Report: NFL investigating whether Patriots purposely deflated footballs during win over Colts

[Klecko73isGod]

I don't know whether I should feel sad for them or embarrassed for them. 

Life as a Patsy.

 

Its an entire fanbase suffering from battered wife syndrome. 

[OuttaSightPF]

What POS team.  If true, they should lose their 1st round pick.

Any chance we could finally get Belichick suspended? If they cheated in the 2nd biggest game of the year, then the super bowl is tainted. Considering that this coach was fined $500K already for cheating and they have already been docked a 1st round pick for tampering, why is it not appropriate to suspend Belichick. Frankly in most pro sports a guy would be banned for something like this in the playoffs. Especially a guy with a history.

I expect nothing to happen, because the league will not admit that the super bowl is not a valid match up. By Tomorow night it will be swept under the rug.

[indygirl4jets]

Actually they were only down 14 when Jackson picked off that pass and it led to the Colts closing the gap to 14-7. Did you even watch the game?

I am so depressed. I thought the Colts would play better than they did last night.

[indygirl4jets]

Any chance we could finally get Belichick suspended? If they cheated in the 2nd biggest game of the year, then the super bowl is tainted. Considering that this coach was fined $500K already for cheating and they have already been docked a 1st round pick for tampering, why is it not appropriate to suspend Belichick. Frankly in most pro sports a guy would be banned for something like this in the playoffs. Especially a guy with a history.

I expect nothing to happen, because the league will not admit that the super bowl is not a valid match up. By Tomorow night it will be swept under the rug.

If it is true and it wasnt the first time they need to be severely punished.

[PatsFanTX]

By Tomorow night it will be swept under the rug.

Exactly.

How many draft picks will the Pats lose because of the illegal formations they used last week?

Probably the same number for "supposedly" deflating footballs.

[Patriot Killa]

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DVwHCGAr_OE

[UnknownJetFan]

One more thing I caught the PATS did in this game I never saw before was that one OL 71 reported as eligeable while another 77 actually was used on the play as eligeable instead on the one who reported as eligeable 71. Now this only results in a 5 yard penalty and the ref actually had to explain this twice. The point here is that pretty much all the time when this penalty is called it is because the eligeable OL doesn't report as eligeable for some reason or another. Not this switcharoo thing that PATS did to cause confusion. In over 35 years of watching football I have never seen that. They are bending/breaking rules at every turn. The NFL just came up with a multitude of reasons why last years AFC Conf. game had 10Million more viewers while the NFC game last year had 6Million more, basically the NFL saying the Colts game was a blowout causing this years less viewership, the Packers looking like they would run away with their game, etc. Quite frankly people are probably getting sick and tired of the NFL starting to become like the WWE with all the cheating by the PATS and favoritism towards towards the PATS as well as some other teams. This keeps up and the NFL will potentially start losing big bucks if they don't clean this up. The game has to be considered real and fair enough for people to consider it on the level. heck, at this rate outside of a few teams, every other team's fans can expect to never get deep in the playoffs or to a SB based on all this crap going on. Enough said. I'll stop now.  

[Charlie Brown]

The story here in Indy is that when Brady was intercepted by Jackson he noticed that the ball appeared to feel lighter and much softer. I would not be surprised to find out that this is a true story since Bill has no problem cheating. However, if it is true, it did not play a role in the horrible play by the Colts.

 

If this is even remotely true then the Pats have to face severe repercussions.  The idea, even though it is being espoused by Pats fans, can't be cheat as much as possible and then win.

 

That can't be the rule.

 

The Pats and their enabling fans are destroying the integrity of the game!!!

[Sperm Edwards]

How would this help or hinder either kicker or QB ? Are they alleging the Pats rotated the underinflated balls into the game when Indy was on offense?

In a way, yes.

Each team brings 12 footballs and when you're on offense you use the ones your own team brought. Home team is required to also bring 12 backup balls and visitor has the option of bringing 12 backups of their own as well. Kicking/punting balls are sent from the manufacturer to the ref in sealed boxes.

So when Indy was on offense they were not using the same balls that NE was using when NE was on offense. The Patriots don't rotate their preferred deflated footballs in & out of the game; the officials do it for them by rule.

I have no idea how this idiotic practice began, where teams furnish the balls that they use and that they don't use the same balls (they don't get mixed together just before the game starts so neither team knows which ones they'll be using and which they'll be giving to the other team). Maybe it's just the presumption that the league isn't full of cheaters, or when writing the rule they didn't consider a team could gain a competitive advantage by purposely inflating the balls less.

[PatsFanTX]

Maybe it's just the presumption that the league isn't full of cheaters, or when writing the rule they didn't consider a team could gain a competitive advantage by purposely inflating the balls less.

The officials gauge all balls prior to placing them on field with the ball boys.

So the only way the balls could be altered is once they are on the sidelines.

[Sperm Edwards]

The officials gauge all balls prior to placing them on field with the ball boys.

So the only way the balls could be altered is once they are on the sidelines.

No, I'm sure this is what happened: Eric Mangini snuck into the stadium and let the air out of a couple of footballs with the planned idea of unjustly framing poor lovable Belichick again.

[jetrider]

The officials gauge all balls prior to placing them on field with the ball boys.

So the only way the balls could be altered is once they are on the sidelines.

 

Ding ding ding .... you're finally catching on! 

[jetrider]

 

We're in your footballs, letting all your air out

 

You spent an entire day in this thread, did you not comprehend any of it?

 

 

How would this help or hinder either kicker or QB ? Are they alleging the Pats rotated the underinflated balls into the game when Indy was on offense?

 

No, it's the opposite - Pats deflated them for themselves. A squeezable ball is easier to grip, throw, and catch especially in pouring rain. 

 

Notice how many drops Indy had? Notice how many Tebowesque throws Luck made that sailed over receivers' heads?

[OuttaSightPF]

Exactly.

How many draft picks will the Pats lose because of the illegal formations they used last week?

Probably the same number for "supposedly" deflating footballs.

Be reasonable. You know they probably did it. The reason I say it will be swept under the rug is because of the leagues image.

One day the Belichick era will end and you Pats fans will have to live with this 10+ year drought without any SB wins and (soon to be) 3 embarrassing loses in the big game.... while the whole time y'all turned a blind eye to your coaches scumbag ways. maybe if there was at least one ring during this stretch it would have been worth it. But to lie cheat and steal... And still have the same amount of SB wins as the rest of the AFC East teams since 04' .... it's just pathetic.

[OuttaSightPF]

You spent an entire day in this thread, did you not comprehend any of it?

 

 

 

No, it's the opposite - Pats deflated them for themselves. A squeezable ball is easier to grip, throw, and catch especially in pouring rain. 

 

Notice how many drops Indy had? Notice how many Tebowesque throws Luck made that sailed over receivers' heads?

Oh.... I was wondering what the advantage was. Makes sense

[Strongman]

So a ball that's missing 5 cubic inches of AIR will WEIGH discernibly less?  Really?   How about putting the ball underwater and measuring the volume it displaces?  How about conducting a test satisfies people who didn't flunk science class?

 

In other news:

-NFL referees will now check you for cancer by weighing your shoes.

-NFL referees will now analyze your finances by measuring the thickness of your toenails.

That's not what they are saying. The weight and PSI it is inflated to, are two separate things. In order for the ball to conform to NFL official game regulations, it must:

 

1. Be inflated to 12.5 to 13.5 PSI

2. Weigh between 14 to 15 ounces.

 

It also has to conform to other things like:

3. Be 11 to 11.25 inches long

4. Have a long circumference between 28 to 28.5 inches

5. Have a short circumference of 21 to 21.25 inches

6. etc.

 

The trick is figuring out how the ball attendant managed to deflate them after the balls were inspected by the refs and with nobody seeing it. You can see from the broadcast that the ball attendant had a ball ready to go into the game at all times. These balls and his hands were covered in towels to keep them dry, but they were also hidden from everyone's view. It would have been fairly simple for him to use something small and non-suspicious (like a paperclip) to a let a little air out.

 

The sad thing is the ball attendant will probably end up taking the fall for this even though someone asked him to do this.

[floridajet]

The league supplies all the game balls, 3 dozen ball get delivered to the umps locker room. They are checked and delivered to each teams sidelines. in Addition 12 balls are marked with a K, 6 per sideline. A ball marked with a  K can only be used for kickoffs.   I don't know if the K is printed or sharpie or what.  Edit the balls marked with a k can be used for punts also.

I believe each time supplies 12 footballs for their team use. The NFL is only there to verify they meet league standards.  Read your hometown paper;  http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/extra_points/2015/01/report_patriots_may_have_deflated_footballs_for_af.html

 

"According to the NFL rule book, footballs are required to be inflated with 12.5-13.5 pounds of air, and home teams must give all game balls to the league two hours and 15 minutes prior to kickoff to be inspected."

[kelticwizard]

Of course they did it. They cheat 100 different ways in small fashion. When they get busted, their defense is always "we didn't do it but it didn't help us much or at all anyway" and they mock critics as having sour grapes. But add up all these small cheats, most of which are never uncovered, and it results in a big advantage.

Hope you don't mind.  I borrowed this quote-didn't take credit for it-in a debate I'm having on YouTube since I think it sums up exactly what is going on.

[Kleckineau]

You spent an entire day in this thread, did you not comprehend any of it?

 

 

 

No, it's the opposite - Pats deflated them for themselves. A squeezable ball is easier to grip, throw, and catch especially in pouring rain. 

 

Notice how many drops Indy had? Notice how many Tebowesque throws Luck made that sailed over receivers' heads?

Oh ok thanks I see how the scam works now. What a POS move if true.

[SoFlaJets]

There's this scumbag named Rick Dyer and he is a world renowned bigfoot hoaxer. He has claimed to having captured, shot, or secured the carcasses of 3 bigfoots over the years already and every one being a hoax-a money-making hoax. Now like the Patriots, Dyer has had his share of faithful followers who would defend him to the last and they always referred to anybody who disagreed with or called him out on his lying, cheating, and stealing ways as "Haters" just like all of the Pats defenders are doing now, so everybody else is wrong, only THEY are right even when the evidence clearly shows otherwise. they just call everybody jealous and use the phrase "Haters will hate"

[Lizard King]

I never understood this whole witch hunt personally. Yes, they cheat all the time. Yes, it's wrong. Yes, stealing signs is pretty terrible. Yes, the integrity of the game is slowly and permanently tarnished with this clinically troubled kleptomaniac in New England who has a kick for cheating for the rush of it.

With that said, the edge they acquire from this stuff is small. It's not like baseball where you're throwing 95mph spitballs and the hitter has .35 seconds to figure it out. You're talking about minimal gains on a blowout victory. Even stealing signs is only so useful when you need time in game just to decipher what the signs even mean. And then you still need to stop the opposing talent anyway.

When they lose Brady, they can cheat all they want and it won't matter. They can ask the opposing teams to send them their playbook in advance and it's not going to mean a thing. Talent beats talent and nothing else has ever won or lost a competition that I've ever played in.

Give Brady his due for being the reason every year that Belichick gets to look like Lombardi and then remember that if anyone was good enough to stop them, that they will do it regardless.

[Rexorcism]

BTW, how long does it take the NFL to investigate these matters, everything is always "NFL to investigate...etc." They could have investigated it during the damn game and finished the damn investigation. Goodell sucks and nothing will come of this, as usual.

[Jets1958]

BTW, how long does it take the NFL to investigate these matters, everything is always "NFL to investigate...etc." They could have investigated it during the damn game and finished the damn investigation. Goodell sucks and nothing will come of this, as usual.

I highly doubt as anything will be decided before the super bowl unless the pasties are totally excused. If guilty, it will wait till later. Bad press for the SB.

[jgb]

I never understood this whole witch hunt personally. Yes, they cheat all the time. Yes, it's wrong. Yes, stealing signs is pretty terrible. Yes, the integrity of the game is slowly and permanently tarnished with this clinically troubled kleptomaniac in New England who has a kick for cheating for the rush of it.

With that said, the edge they acquire from this stuff is small. It's not like baseball where you're throwing 95mph spitballs and the hitter has .35 seconds to figure it out. You're talking about minimal gains on a blowout victory. Even stealing signs is only so useful when you need time in game just to decipher what the signs even mean. And then you still need to stop the opposing talent anyway.

When they lose Brady, they can cheat all they want and it won't matter. They can ask the opposing teams to send them their playbook in advance and it's not going to mean a thing. Talent beats talent and nothing else has ever won or lost a competition that I've ever played in.

Give Brady his due for being the reason every year that Belichick gets to look like Lombardi and then remember that if anyone was good enough to stop them, that they will do it regardless.

Would be easier to agree with you if the Pats were not the first team to reference the rules when big bad genius Woody Johnson hatched a brilliant plan to tamper with Revis when asked whether it was him or idzik who didnt make a play for the guy last season.

[The12th Man]

Why would crowds be cranky?

The Pats are going to their 6th Super Bowl in 13 years.

No other team in the NFL has ever done that.

And that remains to have never been done ....Legally.

you act as if it's not a big deal...but it is. Your team cheated. Some people care about honor and trustworthiness.

If he truth ever came out fully I wouldn't be surprised if BB was banned from the HOF

[Jets1958]

If the Pats are penalized - it will be a minimal fine.  NFL.com is reporting it probably will be $25,000 for Bill.  So, you can sneeze on a QB and be fined more than cheating to effect the outcome of a game.  Go figure.

[Sully28]

You right it would b moronic if I was comparing it to Spygate but I wasn't.

His statement was "the jets don't cheat" and I brought in evidence to say otherwise.

Context. And all subjective when you deal w rival fans.

The Jets don't cheat though, it's not like there were multiple people within the jets organization who knew or encouraged what Alosi did. It was clear Alosi acted alone without anyone on the Jets' consent. Hard to say the same for the patriots.

[Sperm Edwards]

I never understood this whole witch hunt personally. Yes, they cheat all the time. Yes, it's wrong. Yes, stealing signs is pretty terrible. Yes, the integrity of the game is slowly and permanently tarnished with this clinically troubled kleptomaniac in New England who has a kick for cheating for the rush of it.

With that said, the edge they acquire from this stuff is small. It's not like baseball where you're throwing 95mph spitballs and the hitter has .35 seconds to figure it out. You're talking about minimal gains on a blowout victory. Even stealing signs is only so useful when you need time in game just to decipher what the signs even mean. And then you still need to stop the opposing talent anyway.

When they lose Brady, they can cheat all they want and it won't matter. They can ask the opposing teams to send them their playbook in advance and it's not going to mean a thing. Talent beats talent and nothing else has ever won or lost a competition that I've ever played in.

Give Brady his due for being the reason every year that Belichick gets to look like Lombardi and then remember that if anyone was good enough to stop them, that they will do it regardless.

 

I think hindsight may not be the best justification for inaction. Like in the past, Belichick felt it was important enough to do it in the first place. I don't think it's appropriate to say, "Well, they cheated. But since the result of this one game was so lopsided we should just let it go." Prior to the game BB didn't know what the final score would be, and prior to the game - and while it was still close, which was up to halftime - they didn't know it would end with a nearly 40 point differential.

 

Pretend Indy deflated their balls just like NE is accused of doing. Perhaps then Herron doesn't drop those back to back passes (particularly the 2nd one, which was right on the money and would have been 1st & goal at worst, if not a TD on that throw outright). The game may have been 7-7 then, instead of 7-0 after Vinatieri missed that 50-yarder. And then maybe it's a very different game after that.

 

The intent was to gain an unfair competitive advantage over the opponent, in a game or situation where he felt it was needed enough to do it in the first place.

[SouthernJet]

I think hindsight may not be the best justification for inaction. Like in the past, Belichick felt it was important enough to do it in the first place. I don't think it's appropriate to say, "Well, they cheated. But since the result of this one game was so lopsided we should just let it go." Prior to the game BB didn't know what the final score would be, and prior to the game - and while it was still close, which was up to halftime - they didn't know it would end with a nearly 40 point differential.

 

Pretend Indy deflated their balls just like NE is accused of doing. Perhaps then Herron doesn't drop those back to back passes (particularly the 2nd one, which was right on the money and would have been 1st & goal at worst, if not a TD on that throw outright). The game may have been 7-7 then, instead of 7-0 after Vinatieri missed that 50-yarder. And then maybe it's a very different game after that.

 

The intent was to gain an unfair competitive advantage over the opponent, in a game or situation where he felt it was needed enough to do it in the first place.

yup, plus dont discount the emotional effect of getting down on road,, it snowballs to a bigger score than normal,, might not have done that if they were close whole game cause balls were normal....

[Larz]

Sources tell SportsCenter 5's Mike Lynch that D'Qwell Jackson, of the Indianapolis Colts, intercepted a pass before the end of the first half of the AFC Championship game against the New England Patriots Sunday night and told his equipment manager that the ball felt under-inflated, leading to the so-called 'deflategate' controversy.

•  

According to sources, the equipment manager then informed the Colts' head coach, Chuck Pagano, who then informed the team's general manager, Ryan Grigson.

Grigson then called the National Football League's director of field operations, who then called the locker room and spoke with the officials on the field at halftime.

During the first play coming back from halftime, there was a delay to the game while official changed the football being used on the field.

Sources told Lynch that several footballs were taken out of play during the game Sunday night, but that's not unusual and there have been times in previous games that officials have changed footballs during play due to factors such as air temperature changed that cause the ball to over or under inflate.

The NFL said it is now investigating the Patriots because of the complaint that was made.

"We are looking into it," league spokesman Brian McCarthy wrote in an email to The Associated Press on Monday. "We do not have anything further to add at this point."

 

 

so the C on their iniforms should really be a C

[PatsFanTX]

If the Pats are penalized - it will be a minimal fine.  NFL.com is reporting it probably will be $25,000 for Bill.  So, you can sneeze on a QB and be fined more than cheating to effect the outcome of a game.  Go figure.

 

Yep, that .25 PSI difference would have had a huge impact in the outcome of a 45-7 blowout.

[Klecko73isGod]

Yep, that .25 PSI difference would have had a huge impact in the outcome of a 45-7 blowout.

 

 

Did those dirty, rotten, cheating, scumbags Brady and Belichick know what the score would be when they deflated the balls?

 

Yours is a guilty moron's defense. 

[afosomf]

Yep, that .25 PSI difference would have had a huge impact in the outcome of a 45-7 blowout.

 

So why cheat!!!!!

 

It has also become obvious that Mumbles designating ineligible and eligible players has gotten way out of hand, even the officials are getting confused. They even had to call a penalty once.

 

He is an utter disgrace to the sport.

[SouthernJet]

Belly expert in bending/confusing rules that are hard to distinguish in heta of game, but end up in rule changes in off season or fines/lost draft picks...BUT he still get shis W and that all he cares about.

Until NFL starts 'taking Ws away in games deemed 'rules were broken' he will continue this 'giving finger' to NFL and its current penalty system

[Jets1958]

Yep, that .25 PSI difference would have had a huge impact in the outcome of a 45-7 blowout.

 

At least think of something intelligent to say the next time you post. Obsessive compulsive behavior like Bellicheat does not rationally consider an unknown outcome, an individual just acts in case they might need an edge to win.  It also becomes a game to beat the system.