Belicheat, Brady claim ignorance; NFL Statement Post #434

[Hoofbite]

I didn't see this in the article or any where else, but what are the official's responsibility in that situation? Once they found all those under inflated balls did the officials order to have them brought up to league specs? The article states the delay was due to checking the balls and replacing a football (singular). The way it reads is that the officials, even after they found the irregularity allowed the Pats to continue to use those deflated balls in the 2nd half. If that's the case then the league is guilty as well for allowing it to continue. Surely the officials would have taken corrective measures and I am just missing that info, right?

Isn't it obvious they did adjust the pressure? If they were low at half and not at the end of the game, what other explanation is there?

That article had an interesting video. Kickers basically rough the hell out of the ball to create a softer surface that springs off their foot.

 

[cowboys2233]

Isn't it obvious they did adjust the pressure? If they were low at half and not at the end of the game, what other explanation is there?

That article had an interesting video. Kickers basically rough the hell out of the ball to create a softer surface that springs off their foot.

And isn't it equally obvious that the league is complicit in this? Why else would they let the teams handle the balls prior to the game...at all?

 

[EST_1986]

You need to check out the NFL Network segment where Mark Brunell, Jerome Bettis, and another former player explain in detail what a HUGE advantage 2 PSI makes in handling the football. Maybe you should check out all of the facts before you jump to conclusions based on your own uninformed opinions.

When you go from a 15 PSI ball to an 11 PSI ball immediately its going to be very very easy to tell which ball is under inflated.

 

[EST_1986]

Isn't it obvious they did adjust the pressure? If they were low at half and not at the end of the game, what other explanation is there?

That article had an interesting video. Kickers basically rough the hell out of the ball to create a softer surface that springs off their foot.

Kickers are cheaters too ban them all take away all their kicking records wahh wahh wahh

 

[Hoofbite]

And isn't it equally obvious that the league is complicit in this? Why else would they let the teams handle the balls prior to the game...at all?

I was think their setup was dumb earlier as well but changed my stance. Supposedly the rule was put in place after Romo's glossy snap fumble against Seattle.

I guess they know that brand new footballs are not ready for play so they let teams break them in.

Seems like the intent is solid but needs something to prevent tampering after the official check.

 

[joseephuss]

Simple solution for the future. Just give each team an allotment of footballs the day before the game. Each team can pump up the footballs to whatever pressure they prefer. No minimums and no maximums.

 

[T-RO]

Simple solution for the future. Just give each team an allotment of footballs the day before the game. Each team can pump up the footballs to whatever pressure they prefer. No minimums and no maximums.

No. The officials should be in custody and control of the balls. All balls should have the same spec requirements.

 

[cowboyblue22]

if it don't matter then I agree with josephuss just give each time an allotment of balls and let them play whateverpressure they like get rid of the rule. If it don't matter why have the rule.

 

[Hoofbite]

Don't the air valves have about 1/4 to maybe 1/2 inch of needle travel before the seal?

What if they kept the process the same and after the official approves the ball they use a syringe to file the hole in the air valve with epoxy?

Now you can't put a needle in the ball to tamper with the psi. Hell, jam a bb in there and if someone inserts a needle the bb gets shoved inside (if it can) and rattles around inside signifying that someone tried adjusting the air pressure.

After the game the balls get sent to Wilson for a new valve.

 

[Cowboys22]

Do what, though?

Deduct 7 points?

Unsportsmanlike conduct, 15 yards?

I suppose there was nothing they could do except inflate the balls and keep going unless there is a policy in place. I would like to see them put a rule in place that if the refs determine one team has deliberately manipulated the balls outside of league specs to gain an advantage, the head coach and starting QB are ejected from the rest of the game and the commish can then dole out fines and further suspensions. I bet it would never happen again.

Lets look at it. The pats cheated their way to 10 point halftime lead. Forget what happened in the 2nd half because no one knew that at the time. The pats cheated during the time when the game's outcome was very much in doubt. If a pitcher is doctoring the ball, he is tossed out of the game. What actually happened is like you get caught cheating on a test halfway through and the teacher simply takes your notes away and lets you continue with the test even though the answers already given were obtained through cheating. That's just not right. The league should have something in place for the refs to do if a team is caught cheating during a game.

 

[mahoneybill]

Friend sent this one.. A little humorous take on the topic.



( click on first photo to launch)

 

[mahoneybill]

Don't the air valves have about 1/4 to maybe 1/2 inch of needle travel before the seal?

What if they kept the process the same and after the official approves the ball they use a syringe to file the hole in the air valve with epoxy?

Now you can't put a needle in the ball to tamper with the psi. Hell, jam a bb in there and if someone inserts a needle the bb gets shoved inside (if it can) and rattles around inside signifying that someone tried adjusting the air pressure.

After the game the balls get sent to Wilson for a new valve.

Good idea. Also, i think during the course of the game probably 1/4 of them are kept by players due to ints/score. Also the NFL has enough revenue that they could donate the now epoxied balls to local schools for use.

 

[dogberry]

Did Rodgers increase the psi when the Packers played the Cowboys?

 

[mahoneybill]

I was think their setup was dumb earlier as well but changed my stance. Supposedly the rule was put in place after Romo's glossy snap fumble against Seattle.

I guess they know that brand new footballs are not ready for play so they let teams break them in.

Seems like the intent is solid but needs something to prevent tampering after the official check.

Seems like one way or another the Cowboys become involved is some type of change in the NFL

 

[WV Cowboy]

Friend sent this one.. A little humorous take on the topic.

Be sure to see a Doctor if your balls remain under-inflated for more than 4 hours.

 

[Doomsay]

We can eliminate any ambiguity regarding the effectiveness of lowering the pressure in the footballs. The Pats did it consistently to 11/12 of their balls, while the away team's control sample remained 100% inflated - it was done to enhance NE's offensive playability, in an underhanded and illegal way, full stop.

So, the he said, he said, differences / non-differences in deflated ball playability that Rich Eisen or other experts bring up are irrelevant, the Pats did it in a premeditated and consistent way, and they most certainly know they are lying about it publicly, from the HC on down.

Given their very crooked and recent past, the Patriots should be burned for even contemplating cheating again, much less something this blatant.

 

[Staubacher]

Yup. The arguments whether it matters or not is irrelevant. It mattered to NE and that is why the balls were deflated. They cheated by violating league equipment standards to fit their personal preference and gain an edge.

I'm not sure why anyone is even still debating that part of it. One can say they personally don't care and it's not a big deal to them, but even the cheating party isn't saying that.

We can eliminate any ambiguity regarding the effectiveness of lowering the pressure in the footballs. The Pats did it consistently to 11/12 of their balls, while the away team's control sample remained 100% inflated - it was done to enhance NE's offensive playability, in an underhanded and illegal way, full stop.

So, the he said, he said, differences / non-differences in deflated ball playability that Rich Eisen or other experts bring up are irrelevant, the Pats did it in a premeditated and consistent way, and they most certainly know they are lying about it publicly, from the HC on down.

Given their very crooked and recent past, the Patriots should be burned for even contemplating cheating again, much less something this blatant.

 

[mahoneybill]

Be sure to see a Doctor if your balls remain under-inflated for more than 4 hours.

Good add....

 

[khiladi]

I wonder if GB supplied under inflated kicking balls. Bailey's kickoffs and FG attempts were short and Jones punts were too.

Sailing right and low as well.

 

[khiladi]

There can be no doubt that something is afoot. The Pat's balls were deflated out of acceptable standard and someone should be penalized for it. But let's blame the right party for the irregularity. Should the Pats as an organization be faulted if the infraction came from the misguided actions of one or two individuals?

I think Bellichek really had nothing to do with it so I do not consider this a practice instituted by the organization and therefore the list of suspects can be narrowed to scant number of individuals. Tom Brady would be at the top of that list despite his words that indicate otherwise.

I doubt the Pat's designated ball handlers would do anything to alter their game balls without Tom Brady's approval to do so. I'd be curious to hear what these individuals have to say about it. Are they so loyal to Brady that they are willing to remain silent as the ship is sinking. I think if the proper pressure is applied, the rats will jump ship. Just my humble opinion.

The Saints organization was slammed in Bounty-gate. So yes, especially after Spygate, the whole organization should be punished. It's the same thing that happens to college teams when they get NCAA violations. The whole program suffers.