his team did under inflate the balls, maybe this tarnishing of his luster is penalty enough.
One of the big differences between competitive sports and mere play is that competitive sports have rules. The NFL, the NBA, MLB, USGA and other major sports groups set up rules for a variety of reasons: safety, integrity of the game, insuring equal playing conditions, competitiveness etc. The players and coaches don't decide which rules to obey.
Whether the Patriots intentionally broke the rules and, if so, what should the penalty be is yet to be decided.
If one can feel sorry for someone with tons of money and a very good life, I feel a little sorry for Tom Brady. What should be crowning moment in his hall of fame career is turning into a tarnishing moment. If he or his team did under inflate the balls, maybe this tarnishing of his luster is penalty enough.
6
I feel sorry for the game. I confess to not being a Fan of the game or Brady, yet one wonders is there is anyone more culpable than Brady? I would think that this 2lbs of difference in pressure is significant, as reported by the guys intercepting the ball. If they were able to detect this difference after intercepting one pass, then why wasn't it noticed by Brady, or for the Refs for that matter? Just how much of a difference is it? A professional quarterback in the NFL should be able to tell....the Refs too.
This article panders to the witchhunters with its citation of "two high-profile rule controversies that have potentially tainted their legacies" and the suggestion that they constitute a question of ethics. In the first case, Baltimore Ravens Coach John Harbaugh, at first furious about the Patriots' creative use of the rulebook, went on to suggest the rules need changing. He then went on to say "[Patriots Coach] Bill Belichick is the greatest coach of our generation, without question." In the second case, nothing has been determined except that some footballs were found to be underinflated. No one has yet been found to be responsible for the missing air. Where in these "controversies" is there a question of ethics? To suggest that the current witchhunt over alleged cheating by the Patriots is a matter of ethics is to suggest that McCarthyism is the source of ethical questions. This article lends credibility to the apparently fashionable notion that a million accusations make a sin. What ethical question does this article purport to be addressing? There is none, except in the minds of sports fans who place prejudice before logic.
12
The beauty of sports is it is meaningless. Or maybe, it is nearly meaningless. Pushing the limits on rules and laws is done in all walks of life. Why would sports be exempt?
I laugh when the news stations employ psychologists to tell us how to talk to our kids about this scandal. I am just glad most people are not paying attention to politics. The news stations would then have to devote a 5 minute psychologists' session nightly.
I laugh when the news stations employ psychologists to tell us how to talk to our kids about this scandal. I am just glad most people are not paying attention to politics. The news stations would then have to devote a 5 minute psychologists' session nightly.
7
Pushing a limit is not going beyond it and that's what rules are for.
And they have not gone beyond it.
It's interesting that there are "acceptable" degrees of cheating or gaming the system, as long as you don't get caught. We teach our kid's the difference between right and wrong. We hammer commandments into their skulls for a life-time. Yet, pass on "middle class" integrity or morality, that apparently, it's okay to wink at when you reach a certain socio-economic status in life.
Maybe as I get older, I'm becoming more cynical, but this ambiguity about playing fair is a sentimental and quaint notion that never really existed.
Maybe as I get older, I'm becoming more cynical, but this ambiguity about playing fair is a sentimental and quaint notion that never really existed.
2
It's the ideal that we are supposed to be aiming to reach.
The ubiquity or lack thereof of cheaters and scofflaws does not make the ideal wrong or useless.
Everything is better for everyone the more honest and trustworthy people in society are. Lower trust you lower the quality of life and society. Hence the precipitous downfall of our nation since 1980 when dishonesty and manipulation became legal through deregulation.
The ubiquity or lack thereof of cheaters and scofflaws does not make the ideal wrong or useless.
Everything is better for everyone the more honest and trustworthy people in society are. Lower trust you lower the quality of life and society. Hence the precipitous downfall of our nation since 1980 when dishonesty and manipulation became legal through deregulation.
The article is a limited history because it fails to mention the team gamesmanship in baseball. The Dodgers used to sculpt the foul lines and wet the infield well so their good bunters' bunts would stay fair and not travel too far up the line; the Orioles, with their all star infield, had a bone-dry rock-hard infield that would lead to errors by the other team. And famously, every team plays with the fences, depending upon its team make-up and home run totals.
Never mind George Brett and the pine-tar incident!
Never mind George Brett and the pine-tar incident!
3
I wonder if the footballs are ever inspected for pine tar or other "sticky" substances.
If any hitter who backed away from an inside pitch hoping for it to be called a ball; or any catcher who pulled ("framed") a ball hoping for it to be called a strike can be accused of cheating then everyone who ever played the game has cheated.
Not to mention the overriding role that the umpire plays in every decision.
False equivalency.
Not to mention the overriding role that the umpire plays in every decision.
False equivalency.
4
How about when Jeter demonstrably pretended he was hit by a pitch when in fact he hadn't been hit? And then really played it up like he was hurt by the ball, when in fact the ball never touched him? And then never owned up to it, and took first base? I mean, it's not like he passively took an umpire's misjudgment without declaring the ump was wrong. NO. He feigned and feigned having been hit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9U9jttDSUCg
Surely that's cheating and not false equivalency, right?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9U9jttDSUCg
Surely that's cheating and not false equivalency, right?
It's still the umpires' call.
Yes? No?
Yes? No?
It is a logical impossibility that, before human intervention in altering the balls is demonstrated, the condition of footballs can be declared either gamesmanship or cheating.
5
No it isn't.
You have 12 balls that measure 12.5PSI at ball check and a couple hours later 11 of them measure 10.5psi and the 12th still measures 12.5psi. The possibility that that is a natural occurrence or occurred by means other than deliberate human action is so great as to be pointless to consider. Yet it will be. It seems very unlikely that 11 balls all sprung exactly the same leak that stopped leaking at 10.5 PSI. Temperature would have had to of been well below zero for it to have had the effect of lowering pressure by 2psi.
You have 12 balls that measure 12.5PSI at ball check and a couple hours later 11 of them measure 10.5psi and the 12th still measures 12.5psi. The possibility that that is a natural occurrence or occurred by means other than deliberate human action is so great as to be pointless to consider. Yet it will be. It seems very unlikely that 11 balls all sprung exactly the same leak that stopped leaking at 10.5 PSI. Temperature would have had to of been well below zero for it to have had the effect of lowering pressure by 2psi.
Absolutely! I am weary of news media playing judge, jury, and executioner in one information-free, logic-free swoop!
The organization has a history, and it is more than fair to assume that Bill and Brady knew exactly what they were doing and most likely have done in who knows how many other games. The analogy is like going into a test with a cheat sheet used or not, successful or not, the basic fact is they cheated.
2
"More than fair to assume"? Conversely, one could speculate that the Patriots' history of having been sanctioned by the league would impel them to hew even more closely to league regulations to avoid any future penalties such as the costly forfeiture of draft picks. But all of this amounts to assumption, and whether such assumption is "fair" is in the eye of the beholder, or more precisely whether one likes the Patriots or not.
8
Such lofty standards for what "is fair to assume" and what should be regarded as "fact". Like many of the other comments I have read over the past few days, this one has all the hallmarks of a lynch mob mind set. Is this a disappointed fan's way of justifying why their own team has not come anywhere close to matching the Patriots' legitimate success over the past 15 years? Do you actually believe they have accomplished that by cheating? I would suggest taking an *unbiased* look at the situation.
A friend of mine used to pitch for the Minnesota Twins when they played in the old dome. He told me that when the Twins were at bat stadium officials used to open the doors all the way at the back of the stadium, because it created air flow that allowed balls to carry better. Mysteriously, those same doors closed when the opposing team came to bat. This kind of behavior is as old as sports itself.
4
There are hundreds of home field advantages that any team has. But those are not specifically governed by their sport's rules. No one is complaining about the many advantages that the Patriots had over the Colts due to their home field advantage.
1
If you think that's the same thing as altering equipment well you are entitled to your opinion i suppose.
Still not cheating unless a written rule says they can't do that yet they do it any way
As a young-ish nation, perhaps our culture is a hodge-podge of values cobbled together from both where we came from and from where we hope to someday be? Our sense of fair play is one of these adaptations. We see ourselves as more fair and honest than other nations and though this has proven to be untrue in several public arenas, in sport we cling to this notion; true or not. America as a meritocracy matters greatly to us as does our sense of fair play. We created the arch-type of "Jack Armstrong - All American Boy" to reflect this belief. Sadly, Armstrong was a lie and though we aspire to athletes who promise more, too often, players, coaches and general managers have no more honor than General Motors or the Pentagon. This is not to say that "Americanism" is not exceptional, it just suggest that in 2015, our nation can again mix and match our truths and admit that though we are aggressive scamps on and off our playing fields, our aspirations to be more remain. Honor remains everything but so too does "will" and perhaps Americanism can be adjusted to include this tug of war as definitive of our national nature?
1
"Arch-type"? "Jack Armstrong"? Oh, dear ...
Cheat, cheat, never beat! I think most of us grew up with that saying firmly implanted by our parents in our heads.
However, by the time they turn into professional athletes many forget these words as greed and fame take over.
Fortunately there is one group of pro's who have not forgotten, they are the professional golfers. These people, men and women alike go to great lengths to protect the integrity of their sport.
It seems that most of America is quite fed up with the Patriots and their shenanigans, even my wife, who watches very little football, thinks that there should be a harsh penalty imposed before the game.
It's too bad the NFL leadership has digressed so badly that they are afraid to act now instead of later. I'm sure they're more worried about tv ratings and the loss of sponsors.
I cannot see this happening if Pete Rozelle was still in charge.
It's a real shame tolet the Pat's get away with this.
However, by the time they turn into professional athletes many forget these words as greed and fame take over.
Fortunately there is one group of pro's who have not forgotten, they are the professional golfers. These people, men and women alike go to great lengths to protect the integrity of their sport.
It seems that most of America is quite fed up with the Patriots and their shenanigans, even my wife, who watches very little football, thinks that there should be a harsh penalty imposed before the game.
It's too bad the NFL leadership has digressed so badly that they are afraid to act now instead of later. I'm sure they're more worried about tv ratings and the loss of sponsors.
I cannot see this happening if Pete Rozelle was still in charge.
It's a real shame tolet the Pat's get away with this.
Let the Pats get away with what, exactly? What would be a real shame is the national impulse, exposed by this controversy and many others, to abolish due process and presumption of innocence in legal and quasi-legal investigations in this country. Or at least to do so when you dislike or envy the alleged perpetrator.
15
Spoken like a true Pats fan, El Jefe.
The Patriots are not deserving of a presumption of innocence. They are a team mired in a culture of lying and cheating. Just ask the Rams.
Roger Goodell does not have the intestinal fortitude to suspend Belichek or Brady in advance of the Super Bowl because he doesn't want to refund a single dollar of advertising money to the advertisers that would be hurt by a watered down product. Shame on him.
You can bet the penalties AFTER the Super Bowl will be severe, but by then the Pats may have another Super Bowl Championship in hand.
I am not a fan of either team but I've got to root for a Seahawks win, a subsequent year long suspension for Tom Brady, and the dismissal of a completely inept league commissioner.
The Patriots are not deserving of a presumption of innocence. They are a team mired in a culture of lying and cheating. Just ask the Rams.
Roger Goodell does not have the intestinal fortitude to suspend Belichek or Brady in advance of the Super Bowl because he doesn't want to refund a single dollar of advertising money to the advertisers that would be hurt by a watered down product. Shame on him.
You can bet the penalties AFTER the Super Bowl will be severe, but by then the Pats may have another Super Bowl Championship in hand.
I am not a fan of either team but I've got to root for a Seahawks win, a subsequent year long suspension for Tom Brady, and the dismissal of a completely inept league commissioner.
Isn't golf the sport where every single player is allowed to use his/her own ball and their own hyper-customized clubs? Are you seriously suggesting that no one ever bends the equipment rules? Why should football be any different?
For me, the question is: what are we teaching our children? Everyone cheats, so that is ok? Money is all that matters, so cheating to make more is ok? There is a lot of money on the line for a super bowl championship. Integrity should be just as important, or even more so.
14
@Margaret, "It’s certainly accepted as part of the culture that you game the system as much as you possibly can, and if you don’t get caught, it ain’t cheating.”
From this article and Prof. Mosher who 'studies' ethics, this appears to be the answer to your question. I am betting there will no sanctions for this situation and by-pass of the standard. In fact, when the big game takes place, there will be ridicule of those who questioned. This column might have focused on 'gamesmanship' but there is clearly no understanding of 'wthics'
From this article and Prof. Mosher who 'studies' ethics, this appears to be the answer to your question. I am betting there will no sanctions for this situation and by-pass of the standard. In fact, when the big game takes place, there will be ridicule of those who questioned. This column might have focused on 'gamesmanship' but there is clearly no understanding of 'wthics'
That ship has sailed. Cheating by college students has been rampant now for years. If a professor calls out a student, the administration often dismisses the charge, fearing loss of revenue from disgruntled students and their parents.
3
Margaret,
First, why would you teach your children that football players are paragons of virtue? Why would you teach your children that the place to look for standards of behavior is professional sports. Gosh...do you get upset about professional wrestling too? Professional sports is about money, much more than sportsmanship. Maybe we can all teach our children that fact.
First, why would you teach your children that football players are paragons of virtue? Why would you teach your children that the place to look for standards of behavior is professional sports. Gosh...do you get upset about professional wrestling too? Professional sports is about money, much more than sportsmanship. Maybe we can all teach our children that fact.
The deflated balls were reported by the Colts (after they made an an interception)) to the officials in the first half and then corrected by the referees in time for the second half. The Patriots scored 17 points using deflated balls and 28 in the second half with properly inflated balls (scoring on their first four possessions with the officially approved new balls).
The Colts might have been better off to have kept silent.
The Colts might have been better off to have kept silent.
19
The "deflated" balls were reported by the Colts to the very officials who had been handling those same balls throughout the half. Who trains these officials?
You evidently missed the news that the defensive back came forward to refute earlier reports - he asked for the ball as a keepsake for his interception and went on to say he had not reported underinflation because he had not noticed any.
Do you cheat also? Do you recommend it to your children? Why not if it leads to success?
Belichick or Brady may not have specifically orchestrated the deflating of the balls, but the person handling the balls knew full well Brady wanted an underinflated football. Maybe he always does and no one has ever checked it before.
The pressure of a football is as important to a QB as tackiness, specific wear, etc. Brady advocated for the rule that allows the offense to pick the balls they want to use. This is not some random event. Brady has undoubtedly thrown balls with different air pressure and determined what pressure best suits him. The job of the ball crew is to make sure that pressure is what is delivered during the game.
New England would have won the game with a nerf football. That is not the point.
The point is the head coach and QB stating they have never been concerned about the ball's air pressure, as if it is just some random event. If it was just physics (tested in warm environment, retested in cold environment), don't you think the NFL would have come out with that conclusion by now?
Not believable and eventually, maybe years from now, someone will admit that a lower pressure ball was requested by Brady.
The pressure of a football is as important to a QB as tackiness, specific wear, etc. Brady advocated for the rule that allows the offense to pick the balls they want to use. This is not some random event. Brady has undoubtedly thrown balls with different air pressure and determined what pressure best suits him. The job of the ball crew is to make sure that pressure is what is delivered during the game.
New England would have won the game with a nerf football. That is not the point.
The point is the head coach and QB stating they have never been concerned about the ball's air pressure, as if it is just some random event. If it was just physics (tested in warm environment, retested in cold environment), don't you think the NFL would have come out with that conclusion by now?
Not believable and eventually, maybe years from now, someone will admit that a lower pressure ball was requested by Brady.
9
"If it was just physics (tested in warm environment, retested in cold environment), don't you think the NFL would have come out with that conclusion by now?"
If the NFL ever releases its findings on this investigation then I guess we'll have the answer to your question. Until then, all we have is sports journalists (who have the most to gain from this episode) fanning the frenzy and perpetuating this non-story.
If the NFL ever releases its findings on this investigation then I guess we'll have the answer to your question. Until then, all we have is sports journalists (who have the most to gain from this episode) fanning the frenzy and perpetuating this non-story.
Why assume that the NFL investigators are infallible or unbiased in their pursuit of truth? Or that they're not covering up an embarrassing lapse of attention to ball pressure during the recent Pats-Colts game on their own? Or that their referees don't share the same resentments that all the other Pats-hates do, and may wish to distract the Pats' focus leading up to the Superbowl? Much more damage has been done to the Pats moral without due process being observed, than any the team has done to the so called "integrity of the game".
This seems like an issue that could be solved with some simple steps on the sidelines to assure the balls are properly maintained during the game. It's connection to the Patriots and the Superbowl has caused it to overshadow a more subtle but ultimately more unhealthy type of deception excercised against the Baltimore Ravens the week prior. In that case, I don't blame the Patriots for pushing the boundaries, but the game officials who were confused and failed to call a timeout, even for a few seconds, to assure they knew what was happening and that the defense was informed and given time to adjust (watch replay of the referee; he was confused and he did not allow time for adjustment). It would be helpful for the game overall if those officials admitted they influenced the game through their failings, and the league addressed that situation with an eye toward improving the game.
To what end? Deception is part of the game while plays are being executed and clearly part of the excitement for spectators. However, deception occurring before the execution of the play is bad for the game and officials should err on the side of a pause or delay to assure both teams are treated equally.
Deflating the balls below specification is breaking the rules but the solution will probably be simple. The gray areas of deception don't have to be so gray - so long as the league trains and enables game officials to remove attepts at deception prior to play execution.
To what end? Deception is part of the game while plays are being executed and clearly part of the excitement for spectators. However, deception occurring before the execution of the play is bad for the game and officials should err on the side of a pause or delay to assure both teams are treated equally.
Deflating the balls below specification is breaking the rules but the solution will probably be simple. The gray areas of deception don't have to be so gray - so long as the league trains and enables game officials to remove attepts at deception prior to play execution.
7
Actually against the Ravens, as to the "eligible/ineligible" pronouncements, the rules specifically state "the clock shall not be stopped". Clearly, however, those "legal" maneuvers were instrumental to the Pats beating the Ravens. The 2 psi, equally obviously, not so much. So really, why is this such a big deal?
As noted so often in the past, it is not the indiscretion, violation or even accepting this as 'gamesmanship' but the cover-up and the NFL strategy in this and many other matters of standards, of stalling and lying. We've seen this before with the NFL where there is little to no semblance of integrity.
When the Super Bowl is played this coming weekend, it is the public who have liked the sport who are disappointed. It is us who have been "played."
When the Super Bowl is played this coming weekend, it is the public who have liked the sport who are disappointed. It is us who have been "played."
5
What all the media are missing here is the REAL cheating. Sore loser teams and coaches with agendas of disparaging the Pats are using the NFL's system to manipulate the system to deflate the Pats prior to big games. ( remember Arlen Specter's congressional hearings?)The minor difference in the air pressure, which has a slight benefit to Brady, is being used the disrupt and confuse the team. This is the real cheating.
In essence its small time personal politics by petty little overpaid and incompetent coaches and egotistical owners.
They can't win on the field so they try the bogus way. The media really doesn't need to carry their water, they just aid in the " cheating".
In essence its small time personal politics by petty little overpaid and incompetent coaches and egotistical owners.
They can't win on the field so they try the bogus way. The media really doesn't need to carry their water, they just aid in the " cheating".
12
Up is down, black is white and wrong is right, it would seem, to Patriot fans.
The Ball must be a “Wilson,” hand selected, bearing the signature of the Commissioner of the League, Roger Goodell.
The ball shall be made up of an inflated (12 1/2 to 13 1/2 pounds) urethane bladder enclosed in a pebble grained, leather case (natural tan color) without corrugations of any kind. It shall have the form of a prolate spheroid and the size and weight shall be: long axis, 11 to 11 1/4 inches; long circumference, 28 to 28 1/2 inches; short circumference, 21 to 21 1/4 inches; weight, 14 to 15 ounces.
The Referee shall be the sole judge as to whether all balls offered for play comply with these specifications. A pump is to be furnished by the home club, and the balls shall remain under the supervision of the Referee until they are delivered to the ball attendant just prior to the start of the game.
*** The rule does not specify the temperature at which pressure is measured, so this is easy to circumvent. A temp drop from 100° (sauna) to 50° (game temp) will reduce volume by almost 10% (checked engineering tables on this) so 13psi becomes 10.4psi. All within the rules. Fundamental flaw is ths tortured NFL rules that have teams supply and use own balls. Have NFL supply and they're shared by both teams. When i played in backyard as a kid, we all used the same ball. Let's just give NE credit for creativity and gamesmanship, and NFL for ineptitude...again.
The ball shall be made up of an inflated (12 1/2 to 13 1/2 pounds) urethane bladder enclosed in a pebble grained, leather case (natural tan color) without corrugations of any kind. It shall have the form of a prolate spheroid and the size and weight shall be: long axis, 11 to 11 1/4 inches; long circumference, 28 to 28 1/2 inches; short circumference, 21 to 21 1/4 inches; weight, 14 to 15 ounces.
The Referee shall be the sole judge as to whether all balls offered for play comply with these specifications. A pump is to be furnished by the home club, and the balls shall remain under the supervision of the Referee until they are delivered to the ball attendant just prior to the start of the game.
*** The rule does not specify the temperature at which pressure is measured, so this is easy to circumvent. A temp drop from 100° (sauna) to 50° (game temp) will reduce volume by almost 10% (checked engineering tables on this) so 13psi becomes 10.4psi. All within the rules. Fundamental flaw is ths tortured NFL rules that have teams supply and use own balls. Have NFL supply and they're shared by both teams. When i played in backyard as a kid, we all used the same ball. Let's just give NE credit for creativity and gamesmanship, and NFL for ineptitude...again.
29
Your math is wrong. A 10% drop from 13 is 11.7.
Besides,they test the balls at room temperature. In this case, the outdoor temperature was ~25 degrees lower, which would have resulted in at most a half pound of PSI. And if temperature were the cause, then the Colts balls that were tested under the same conditions would have shown the same pressure drop, yet they did not. The Colts balls were all still at legal pressure when tested at halftime.
Besides,they test the balls at room temperature. In this case, the outdoor temperature was ~25 degrees lower, which would have resulted in at most a half pound of PSI. And if temperature were the cause, then the Colts balls that were tested under the same conditions would have shown the same pressure drop, yet they did not. The Colts balls were all still at legal pressure when tested at halftime.
3
Cheating is not gamesmanship or creativity. Stop giving this team yet one more pass for breaking the rules. Debate the rules and establish better criteria off season. Punish now.
1
Oh because the rule doesn't specifically say don't fill the ball up in a sauna or with helium, that makes it acceptable? Funny enough, when a law is written a certain way, but then the government still enforces it despite exactly what is written because you know don't be dumb... Yeah, that's what's going to happen.
Win or lose, points scored with underinflated balls don't matter much if the team lacks a thing called ethics. I would rather respect the loser, than admire a winner who is a cheat.
7
Another example of our "loophole-seeking" society. We push the envelope in every area to gain advantage and of course, make more money. Maybe it is human nature, but man's bad/greedy side sure needs a leash.
3
I don"t think you should conflate the people who are doing this to their economic advantage with the rest of us who don't "seek" the loophole because we know how harmful it is long term to do so.
If things were as your post implies there would be no hope for us.
If things were as your post implies there would be no hope for us.
I think ball deflation confers a variety of advantages during a game in wet, cold conditions. Better grip reduces the probability of fewer mishandles, meaning more completed passes and fewer fumbles. We all know that turnovers and third down conversions are HUGE is playoff games. Clearly it made no difference in the outcome of this game. However, it seems that someone decided to stack the deck in favor of the patriots before the margin of victory was determined. Pretty sad in my opinion.
PS Obviously the NFL physicists have ruled out the pressure -temperature law :)
PS Obviously the NFL physicists have ruled out the pressure -temperature law :)
4
Actually I've read articles from scientists confirming that the conditions themselves could've affected the pressure of the ball.
4
@Jason,
Ambient conditions always affect pressure inside a vessel. The temperature that day on the field was not low enough to lower Pressure inside only 11 of the 12 balls by 2psi.
Ambient conditions always affect pressure inside a vessel. The temperature that day on the field was not low enough to lower Pressure inside only 11 of the 12 balls by 2psi.
The result of the game doesn't matter. I'm a college professor, and when I catch someone copying an answer from another student's exam, I don't adjust the punishment depending on whether they copied a right answer or a wrong answer. In other words, it is the act of cheating itself, not how effective the cheating was that matters.
18
It might help if there was some proof of cheating first.
Actually, is this case, the result of the game does matter. If you had 2 students who gave a very similar answer to a question, but you didn't see them copying...are they guilty? If you don't have irrefutable proof that one copied the other...what are you going to do? If the one test question won't change either person's grade...how much sleep are you going to lose trying to figure out if anyone cheated?
This article, like most everything I have read about this "scandal", is woefully short on specifics, and uses flawed comparisons and false equivalencies to strongly imply that there was cheating. Most everyone, except a few astute commenters, seems to be missing the real point. The multi-billion dollar enterprise known as the NFL, cannot properly monitor the condition of it's game balls...balls which are handled by the officials before the game, and before and after every single play? Please!
9
Read more about this process and how much time passes between the officials' handling of the balls pre-game and when they're turned over to the teams. The officials are not the last people to handle them. This is another Pats cheat. It's not "gamesmanship" or a brilliant tactic on Belichick's part. It's yet one more sleazy example of his "rules don't apply to me" attitude and the league's tacit complicity. Fines don't matter. Draft losses don't matter. Forfeiting games would, but Goodell doesn't have the stones to do that.
I ask you to keenly observe any NFL game, perhaps the Super Bowl would work for you, then ask yourself: "Who was the last person to handle the football before and after every single play?
Aaron Rodgers admitted that he prefers his footballs over inflated in a conversation that took place just before the Patriots/Colts game. He has large hands and he feels this gives him an advantage. He acted like it was a game as to whether it was discovered that Green Bay overinflated the footballs to his preferential PSI and the officials who are supposed to check if they are "properly" inflated. I've not heard Aaron Rodgers speak about this again and give some backing to the idea that this is more a "gamesmanship" issue rather than cheating. I am appalled at his cowardice and letting the Patriots and Tom Brady take all the heat.
22
So, when the Patriots get caught cheating Boston blames... someone on the Packers.
Sounds about right:)
Sounds about right:)
I find it interesting that no one points out that the balls N.E. were using in the game were re-inflated at halftime when the score was relatively close - N.E. 17, Ind. 7. N.E. scored 28 points in the second half with footballs meeting the legal requirements. So where is the logic that N.E. was looking for an unfair advantage by using deflated footballs?
9
The opponent doesn't matter to the Pats. Anything for a win, regardless of how good or bad the team is. Reputation may not matter a whit to Belichick or Kraft. I thought it mattered to Brady until I saw his laughable performance at his press conference. Count your rings, guys, but know that your wins are suspect. Even against lesser opponents. True fans of the game, as opposed to fact-denying Pats fans, will never watch them with anything other than skepticism. I'm sick of one set of rules the Pats and another for every other team.
What line was "blurry"? By contract with the NFL, the Patriots were required to provide game balls which met a certain specification. Instead, the team provided balls which did not meet those clear standards and the deviation was too large to have occurred by accident. Providing proper balls was a team responsibility. Why does it matter which team employee actually did the tampering?
3
The refs are supposed to check the balls.
In addition to the differences in temperatures inside the warm locker room where the balls are inflated, and the sub-freezing playing field, footballs deflate every time the ball is kicked, or landed upon by two or three 300 pound players. It all adds up to gradual unintended deflation.
7
Ah yes and footballs controlled by the team from NE are more suseptable to deflation than those controlled by Indy. Science!
But only for one team - right?
Gamesmanship is deceptive and tricky. When it fails to violate any explicit rule, it may be irritating but it is not cheating. When a rule is frankly violated, it is cheating and as such carries a penalty.
The world keeps turning, however. People suffer and celebrate, live or die. The PSI of a football has nothing to do with this.
So, NFL; investigate, decide and if necessary apply the appropriate sanction. Then return to the essential business of playing football.
www.endthemadnessnow.org
The world keeps turning, however. People suffer and celebrate, live or die. The PSI of a football has nothing to do with this.
So, NFL; investigate, decide and if necessary apply the appropriate sanction. Then return to the essential business of playing football.
www.endthemadnessnow.org
3
"Essential business"??????????
Inflating the gameball is governed by specific rules. Inflating outside the parameters of those limits is not "gamesmanship". They are violations that warrant a penalty. Under inflating the balls is simply wrong and deserves a penalty. There's no gamesmanship here. It's not like a punter who is barely touched and then exaggerates his hit. That's gamesmanship.
But the bigger issue that has really touched a nerve is the arrogance and insolence of this act, however it happened. It's simply counter to those values we believe taught to us Lombardi in our youth when football and many of us were developing a value foundation to live and play by. Lombardi said "The object is to win fairly, by the rules, but to win". And "Morally, the life of the organization must be of exemplary nature. This is the one area that the organization must not have any criticism".
Suggesting this is simply gamesmanship devalues the principles that are the foundation of this sport and characterized by the it's highest honor, The Lombardi Trophy.
But the bigger issue that has really touched a nerve is the arrogance and insolence of this act, however it happened. It's simply counter to those values we believe taught to us Lombardi in our youth when football and many of us were developing a value foundation to live and play by. Lombardi said "The object is to win fairly, by the rules, but to win". And "Morally, the life of the organization must be of exemplary nature. This is the one area that the organization must not have any criticism".
Suggesting this is simply gamesmanship devalues the principles that are the foundation of this sport and characterized by the it's highest honor, The Lombardi Trophy.
2
Remember the pine tar incident? A clear violation of a clear rule. But it was properly decided that there should be no penalty. Not every violation warrants a penalty, especially when the violation is trivial, or when the refs are supposed to catch the error beforehand.
4
Great athletes (and teams) will be discounted by some regardless of why or what. In this particular instance, Tom Brady is so squeaky clean that the New England naysayers must huff and puff loudly to break through the veil of innocence. The salient point remains that the Patriots are playing in the big show and nothing is changed but the number of times the game balls will be checked and rechecked before and during the upcoming Super Bowl.
4
You STILL insist on referring to it as a "Super Bowl"? Your best choice of words is "veil of innocence". Thanks for the laugh. On both items.
If* the Patriots are indeed guilty of what they're accused of, this wouldn't fall into a gray area of ethics at all. Not by a mile. The balls' air pressure is codified in the game rules, so knowingly and surreptitiously providing under-inflated balls is cheating. The more clearly the rule is stated and the more secretive the breach, the more egregious the violation. That would make this incident, if intentionally done, a clear instance of small-minded cheating.
(* I say if, because there's probably more than a decent chance warm balls were inflated in a warm room, then taken to the cold outdoors where the laws of physics would cause the air in the balls to contract.)
(* I say if, because there's probably more than a decent chance warm balls were inflated in a warm room, then taken to the cold outdoors where the laws of physics would cause the air in the balls to contract.)
2
I don't know whether or not it's necessary to point out that the laws of physics and willful manipulation of the balls' pressure aren't mutually exclusive. Patriots coaches are quite aware of what temperature changes do to inflated balls, and could well have intentionally softened the balls while still, technically, following the rules. It would be interesting to know if the rules stipulate temperature conditions under which the balls must be inflated. If there are no such stipulations, then, in my opinion, this *would* fall into an ethical gray area.
2
Boyles law would suggest that 12 of the 12 footballs would deflate if your warm air indoors / cold air outdoors suggestion were in fact accurate. The one Patriot supplied foot ball that tdid not magically deflate is a key piece of evidence.
As with many schemes to cheat, Arthur Conan Doyl's Sherlock Holmes character was perspicacious. Read or re read the "Silver Blaze" story and ponder the curious incident of the dog that did not bark.
As with many schemes to cheat, Arthur Conan Doyl's Sherlock Holmes character was perspicacious. Read or re read the "Silver Blaze" story and ponder the curious incident of the dog that did not bark.
Jaywalking is illegal under a precise clearly defined rule. How many would consider jaywalkers grossly unethical? I wish all the arm chair philosophers would dismount from their high horses.
Retired quarterbacks have said that fussing with the pressure in the balls occurs all the time league wide. The concept that the Patriots deliberately inflate balls with heated air and have been doing it for years makes some sense.
Where did the idea that teams should play with different balls come from anyway? The obvious solution to this tempest in a teapot is to have both teams play with the same balls--ones supplied by the league, not the teams.
Where did the idea that teams should play with different balls come from anyway? The obvious solution to this tempest in a teapot is to have both teams play with the same balls--ones supplied by the league, not the teams.
8
If the NFL wants to put the problem to rest they should have the game balls the teams provide be sealed once the inflation is verified. This would prevent anyone from inflating/deflating them during the game.
4
Should is for the future. Action is needed now. If anyone who watched those ridiculous press conferences (nice job on the "hard" questions, reporters) - and believes a word that was spoken -are hopelessly enthralled Pats fans or lack a few grey cells.
The response to this story is so disproportionate to the alleged offense it almost makes me laugh.
People who like the Patriots see it as a harmless, clever strategy, or possibly the application of a law of physics.
People who dislike the Patriots see it as an unforgivable ethical lapse which will corrupt our children and doubtless herald the end of civilization as we know it. They probably agree with The Boston Globe's Bob Ryan, who recently called Bill Belichick "The most brilliant, amoral football coach in history." In basketball this man would be known as "Calipari" or "Tarkanian."
The worst part of this deal is that we'll have to read and hear the words "Belicheat" and "Deflategate" for the next hundred years.
Envy is sad thing.
People who like the Patriots see it as a harmless, clever strategy, or possibly the application of a law of physics.
People who dislike the Patriots see it as an unforgivable ethical lapse which will corrupt our children and doubtless herald the end of civilization as we know it. They probably agree with The Boston Globe's Bob Ryan, who recently called Bill Belichick "The most brilliant, amoral football coach in history." In basketball this man would be known as "Calipari" or "Tarkanian."
The worst part of this deal is that we'll have to read and hear the words "Belicheat" and "Deflategate" for the next hundred years.
Envy is sad thing.
16
Envy can also be fun and interesting while watching the chickens come home to roost........
Until a few days ago, I was a Patriots fan. It's important to note that nothing has been proven yet, and the Patriots are entitled to due process.
However, I cannot imagine why so many people - especially Pats fans - treat this so lightly (e.g., as if the fact that the Pats were going to beat Indy anyway had anything whatsoever to do with the issue). It is very serious. If an unauthorized inflation level were not an advantage, there'd be no rule on the subject, and Brady would not have been interested in managing the ball's inflation level, as he has already admitted to doing. Clearly, there ARE rule-breaking advantages to be had.
I think there is enough evidence that Kraft should direct that Garofalo (Brady's back up) be the QB in the Super Bowl. If it is established that he cheated, Brady should be released by the team. If others (especially Belichick) were involved, they should also be released.
Obviously, in the future, the referees should control all game balls. That it was ever otherwise seems incredible to me. But blatant cheating is simply wrong, no matter how small or potentially insignificant. There need to be consequences. The NFL should act, but so should Robert Kraft.
However, I cannot imagine why so many people - especially Pats fans - treat this so lightly (e.g., as if the fact that the Pats were going to beat Indy anyway had anything whatsoever to do with the issue). It is very serious. If an unauthorized inflation level were not an advantage, there'd be no rule on the subject, and Brady would not have been interested in managing the ball's inflation level, as he has already admitted to doing. Clearly, there ARE rule-breaking advantages to be had.
I think there is enough evidence that Kraft should direct that Garofalo (Brady's back up) be the QB in the Super Bowl. If it is established that he cheated, Brady should be released by the team. If others (especially Belichick) were involved, they should also be released.
Obviously, in the future, the referees should control all game balls. That it was ever otherwise seems incredible to me. But blatant cheating is simply wrong, no matter how small or potentially insignificant. There need to be consequences. The NFL should act, but so should Robert Kraft.
8
I do not know who u are, but thank you for pointing out the difference between whether the Patriots would have won the game and cheating. It is amazing how many sports analysts I have listened to saying the deflation would have made no difference to the outcome of the game. Very likely the Pats would have won just as big or even with a larger margin as the played better in the second when the balls were properly inflated. However, cheating and violation of rules are not just wrong but often illegal. I have such great admiration for Troy Aikman who clearly understands the difference. This Mosher guy who is supposed to be a professor as well Brady don't seem to have a clue. As for Belichick who states he makes the balls as bad as possible for his players but is ignorant of the inflation or deflation of balls when the weight of the ball is a rule, how credible is his statement? If minor infractions are of no consequence, why do we arrest kids who steal a candy or a cigar from a store? But what else is new? One set of rules for the rich, famous and privilege, and one for those who are poor and/or children!
2
Would you repeat that part about due process.
Except there's no evidence that anyone tampered with the balls.
Of course the ultimate responsibility falls on negligent officials. All players look for an edge. That's why there are officials in the first place. When a similar incident happened with the deflated balls earlier in the season, the officials should have been more observant to it happening again. The question for the league now is, did they cross the line from seeking an honest edge or was it out and out cheating. Of course it was the latter. Anyone who doesn't think so is a Patriots' fan.
2
Every single television commentator who has played the position of quarterback in the NFL says he does not believe the deflation of the Patriots' footballs was an accident. Each has said that the quarterback is in complete control and knows immediately if the balls are different than his own specifications. I'm going to trust the assessment of those who have actually played the game and been in the position over those who have figured it all out from the comfort of their recliners. Now it's time for the NFL to act. Between the Saints scandal, the concussion/traumatic brain injury scandal, racist team names, and now evidence that points to a team which violated rules playing in the national championship, I think it's fair to say that the NFL has a serious credibility problem. I've loved and followed professional football all of my life but lately I find I'm spending too much time justifying my love of the game because it just doesn't coincide with my values anymore.
7
Easy solution to your moral quandary. Don't watch another NFL game. Ever.
I think the sports media should stop over analyzing "Deflategate" and focus on the game itself until the NFL concludes it's big "investigation". But that probably won't happen, will it? For those of us who are football fans, the super bowl will feature a great matchup between two great teams. There is so much more to talk about than this silly nonsense.
26
Move on people nothing to see here. For us football fans, sheeplike fealty is more important than integrity. How else are we going to enjoy our Sunday's?
Could it only be "silly nonsense" because you are from Boston?
Without knowing all the facts of the situation (but when has that stopped anyone?) I would say: the NFL is the one responsible for the process by which deflated balls were used. The process obviously didn't work. If it is really so important that the balls are within standard (the ref checks each and every ball two hours before the game?), then it is important enough to do something whereby the balls stay deflated until the game - e.g. locking them away, or testing just before the game starts. And since everyone seems to think Tom Brady should be capable of knowing he was using a deflated ball, then why aren't the refs, who hold onto the ball as long if not longer during the game, not capable either, since they are the ones supposed to enforce the rules?
28
To correct the record, there is no evidence of finding of fact that the Patriots deflated the game balls that they used. The Patriots said that they inflated their game balls to 12.5 psi, which is within the permitted range of 12.5 to 13.5 psi.
Also, prior to this fake scandal, neither the refs or any other team, which do get to handle the opposing offense's game balls, have ever complained that the Patriot's game balls seemed or were under inflated. Could this entire thing simply be, as the writer of the story suggested, supra, simply a fake controversy to enhance marketing for the Super Bowl? I think that it is too silly to be anything else.
Also, prior to this fake scandal, neither the refs or any other team, which do get to handle the opposing offense's game balls, have ever complained that the Patriot's game balls seemed or were under inflated. Could this entire thing simply be, as the writer of the story suggested, supra, simply a fake controversy to enhance marketing for the Super Bowl? I think that it is too silly to be anything else.
3
Amazing being from Baltimore and listening to people like you call us the "Baltimore Murderers" because of the Ray Lewis thing (and the trumped-up charge). Then the "Wife-Beaters." Etcetera. I was thinking that if John Harbaugh and Joe Flacco conspired to do something like this, it would begin again.
Belichek and Brady cheated, oh yea, that's the word, and they're going to get away with it. Deflating balls crosses the line. I would be pretty upset with my coach and my QB if they did it. Why are you so blind to the truth? Listen carefully Mr. Patriot: they out-and-out cheated and the penalty should be severe. One play might have turned that game around, you know that's how it works. At the very least, they should lose their first two draft picks.
Belichek and Brady cheated, oh yea, that's the word, and they're going to get away with it. Deflating balls crosses the line. I would be pretty upset with my coach and my QB if they did it. Why are you so blind to the truth? Listen carefully Mr. Patriot: they out-and-out cheated and the penalty should be severe. One play might have turned that game around, you know that's how it works. At the very least, they should lose their first two draft picks.
You forget that it was Brady and The Patriots who actively lobbied the league to establish the game day ball policy they are now accused of abusing.
Professional sports are a business.
Owners and players make money by winning.
Cheating, whether doctoring a ball or deliberately injuring other teams' players are tactics to win.
About footballs:
Let the defensive team supply the ball the offensive team will use or better yet let the refs supply the balls.
I don't understand such concern about football which is reminscent of the gladiators and lions in the ancient Roman empire.
There is something wrong with a "sport" where teams are rewarded for disabling opponents and 1/3 of players develop serious brain injuries.
Owners and players make money by winning.
Cheating, whether doctoring a ball or deliberately injuring other teams' players are tactics to win.
About footballs:
Let the defensive team supply the ball the offensive team will use or better yet let the refs supply the balls.
I don't understand such concern about football which is reminscent of the gladiators and lions in the ancient Roman empire.
There is something wrong with a "sport" where teams are rewarded for disabling opponents and 1/3 of players develop serious brain injuries.
4
Its a reflection of our culture, pervasive cheating at all levels of society. But back to sports, steroids and its destruction of baseball. No longer can todays players be compared with yesterdays heroes.
2
I've watched this carefully and my best guess is that...
1. The balls were inflated to Brady's liking, using no gauge.
2. The refs visually and tactilely examined the balls and okayed them as they often do, according to several things I've read.
... and then no one touched them and nature took it's course... and the Pats, getting away with soft balls, made the calculation that the responsibility was on the refs, not them.... and, perhaps they're right... I think they are.
This would be why Bill has to claim he doesn't even know the rule (and didn't/doesn't want to), and why Tom can state he never made any adjustments...and I believe him... because they had a system in place that would take advantage of the touchy-feely method of ball approval...
They SHOULD be too smart to CHEAT, but not too dumb not to take advantage of any opportunity to adhere to the letter while violating the spirit... Bill is a literalist!
Just like me, when I speed a little, or slow-but-don't-stop at a stop sign... and just like every corner in the league who tries to impede and avoid getting caught... and every player who holds and tugs and gets away with it...
The rule in sports and in life don't get caught and do what you can to win, and exploit the cracks when you can.... After all, why shouldn't the team make the QB happy and then wait for the refs to do the hard checking... ?
Lesson here ? Again, the rules need to catch up with the game...
Go Pats... I just love them !!!
1. The balls were inflated to Brady's liking, using no gauge.
2. The refs visually and tactilely examined the balls and okayed them as they often do, according to several things I've read.
... and then no one touched them and nature took it's course... and the Pats, getting away with soft balls, made the calculation that the responsibility was on the refs, not them.... and, perhaps they're right... I think they are.
This would be why Bill has to claim he doesn't even know the rule (and didn't/doesn't want to), and why Tom can state he never made any adjustments...and I believe him... because they had a system in place that would take advantage of the touchy-feely method of ball approval...
They SHOULD be too smart to CHEAT, but not too dumb not to take advantage of any opportunity to adhere to the letter while violating the spirit... Bill is a literalist!
Just like me, when I speed a little, or slow-but-don't-stop at a stop sign... and just like every corner in the league who tries to impede and avoid getting caught... and every player who holds and tugs and gets away with it...
The rule in sports and in life don't get caught and do what you can to win, and exploit the cracks when you can.... After all, why shouldn't the team make the QB happy and then wait for the refs to do the hard checking... ?
Lesson here ? Again, the rules need to catch up with the game...
Go Pats... I just love them !!!
36
No, Bill ( mostly likely Brady ) is a cheat and no amount of rationalization by Pat's fans changes that.
Drew Bledsoe was on with Anderson Cooper last night and said he would be very surprised if the officials used a gauge to test all the balls before a game. Your point is right on in my opinion.
1
In judging acts of "gamesmanship" in sports, as in judging criminal acts, the consequences of the acts are a helpful guide. Jeter's behavior in the box -- and his memorable faking of being hit by a pitch -- gave him a free base at best. As an Oregon fan, it bothers me to no end when defenders fake injury to slow the pace -- but not much advantage comes of it. If steroids give a hitter 20 extra home runs a year, that's unacceptable. Flopping is pretty trivial. Doctoring a baseball gave Whitey Ford, Joe Niekro, and Gaylord Perry a lot of wins, yet it seems benign because of a long history of the practice. Spitballs and dirty plays in football that maim or kill are more criminal in nature than they are gamsesmanship. Hitting a particular place in male anatomy is outrageous though secretly comical. The analogy to criminal law is clear -- swing hard at someone with a bat and miss and you're charged with attempted battery. Hit your target and it could be first degree murder. Under-inflated footballs, in and of themselves, appear to be trivial gamesmanship. But statistics suggest that the Paatriots may have been doing this for a long time and that it helped them fumble less than any other NFL team over the last eight years. Reducing fumbles wins games and is not trivial. When all is aid and done, I believe that the consequences will likely guide the punishment.
2
Is this a game of gotcha or is this subterfuge?
My guess is that if you pulled game balls off the field in any random game, you would find variation in the air pressure. Also, my guess is, absent a call to the officials, you would find that many such transgressions, contrived or accidental, go unexplored game after game and season after season.
People always gun for the Patriots, and they are clever; so they invite scrutiny. Part of it is their tactics. And part of it is that Belichick makes absolutely no effort to be loved. He is no Tony Dungy. He is not even a Don Shula on the likability register.
But the real question that should have been asked, in this case, is much simpler. Did anyone think to take several regulation balls and inflate them under varying conditions? Would a ball inflated in a locker room at 70 degrees or the steamroom at 105 degrees experience any measurable amount of deflation when brought out to the stadium and exposed to 50, 40 or 30 degree temperatures? Basically, a fifth grade science student could answer that question without running a controlled experiment; and many studious high schoolers, seeking viral fame, have posted very compelling experiments proving this point with predictable results in controlled circumstances.
Would inflating the balls to minimum allowable pressure in the steamroom constitute cheating? Hard to say. Ask the Packers or the Vikings who play on 20 degree days.
Before calling people names, check science.
My guess is that if you pulled game balls off the field in any random game, you would find variation in the air pressure. Also, my guess is, absent a call to the officials, you would find that many such transgressions, contrived or accidental, go unexplored game after game and season after season.
People always gun for the Patriots, and they are clever; so they invite scrutiny. Part of it is their tactics. And part of it is that Belichick makes absolutely no effort to be loved. He is no Tony Dungy. He is not even a Don Shula on the likability register.
But the real question that should have been asked, in this case, is much simpler. Did anyone think to take several regulation balls and inflate them under varying conditions? Would a ball inflated in a locker room at 70 degrees or the steamroom at 105 degrees experience any measurable amount of deflation when brought out to the stadium and exposed to 50, 40 or 30 degree temperatures? Basically, a fifth grade science student could answer that question without running a controlled experiment; and many studious high schoolers, seeking viral fame, have posted very compelling experiments proving this point with predictable results in controlled circumstances.
Would inflating the balls to minimum allowable pressure in the steamroom constitute cheating? Hard to say. Ask the Packers or the Vikings who play on 20 degree days.
Before calling people names, check science.
13
I two have 2 comments:
1. Is it possible that the Patriots' ballboy was using a mis-calibrated pump so that ball sinflated to 11.5 pounds of pressure systematically appeared to be at 12.5, and thus legal? The NFL should check the pressure gauge (which could have been tampered with, or just innocently malfunctioning).
2. The Patriots were so clearly better than the Colts that they would have won had Brady been throwing a cinder block instead of a football. Not that this excuses any deliberate cheating, but it does seem to take the edge off the controversy by making the underinflation inconsequential.
I bet a friend a beer on the game (I took the Colts). I will pay off but with a flat beer (i.e., one that's de-gassed).
1. Is it possible that the Patriots' ballboy was using a mis-calibrated pump so that ball sinflated to 11.5 pounds of pressure systematically appeared to be at 12.5, and thus legal? The NFL should check the pressure gauge (which could have been tampered with, or just innocently malfunctioning).
2. The Patriots were so clearly better than the Colts that they would have won had Brady been throwing a cinder block instead of a football. Not that this excuses any deliberate cheating, but it does seem to take the edge off the controversy by making the underinflation inconsequential.
I bet a friend a beer on the game (I took the Colts). I will pay off but with a flat beer (i.e., one that's de-gassed).
5
I wonder if it's cheating to obey the laws of physics, like the 1809 extension of Boyles Law, something called Gay-Lussac's Law
It's also known as the pressure law. It states that, for a given mass and constant volume of an ideal gas, the pressure exerted on the sides of its container is proportional to its temperature.
Think of a balloon. Heat the air in it, it needs more room, the balloon gets bigger. Cool the air in it and the balloon gets smaller. That's Boyle's Law. Gay-Lussac showed that if the balloon (or football) was always the same volume (like a football), and the amount of material in it was the same (as after inflation) if the temperature of that gas drops (say, from the locker room to a cold field) the air pressure it exerts drops as well and in proportion (say 70 degrees to 45 degrees is the same as 12.5 psi to 10.5 psi)....
'Splain to me again which rule is broken here?
It's also known as the pressure law. It states that, for a given mass and constant volume of an ideal gas, the pressure exerted on the sides of its container is proportional to its temperature.
Think of a balloon. Heat the air in it, it needs more room, the balloon gets bigger. Cool the air in it and the balloon gets smaller. That's Boyle's Law. Gay-Lussac showed that if the balloon (or football) was always the same volume (like a football), and the amount of material in it was the same (as after inflation) if the temperature of that gas drops (say, from the locker room to a cold field) the air pressure it exerts drops as well and in proportion (say 70 degrees to 45 degrees is the same as 12.5 psi to 10.5 psi)....
'Splain to me again which rule is broken here?
5
The only thing that's incorrect in your post is that the temperature should be in Kelvin, not Fahrenheit. So the difference in pressure should only be about 5% which means going from 12.5 to 11.9 psi.
3
you broke the Fox News rule that says you may not use science as a basis to make an argument on an issue that most Americans would choose to judge on either an emotional or economic gut level instinct. especially if you are from Massachusetts and we are talking about the patriots.
The "I am looking for any reason the Patriots should not have won" rule.
First you will see that I am from Massachusetts. Yes, I am a Patriots fan. For me football is just a side show until hockey ramps up in the second half of the season.
With that aside look beyond the slanted self-serving headlines.
In November of 2012 I bought a new truck with a tire pressure monitoring system. In December of 2012 and 2013 after a few day cold snap the tire pressure warning light came on. Following the pseudo logic of the talking heads on the sports stations the only conclusion I could come to was that somebody let air out of my tires. False. The fact is the drop in air pressure was a result of borderline air pressure and cold temperatures. True.
The bigger issue here is that an accusation was made, without any evidence, by an Indianapolis reporter and these groundless accusation was reported as if it were fact.
This is just an extension of the lazy, gutter mentality the media, sports and news, have fallen in and the mind set that they can report as news something that was said whether it is true or not.
This article 'Gamesmanship vs. Cheating" is one of only two I have read on this issue that is not biased, one-sided and without any factual evidence.
If this kind of debacle can occur around something as insignificant as football and the Super Bowl than what can we believe when important national and international issues are reported?
With that aside look beyond the slanted self-serving headlines.
In November of 2012 I bought a new truck with a tire pressure monitoring system. In December of 2012 and 2013 after a few day cold snap the tire pressure warning light came on. Following the pseudo logic of the talking heads on the sports stations the only conclusion I could come to was that somebody let air out of my tires. False. The fact is the drop in air pressure was a result of borderline air pressure and cold temperatures. True.
The bigger issue here is that an accusation was made, without any evidence, by an Indianapolis reporter and these groundless accusation was reported as if it were fact.
This is just an extension of the lazy, gutter mentality the media, sports and news, have fallen in and the mind set that they can report as news something that was said whether it is true or not.
This article 'Gamesmanship vs. Cheating" is one of only two I have read on this issue that is not biased, one-sided and without any factual evidence.
If this kind of debacle can occur around something as insignificant as football and the Super Bowl than what can we believe when important national and international issues are reported?
33
Guess the fact that 11 out of 12 Patriot balls were under pressure and none of the Colt's balls were doesn't mean anything? Thought they were both playing in the same weather!
1
So, how many of the Colts' footballs were under-inflated?
1
Same logic... I live on the westcoast. It was cold my tire pressure was on the border and it dropped in the evening when it was really cold (about 34 degrees). The day the Patriots played the Colts it was 51 degrees. Similar temperature, in the day a couple days later I didn't go in for more tire air, I was driving my tire pressure expanded due to the warmer weather, and turned off the check tire light. So not quite.
No where in this article does it explain that the Patriots had approved balls in the second half of the game when they got their most points. Also let's get it straight, a deflated ball is not necessarily easier to catch and certainly not always easier to throw. The supppsed advantage is only in the head. The Colts probably shouldn't have said anything because once the Patriots had properly inflated balls, they trounced them. What was the Colts' excuse for a 7 point game. This all looks like sour grapes to me. And as Bill Maher said blown way out of proportion. No one is waiting for the actual report before rushing to judgement. That is the real tragedy of this today.
12
Football air pressure in NFL must between 12.5-13.5 PSI, and the ball must weight between 14-15 ounces.
Eleven of twelve balls in the Patriots possession were under inflated by 2 PSI.
It doesn't seem likely 11 of 12 balls would be under inflated. Would it have made a difference in the outcome of the Patriots-Colts game? No.
But, hindsight is 20/20 and the Patriots didn't not know in advance what the final score would be.
The real question is was this intentional (cheating) and if it was in how many games did they do this during the season, especially in close games in wet and/or cold conditions.
Given the history of the Patriots and the 2007 Spygate scandal, it make me wonder if the drive to win means resorting to unethical behavior or just plain old cheating. If someone did lower the pressure intentionally, it was most likely was someone on the coaching staff giving plausible deniability to Belichick and Brady.
Eleven of twelve balls in the Patriots possession were under inflated by 2 PSI.
It doesn't seem likely 11 of 12 balls would be under inflated. Would it have made a difference in the outcome of the Patriots-Colts game? No.
But, hindsight is 20/20 and the Patriots didn't not know in advance what the final score would be.
The real question is was this intentional (cheating) and if it was in how many games did they do this during the season, especially in close games in wet and/or cold conditions.
Given the history of the Patriots and the 2007 Spygate scandal, it make me wonder if the drive to win means resorting to unethical behavior or just plain old cheating. If someone did lower the pressure intentionally, it was most likely was someone on the coaching staff giving plausible deniability to Belichick and Brady.
6
The league didn't set the 13 psi rule to make ball-handling and passing more difficult. They set it to prevent home teams, which provided all game balls at that time, from forcing visitors to use an unfamiliar, non-standard ball. They chose 12.5/13.5 psi not because they thought it would be harder to throw and catch than a 10.5/11.5 psi ball, but because they considered that the ideal pressure for most quarterbacks.
Since 2006 visiting teams have supplied their own game balls, so there is no longer any purpose to the rule, which remains on the books just because that's what rules, laws, and regulations do.
The spirit of the 2006 rule change was that every quarterback should be allowed to use a football he finds comfortable. Tom Brady isn't the only one (Aaron Rogers is also on the public record on this issue) to decide 12.5/13.5 isn't right for him.
The Times's many readers who are Yankee fans will understand how fans from other parts of the country relish every single blemish on the honor of a dominant team. But those under-inflated footballs were about as big a factor in the game as Marshawn Lynch's wrong color cleats.
Since 2006 visiting teams have supplied their own game balls, so there is no longer any purpose to the rule, which remains on the books just because that's what rules, laws, and regulations do.
The spirit of the 2006 rule change was that every quarterback should be allowed to use a football he finds comfortable. Tom Brady isn't the only one (Aaron Rogers is also on the public record on this issue) to decide 12.5/13.5 isn't right for him.
The Times's many readers who are Yankee fans will understand how fans from other parts of the country relish every single blemish on the honor of a dominant team. But those under-inflated footballs were about as big a factor in the game as Marshawn Lynch's wrong color cleats.
18
So the owners should change the rule. Until they do, play by the rules.
1
Really how do you know, you are missing he point they went into the game to cheat whether it helped or not is immaterial .
Okay, you think the rule is outdated, but the rule does remain. We don't know if the Colts would have preferred an under inflated ball, but didn't do so because of the rules. Defending a team who breaks the rules by criticizing the rule is no defense. If the Patriots didn't like the rule, they could have made that a public issue. By under inflating the balls, they knew they had an advantage because the Colts were not doing the same thing.
A lot of folks have preemptively called the Patriots guilty and have openly questioned Tom Brady's integrity following a kangaroo press conference. Where is the evidence that those footballs were intentionally tampered with? Couldn't this also just as likely be an act of negligence? Suppose they understood that by keeping the pressure at the lowest end of the acceptable limit when tested 2.5 hours before the game the Patriots knew that the forces of nature, changes in heat and wear could cause some deflation over time, is that the moral tragedy that some folks are calling it? Isn't it also just as likely that the refs, who handle the footballs throughout the game, were negligent? The Patriots complied with the guidelines set by the NFL. The balls were tested and approved. When retested they were taken out of the game at half and the Patriots complied and went on to win the game. If the NFL finds evidence that a member of the Patriots organization deliberately tampered with the footballs then they ought to be punished per the established rules. But until any evidence is put forth that this was a deliberate act then all this cheating talk is speculation and, in some cases, character assassination. The obvious fix is for the NFL to take responsibility by supplying future game balls and eliminate even the likelihood of an incident like this happening again.
19
Bill and Brady cheated, admit it.
There is a difference between gamesmanship and cheating. Jeter flinching from an inside pitch or a basketball player hitting the floor when hit by an opposing player are part of the game and are not cheating. No rule was broken; it is part of the game and all players play it. Intentionally deflating footballs so they fail to adhere to the NFL's rules (and there is no other explanation other than it was done intentionally) to gain an unfair advantage when your team has the ball is cheating. That's not gamesmanship, doing the little things to gain slight competitive advantage. That is breaking the rules to gain an unfair competitive advantage. That is the difference. Players, fans and the sport can accept the minor efforts of gamesmanship - they add to the drama (and sometimes comical nonsense of the game) - but cheating, in any form, is not acceptable and needs to be treated as such with the appropriate consequence. If that means forfeiture of a win, so be it. But, let's be clear - there are differences and gamesmanship and cheating cannot be lumped together.
14
Katmandu, your argument is undermined by the fact that flopping in the NBA is not "part if the game". It has been prohibited in the NBA since the 2012-2013 season, and incurs sanctions ranging from a warning to a $5000 fine. The NBA now clearly views flopping as an unacceptable attempt to gain an unfair competitive advantage, which some could call "cheating". So you see that there is a great deal of gray area between gamesmanship and cheating, as well as a lack of understanding of these issues among casual observers, such as those who comment on NYT articles.
Thank you Katmandu. You have clearly defined what is cheating. Unfortunately, sometimes you cannot let people who are essentially dishonest see the difference.
Katmandu,
You state, "Intentionally deflating footballs so they fail to adhere to the NFL's rules (and there is no other explanation other than it was done intentionally) to gain an unfair advantage when your team has the ball is cheating."
So there is no other explanation, is there? How about a defect in the ball's construction, or a bad air gauge used to measure the pressure? How about sabotage from some Patriot hater or a gambler trying to give advantage? Maybe there is some ball boy disgruntled with the Patriot's management who took this route to revenge.
What if the original point of the rule was to prevent the home team from supplying a ball that the visiting team wasn't used to? So, once both teams could bring their own balls, the rule became superfluous.
I'm really sorry that the Patriots won and you are so upset. Really, I am.
You state, "Intentionally deflating footballs so they fail to adhere to the NFL's rules (and there is no other explanation other than it was done intentionally) to gain an unfair advantage when your team has the ball is cheating."
So there is no other explanation, is there? How about a defect in the ball's construction, or a bad air gauge used to measure the pressure? How about sabotage from some Patriot hater or a gambler trying to give advantage? Maybe there is some ball boy disgruntled with the Patriot's management who took this route to revenge.
What if the original point of the rule was to prevent the home team from supplying a ball that the visiting team wasn't used to? So, once both teams could bring their own balls, the rule became superfluous.
I'm really sorry that the Patriots won and you are so upset. Really, I am.
One of the challenges here in the popular press is the distinction between what is actually known and what people believe they know. The press and the public typically think they know what the rules are, but this is often not the truth.
For example, this article refers to "punishing the Patriots for stealing signs"; however, the actual infraction was for taping from an prohibited location (the sidelines). There was not then nor is there now any prohibition in the NFL Bylaws against taping coaching staff's signals. Even finding the Patriots to have violated the rules by taping from the sidelines requires some questionable interpretation of the Bylaws. First, the actual rule refers to taping from the "field" which requires interpreting the word "field" to include the sidelines in this case where other places it is consistently used to refer to the playing field. Second, the NFL consistently interprets Article IX which prohibits the taping to mean that teams can film during games, but they can only use the recordings between games, not during them. To punish the Patriots, the NFL left this interpretation intact for Article IX sections B, C, E, and most of D, but retroactively changed it for Sections A and the first part of Section D. The Patriots actions were entirely legal with a consistent interpretation applied to all of Article IX. So, were the Patriots flagrantly cheating by taping signs as everyone assumes?
For example, this article refers to "punishing the Patriots for stealing signs"; however, the actual infraction was for taping from an prohibited location (the sidelines). There was not then nor is there now any prohibition in the NFL Bylaws against taping coaching staff's signals. Even finding the Patriots to have violated the rules by taping from the sidelines requires some questionable interpretation of the Bylaws. First, the actual rule refers to taping from the "field" which requires interpreting the word "field" to include the sidelines in this case where other places it is consistently used to refer to the playing field. Second, the NFL consistently interprets Article IX which prohibits the taping to mean that teams can film during games, but they can only use the recordings between games, not during them. To punish the Patriots, the NFL left this interpretation intact for Article IX sections B, C, E, and most of D, but retroactively changed it for Sections A and the first part of Section D. The Patriots actions were entirely legal with a consistent interpretation applied to all of Article IX. So, were the Patriots flagrantly cheating by taping signs as everyone assumes?
14
In answer to your question - yes.
To Ken .... "For example, this article refers to "punishing the Patriots for stealing signs"; however, the actual infraction was for taping from an prohibited location (the sidelines). There was not then nor is there now any prohibition in the NFL Bylaws against taping coaching staff's signals' Ken just admit it your team cheats
Probably time for the Deflatriots to pack up the snow plow and ship it to Phoenix so that they can plow off the part of the field from which they will be kicking field goals. Thats another of Bill Bilicheat cute stunts.
There is a real and serious history of, at best, poor sportsmanship by the Kraft organization, and that history is not equalled, nor approached, by any other NFL team.
There is a real and serious history of, at best, poor sportsmanship by the Kraft organization, and that history is not equalled, nor approached, by any other NFL team.
The line between gamesmanship and cheating is not only often a thin one in sports; it is also a thin one in life and most of its endeavors. But there is a line: Violation of the rules is cheating; gamesmanship is not. And once we remove gamesmanship from the article, supra, the writer is left with perhaps a paragraph: The Patriots stealing signals and Baseball's steroids scandal; the rest of it simply isn't cheating and won't become cheating unless the sport in question changes its rules.
Now did the Patriots deflate the game footballs in violation of the rules? Bill Belichick, the Patriot's head coach, and Tom Brady, the starting quarterback, have both categorically denied: That they deflated the game balls; that they conspired to deflate the game balls; that they know anything about game balls being deflated; and that they abetted anyone, either after or before the fact, who deflated game balls.
So all that we know on the record as of this writing is that the N.F.L. is investigating the deflation of game balls. We don't know, for example, whether the deflation of the balls in question could have occurred by natural processes, which would be something worth reporting on.
The other interesting thing about this scandal in a teacup is how the Patriots would have been advantaged even if they did deflate the game balls. After all, Tom Brady and Andrew Luck were throwing the same balls, so the Patriots are only advantaged if Luck and his receivers are inferior.
Now did the Patriots deflate the game footballs in violation of the rules? Bill Belichick, the Patriot's head coach, and Tom Brady, the starting quarterback, have both categorically denied: That they deflated the game balls; that they conspired to deflate the game balls; that they know anything about game balls being deflated; and that they abetted anyone, either after or before the fact, who deflated game balls.
So all that we know on the record as of this writing is that the N.F.L. is investigating the deflation of game balls. We don't know, for example, whether the deflation of the balls in question could have occurred by natural processes, which would be something worth reporting on.
The other interesting thing about this scandal in a teacup is how the Patriots would have been advantaged even if they did deflate the game balls. After all, Tom Brady and Andrew Luck were throwing the same balls, so the Patriots are only advantaged if Luck and his receivers are inferior.
2
Ah, but they weren't throwing the same balls. The Patriots' threw their balls, and the Colts threw theirs.
I'd rather focus on the fact that the Patriots blew out the Colts in the second half - when supposedly they were using undeflated balls.
I'd rather focus on the fact that the Patriots blew out the Colts in the second half - when supposedly they were using undeflated balls.
12
Dear abo: Your point is well taken. I understand that the permitted inflation of a game ball is within the range of 12.5 and 13.5 psi. But, if inflating game balls to only 12.5 psi confers an advantage, which is what the Patriots said that they did, then the Colts could have done the same thing for Andrew Luck and his receivers, since inflation to just 12.5 psi is within the rules.
I think this storm in a teacup about inflating game balls comes down to a particular quarterback's preference, which is wholly subject yet permitted, if it is the range of 12.5 to 13.5 psi. As of this writing, there is nothing to indicate that we have anything more than that, so you are right to focus on the fact that the Patriot's 45-7 defeat of the Colts is beyond what could be accounted for by deflated game balls, even if that occurred.
So let's move on to the Super Bowl.
And dear NYT, as your own reporting indicated, the players of the N.F.L. don't have a particular problem with domestic violence but, in fact, have a less incidence of assault and battery than the general male population. So stop defaming N.F.L. players by writing that the N.F.L. has a problem with domestic violence.
I think this storm in a teacup about inflating game balls comes down to a particular quarterback's preference, which is wholly subject yet permitted, if it is the range of 12.5 to 13.5 psi. As of this writing, there is nothing to indicate that we have anything more than that, so you are right to focus on the fact that the Patriot's 45-7 defeat of the Colts is beyond what could be accounted for by deflated game balls, even if that occurred.
So let's move on to the Super Bowl.
And dear NYT, as your own reporting indicated, the players of the N.F.L. don't have a particular problem with domestic violence but, in fact, have a less incidence of assault and battery than the general male population. So stop defaming N.F.L. players by writing that the N.F.L. has a problem with domestic violence.
4
I agree with you except for your last statement - a fact I didn't know before and I have been following the NFL for 5 decades - each offense provides their own game balls. I have become quite disillusioned with the way this has been so overblown - exactly because of the porous protocol for handling game footballs. If the league felt there were so much of an advantage to be gained by a team suiting the ball to its quarterback, they would never allow them to provide their own. If the inflation were deemed so critical they would specify a temperature at which the ball's inflation pressure should be measured, and specify using a calibrated instrument to measure with. And they would never rely on the officiating crew's "feel" of the ball to enforce the inflation pressure - but they do not specify any of this, which makes me question why they are investigating at all. What are they hoping to find?
Is there a simple explanation to Deflate Gate with no cheating involved? Suppose Team A likes their footballs hard and fills them to a 13.5 pounds per square inch pressure at room temperature (defined at 68 degrees F). Team B likes their footballs at a lower pressure and fills them to 12.5 pounds per square inch pressure. Both teams have their balls inspected and they are brought outside and placed on the ground with temperatures in the 30's. Both balls deflate according to the gas equation. Team A's balls will remain within tolerance, but Team B will fall below the tolerance. Team B is accused of cheating when in fact no cheating was involved? Other factors that effect the readings include pressure gauge accuracies and who how the measurements are determined. Was the same gauge used to do the measurements? Is the league conducting ball pressure measurements to ensure there are no simple explanations?
63
In short, let's wait for the results of the investigation.
4
That's not what happened. First, the game time temperature was in the fifties. That means that at most 1lb could be explained by temperature differences. Then there's the problem that these balls were at least 2 lb under inflated. If that's the case then the Colts balls at (say) 13.5 should have been under inflated and they weren't. I think that the combination of physics and the fact that the Colts balls were not effected has to tell you that the balls were mishandled in some way. Third, by now whatever pressure gauge was used has been checked by the league. If it was the problem they would have blown the whole controversy up by now with a simple press release. They haven't. Even if the refs forgot to check, having the balls under inflated must have been done by the Pats who produced the balls in the first place! I have no idea who mishandled these balls, but they were illegal and since they were provided by the Patriots, then the Patriots must be punished.
1
This is the only factual discussion of the issue that I've seen. Thank you bilrod. Now, may we have some numbers? What was the pressure in the under inflated balls, and what is the tolerance? Temperature should be only a small issue, since the pressure in proportional to the absolute temperate. The difference due to temperate will only be a few percent.
This article assumes that the Patriots intentionally deflated the footballs; that has not been proved or demonstrated. It also inflates the transgression the Patriots and Bill Belichick paid for years ago: it wasn't "stealing signs", it was filming and opponent's practice in a manner that wasn't consistent with the league's approved method of filming opponents' practices. A pretty shoddy article, conflating as it does a mere accusation with actual instances of cheating.
45
Additionally, various referees handled the ball between every play. Did the referees not notice the balls were not fully inflated? Would a deflated ball make any difference in the touchdowns scored by Blount?
3
It is really more of a column/opinion piece yhan an article.
Mr. Clark,
You just reinforced the very point of the article.
You just reinforced the very point of the article.
What is the difference between the way the US plays professional sports and the ways it negotiates its social contract?
21
It spends a heck of a lot more time worrying and talking about sports than about stuff the makes a real difference in people's lives.
This article would have benefited from more specifics about rules - in the example of hockey goalies for instance, is there a rule about uniform parameters? If not, or if their baggy shirts are within those parameters, it's absolutely not cheating, that's a bright-line issue. If it does create an unfair advantage then the NFL needs to change the rules.
In the example of the Patriots using only 4 lineman, it says the Baltimore coach went screaming onto the field, was there a specific rule he thinks was violated, or was he just mad because he was being out-coached? (and a little bit of quarterback envy, must be hard being stuck with Joe Flacco when you're facing Tom Brady) If there was no rule being violated then he probably should have gotten a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct.
In the example of the Patriots using only 4 lineman, it says the Baltimore coach went screaming onto the field, was there a specific rule he thinks was violated, or was he just mad because he was being out-coached? (and a little bit of quarterback envy, must be hard being stuck with Joe Flacco when you're facing Tom Brady) If there was no rule being violated then he probably should have gotten a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct.
37
Hockey does indeed have rules regulating the sizes of clothing and pads, and those rules are pushed all the time.
Hockey also has a specific rule regulating the curvature of stick blades. If a player is found to be playing with a stick out of compliance with this rule, he is assessed a two-minute penalty. However, if an opposing team accuses a player of violating this rule during a game without cause, then that team is assessed a two-minute penalty.
I saw Chris Pronger violate this rule a few weeks ago. I'm pretty sure he knew his stick was out of compliance. Does this mean Pronger is a cheater? Must I call him Chris Wronger now?
Hockey also has a specific rule regulating the curvature of stick blades. If a player is found to be playing with a stick out of compliance with this rule, he is assessed a two-minute penalty. However, if an opposing team accuses a player of violating this rule during a game without cause, then that team is assessed a two-minute penalty.
I saw Chris Pronger violate this rule a few weeks ago. I'm pretty sure he knew his stick was out of compliance. Does this mean Pronger is a cheater? Must I call him Chris Wronger now?
Please note that the second half of the game was played with footballs at the correct pressure, and the Patriots scored 28 points, while the Colts scored 0. So how important is 2pounds of air pressure?
95
This kind of comment, which I've heard repeated in many contexts recently, completely misses the point. The assumption is that cheating doesn't matter if the team that cheats is going to win anyway. But cheating shouldn't be judged based on whether it is successful or unsuccessful. It should be judged based on right and wrong. It's not up to the Patriots to decide which rules matter and which rules don't. They thought the 2 pound of air pressure would make a difference. If they didn't, they wouldn't have cheated. The fact that it didn't produce the expected result is hardly justification for what they did.
15
That isn't the point. The point is that the Patriots are suspected of attempting to illegally gain an advantage. They felt they had an advantage in the first half with a ball that would be easier to grip and to catch. The fact that they played better the second half with a properly inflated ball is irrelevant. They intended to cheat. Perhaps with a properly inflated ball that would have been harder to control, Brady might have thrown more interceptions, passes might have been dropped, ball carriers may have fumbled, shifting momentum to the Colts. With a substantial lead starting the second half, they played loose and confident and increased their lead. It is not uncommon for QB's to get in a rhythm and improve in the second half. Football games can turn on little things, one play, and once a team has momentum it usually continues. This issue is about integrity, not the outcome.
18
More to the point, how much of the 28 to zero points advantage that the Pats enjoyed in the second half can be attributed to the psychological advantage that the Pats had due to the points advantage, at half time, that came from the first half in which the Pats used their deflated balls?
2
During his press conference, Tom Brady said that he checks and approves footballs before every game. He's already on record that he likes them deflated a pound or two per square inch, so it stands to reason that he only approves footballs that are "squishy," less than regulation. He can't then claim that he knows nothing about this situation, thereby trying to have it both ways. Either he approves footballs that are to his liking, underinflated according to the rules, thereby gaining an unfair advantage, or he doesn't.
By the way, Tom Brady graduated from Serra High School, in San Mateo, California, Barry Bonds alma mater, which was just fined and banned from postseason football competition for gratuitously forfeiting a game.
By the way, Tom Brady graduated from Serra High School, in San Mateo, California, Barry Bonds alma mater, which was just fined and banned from postseason football competition for gratuitously forfeiting a game.
13
You are off base. He said he approves the footballs he wants, the the equipment managers takes them to the referees to be weighed. The referees are supposed to measure each and every ball (all 48- 24 from each team in this case) with an air pressure guage. If the air pressure is over or under the parameters, then the referees are supposed to make them conform. If the footballs are still underinflated at game time, there are two possibilities (let's leave the potential effect of a change in air temrature from where the footballs are stored to the field): 1) someone let air out of the ball after the referees measured them (which is what the whole world is assuming) 2) the referees screwed up, measured a couple that conformed and assumed the rest conformed by feeling each one and letting them go to the field (more likely scenario that the world does not assume). I find it odd no one assumes the refs made a mistake or worse, lied about their mistake. The NFL has screwed up this whole issue...
11
Correct me if I'm wrong, but Tom Brady doesn't have the final say on balls. The officials do. And it's been proven that in those conditions the pressure can change.
Tom Brady's high school alma mater is completely irrelevant to the situation. Barry Bonds? Talk about guilt by non association. I suspect you are offended that Tom Brady cannot tell the exact "squishiness " rating of a football to the precise psi. Are his hands pressure gauges? Is he to have men in lab coats and clip boards surrounding him with calipers and pressure gauges so he gets scientific precision from the balls? Do you imagine he told the equipment manager "hey, this feels regulated, better deflate it more."
St. Derek cheated?
2
That was a ridiculous example for the writer to use ... it is no different than a catcher "framing" a pitch to get a strike.
And, if it were so wildly successful, why isn't every other player in baseball doing it?
And, if it were so wildly successful, why isn't every other player in baseball doing it?
I find it humorous the discussion of ethics, gamemanship and cheating. To all the Goody Two Shoes out there I ask you to reflect on your income tax return.
20
I cannot speak for you, but I think most submit reputable efforts. And some do cheat
I find it seriously concerning when people say things like this. Where is the NSA and why aren't they reporting you to the IRS?
Tom Brady and the Patriots have not been found guilty of anything other than unknowling using balls that as the NFL describes "slightly deflated" during one half of a game.
But, if you must have an opinion then think of it this way: How many players knowingly engage in pass interference, holding, hands to the face, chop blocking, etc, hoping the Ref's don't notice or don't call it. That's what we are really talking about here in the context of believing Brady had something to do with deflating the balls. Every player, coach, and even the Referee's practice this kind of "gamesmanship." Beside the difference is so minor that nearly every quarterback, running back, or wide receiver has said is insignificant.
A Tempest in a Teapot.
But, if you must have an opinion then think of it this way: How many players knowingly engage in pass interference, holding, hands to the face, chop blocking, etc, hoping the Ref's don't notice or don't call it. That's what we are really talking about here in the context of believing Brady had something to do with deflating the balls. Every player, coach, and even the Referee's practice this kind of "gamesmanship." Beside the difference is so minor that nearly every quarterback, running back, or wide receiver has said is insignificant.
A Tempest in a Teapot.
74
You make very good points. I would go one step further and observe that by giving the balls back to the teams after the "inspection" by the officials the league is probably giving a wink and nod to a little further tweaking by each team.
The league has obviously been attempting recently to not only protect the quarterbacks from injury, but to promote an enhancement of offensive play and I think the trend in scoring over the last few years bears that out.
In short I think the NFL is probably party to this overblown fiasco.
The league has obviously been attempting recently to not only protect the quarterbacks from injury, but to promote an enhancement of offensive play and I think the trend in scoring over the last few years bears that out.
In short I think the NFL is probably party to this overblown fiasco.
1
Wrong. First off, both team's players are performing at their limits. And both team's players commit penalties in doing so. This is one team with a totally unfair advantage. The filed might as well have been 5 yards shorter for them. Also the fouls you mention are immediately penalized when observed. The Pats should be penalized just the same.
"The line between cheating and gamesmanship is constantly blurred..."
One exception to "constantly blurred" would be a runner who slaps the ball out of the first baseman's glove.
One exception to "constantly blurred" would be a runner who slaps the ball out of the first baseman's glove.
10
Or a pitcher's glove.
The guy who let the air out of these footballs is probably the same guy who let the air out of the Packers earlier in the day.
18
Tom Brady has gone from "Mighty Mouse" to "Deflator Mouse"
7
Love it. I wish I had thought of that. But you must admit, few players or fans will understand such a reference..........
I am not a big spectator sports fan and I only watch pro football games when I have to be sociable, but my impression is that the whole complexity of the game is out of control. There are these minute and arcane rules and advanced technology and style about everything from the players' shoes and pants to the futuristic communications gear being utilized by everyone, to the real time intelligence network worthy of the CIA. Now I read that there are special rules about the football itself that are being gamed?
Frankly, what's the big deal folks. It's just a game for goodness sakes. Who cares if one side is using an underinflated ball. Let a team use a Nerf ball if they want. It's all just entertainment after all.
Frankly, what's the big deal folks. It's just a game for goodness sakes. Who cares if one side is using an underinflated ball. Let a team use a Nerf ball if they want. It's all just entertainment after all.
8
You are absolutely right about the NFL rule book, I am sure the referees don't understand every rule that's in it.
But, you are off-base about the rules governing the football - these are black-and-white. One is either in compliance or not.
Even though you are not a big spectator-sports fan, you must engage in activities where there are rules. Do you not agree the need for certain basic standards? Otherwise, how could competitors engage in any kind of contest where they do not agree on rules under which the match will be conducted? From card games, to tennis/golf, to team sports, there needs to be certain standards to ensure fair competition, which at the end of the day, is entertaining.
And, as a spectator-sports fan, your ending paragraph is just ridiculous. Why would anyone watch a contest where it was made up as it went along? That most certainly is not entertaining.
But, you are off-base about the rules governing the football - these are black-and-white. One is either in compliance or not.
Even though you are not a big spectator-sports fan, you must engage in activities where there are rules. Do you not agree the need for certain basic standards? Otherwise, how could competitors engage in any kind of contest where they do not agree on rules under which the match will be conducted? From card games, to tennis/golf, to team sports, there needs to be certain standards to ensure fair competition, which at the end of the day, is entertaining.
And, as a spectator-sports fan, your ending paragraph is just ridiculous. Why would anyone watch a contest where it was made up as it went along? That most certainly is not entertaining.
Regarding your question, "what's the big deal", it quite simple - $$$$$. Hope that helps.
The people who make and spend millions care very much. When teams are valued in the billions there is a lot at stake. Both reason to cheat, and reason to not get caught and damage your brand. Though damaging the brand is harder to do in our current "greed is good" society.
If the Patriots inflated the balls with HOT air and then gave them to the officials the pressure would be correct. In the next 2 hours the normal cooling would deflate the balls this is Chemistry 101 the ideal gas law :PV = nRT. The quarterback, coach and equipment manager could honestly say" I did not put a pin in the balls to deflate them". they would deflate on their own with natural cooling . The league needs to specify that the balls be inflated at room temperature and that the officials hold on to them after that are tested.The investigators need to ask the right question- they need to think like a cheat
95
The first truly interesting comment that I read in the midst of jealousy, hucksterism, puerile anger, and a zillion other base emotions. And, gasp! It uses science!
Thank you!
Thank you!
3
This is EXACTLY my theory! They can easily claim that they did not deflate the balls. Not that it matters. This whole affair is a dog and pony show. The Pats pointed the Colts and the balls were all inflated properly by the 2nd half.
Only 11 of 12 Patriots footballs were found to be deflated. If they intended to cheat, why not tamper with all 12?
They should just get rid of the inflation rule - make it up to the offensive team to have whatever inflation level they want. Below a certain level it would only hurt the team with the ball. Above that level, if it improves ball handling, why should it be illegal? This could be a self-regulating area of the game.
7
The Patriots should be disqualified and the other team should take their place.
14
The NFL fined Marshall Lynch $50.000 for failing to speak to the media. The fine for a quarterback messing with the integrity of the ball is $25,000.
Unlike the other NFL 2014 scandals, this one did not involve knocking a woman unconscious , or injuring a child or injuring, or attempting to injure, a player.
If you were forced to prove damaging effect, given the 45-7 game score, you would have to argue that the injury to the integrity of the NFL brand was so severe to warrant "The Patriots should be disqualified and the other team should take their place." Yah, Right!
If this was done by the last place team, it would rate a 2 line notice in the bottom of a sports blog.
When the coach of the Ravens was outflanked by the legal 4 lineman gambit, the first thing he said was "cheating, cheating". It provided him comfort while he was losing.
Unlike the other NFL 2014 scandals, this one did not involve knocking a woman unconscious , or injuring a child or injuring, or attempting to injure, a player.
If you were forced to prove damaging effect, given the 45-7 game score, you would have to argue that the injury to the integrity of the NFL brand was so severe to warrant "The Patriots should be disqualified and the other team should take their place." Yah, Right!
If this was done by the last place team, it would rate a 2 line notice in the bottom of a sports blog.
When the coach of the Ravens was outflanked by the legal 4 lineman gambit, the first thing he said was "cheating, cheating". It provided him comfort while he was losing.
3
Nonsense. The Pats are the best team in the NFC. Period. The Pats destroyed the Colts on both sides of the ball. Not too mention the Pats scored 28 points in the second half when the balls were properly inflated.
I have a question for Pop Warner and Little League coaches: How many of you teach the little darlings the fundamentals of cheating; or. to put it another way: how many of you teach the kids about honesty AND integrity?
And then these same little "win at all cost" students grow up to "self police"? Gimme a break.
NFL change the rules and allow cheating. Save everybody a lot of silly speculations
And then these same little "win at all cost" students grow up to "self police"? Gimme a break.
NFL change the rules and allow cheating. Save everybody a lot of silly speculations
5
I had flag football coaches teaching 7-year-olds to "wrap" their flags around their belt so it was impossible to pull them during a game. When I complained to a ref, he told me to shut up. That's where the lessons begin.
Not to mention all of the holding, grabbing, tripping, etc., that goes on all of the time during football games. All of it illegal, all of it intentional, all of it designed to give a team an edge, and all of it accepted unless caught.
28
They were caught and they should be penalized.
Then, in retrospect, the Pats should have been penalized for every snap in the first half with illegal equipment.
And why is it that teams get to have their own balls? If the balls for kicking plays are sent from a neutral source, why not provide all the balls for all the plays from a neutral source?
136
Reasonable question. All the balls for both teams start out from the identical neutral source but are doctored to fit the preferences of the starting quarterback. Think of a ballerina's shoes, a painter's brushes or a writer's word processor. They start out the same but get manipulated to fit the exacting preferences of the user.
Throwing a football with pinpoint accuracy at high speed under severe time constraints while getting hit by large, fast, strong people is a very, very difficult art mastered only by a few and is highly dependent on the "feel" of the ball. It's not unreasonable that they should get say over how their equipment is prepared.
An easy fix to this issue would be to continue to allow teams to provide their own set of game balls but after the ref's inspection deflate then re-inflate uniformly.
Throwing a football with pinpoint accuracy at high speed under severe time constraints while getting hit by large, fast, strong people is a very, very difficult art mastered only by a few and is highly dependent on the "feel" of the ball. It's not unreasonable that they should get say over how their equipment is prepared.
An easy fix to this issue would be to continue to allow teams to provide their own set of game balls but after the ref's inspection deflate then re-inflate uniformly.
5
Because each QB has a preference as to the feel of the ball. But I guess you could just make it uniform like a basketball or hocky puck.
The fan and the League want the game to be exciting. Letting the quarterbacks have balls they like means the passing game will be better and more exciting. Since they can all do it, it is fair, so why not?
1
It seems that many have made up their mind the Patriots was cheating. Here is one view from someone has used to run marathons: why no one has bothered to ask if it weren't sabotage if there was any tampering.
People point to the fact that it might be easier to throw and catch a football if it has less air. However, people are creatures of habit. This is not about taking EPO for endurance athletes or having pine tar on baseball bat, athletes are notorious ritualistic creatures. Seasoned players have the same rituals the way they practice. Any deviations are not welcome. If they practice with a regulation football - and there is no reason not to - they will be hesitant to do anything otherwise for real. This is like seasoned marathoners don't mess around with their pre-race diet. You don't experiment.
And that actually prove to be the case here. Tom Brady performed better after the ball situation was corrected. Incidentally, unconfirmed (there are a lot of innuendos out there) incident is that he was using a Colt ball at one point.
When people are so eager to jump to conclusion that the so-called investigation hasn't even covered the basic. NFL said it has tested the Patriots balls but didn't say if it has also tested the Colt balls. More importantly, why this is cheating and not sabotage if the balls were indeed altered?
People point to the fact that it might be easier to throw and catch a football if it has less air. However, people are creatures of habit. This is not about taking EPO for endurance athletes or having pine tar on baseball bat, athletes are notorious ritualistic creatures. Seasoned players have the same rituals the way they practice. Any deviations are not welcome. If they practice with a regulation football - and there is no reason not to - they will be hesitant to do anything otherwise for real. This is like seasoned marathoners don't mess around with their pre-race diet. You don't experiment.
And that actually prove to be the case here. Tom Brady performed better after the ball situation was corrected. Incidentally, unconfirmed (there are a lot of innuendos out there) incident is that he was using a Colt ball at one point.
When people are so eager to jump to conclusion that the so-called investigation hasn't even covered the basic. NFL said it has tested the Patriots balls but didn't say if it has also tested the Colt balls. More importantly, why this is cheating and not sabotage if the balls were indeed altered?
39
Once a Cheatroit always a Cheatroit.
I have two questions which I hope someone will answer:
1. Is there a rule that a ball must be inflated at a certain pressure?
2. If a deflated ball was used, didn't the other side also use it?
Thanks for the answers.
1. Is there a rule that a ball must be inflated at a certain pressure?
2. If a deflated ball was used, didn't the other side also use it?
Thanks for the answers.
4
1. Yes there is a rule about the pressure and size after inflation.
2. Each team uses its own balls.
2. Each team uses its own balls.
1
1. Yes. There is a specified PSI range.
2. Each team brings its own footballs. Therefore, the Colts did not use the deflated footballs.
2. Each team brings its own footballs. Therefore, the Colts did not use the deflated footballs.
1
1) Yes
2) Each side has their own footballs, and only the Patriots' footballs were deflated.
2) Each side has their own footballs, and only the Patriots' footballs were deflated.
4
“This kind of gamesmanship goes on all the time,” said Stephen Mosher, a professor at Ithaca College who studies sports ethics. “It’s certainly accepted as part of the culture that you game the system as much as you possibly can, and if you don’t get caught, it ain’t cheating.”
It's a good thing that your "expert" here only "studies" sports ethics, at least according to the article. Presumably he doesn't teach ethics, because judging by his comments, he seems to have no clue as to distinction between ethics, legality, or even right and wrong. "If you don't get caught, it ain't cheating" is probably the stupidest possible thing anyone professing to understand ethics could possibly say.
It's a good thing that your "expert" here only "studies" sports ethics, at least according to the article. Presumably he doesn't teach ethics, because judging by his comments, he seems to have no clue as to distinction between ethics, legality, or even right and wrong. "If you don't get caught, it ain't cheating" is probably the stupidest possible thing anyone professing to understand ethics could possibly say.
143
Sports ethics, political ethics, con artist ethics, how can one tell,the difference in this inmate run nuthouse?
5
Mosher's remark is not his own opinion. Read the sentence carefully. You should be able to tell that he is voicing the opinion of "the culture." He is explaining the attitude, not stating his own beliefs. It's as if a history professor said, "This kind of patriotic stance is common. My country, right or wrong." The history prof is just ventriloquizing other people's attitudes. People who study a field do this all the time, and they expect their listeners / readers to draw a distinction between their devil's advocate voice and their own opinions, if they give any.
28
Let's make one cogent point here - we are talking about SPORTS, you know a multibillion dollar part of the ENTERTAINMENT industry, i.e., the Toy Section in the Great Department Store of Life. people have been trying to glean any advantage ever since the advent of organized sports, most of which have rules so arcane and arbitrary, that they encourage manipulation and "boundary stretching." "deflategate" does not herald the end of the Republic and everyone needs to take a really enormous breath and watch the Super Bowl next week.
1
"often he got the call"
Do you suppose he "got" the call because the pitch was outside the strike zone?
Do you suppose he "got" the call because the pitch was outside the strike zone?
11
What Jeter did was not against the rules, so I don't even get the comparison.
Unless some law or legal principle relating to the provision of fair data to the gambling markets has been violated, Deflategate is just a squabble among the actors in a sports-themed TV show, the purpose of which is entertainment, not moral education.
28
Exactly.
Bob's not afraid to say it: the emperor has no clothes.
In fact, did anyone notice that Mark Brunell, ESPN announcer and former NFL QB, was virtually crying about the situation a few days ago - "Tom Brady's a liar," and "integrity of the game" - but today suggests it's time to move on and talk about the Super Bowl?
In fact, did anyone notice that Mark Brunell, ESPN announcer and former NFL QB, was virtually crying about the situation a few days ago - "Tom Brady's a liar," and "integrity of the game" - but today suggests it's time to move on and talk about the Super Bowl?
I totally disagree. This is their employer and they violated a workplace rule.
1
Frankly my interest in American 'Football' rates marginally higher than synchronized bungee-jumping, but surely the answer is fairly simple (although then again this being the NFL...)?
if the Patriots were found to have deliberately cheated and thus be seen to have gained an unfair advantage, the least that should happen is the result be voided and the game replayed in Indianapolis. Alternatively, the Patriots should be disqualified and their place in the super bowl awarded to the Colts.
Won't happen, but then again equating the NFL with sport seems to be somewhat tenuous in the first place.
if the Patriots were found to have deliberately cheated and thus be seen to have gained an unfair advantage, the least that should happen is the result be voided and the game replayed in Indianapolis. Alternatively, the Patriots should be disqualified and their place in the super bowl awarded to the Colts.
Won't happen, but then again equating the NFL with sport seems to be somewhat tenuous in the first place.
45
I'm a New York Jets fan which means I hate the Deflatriots. Even I think you're punishment is excessive.
5
Steve
Even the colts readily admit that the patriots won the game by such a big margin (17 to 7 in the first half when the ball was in question, 28 to nothing when the ball was no longer in question) that the result of the game should stand.
You want morals? Who said that Britain won its wars on the playing fields of Eton? (Churchill) Look for morality in war before you look for it in sports.
Even the colts readily admit that the patriots won the game by such a big margin (17 to 7 in the first half when the ball was in question, 28 to nothing when the ball was no longer in question) that the result of the game should stand.
You want morals? Who said that Britain won its wars on the playing fields of Eton? (Churchill) Look for morality in war before you look for it in sports.
3
Actually, the quote "The battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton" is attributed to the Duke of Wellington after he defeated Napoleon. It generally refers to the character developed in young men by the British education system that included sports.
A defensive player fakes an injury in a football game where the offense plays no huddle. He knows the officials have no choice but to stop play because they can't make a judgement call on whether or not the injury is real. But the player knows he's faking. Is that cheating or gamesmanship?
A basketball player in the act of shooting initiates contact with a defender knowing that it's highly likely that the defender will be called for a foul. Cheating or gamesmanship?
A soccer player feels contact from a defender in the penalty area and while it would be easy to stay upright goes down looking for a penalty.
Gamesmanship is the name many sports fans give to some kinds of rule breaking. Cheating is the name applied to the rest. The hypocrisy seems obvious. Why not accept that there's cheating in sports instead of calling some of it by another name?
A basketball player in the act of shooting initiates contact with a defender knowing that it's highly likely that the defender will be called for a foul. Cheating or gamesmanship?
A soccer player feels contact from a defender in the penalty area and while it would be easy to stay upright goes down looking for a penalty.
Gamesmanship is the name many sports fans give to some kinds of rule breaking. Cheating is the name applied to the rest. The hypocrisy seems obvious. Why not accept that there's cheating in sports instead of calling some of it by another name?
16
Disagree. All those involve field action with players and there are penalties that can be called by the official during can action in each of these instances, though the injury one is harder to discern. What it is claimed the Patiots did was involving the modification of the equipment used for the game outside the rules. It equates to using a corked bat. My suggestion is that since football has so many breaks in play that the referee that places the ball have an air gauge and if the ball is over- or under-inflated the throws a flag. 15 yard penalty and loss of down. That should put an end to the problem.
5
Paul, the penalty in baseball for tampering with a bat or ball is typically a 10 game regular season suspension which is usually reduced to 7 games after appeal. This would be equivalent to a 1 game regular season suspension reduced to about 3 quarters in the NFL. In hockey, the penalty for tampering with a stick is a 2 minute penalty. In this case, we don't even know if the Patriots tampered with the footballs, yet you assert that the penalty should be more severe than usual. What grounds do you have for this assertion
3
Flopping in the NBA and the NHL is now illegal and can be penalized by game officials. I have seen it happen in both sports, though not often. Flagrant flopping has decreased quite a bit in both sports, in my observation.
Unless Mr. Rohan has evidence the rest of us don't have, I think a column implying that Belichick and Brady are lying is premature.
I'll think I'll wait to see the results of the investigation before I pass judgement.
I'll think I'll wait to see the results of the investigation before I pass judgement.
76
Yes, an "investigation" carried out by a suspect organization against one of its own members. Like a judge trying his son.
The point is that there is a regulation about ball pressure and the Patriots may have deliberately violated that regulation in order to gain an advantage. They not only ought to be punished for that, they HAVE to be punished for it. Or else why have regulations at all? Comparing this to Jeter misses the point entirely.
133
Question: Is it because of personal preference for handling the ball (like Aaron Rodgers who has noted he likes his football over inflated) or to really get an advantage over the competition. I understand that there are rules, but I do not think this breaking of a rule here it is intended for gaining a competitive advantage.
4
But this wasn't an article specifically about "deflategate" - appears that you're the one who missed the point. The Jeter story was just one of a bunch of examples, some cheating, some gamesmanship.
5
What regulation did the Pats violate? The only regulation I've seen cited merely says that balls made by Wilson of a certain size and shape, and filled to a certain pressure have to be delivered to the referees two and a quarter hours before the game. It does not say the balls cannot be altered after the referees hand them back just before the game. Strictly speaking: no rules violation. Unless I'm missing something.
1
The Patriots are a lot like the casino card counters. They find a legal weakness in the rules, exploit it and then the NFL declares it illegal. The casino says this is a simple game played by vulnerable people from whom we make lots of money. We can't tolerate smart people affecting our profit margin and thus they bar card counters. Likewise the NFL and many others hate the Patriots. The snow plow, the tuck rule, , analyzing defensive signals (visible to 30-40 thousand fans), no huddle play, legal ineligible receivers drive other mentally challenged coaches and the NFL to call for a change in the rules to protect their ignorance. They just may be too smart for the enterprise they are engaged in.
60
As someone who has played a fair amount of blackjack in his life, I resent your inaccurate comparison.
Contrary to what casinos might think, there is nothing at all illegal about card counting - it violates no stated rule. Many venues cannot stop you from doing it - only in Nevada, where the casino owners have paid off legislators and judges.
There is a stated NFL rule regarding the size, weight and air pressure of footballs to be used in a game. If the Patriots conspired to deflate footballs to be outside the legal pressure range, then that is cheating, because it violates said rules. Even if they didn't do anything on purpose, they were using what amounted to illegal footballs during the first half of the game, which would also be in violation of the rules.
Contrary to what casinos might think, there is nothing at all illegal about card counting - it violates no stated rule. Many venues cannot stop you from doing it - only in Nevada, where the casino owners have paid off legislators and judges.
There is a stated NFL rule regarding the size, weight and air pressure of footballs to be used in a game. If the Patriots conspired to deflate footballs to be outside the legal pressure range, then that is cheating, because it violates said rules. Even if they didn't do anything on purpose, they were using what amounted to illegal footballs during the first half of the game, which would also be in violation of the rules.
9
There is a line separating acts meant to exploit a weakness in the rules and deliberately breaking rules. It certainly looks like someone in the Patriots organization acted to gain advantage by deflating their footballs about 2 lbs. psi below the legally required pressure. There is just no way that happened without Brady's knowledge, at the very least during the game.
5
To further your argument, everyone who plays tournament bridge does a form of "counting cards". If you didn't, you would never win.
1
Not counting the use of drugs, I think cheating is much more characteristic of team sports than individual sports. I don't know that it is moral superiority, but track and field, swimming, tennis, and golf seem different. I speculate that violent sports and cheating have some linkage.
13
Rosie Ruiz? The Tour de France?
3
Three of the greatest cheating controversies of all time involve Rosie Ruiz, Decker/Budd, and Kerrigan/Harding. Short track skaters are disqualified as often as not. In figure skating, it's the judges who are crooked. In tennis it's the players who intimidate the officials. Chinese gymnasts have been underage, swimmers everywhere have worn illegal suits, and high school swimmers have shaved illegally. The list goes on and on. Cheating isn't about violent sports. It's about athletes who want to win too much.
2
If anything individual sports will have more cheating but I guess it depends on how cheating is defined. If taking performance enhancing drugs is cheating then Olympics, and therefore individual sports including track & field, weightlifting, cycling, you name it, is filled with acts of cheating. Wasn't the 1988 Olympic 100m race considered the epitome of cheating with the likes of Ben Johnson, Carl Lewis, and others.
2
If you search on Google
(Richard Sherman we had Payton Manning’s signals) you will find out about ethics among winning NFL teams.
3
As I understand it, they did not steal Manning's signals, they figured them out. There is no NFL rule against being smart. Like it or not, Seattle is smart. But thanks for this tip; it revealed some interesting stuff, but none of it involved breaking NFL rules, such as they are.
9
Why is it wrong, if you decipher the other teams signals, to use that information to your advantage? That's called brains, and last I checked, there are no rules against it.
The fault lies with the opposing team's offense - If you want to use signals, you better make sure they can't be deciphered by the other team.
The fault lies with the opposing team's offense - If you want to use signals, you better make sure they can't be deciphered by the other team.
1
So after the refs check the balls, they just hand them back to the team? And a ball boy can just take them to a back room and have his way with them.?
If so, why even bother checking them in the first place?
If so, why even bother checking them in the first place?
118
As I understand it, the teams don't get the footballs back until just prior to gametime. The NFL will have to show that the balls were somehow manipulated.
3
Yeah, comical isn't it? "Promise you won't mess with them now, hear?"
Maybe the NBA should do away with refs and have the players calll fouls on themselves, the way we do on the schoolyard.
If I had my career to do over, I'd seriously consider the sports field where apparently being of modest intelligence and competence would qualify you as the smartest guy in the room.
Maybe the NBA should do away with refs and have the players calll fouls on themselves, the way we do on the schoolyard.
If I had my career to do over, I'd seriously consider the sports field where apparently being of modest intelligence and competence would qualify you as the smartest guy in the room.
3
Because like in the America's Cup, weight, ballast, etcetera, matters. USA still won't, but by a literal hair. The final score doesn't matter, it's the sleight that counts....
When the refs, inspected they were legal.
By game time, they were Brady's preferred inflation.
No tampering, nature just took it's course.