How Will the NFL Punish the Patriots

[LedRush]

Okay then. Let's spot the Colts 21 points. They still get their asses kicked. :)

My brother started in on this yesterday at Sunday dinner with our folks. I said "it was 45-7... you really think the PSI accounted over 5 TDs? And the Pats D had no trouble catching properly inflated balls 2 times...."

 

Of course, that is deliberately missing the point and falling into the trap of the predetermined outcome.

 

Who said this?

 

I don't think there's a chance they lose this weekend after the shellacking they gave the Colts last time, and how the Colts played last week. If they were to lose, it really would be a monumental collapse. However, assuming a healthy Rodgers, either team in the NFC would probably make the match-up interesting, and not the foregone conclusion of last week or the upcoming week.

 

This may surprise you, but I've been wrong on picking the outcomes of sports. A lot. If I had to bet again, I'd take the Pats plus 14 in any weather. But I also picked the Broncos to beat Seattle last year and I picked the Pats to beat the Broncos in the AFC Championship. But who knows, if they played 10 times, maybe the Colts win once. But I still wouldn't bet on it.

 

I'm also on record saying the Pats wrap up this super bowl 5 minutes into the second half. I hope I am wrong yet again. Unfortunately, I've been right on the Pats way too much this year.

 

I'm not surprised by that at all. But you said that the Patriots beating the Colts was a "foregone conclusion" before that game, and then criticized LCC for "falling into the trap of the predetermined outcome." So was it not a "foregone conclusion" that the Patriots would beat the Colts?

 

If you're examining sports predictions for literal accuracy and questioning whether someone has foreknowledge of the outcome of the game, something is probably wrong with you.

 

I'm really just questioning your own inconsistent statements. I'm pretty confident you don't have knowledge, "fore-" or otherwise, of the game.

 

One statement was a prediction, and the other a statement of fact. This is quite simple for most.

[Lost In Xanadu]

Any thought put into being inflated in a warn location and they were low because of the cold? Happens to my car tires all the time

Any thought about the role of Occam's Razor in bringing the balls to the level they were at when measured at halftime?

 

Since you live in Wisconsin, I would hope you have car tires that don't get low on air when it's 52 degrees, since it gets about 70 degrees colder than that at times.

LOL - I didn't even see you responded to this until now.

 

I was poking fun at Belichick... his "I'm no scientist" crap and then busting this stuff out.

 

 

 

Also - anyone see the latest testing? They took 1 ball inflated to 12.5 and one inflate to 10 and there was only 1mm compression difference. could that make that big of a difference?

[LedRush]

Any thought put into being inflated in a warn location and they were low because of the cold? Happens to my car tires all the time

Any thought about the role of Occam's Razor in bringing the balls to the level they were at when measured at halftime?

 

Since you live in Wisconsin, I would hope you have car tires that don't get low on air when it's 52 degrees, since it gets about 70 degrees colder than that at times.

LOL - I didn't even see you responded to this until now.

 

I was poking fun at Belichick... his "I'm no scientist" crap and then busting this stuff out.

 

 

 

Also - anyone see the latest testing? They took 1 ball inflated to 12.5 and one inflate to 10 and there was only 1mm compression difference. could that make that big of a difference?

 

Football is a game of inches. Stop with this metric system horseshit.

[invisible airwave]

Have Marky Mark rap the national anthem for their next regular season game...or just force them to watch The Happening.

[laughedatbytime]

Any thought put into being inflated in a warn location and they were low because of the cold? Happens to my car tires all the time

Any thought about the role of Occam's Razor in bringing the balls to the level they were at when measured at halftime?

 

Since you live in Wisconsin, I would hope you have car tires that don't get low on air when it's 52 degrees, since it gets about 70 degrees colder than that at times.

LOL - I didn't even see you responded to this until now.

 

I was poking fun at Belichick... his "I'm no scientist" crap and then busting this stuff out.

 

 

 

Also - anyone see the latest testing? They took 1 ball inflated to 12.5 and one inflate to 10 and there was only 1mm compression difference. could that make that big of a difference?

Everyone who has anything to do with football who's taken a blind test has been able to easily tell the difference.

[troutman]

http://connecticut.c...ls-nfl-custody/

 

So now the league decides to take better precautions regarding the footballs leading up to the SB.

 

Should have been doing it before all this bullsh**!!

Edited January 30, 2015 by troutman

[WorkingAllTheTime]

Looks like the Patriots have their scapegoat. I just heard on ESPN radio that the ball attendant is a person of interest. Aside from that, I listened to Brady stumble through and interview and he didn't sound very convincing.

 

Yet.... still nothing even after the Super Bowl.

 

Methinks the NFL just leaked this notion of the ball attendant being the person of interest to make it look like they were doing something, anything, about this supposed controversy.

 

I still hold to this: The won't be able to prove anything. There will be nothing but circumstantial evidence to hint that maybe, perhaps some lackey let out some air or used heated air or somehow manipulated the supply of balls.

 

The actual solution would be for the league to just admit the Patriots possibly gamed the system some how, some way, but there is nothing to do in response other than to take the game day preparation of the supply of footballs from the teams and have an official league attendant for each contest.

[Rick N. Backer]

What's curious is how interested some people were in this story when it began as a story about how the Deflatriots and Belicheat were caught again, this time intentionally reducing the air pressure in game balls after they were examined by the refs so that Brady and the other skill position players could get a better grip on the ball. Now that some of the information about the NFL's investigation has leaked, and it seems that 10 of the 11 balls were a tiny amount under the 12.5 psi limit, a difference that is easily attributable to atmospheric conditions if the balls started right at 12.5 psi, and the one found to have been at around 10.5 psi was the one the Colts turned over to the league, the same one D'Qwell Jackson said felt fine to him when he first caught it, enthusiasm for the story has waned. How come? If it turns out that the Colts deflated the ball themselves, to "frame" the Patriots in essence, as some writers (even outside New England!) have begun to whisper, surely all of you righteous fellas want to see that that type of misconduct is punished right? Right?

 

[Crickets]

[LedRush]

What's curious is how interested some people were in this story when it began as a story about how the Deflatriots and Belicheat were caught again, this time intentionally reducing the air pressure in game balls after they were examined by the refs so that Brady and the other skill position players could get a better grip on the ball. Now that some of the information about the NFL's investigation has leaked, and it seems that 10 of the 11 balls were a tiny amount under the 12.5 psi limit, a difference that is easily attributable to atmospheric conditions if the balls started right at 12.5 psi, and the one found to have been at around 10.5 psi was the one the Colts turned over to the league, the same one D'Qwell Jackson said felt fine to him when he first caught it, enthusiasm for the story has waned. How come? If it turns out that the Colts deflated the ball themselves, to "frame" the Patriots in essence, as some writers (even outside New England!) have begun to whisper, surely all of you righteous fellas want to see that that type of misconduct is punished right? Right?

 

[Crickets]

 

If the Colts deflated the ball to frame the Pats, I would want an even harsher penalty on them then what I was advocating for the Pats. Whoever did it or knew about it and allowed it should be out of football permanently. And if it was directed or known or should have been known by any of the coaches, they should be out of football. And if it went up to Pagano, take away an entire draft.

[troutman]

What's curious is how interested some people were in this story when it began as a story about how the Deflatriots and Belicheat were caught again, this time intentionally reducing the air pressure in game balls after they were examined by the refs so that Brady and the other skill position players could get a better grip on the ball. Now that some of the information about the NFL's investigation has leaked, and it seems that 10 of the 11 balls were a tiny amount under the 12.5 psi limit, a difference that is easily attributable to atmospheric conditions if the balls started right at 12.5 psi, and the one found to have been at around 10.5 psi was the one the Colts turned over to the league, the same one D'Qwell Jackson said felt fine to him when he first caught it, enthusiasm for the story has waned. How come? If it turns out that the Colts deflated the ball themselves, to "frame" the Patriots in essence, as some writers (even outside New England!) have begun to whisper, surely all of you righteous fellas want to see that that type of misconduct is punished right? Right?

 

[Crickets]

 

:zzz:

[LedRush]

Do you have a link to an article which says that the most deflated ball was the one that the Colts gave. Also, I notice that according the the NFL insider, "several" of the balls were found to be 1lb lighter than allowed. That's not a tiny amount, nor easily attributable to atmospheric conditions. Remember, atmospheric conditions would affect all the balls.

[Rick N. Backer]

Do you have a link to an article which says that the most deflated ball was the one that the Colts gave. Also, I notice that according the the NFL insider, "several" of the balls were found to be 1lb lighter than allowed. That's not a tiny amount, nor easily attributable to atmospheric conditions. Remember, atmospheric conditions would affect all the balls.

 

http://www.nfl.com/n...lated-footballs

 

http://profootballta...or-deflategate/

 

http://boston.cbsloc...anned-from-nfl/

[Lost In Xanadu]

Do you have a link to an article which says that the most deflated ball was the one that the Colts gave. Also, I notice that according the the NFL insider, "several" of the balls were found to be 1lb lighter than allowed. That's not a tiny amount, nor easily attributable to atmospheric conditions. Remember, atmospheric conditions would affect all the balls.

A lot of them were affected by steroids more than anything

[LedRush]

Do you have a link to an article which says that the most deflated ball was the one that the Colts gave. Also, I notice that according the the NFL insider, "several" of the balls were found to be 1lb lighter than allowed. That's not a tiny amount, nor easily attributable to atmospheric conditions. Remember, atmospheric conditions would affect all the balls.

 

http://www.nfl.com/n...lated-footballs

 

http://profootballta...or-deflategate/

 

http://boston.cbsloc...anned-from-nfl/

 

Thanks for the second link, which makes the explanation. I would think that there are more than enough cameras to see whether the Colts did anything to that ball, or if they took it somewhere.

 

As for the third link, it misinterprets the first one (which I had read before), and based on this misinterpretation goes down a wild rabbit hole.

[Rick N. Backer]

Do you have a link to an article which says that the most deflated ball was the one that the Colts gave. Also, I notice that according the the NFL insider, "several" of the balls were found to be 1lb lighter than allowed. That's not a tiny amount, nor easily attributable to atmospheric conditions. Remember, atmospheric conditions would affect all the balls.

 

http://www.nfl.com/n...lated-footballs

 

http://profootballta...or-deflategate/

 

http://boston.cbsloc...anned-from-nfl/

 

Thanks for the second link, which makes the explanation. I would think that there are more than enough cameras to see whether the Colts did anything to that ball, or if they took it somewhere.

 

As for the third link, it misinterprets the first one (which I had read before), and based on this misinterpretation goes down a wild rabbit hole.

 

I guess it would depend on when and how the ball goes from the Colts' possession to the league's. If the league official who took custody of the ball was on the sideline, then yes. But if the ball goes back to the Colts' locker room before it goes to the league, then I would think not.

[LedRush]

Do you have a link to an article which says that the most deflated ball was the one that the Colts gave. Also, I notice that according the the NFL insider, "several" of the balls were found to be 1lb lighter than allowed. That's not a tiny amount, nor easily attributable to atmospheric conditions. Remember, atmospheric conditions would affect all the balls.

 

http://www.nfl.com/n...lated-footballs

 

http://profootballta...or-deflategate/

 

http://boston.cbsloc...anned-from-nfl/

 

Thanks for the second link, which makes the explanation. I would think that there are more than enough cameras to see whether the Colts did anything to that ball, or if they took it somewhere.

 

As for the third link, it misinterprets the first one (which I had read before), and based on this misinterpretation goes down a wild rabbit hole.

 

I guess it would depend on when and how the ball goes from the Colts' possession to the league's. If the league official who took custody of the ball was on the sideline, then yes. But if the ball goes back to the Colts' locker room before it goes to the league, then I would think not.

 

Very true. I've just assumed that they gave it to an official on the field.

[Rick N. Backer]

My own opinion is that Kravetz doesn't start walking back this story, now, unless he's heard that the NFL's investigation is going to make him look stupid:

 

NDIANAPOLIS -

As you can imagine, the last two-plus weeks have been pretty intense, filled with torrents of mean tweets and general hatred toward your Humble Correspondent (that would be me). New England fans are among the most vocal and spirited I've ever encountered, and I'm relatively sure I've heard from roughly 75 percent of them.

Before my mea culpa, let me get this out of the way right now:

I am not in the least bit sorry about breaking DeflateGate, even if it's cluttered my Twitter timeline and included vicious shots at me and my family. I got it from a great source. I confirmed it with another great source. I knew with 100 percent certainty that it was right, that there was an investigation into the possibility the Patriots had deflated their footballs, although, until the NFL officially confirmed the investigation the following Monday morning, I wasn't able to relax. That's part of my job, breaking the occasional story.

New England fans can take issue with the Colts for having called out the Patriots on this issue; that's their prerogative. They can scream sour grapes, sore losers, whatever they choose, but the facts were immutable: I wrote there was an investigation. There WAS, and IS, an investigation. It's my job to get it right, and I got it right.

End of story.

Here, though, is where New England fans are right to be angry with me, where some media are correct in criticizing me.

I tweeted that if ESPN's Chris Mortensen report was right – if 11 of 12 footballs were two pounds-per-square inch deflated below the number mandated by the NFL – then heads should roll, specifically the one belonging to Bill Belichick.

No problem there. That's my opinion. I'm entitled to it, just as you're entitled to rip me.

In ensuing tweets and a column or two, I wrote that if owner Robert Kraft had an ounce of integrity, Belichick would be bounced immediately, draft picks should be forfeited and the Pats should be fined. What I failed to do was make it abundantly clear, “IF the Patriots are found guilty of having tampered with the footballs…'' I failed to understand, at least at the time, that each tweet, taken by itself, is an independent organism, not a part of a continuing narrative.

I thought it was implied, quite strongly, that penalties should only be levied if the Patriots were found guilty of toying with the integrity of the game, but I failed to establish that clearly in those tweets and in my columns. Thus, it appeared I was calling for Belichick's head and other penalties before any investigation was completed. Clearly (or maybe not so clearly), I would never call for Aaron Hernandez to get a life sentence before he got his day in court, and I did not mean to suggest that Belichick and the Patriots should be penalized before an investigation was complete. But that's the way it came out, and for that, I apologize.

I am a professional communicator, and as a professional communicator, I failed miserably there. I'm not one who blames the reader for a misunderstanding; it's incumbent upon me, as a writer or broadcaster, to use my words wisely, whether in a column or a tweet. I have to wear that one. I own that one. .

So there you go.

As far as the investigation, which still continues, let's just say it's a hodgepodge of conflicting reports. Mortensen reported 11 of 12 balls were significantly deflated. That has neither been confirmed nor denied officially. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported that one ball was significantly deflated and the others were near the proper air pressure or slightly below. That has neither been confirmed nor denied officially. This, ultimately, is what the Wells investigation has to determine, what it's still attempting to discover as it tries to get to the bottom of this matter. Were most of the balls deflated? One? None? And if several were deflated, how did they get that way? Who was, or who were, the responsible parties?

Everything else has been weirdness and general nonsense.

My favorite is the recent talk that the Colts were part of some conspiracy to deflate the ball, or balls, in an effort to embarrass the Patriots. ESPN's Adam Schefter recently went on Boston's WEEI and said there are people around the league who believe the Colts concocted this whole thing. I don't doubt that he's telling the truth – I'm sure there are conspiracy theorists out there – but I'm not buying it that it was a massive set-up, not for a second.

Let's put it this way: If the Colts are found guilty of having tampered with the footballs in an effort to undermine the Pats, I'll be vicious in my criticism of the Colts and call for the heads of the offending parties – whether that's Jim Irsay, Ryan Grigson or Chuck Pagano…whoever. That would be even more egregious than anything the Patriots might have done.

I'll also be shocked beyond words.

What all of this shows me that even after 32 years in this business, you can always learn, always grow. I should have chosen my words more precisely, should not have assumed anything, especially while in the vortex of a major story.

That was my error.

We move on. And wait….

 

http://www.wthr.com/...-on-deflategate

[WorkingAllTheTime]

Just pointing it out... we are now 10 days post Super Bowl and still.... nothing....

 

It's almost as if Roger Goodell wants to ignore it happened and hope nobody noticed.... not that he's ever done that before.

Edited February 11, 2015 by WorkingAllTheTime

[g under p]

Just pointing it out... we are now 10 days post Super Bowl and still.... nothing....

 

It's almost as if Roger Goodell wants to ignore it happened and hope nobody noticed.... not that he's ever done that before.

 

You are right, if there really something there Goodell and the NFL would have made their ruling by now. I wonder if the Patriots winning the SB has made this decision he has to make more difficult?

[LedRush]

Just pointing it out... we are now 10 days post Super Bowl and still.... nothing....

 

It's almost as if Roger Goodell wants to ignore it happened and hope nobody noticed.... not that he's ever done that before.

 

You are right, if there really something there Goodell and the NFL would have made their ruling by now. I wonder if the Patriots winning the SB has made this decision he has to make more difficult?

 

The NFL took months to make a decision about a guy who knocked his fiancee unconscious, and never bothered to try and collect the evidence on it. I'm willing to bet that incompetence plays a role in their slow play, here.

[Rick N. Backer]

Jerry Rice admitted he used stickum.

 

Hello?

 

Is this thing on?

 

No, I'm not saying "everyone does it." I am saying that this admission illustrates why the "deflategate" allegations were the biggest story in America, and why the greatest receiver in history admitting he cheated in a way that inarguably affected performance wasn't a blip on the radar.

 

Jerry Rice isn't Bill Belichick.

[Lost In Xanadu]

I heard fans that feel slighted by the possible cheating are going to be given the opportunity to spank either Brady or his wife... they let you choose.

[LedRush]

Jerry Rice admitted he used stickum.

 

Hello?

 

Is this thing on?

 

No, I'm not saying "everyone does it." I am saying that this admission illustrates why the "deflategate" allegations were the biggest story in America, and why the greatest receiver in history admitting he cheated in a way that inarguably affected performance wasn't a blip on the radar.

 

Jerry Rice isn't Bill Belichick.

 

I guess you haven't been listening to sports radio. They were killing Rice for a week. But the hype of a current participant in a super bowl yet again cheating in the 2 weeks before the super bowl is quite obviously going to be greater than for a long retired player admitting to cheating in the offseason.

[Rick N. Backer]

Jerry Rice admitted he used stickum.

 

Hello?

 

Is this thing on?

 

No, I'm not saying "everyone does it." I am saying that this admission illustrates why the "deflategate" allegations were the biggest story in America, and why the greatest receiver in history admitting he cheated in a way that inarguably affected performance wasn't a blip on the radar.

 

Jerry Rice isn't Bill Belichick.

 

I guess you haven't been listening to sports radio. They were killing Rice for a week. But the hype of a current participant in a super bowl yet again cheating in the 2 weeks before the super bowl is quite obviously going to be greater than for a long retired player admitting to cheating in the offseason.

 

I listen quite a bit. And I watch ESPN too. Didn't hear 1/10 of the coverage "deflategate" got. I just checked the OLV main page, I don't see any threads about it.

 

"Long retired player." Hilarious. He's inarguably the greatest receiver ever. He admitted he cheated. The NFL and several useful idiots are slowly walking away from the allegations that led to "deflategate."

 

Like I've said, "deflategate" served its purpose. Your post above this is proof of it

[LedRush]

Jerry Rice admitted he used stickum.

 

Hello?

 

Is this thing on?

 

No, I'm not saying "everyone does it." I am saying that this admission illustrates why the "deflategate" allegations were the biggest story in America, and why the greatest receiver in history admitting he cheated in a way that inarguably affected performance wasn't a blip on the radar.

 

Jerry Rice isn't Bill Belichick.

 

I guess you haven't been listening to sports radio. They were killing Rice for a week. But the hype of a current participant in a super bowl yet again cheating in the 2 weeks before the super bowl is quite obviously going to be greater than for a long retired player admitting to cheating in the offseason.

 

I listen quite a bit. And I watch ESPN too. Didn't hear 1/10 of the coverage "deflategate" got. I just checked the OLV main page, I don't see any threads about it.

 

"Long retired player." Hilarious. He's inarguably the greatest receiver ever. He admitted he cheated. The NFL and several useful idiots are slowly walking away from the allegations that led to "deflategate."

 

Like I've said, "deflategate" served its purpose. Your post above this is proof of it

 

Unless the purpose was to fill in the two weeks before the Super Bowl, I think that you are off your rocker.