Inflationgate

[Big Guy]

It appears that the New England Patriots were deflating some of their footballs during that playoff game against the Indianapolis Colts. I understand that it would help throwing the ball but what about punts?

It is difficult to imagine that the deflated balls were responsible for the 45 points that New England scored and resulted in beating the Colts by 38 points.

http://espn.go.com/boston/nfl/story/_/id/12193345/nfl-investigating-whether-new-england-patriots-deflated-footballs-Indianapolis-colts

[Boges]

It appears that the New England Patriots were deflating some of their footballs during that playoff game against the Indianapolis Colts. I understand that it would help throwing the ball but what about punts?

It is difficult to imagine that the deflated balls were responsible for the 45 points that New England scored and resulted in beating the Colts by 38 points.

http://espn.go.com/boston/nfl/story/_/id/12193345/nfl-investigating-whether-new-england-patriots-deflated-footballs-Indianapolis-colts

No, the Patriots were clearly the better team. Which begs why they continue to feel the need to cheat.

I guess when you consider that there are no REAL! consequences to cheating of this manner then why not. If the NFL wanted to stand firm against the Patriots they'd forfeit them from the Super Bowl.

Who doesn't want to see Packers v Seahawks again?

Edited January 21, 2015 by Boges

[bush_cheney2004]

NFL officials for the game had ample opportunity to verify football size, weight, and inflation pressure. Separate balls are used for kicking by rule.

"The home club shall have 36 balls for outdoor games and 24 for indoor games available for testing with a pressure gauge by the referee two hours prior to the starting time of the game to meet with League requirements. Twelve (12) new footballs, sealed in a special box and shipped by the manufacturer, will be opened in the officials’ locker room two hours prior to the starting time of the game. These balls are to be specially marked with the letter "k" and used exclusively for the kicking game."

http://www.nfl.com/rulebook/ball

[Shady]

You gotta wonder how many times they've done this.

[GostHacked]

"Professional Sports".

[The_Squid]

It appears that the New England Patriots were deflating some of their footballs during that playoff game against the Indianapolis Colts. I understand that it would help throwing the ball but what about punts?

It is difficult to imagine that the deflated balls were responsible for the 45 points that New England scored and resulted in beating the Colts by 38 points.

http://espn.go.com/boston/nfl/story/_/id/12193345/nfl-investigating-whether-new-england-patriots-deflated-footballs-Indianapolis-colts

So cheating is OK as long as you really whoop them good?

If a boxer has metal in his gloves for the first 6 rounds, gets rid of it and scores a knockout in the 10th round, is that legitimate? He followed the rules when he scored the knockout.... Or did he still cheat?

[Boges]

It's not excusable bu the Colts were clearly over matched.

[Big Guy]

First time an NFL team with "soft balls" ended up winning.

[msj]

Amazing that the score was 14 to 7 after the first half when soft balls were used and then 45 to 7 after the second half once the soft balls were replaced with regulation balls.

http://m.weei.com/sports/boston/this-just-in/21901571/source-pats-switched-backup-balls-2nd-half

[The_Squid]

Amazing that the score was 14 to 7 after the first half when soft balls were used and then 45 to 7 after the second half once the soft balls were replaced with regulation balls.

http://m.weei.com/sports/boston/this-just-in/21901571/source-pats-switched-backup-balls-2nd-half

Maybe a baseball team only uses corked bats for 7 innings and scores the winning homerun without a corked bat... is that OK?

The justification for allowing cheating make no sense.

[msj]

I'm saying that there is not enough evidence that any difference has been made or will be made from PSI being 11 rather than the regulation 13 (give or take).

With the use of the soft balls NE scored 14 points.

With the use of regulation balls NE scored 31 points.

Yes, small sample size but the outrage here is ridiculous.

Should NE be penalized?

Yes, even if the NFL are unable to point a finger at specific individuals at the very least the team should pay the $25,000 fine (or $25,000 times 11 balls if that is what the penalty is - I'm not sure).

But for people to gnash their teeth over this as if NE won by cheating is nonsense and not supported by the facts or even a cursory review of the play by play never mind actually watching the game.

When one team only scores 7 points the fact that the other teams' offence used deflated balls for one half is not a material factor for why that team lost.

[Bonam]

Yes, even if the NFL are unable to point a finger at specific individuals at the very least the team should pay the $25,000 fine (or $25,000 times 11 balls if that is what the penalty is - I'm not sure).

When one team only scores 7 points the fact that the other teams' offence used deflated balls for one half is not a material factor for why that team lost.

I don't think the important factor here is whether the cheating had a material impact on the outcome or not. The point is the principle of the thing. Football is watched by hundreds of millions of Americans, and if you let a team get away with cheating, or with a nominal slap on the wrist of $25k (which means absolutely nothing to a football team), that teaches those hundreds of millions of people that cheating is ok. The penalty should be severe, an example should be made.

[msj]

Applying the rules as they are written IS addressing the principle.

If the NFL thought this was a huge deal they would have set the penalty accordingly when they contemplated the rules.

But people want the NFL to go beyond the rules and extract punishments that do not fit the crime because they hate NE and/or they are depressed Colt fans.

To pretend that the overreach on this is "principled" is nonsense.

[Bonam]

Applying the rules as they are written IS addressing the principle.

If the NFL thought this was a huge deal they would have set the penalty accordingly when they contemplated the rules.

But people want the NFL to go beyond the rules and extract punishments that do not fit the crime because they hate NE and/or they are depressed Colt fans.

To pretend that the overreach on this is "principled" is nonsense.

Well personally I don't give a damn about football and have no idea about what team is which, but a $25k fine for cheating in a multi-billion dollar industry just seems silly. Shrug.

[Shady]

There's a reason they were deflated. It's easier to throw and catch a football when it cold. It doesn't matter that it didn't impact the game. Do you think this is the first time they've done this? It's cheating. There's rules in place for a reason. The Patriots broke them.

[Wilber]

There has to be consequences to breaking rules otherwise no rules will be respected. If this rule is important, teams shouldn't have access to game balls off the playing field. If it isn't important, let the offensive team use whatever pressure it wants.

This game was out of hand but the Baltimore game was very close and this could have been a factor if NE pulled the same stunt there.

[msj]

Presumably NE did not do the same "stunt" against Baltimore since we have not heard anything from that game.

The balls could have and may have been tested in that game like they are usually tested in games.

We would not hear anything unless something weird like 11 out of 12 balls were not within regulated range which is what happened in the Colts game and for which new, properly regulated balls, were then used by NE at the start of the third quarter.

The conjecture and the ease that people will throw out such allegations is nonsense.

Their are rules in place, let the NFL investigate and enforce the rules based on, oh, I don't know, the evidence? before we start speculating that it must have happened in that game and this game etc etc...

Edited January 23, 2015 by msj

[msj]

There's a reason they were deflated. It's easier to throw and catch a football when it cold. It doesn't matter that it didn't impact the game. Do you think this is the first time they've done this? It's cheating. There's rules in place for a reason. The Patriots broke them.

I have no idea if it is the first time NE or any other team has done this.

What is important is what do they evidence for.

As far as we "know" it is only this game that had a problem.

The problem was "2 psi" which sounds like a lot compared to a properly regulated ball (12.5 to 13.5 psi - so 15%) but we do not know if that 2 psi is rounded up, how much it is rounded up, if the balls were intentionally inflated with hot air and/or intentionally deflated (or any other mechanism that could lead to a 15% difference intentionally).

Once the facts have been established for this one case then let the NFL throw the book at whoever and whatever is culpable according to the rule book which, appears, to not make a huge stink over this.

[Shady]

11 of 12 balls were 2 pounds psi below what's suppose to be the regulation weight. All 12 of the Colts balls were regulation. The Ravens suspected the balls were light the week before, and tipped off the Colts. They cheated. And it's not the first time, unless of course they were very unlucky and got caught the first time they attempted this. Throw in the fact that they're the first team in 25 years not to fumble at home during the whole season, and it smells pretty bad. Do you know what helps not fumbling? Underinflated footballs.

[msj]

The Ravens suspected the balls were light the week before, and tipped off the Colts.

If the Ravens thought the balls were underweight then why not ask them to be tested at half time?

The way I heard it is that when D'Qwell Jackson picked off Brady in the 2nd quarter he noticed a difference and brought the ball to the Colt's sideline and then it went up the chain of command.

Which is quite amusing: Brady throws an interception with his preferred "soft ball" which gets noticed/caught and then slaughters them with the "hard" balls in the 3rd Quarter.

So, no, I do not buy your story about the Baltimore (what is an ineligible receiver and how do I cover him? duh) Ravens. Besides, it doesn't add up....

And it's not the first time, unless of course they were very unlucky and got caught the first time they attempted this.

As for any other times - put up the evidence: when, what games, where is the documentation?

. And it's not the first time, unless of course they were very unlucky and got caught the first time they attempted this. Throw in the fact that they're the first team in 25 years not to fumble at home during the whole season, and it smells pretty bad. Do you know what helps not fumbling? Underinflated footballs.

You do realize that each team brings balls to the games.

I suppose it may be easier for NE to cheat at home and sneak in to deflate the balls that they cannot do on the road, but that stat could be as simple as a fluke.

Once again: there are rules in place to punish people/teams for doing this sort of thing.

Lets wait and see what the evidence points to before making up stuff and using it as an excuse to claim that NE is Satan and [insert favourite team here] is full of angels.

Edited January 23, 2015 by msj

[kimmy]

There's a reason they were deflated. It's easier to throw and catch a football when it cold. It doesn't matter that it didn't impact the game. Do you think this is the first time they've done this? It's cheating. There's rules in place for a reason. The Patriots broke them.

Bill Belichick and the Patriots have been caught and punished by the league for cheating before, too. Not sure why anybody would give them the benefit of the doubt when we already know what kind of people there are in that organization.

It should have never happened, and the Patriots have never needed advantages like this, so why should it be tolerated? It's ridiculous.

Applying the rules as they are written IS addressing the principle.

If the NFL thought this was a huge deal they would have set the penalty accordingly when they contemplated the rules.

But people want the NFL to go beyond the rules and extract punishments that do not fit the crime because they hate NE and/or they are depressed Colt fans.

The NFL may not have an exceptional punishment laid out for a team that tampers with equipment to gain an advantage. Then again, the NBA probably didn't have an exceptional punishment laid out beforehand for telling your mistress not to hang out with black people, either.

The reason the NBA imposed an exceptional punishment on Donald Sterling is that it damaged the reputation and image of the entire league. This scandal has done the same for the NFL, though obviously to a far lesser extent than Sterling did. The fact that we're a week from the NFL's marquee event and the topic people are talking about is whether Tom Brady and/or Bill Belichick are cheaters and speculation about how many other times they've cheated and got away with it is a stain on the whole event.

I don't support removing the Patriots from the game, but I do think handing Belichick a big fat fine would be appropriate. I think it would be also appropriate to tell him that this is Strike 2-- one more stunt like this and you're out of the league.

I have to say that despite the controversy, I'm still pretty excited about the Superbowl. The Seahawks are the unofficial home team here in Kim Country, and the whole place will be abuzz.

I am, like, totally into #sports you know?

-k

[WestCoastRunner]

-k

Any Canadian musicians playing at halftime? That's the only reason I watch it, for the halfway entertainment and the commercials.

[kimmy]

Any Canadian musicians playing at halftime? That's the only reason I watch it, for the halfway entertainment and the commercials.

Glad you asked! The game will be rife with Canadian entertainment, as Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman will reunite to provide an energetic half-time show that will undoubtedly have the young people abuzz!

No, no Canadians. Katy Perry and Lenny Kravitz will provide the half-time entertainment.

Adele Dazeem will perform the national anthem before the game.

I am sure Katy Perry will be epic. I don't even like Katy Perry music, but I am sure that whatever she is doing is going to be epic.

-k

[WestCoastRunner]

Glad you asked! The game will be rife with Canadian entertainment, as Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman will reunite to provide an energetic half-time show that will undoubtedly have the young people abuzz!

No, no Canadians. Katy Perry and Lenny Kravitz will provide the half-time entertainment.

Adele Dazeem will perform the national anthem before the game.

I am sure Katy Perry will be epic. I don't even like Katy Perry music, but I am sure that whatever she is doing is going to be epic.

-k

You had me going! Lenny Kravitz has become soo commercialized but I guess he is the best we can expect. Katy Perry, blah.

[WestCoastRunner]

My perfect halftime show would be:

Led Zep joined by Neil Young, Bob Dylan, and Joni Mitchell