Did Patriots cheat again?

[jimnyc]

Deflate-gate? Report: Patriots being investigated for using deflated footballs

The NFL will investigate the possibility that the New England Patriots deflated footballs during the AFC championship game, which they won 45-7 over the Indianapolis Colts, according to Bob Kravitz of WTHR.com.

The league has guidelines on how much pressure the ball must have — between 12.5 and 13.5 pounds per square inch, weighing between 14 and 15 ounces.

Kravitz says the fine could be a stiff one if the Patriots are found guilty.

There was a delay before the third-quarter-opening kickoff that might have included game officials investigating the balls the Patriots were using.

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Twitter feeds and more of the story - http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-sh...062844133.html

[jimnyc]

And no, both teams do not get the same advantage. Each QB/team supplies their own footballs and sets them up the way they like - within guidelines, which it appears the Pats may have ignored.

[Jeff]

And no, both teams do not get the same advantage. Each QB/team supplies their own footballs and sets them up the way they like - within guidelines, which it appears the Pats may have ignored.

That was going to be my question. I hate the Patriots and always have and now this just gives me one more reason to do so. The article says the penalty can be a stiff one but I am sure the appearance in the Super Bowl will more than pay any amount the league throws at them, they should be made to give the win to the Colts if found guilty.

[CSM]

Hmmm...just a possibility ... maybe the Colts just suck.... I think they should investigate that possibility!
*sheesh*

[jimnyc]

Hmmm...just a possibility ... maybe the Colts just suck.... I think they should investigate that possibility!
*sheesh*

That, and I think they mostly won with rushing anyway. The guy the Steelers let go, after he quit on the team and went to the locker room.... 30 carries for 148 yards and 3 TD's.

[Abbey Marie]

And no, both teams do not get the same advantage. Each QB/team supplies their own footballs and sets them up the way they like - within guidelines, which it appears the Pats may have ignored.

Thanks, that is what I was wondering.

What I am not wondering about, is whether the Cheatriots will do just about anything, including cheating AGAIN, to win.

And that is what happens once you are proven to be cheaters. People will always wonder...

[gabosaurus]

Them grapes, they be sour.

[jimnyc]

Them grapes, they be sour.

Why would their be sour grapes long before the game ever even got out of hand? Or are you saying the referees have sour grapes for taking the game ball and replacing it, so another ref could test the ball? Ensuring the game is played fairly isn't sour grapes.

[Abbey Marie]

Them grapes, they be sour.

I had no dog in that fight. I just like people to have integrity.

[jimnyc]

I had no dog in that fight. I just like people to have integrity.

As someone who has played a lot of football, I can say that it's REAL easy to tell the difference between an over inflated ball, or an under-inflated ball. Someone must have touched the ball from the D and reported it, and the refs took it to be weighed. We should hear soon enough as to whether it was low on air or not. And yep, the ball is MUCH MUCH MUCH easier to catch and throw, when it's raining, if lower on air.

[aboutime]

"There's no cheating in Football!"

[Jeff]

Them grapes, they be sour.

Gabs my team didn't come close to the big show, but this isn't the first time the Patriots have been caught doing something less than legal, if ya can't win the game don't bend the rules ( or break them ) to do so. No sour grapes at all, just a feeling of right and wrong.

[gabosaurus]

I read the procedures in play for handling game balls and don't see how it is possible. All game balls have to be presented to and approved by the game officials before play starts. The game balls are then held by a person on the sidelines. Game balls are given directly to a game official before each play.
How can a non-regulation ball be used unless it is not approved by a game official?
It's not the same as Belicheat spying on opponents.

[jimnyc]

I read the procedures in play for handling game balls and don't see how it is possible. All game balls have to be presented to and approved by the game officials before play starts. The game balls are then held by a person on the sidelines. Game balls are given directly to a game official before each play.
How can a non-regulation ball be used unless it is not approved by a game official?
It's not the same as Belicheat spying on opponents.

And WHO do you think holds them on the sidelines? It's someone provided by the home team - always. All one needs to do is use a needle (the type to put in or remove air) and it would take just a few seconds to let some air out of the ball. Each side has 12-24 footballs, 12 primary. They are held in a large bag. Game officials DO NOT as a standard weigh a ball, so they wouldn't know it when they are sent in and out, not unless they weighed it. With the score 17-7 and the 3rd Q just starting, the refs prevent the play from starting and swap out game balls - so that the one that was originally sent in was able to be weighed and saved. The NFL has also stated they have started an investigation.

Nope, not as bad as spying - but cheating is cheating in my book. There are rules for a reason. This could be like a $25,000 fine if they find they did deflate them, as well as a loss of potential draft picks.

[jimnyc]

I don't know anything for sure yet - but here's a good explanation as to how the football process works, to give an idea as to how and when they would have had to let air out.

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This much is undeniable: It was a wet night in Foxborough, with rain often coming down in a deluge. Deflating a football, even slightly, can aid the ability to grip the ball, an obvious advantage in passing, catching or accepting handoffs.

In the NFL, each team brings 12 Wilson footballs to the game and uses its own. As such, the Patriots' offense uses one set of footballs and those are taken off the field when possession shifts. The Colts then bring theirs into rotation. It is not uncommon for teams to try to alter, however slightly but within the acceptable limits between 12.5 and 13.5 pounds, the ball that is most agreeable to their quarterback.

So if New England was actually using an illegally inflated ball, it would only help their offense and not hurt the Colts' offense.

All game balls are to be checked by the referee, in the officials' locker room, two hours and 15 minutes prior to kickoff.

"The Referee shall be the sole judge as to whether all balls offered for play comply with these specifications," Rule 2, Section 1 of the NFL Rule Book reads. "A pump is to be furnished by the home club, and the balls shall remain under the supervision of the Referee until they are delivered to the ball attendant just prior to the start of the game."

Each team can bring additional backup balls and a case of balls sent directly from the manufacturer is opened by the referee and marked for kicking only.

Even if the footballs used by the Patriots were checked and approved prior to the game, they could conceivably be doctored and deflated during the game. The home team is responsible for providing sideline attendants who supply the refs with balls as on-field action dictates.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/deflati...080638511.html