Pats Cheated... Again. Deflategate

[Everlastingxxx]

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Colts notified the NFL about potential under-inflation after safety Mike Adams picked off Brady twice in New England’s 42-20 victory.


Report: Colts told NFL of inflation concerns after November game vs. Pats
Report: Colts told NFL of inflation concerns after November game vs. Pats | ProFootballTalk

 

[Doomsday]

The refs inspected the balls on Sunday 2 hours and 15 minutes before the game started. That's more than enough time to deflate them after they are checked. Or like you said, it's as simple as having an equipment manager on the sidelines with a needle.

I wonder if the 12 balls that the refs checked could be swapped out with 12 different balls? It's not really needed if they inspect them that far ahead of the game, but still.

On the phone now I'm being told the footballs are under the custody of the officials up until 15 minutes before kickoff.

 

[Sheik]

They didn't need to cheat, but if they did, punish them.

I want NE to win the Super Bowl, but I hate them. Just slightly less than I hate Seattle. So I'd be in favor of the penalties coming into effect next season.

Suspend the coach and his entire staff for next year, and take away their entire draft. Obviously they didn't learn from that spygate shit.

 

[Doomsday]

Nothing like a big ole bowl of Cheaties and a tall glass of Haterade to wash it all down. Life is good.

 

[bbgun]

They didn't need to cheat, but if they did, punish them.

Neither did Nixon in '72, but he did.

Also, NE is a pass-first offense, and the driving rain could have been a rationale for doing this.

 

[peplaw06]

On the phone now I'm being told the footballs are under the custody of the officials up until 15 minutes before kickoff.

If that's right, then I guess this had to be done on the sideline. Don't you know CBS is poring over all the game tape from their 50 cameras to see if they catch anyone in the act.

 

[peplaw06]

It really doesn't matter that much the PSI air pressure in the game footballs, as long as both teams are using the same pressure on the footballs. We don't know that's not the case yet.

Apparently the refs checked the footballs at halftime after the issue was brought up and the Colts balls were legal, but the Pats were underinflated.

 

[Doomsday]

If that's right, then I guess this had to be done on the sideline.

In a NFL game when we see them all out there tossing footballs around right before opening ceremonies and the kickoff, is when the boxes are opened, I'm told.

Question for me was, how could they have done it and done it with such precision. Possible answer is, they inflate the footballs to just barely legal pressure in warm conditions, then depend on the cold to shrink the air mass just enough to get the desired result. To me this is the only way this:

Don't you know CBS is poring over all the game tape from their 50 cameras to see if they catch anyone in the act.

Won't bear any fruit. Because the job was already done, and especially if the officials check these footballs, inside while they're still warm.

Apparently the refs checked the footballs at halftime after the issue was brought up and the Colts balls were legal, but the Pats were underinflated.

Right, because they were already on the bubble so to speak, and the cold gave them their 2psi difference by then.

 

[Doomsday]

Neither did Nixon in '72, but he did.

He wasn't cheating in order to win the election, he was cheating in order to find out who in his staff were leaking confidential information to the DNC. That was the entire role of "The Plumbers," to find and stop the leaks.

 

[peplaw06]

How can this be due to the cold temps if the Colts balls retained their pressure? We're talking about a difference of 1 psi where the ball is in legal range. Even if the Colts were at the 13.5 psi number, if the temps caused the balls to lose 2 psi, then their balls would be under the 12.5 psi threshold at halftime.

 

[cmd34(work)]

Mike Leach?

Yep, had no clue he went to Pepperdine for law school. Our RB coach is really close friends with him.

 

[ThoughtExperiment]

Yeah, I could see a guy on the sideline, whoever handles the footballs, just discreetly sticking a needle in the ball for a few seconds and letting a little air out. I'm sure they didn't have to be as precise as to put a gauge on it to see where it was.

Or knowing how thorough the Patriots are, I wouldn't be surprised if the guys had practiced so they knew by feel what 11 PSI or whatever felt like.

 

[Doomsday]

How can this be due to the cold temps if the Colts balls retained their pressure? We're talking about a difference of 1 psi where the ball is in legal range. Even if the Colts were at the 13.5 psi number, if the temps caused the balls to lose 2 psi, then their balls would be under the 12.5 psi threshold at halftime.

Because it is a standard practice by equipment people, for cold games they actually over inflate by a couple of psi.

 

[Doomsday]

What I'm describing is to me at least, the only logical way they could have done it without risking some guy with a needle, getting caught.

 

[peplaw06]

Yep, had no clue he went to Pepperdine for law school. Our RB coach is really close friends with him.

We have a pretty well known Piratry school.

Leach also went to BYU in the early-80s. Wonder if he and Mikey crossed paths?

 

[peplaw06]

Because it is a standard practice by equipment people, for cold games they actually over inflate by a couple of psi.

But then when the refs checked the balls 2:15 before the game, then they would be out of range, and illegal. presumably, the refs would make them take air out to be at 13.5 or under.

What I'm describing is to me at least, the only logical way they could have done it without risking some guy with a needle, getting caught.

What you're describing could take blame away from the Pats... as if they were within the range when the refs checked the balls and they just inadvertently lost pressure.

I'm sort of dubious as to whether the balls would lose that much pressure when they get cold. Seems to me like using the balls would offset any pressure lost. As they're spinning and being moved around, the pressure would go back up right?

 

[peplaw06]

And why wouldn't the 12th ball be as deflated as the other 11?

 

[ZeroClub]

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Colts notified the NFL about potential under-inflation after safety Mike Adams picked off Brady twice in New England’s 42-20 victory.


Report: Colts told NFL of inflation concerns after November game vs. Pats
Report: Colts told NFL of inflation concerns after November game vs. Pats | ProFootballTalk

If the under-inflation happened only once and only in the context of a blowout game, I guess I could see a "no harm, no foul" mentality creeping in.

But geeze, the allegation/implication that the under-inflation had been happening over multiple games would seem to be considerably more problematic. If New England did it in both of their games vs. the Colts, it seems stupid to assume that New England didn't do the same thing against other teams.

Habitual, unauthorized doctoring of the balls should be a big deal and treated harshly.

In 2007, the league took away the Patriot's #1 draft choice for SpyGate. Some fines were issued too. If you'd like a refresher on SpyGate, here's a link: http://nypost.com/2014/10/12/they-are-cheaters-spygate-the-nfl-scandal-that-started-it-all/.

I'd be in favor of taking away their first and second round draft picks this year and taking away some of their salary cap, due to the current under-inflation stuff. And I'd be in favor of telling that franchise that if they pulled any more of this sort of crap in the next 10 years, the next penalty would be even more harsh.

But I was one of those who believed that Suh should have been suspended for the Dallas playoff game, so my inclination is probably more heavy handed than the league's.

 

[Doomsday]

What you're describing could take blame away from the Pats... as if they were within the range when the refs checked the balls and they just inadvertently lost pressure.

I'm sort of dubious as to whether the balls would lose that much pressure when they get cold. Seems to me like using the balls would offset any pressure lost. As they're spinning and being moved around, the pressure would go back up right?

I'm dubious too, I'm only trying to surmise how they could possibly do this without the risk of some guy getting caught. Everyone knows there's at least 1000 cameras around, not just the network TV but all the press and media, local TV stations, hell, people in the stands with smart phones.

And why wouldn't the 12th ball be as deflated as the other 11?

Apparently the 12th one was under inflated too, no clue why it didn't meet the 2psi meter the rest apparently did.

 

[ThoughtExperiment]

I'm dubious too, I'm only trying to surmise how they could possibly do this without the risk of some guy getting caught. Everyone knows there's at least 1000 cameras around, not just the network TV but all the press and media, local TV stations, hell, people in the stands with smart phones.

On a cold, rainy day with everyone bundled up, I could see a ballboy holding a football in the crook of his elbow with his arms kind of crossed sticking a needle in the ball for a few second with no one ever noticing it. Especially during a conference championship game when all eyes are on the field.

And why wouldn't the 12th ball be as deflated as the other 11?

Or the Colts' balls deflated also.