Wellness

[Topaz Gem]

I think it's only fair that they check the footballs used by the other team as well.

[RespectLife]

Wow, sunshine45....that is a new report! Thanks for posting!

Well said...OP, totally agree.

Of course, I'm from Buffalo...I want them to hang! LOL

[Allegheny]

On 1/21/2015 Chrystaltree said:

I'll wait for the results of the investigation, it's hard to believe they would resort to such a ridiculous move when they have a history of shenanigans. They wouldn't have anything to gain from it. I wonder why the refs didn't spot it when they are supposed to inspect the balls before the game. Time will tell but one thing is for certain, they didn't win that game and win it as decisively as they did because the balls were underinflated.

I agree. There is a lot of speculative talk going on right now. I haven't delved into the NFL's rules regarding ball inspection and control, but one would think they would be pretty diligent on who has access to the balls during course of the game.

Even though the Pats are my favorite team, and appeared to have outplayed the Colts, I think if the NFL finds non disputable proof then they should make them forfeit the game to the Colts. That will never happen though, instead they just fine them. Too much money already invested to do what's right.

[Smoltz1fan]

Wouldn't the referee's have notice this? They also handled the ball.

[Hoovermom]

On 1/21/2015 sunshine45 said:

Quarterback Brad Johnson revealed that he paid to have the footballs at Super Bowl XXXVII altered to be more comfortable in his hand, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. Johnson led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a 48-21 win over the Oakland Raiders.

http://www.sbnation.com/2015/1/21/7865605/brad-johnson-tampa-bay-buccaneers-super-bowl-deflategate

Sunshine in that article this is what they said:

The NFL changed the rules in 2006 to allow quarterbacks the chance to scuff and rub up their game balls, breaking them in. Prior to that rule change, only the home team's quarterback was allowed to alter the balls in such a way.

Although Johnson admitted this several years ago, his claim is now gaining attention thanks to "DeflateGate." Johnson's alterations weren't quite as one-sided as the current reports involving the New England Patriots in which Tom Brady and the New England offense were reportedly using partially deflated balls that are easier to throw and catch, while the Indianapolis Colts had properly inflated ones.

Tampa Bay won the SB in 2003.

[Caitlinh429]

On 1/21/2015 Smoltz1fan said:

Wouldn't the referee's have notice this? They also handled the ball.

Yes, ref's are constantly handling and checking the footballs throughout the game. Only one ball was thrown out of the game due to inflation problems. Ref's, who work around footballs as much as the NFL ref's do, get a feel of the correct pressure. Essentially the ref's know when a football is properly inflated or not and have the right to check a footballs weight during the game, should they feel the need to. If the football isn't at proper weight then the ball will be tossed. This can happen to either home or away team. Also the same for the players, if players during the game think a ball is not properly inflated, they can bring it to the coach's themselves and get it checked by the refs.

[Tribesters]

On 1/21/2015 Wiskota said:

I could not agree more! I heard discussion on the radio this morning about what their punishment should be. No one else said it but I think they should lose the game by default and the Colts should play in the Super Bowl. They will never do it but that seems to be the only fitting punishment that would get their attention!

Given their previous history of cheating I agree they should be disqualified. How else will they learn to play fair? Under inflating those balls was definitely an advantage in the wet weather.

[brandiwine]

On 1/21/2015 cosmic1 said:

I can't believe that they never get penalized for pulling stuff. I think they should automatically forfeit their win. As long as they don't get penalized, nothing will ever change.

I am wondering though, maybe someone knows. If they deflated the ball to gain an advantage - wouldn't the other team also get that advantage? Or, do they each have their own bin of footballs?

Great question. Each team provides 12 game balls. At the beginning of the game the ref's check each ball to make sure it is an official NFL football and that the PSI is correct. The Colts use their game balls and the Pats use their own. Sometime after the balls were checked and brought out by the officials and given to the ball boys, it is believed that the Pats footballs were deflated to give them the advantage in the bad weather conditions. Hope that explains it.

[brandiwine]

On 1/21/2015 millieshops said:

I've been reading this in my morning paper - didn't realize they'd reached a conclusion. When did that happen?

Don't know the exact time, but it's been verified and there have been huge discussions on the radio and TV sport stations.

[brandiwine]

On 1/21/2015 Chrystaltree said:

I'll wait for the results of the investigation, it's hard to believe they would resort to such a ridiculous move when they have a history of shenanigans. They wouldn't have anything to gain from it. I wonder why the refs didn't spot it when they are supposed to inspect the balls before the game. Time will tell but one thing is for certain, they didn't win that game and win it as decisively as they did because the balls were underinflated.

It was a stupid thing to do. That being said cheating is still cheating. My understanding is that the balls were checked by the ref's prior to the game and all was fine. It was at half time that the ref's checked again and the Pats balls were deflated giving them an advantage of ball control during the bad weather. The PSI was well under the NFL regulations. Also, many who have been players said when a ref picks up a ball during a game it's impossible to tell what the PSI is. The weight doesn't change that much and with the cold you wouldn't feel a difference.