When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
In the wake of a report on Tuesday that 11 of the 12 footballs allotted to the New England Patriots in Sunday’s AFC Championship victory over the Indianapolis Colts were under-inflated, ESPN is reporting that the footballs were properly inspected and approved by referee Walt Anderson prior to kickoff.
ESPN’s Chris Mortensen, citing “league sources,” reported that the footballs were reviewed by Anderson and approved two hours, 15 minutes before the scheduled 6:40 p.m. ET kickoff, which was later moved by the NFL to 6:50 p.m.
NFL rules stipulate that no footballs are allowed to be altered once they are approved by the referee.
Sources told Mortensen on Tuesday that 11 of the 12 footballs contained 10.5 pounds per square inch of air, two PSI below the minimum standard of 12.5 PSI.
There is also an upper limit of 13.5 PSI.
“We are not commenting at this time,” said NFL senior vice president of communications Greg Aiello.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that sources told him that the Colts also had concerns about under-inflated footballs when they played the Patriots in Indianapolis on Nov. 16.
According to league policy, the game balls are marked with a dot once approved and placed in a bag that is set on the sideline for each team. Those ball bags are not observed, however.
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady told WEEI radio in November 2011 he prefers to use under-inflated footballs.
This would not be the first time the Patriots have run afoul of NFL policies during the tenure of head coach Bill Belichick, who was fined $500,000 in 2007 for having an assistant illegally videotape the defensive signals of the New York Jets, coached at the time by former Belichick assistant Eric Mangini. The Patriots also lost their first-round draft pick in 2008 and were fined $250,000.
The rule of thumb is for every 10° Fahrenheit change in air temperature, tire pressures will change about 2%
(yeah I know that came from Tire Rack but it has the simplest explanation)
A ball filled at room temp (70 degrees) and goes out side to say 50 degrees will lose 4%. So a 12.5 psi ball should drop to 12. A 10.5 psi ball (assuming it started at 12.5) would require a 40 degree temperature drop for that kind of change.
Although you'd think they know this, and would start with 13 psi. Or inflate them at field temp, not room temp.
Don't believe it was 50 for the entire duration of the game but not sure if dropped enough to impact the balls??
The NFL caught both teams ball boys heating up footballs before the CAR-MIN game, yet no controversy?
Where is the culpability on the part of the NFL and the officiating crew? They handled every single ball on every single play - more than anyone else on the field or the sidelines.
4% = .5 psi if you start with a 12.5 psi ball. 12.5 to 10.5 is a 16% change.
I guess what I'm saying is that if my little Tire Rack fact is true, temperature would not explain the psi drop to 10.5. Not even close if it was ~50 degrees outside (assuming they filled them at room temperature too).
Why can't I shake the feeling that Belichick is in his office tenting his fingers and in his best Montgomery Burns voice saying, "Excellent - focus on the balls my minions. Focus on the balls. Nothing to see here. Nothing to see....."
Don't believe it was 50 for the entire duration of the game but not sure if dropped enough to impact the balls??
The NFL caught both teams ball boys heating up footballs before the CAR-MIN game, yet no controversy?
Where is the culpability on the part of the NFL and the officiating crew? They handled every single ball on every single play - more than anyone else on the field or the sidelines.
^^^^^ Certainly seems to be garnering an extraordinary amount of attention and likely a good distraction, but I'm having hard time thinking he even cares about this. I'm sure he is 100% focused on game films and strategy for your Hawks...........
Why are the teams in charge of the footballs? Why does each team have their own? Why didn't any ref that touches the ball twice a play not notice?
this is what I'm sayin'... at what point did the idiots think it's a good idea for the teams to bring their own balls and that there would never be an issue??
^^^^^ Certainly seems to be garnering an extraordinary amount of attention and likely a good distraction, but I'm having hard time thinking he even cares about this. I'm sure he is 100% focused on game films and strategy for your Hawks...........
Absolutely. I'm sure he could care less right now. I imagine a guy like him wouldn't let an angry beaver chewing on his leg distract him from game prep.
Absolutely. I'm sure he could care less right now. I imagine a guy like him wouldn't let an angry beaver chewing on his leg distract him from game prep.
We ALL know that the Pats are a well-run organization. Belicheat is generally accepted as one of the best coaches in pro sports with an impressive game plan against his opponents. He has one of the best clutch QBs in the game. Why the fark cheat? Spygate and now this? Seriously?
It's obviously not as horrid as Flaxseed Bonds and Clemroids juicing to their levels but it's similar in that you have such talents who do NOT need to cheat like this to win.
Anyhow, just my sentiment on this. But, if the Pats are indeed guilty (and I'm pretty sure they are), they deserve all the scorn, mockery, and punishment doled out.
I'm ready to asterisk all the Superbowls won by Belicheat and Pretty Boi.
Whatever makes you feel better or sleep well at night..... But, what about the ones they have lost???
Originally Posted by svtmike
Let's keep the Hillary Clinton talk in R&P.
Originally Posted by Yumcha
Snarking aside, I need to ask this:
We ALL know that the Pats are a well-run organization. Belicheat is generally accepted as one of the best coaches in pro sports with an impressive game plan against his opponents. He has one of the best clutch QBs in the game. Why the fark cheat? Spygate and now this? Seriously?
It's obviously not as horrid as Flaxseed Bonds and Clemroids juicing to their levels but it's similar in that you have such talents who do NOT need to cheat like this to win.
Anyhow, just my sentiment on this. But, if the Pats are indeed guilty (and I'm pretty sure they are), they deserve all the scorn, mockery, and punishment doled out.
Being a long time Pats fan (lived through the years and years where they sucked) I have to agree and don't understand if, in fact it is true, why. Makes no sense. But because of the work ethic of Belichick and Brady have, I still don't believe it.
Originally Posted by Yumcha
Sadly, if it were my beloved Bears who were caught cheating, I'd at least understand because they are suck of the suck.
Bill says he didn't know about the balls being tampered with. Tom has a press conference at 4. Smart play is Tom to take the hit and he'll probably just pay the fine. He doesn't have the cheating stigma that Bill has.
We ALL know that the Pats are a well-run organization. Belicheat is generally accepted as one of the best coaches in pro sports with an impressive game plan against his opponents. He has one of the best clutch QBs in the game. Why the fark cheat? Spygate and now this? Seriously?
It's obviously not as horrid as Flaxseed Bonds and Clemroids juicing to their levels but it's similar in that you have such talents who do NOT need to cheat like this to win.
Anyhow, just my sentiment on this. But, if the Pats are indeed guilty (and I'm pretty sure they are), they deserve all the scorn, mockery, and punishment doled out.
Same reason Nixon felt he needed to bug DNC HQ to beat George McGovern, when he ended up winning by the biggest landslide pre-Reagan-v-Mondale. Some people just can't help themselves. I think it would kill Belichick if he wasn't cheating at something.
Same reason Nixon felt he needed to bug DNC HQ to beat George McGovern, when he ended up winning by the biggest landslide pre-Reagan-v-Mondale. Some people just can't help themselves. I think it would kill Belichick if he wasn't cheating at something.
I disagree and not because I am a Pat's fan. I honestly don't believe that Belichick had anything to do with the balls which is exactly what he said during his press conference. He is responsible for prepping the team and strategizing for that week's opponent. He has nothing to do with the field, the uniforms, equipment etc...... Is he a control freak.....? Not sure but I know he is very intense.
Just like seemingly everyone else, I am very interested in seeing/hearing the Brady press conferene @ 3:45 EST. Will Tom take the hit, not sure, but I'm going to bet some poor ballboy is going to bear some of the brunt of this. From what I have gathered, across the NFL, the ballboys "know" how the team quarterback likes the balls prepared. From what I have seen and heard from Heinz Ward and other former players and quarterbacks, messing with the ball is fairly commonplace. Heating, scuffing, rubbing, deflating - seems like no one is surprised. I heard on the local news today that the referees changed the balls out at the beginning of the 2nd half and if this is the case folks need to remember the Pats broke the game open in the 3rd quarter. And again - don't both teams play with the same balls and don't the officials handle the ball every single play??
I still don't know if there is anything to all of this but I can tell you it is a very unfortunate distraction leading up to the Superbowl
Per the NFL rulebook, each team provides game officials with 12 footballs before the game, and the balls are required to be inflated between 12½ and 13½ pounds per square inch.
Even so, you could be right about the fact that most of the ass-whooping took place in the 2nd half, with properly firm balls. But even if it didn't affect the outcome of the game, in my mind that makes it even more damning. It just seems like he can't help himself - he'll cheat even if it doesn't matter!
As far as whether Belichick himself was directly responsible for it I think, given the history of cheating scandals in that organization, at the very least it's a result of a culture and a mindset that he has instilled in the whole team. Too many different incidents to be coincidence.
So each team provides balls, but does that mean each team only uses their own? Serious question. Like everyone else I never paid that close attention to the balls used by whom and when.
The league probably doesn't provide because of cost. Let the teams do it.......... However I do agree the league / officials will have much better control of them going forward.
There's a range in PSI that is acceptable. It's known in the league that QB's have preferences. I've read so far that Matt Leinart and Boomer Esiason has said that for years QB's have air preferences. I think I heard on ESPN radio that Aaron Rodgers likes it more full Anyways due to personal taste it's why the teams should handle as opposed to the league.
01-21-2015, 01:19 PM
But, what about the ones they have lost???
I made that joke at the game last night
He's such a control freak
But even if it didn't affect the outcome of the game, in my mind that makes it even more damning. It just seems like he can't help himself - he'll cheat even if it doesn't matter!