Did Bill-A-Cheat Strike Again

[Lefty]

Yep.

I like Brady & like Bellichek but Tom Brady blatantly lied on TV today. Fess up & tell the truth & this will go away. Lying & integrity are the big deals to me.

Lance Armstrong believes Brady.

 

[WisconsinCard]

Yep.

I like Brady & like Bellichek but Tom Brady blatantly lied on TV today. Fess up & tell the truth & this will go away. Lying & integrity are the big deals to me.

I agee 100% Mike, he is not a good liar.

 

[WisconsinCard]

IMO ball pressure is kinda like jaywalking. Its a law that isn't a serious offense.

if its a big deal, have the NFL provide the balls and dont let the team touch them unless playing.

I agree, but you can be punished for jaywalking. Where do you draw the line? Is it OK for a WR to put a little stickem on their gloves? Hell the league fines people for wear the wrong color socks. Is that a big deal? No, but players are disiplined for these small things all the time. Is it a big deal that Marshawn refuses to talk to the media? Again NO, but... where does it end.

 

[Shane]

We're all entitled to have our own opinion... IMHO, it's debatable that deflating balls wouldn't have an impact on a game. If that were the case, then why do it?? If you don't believe it makes a difference, why would you then willingly break the rule??
You can't have a situation where a team is playing with one type of a ball, and other teams are using their own types of balls... There has to be some rules or tolerances in place to ensure an even playing field. I don't know if the current psi tolerance needs to be tweaked, but regardless, the fact remains that there is a very clear rule and the Pats chose to skirt that rule.
They of course would've smashed the Colts no matter which balls were being used... but that's not at all at issue here. Heck, event the Colts players have admitted this. What's an issue is the integrity of a league, not to mention a franchise, an owner, a coach and a future HOF QB.

What don't you understand that you likely have that exact issue in most games.. It's widely known that most QBs adjust the ball up or depending on what they like. It's nothing new in the NFL.. It's a common practice in football and only even being brought up now because it's the mighty Patriots.. If your worried about the integrity of the NFL then you probably shouldn't be watching it. Hahaha

 

[Azlen]

What don't you understand that you likely have that exact issue in most games.. It's widely known that most QBs adjust the ball up or depending on what they like. It's nothing new in the NFL.. It's a common practice in football and only even being brought up now because it's the mighty Patriots.. If your worried about the integrity of the NFL then you probably shouldn't be watching it. Hahaha

Are you saying that they are all doing it after they've been inspected by the game officials or before? They all definitely get it to their liking before they are inspected (as long as it is within the rules) To say that they all do it after they have been inspected would be a big assumption.

 

[GuernseyCard]

Comparing 1-1.5 pound in a football & tire are drastically differant considering ones 12 lbs & the other is 32-35 along with football is leather & a tire is hard rubber.

I challenge you or anyone else to get a new NFL ball & see how hard it is then check the differance after letting a 1-1.5lbs out of it. Night & day

Again if it doesn't matter why did Brady & past QBs doing it?

Really?

Joe Theisman, who has handled more than a few, says the difference is barely perceptible, if at all.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

Balls must be between 12.5 and 13.5 psi at inspection by officials. If the Pats inflate to the minimum (12.5 psi) it almost goes without saying that the elements will bring the psi below minimum over the course of 3 hours.

Ron Jaworski is on with Gambo right now. He pointed out:

The NFL confiscated all (12) of the footballs from each club at the half and weighed them.

11 of the Patriots 12 were determined to be under-inflated by about 2 pounds each.

Nothing appeared to be wrong with the Colts' footballs.

If it was "the elements" wouldn't it have affected all 24 footballs equally?

 

[82CardsGrad]

What don't you understand that you likely have that exact issue in most games.. It's widely known that most QBs adjust the ball up or depending on what they like. It's nothing new in the NFL.. It's a common practice in football and only even being brought up now because it's the mighty Patriots.. If your worried about the integrity of the NFL then you probably shouldn't be watching it. Hahaha

So Shane, are you suggesting that you have some type of proof that teams are adjusting ball pressure OUTSIDE of the established psi tolerances?
Sure, Qb's across the league might prefer balls at certain pressures - but unless you can prove that they are adjusting beyond the tolerances stated by the NFL, you're just tossing crap against a wall...

As for the integrity of the game - yea, I'm not blind that certain forms of "cheating" take place here and there. However, the NFL has gone to great lengths to ensure a consistent playing field across the game.
Bottom line, the Patriots had 11 of 12 balls fall outside the established psi tolerances... if you are going to accuse other teams of doing the same, prove it.

 

[Buckybird]

Really?

Joe Theisman, who has handled more than a few, says the difference is barely perceptible, if at all.

Yes really & a team I used to play for did it as well as I stated earlier, it's very noticeable. Obviously Theismann, Shane & you seem to be in the minority that's theres no differance at all...haven't you seen all the players disagreeing that's you can tell by feeling the ball?

In fact on today's NFL Live they gave Brunell & the Bus 3 secret footballs with differant NFL logos (1 w/12.5 psi, 1 w/11.5 & 1 w/13.5). Guess what? Both guys correctly identified EACH of the 3 balls. Since when has anyone on this board ever agreed with Theismann?

Almost every former player on TV or radio are bashing Bill & Brady about simply being dishonest in this case, so believe what you wanna believe!

Again, if there's no differance why are they letting air out of the balls? It's a differance for both QB & receiver & RB trust me

 

[Hollywood]

To quote the great Jay Cutler:

"DOOOON'T CARE"

 

[Brian in Mesa]

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[schutd]

It is widely known again the pretty much all QB's do this to some extent.. A few have admitted to it since this story broke.

Its a non factor to me.. Been happening in the league forever.. score at half with deflated balls 17-7 Pats.. 2nd half score with normal balls Pats 28 Colts 0… The balls didn't give anyone an advantage. Pure horse manure as far as Im concerned. This has been blown completely out of proportion and only because its the Pats. If this were the Browns and Brian Hoyer nobody would give a rats ass including the NFL.

So if its a STUPID rule its OK to break it. Gotcha. #passtheweed

 

[PACardsFan]

What don't you understand that you likely have that exact issue in most games.. It's widely known that most QBs adjust the ball up or depending on what they like. It's nothing new in the NFL.. It's a common practice in football and only even being brought up now because it's the mighty Patriots.. If your worried about the integrity of the NFL then you probably shouldn't be watching it. Hahaha

Agree

 

[Darkside]

I actually agree with Shane on this one. I think it's a non issue and overblown. I don't even think it gives an advantage.

Any of you actually play football? It's been forever, I'm old, but I've played with under inflated balls and maximum PSI. Under inflated is much easier to grip--I have small hands and so I always loved it--But the ball doesn't travel as far or cut through wind. Fully inflated balls cut through wind and you can hear it leave a QBs hand. Grip isn't even an issue because these dudes are huge and have gigantic hands. That's why they're QBs, among other reasons obviously.

Total non issue. The only ones not distracted by this are the Patriots.

 

[Bert]

Just to play devils advocate since everyone is so intent on piling on Brady.

Everyone has to make everything so sinister. Could have been fairly innocent, and everyone is saying that the equipment manager is being thrown under the bus, but maybe it really is his fault? Hear me out.

All the QB's that commented today confirmed that what Brady said was true, before each game the QB's go in and pick out the balls they like the best, and do little things to them to make them more comfortable to throw WHICH CAN INCLUDE adding or letting out some air. That's legal and everyone does it as long as its in that legal PSI range.

So isn't it possible that in this process, Tom picked out his balls (hehe) and told the equipment manager, these are good but they feel a little over inflated, can you take them right down to 12.5 (which is the legal limit and where Brady said he likes them.)

So maybe Brady did tell him to let some air out but he didn't necessarily say hey take 2 pounds out, I'm gonna cheat, #YOLO

I'm just saying, it's possible they all cheated and are super evil villans and should be killed like all the indignant media is making out, but it is just as likely that it was an honest mistake by an overzealous equipment manager eager to please his superstar QB.

 

[Darkside]

They aren't evil villains. They're trying to win football games. And if declaring someone ineligible or deflating a few balls gets folks riled up that's just good coaching. That's all anyone is talking about, nobody is talking about their schemes or formations etc.

The ineligible receivers, totally within the rules, deflated balls, probably so, but everyone talking about this and distracted. That's great coaching.

People on this board are media ******. Just eating it up. Like fodder. And it doesn't even matter.

 

[Cardsfanstl]

Yeah 48 degrees ain't changing the air in the ball much at all

Mike,

When this happened I thought the weather was a factor but to find all the Colts balls did not deflate but 11 of the 12 Pats balls were makes me think something went on. Both balls would have deflated if caused by the weather.

 

[Jetstream Green]

Parody song 'Tom Brady's Big Balls' among DeflateGate reactions

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/20...-bradys-big-balls-among-deflategate-reactions

fantastic!

 

[CtCardinals78]

That press conference was the best thing to happen to the NFL all year. That was classic.

 

[Russ Smith]

The local angle on this is amusing since Brady went to the same HS as Barry Bonds. People are questioning whether they teach this at Serra HS.

I think Brady is generally a good guy, I don't for one minute believe he told the truth at the press conference.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

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[schutd]

Anyone read this? Im sure its nothing. Everybody does it. This thing is being WAAAAY overblown. Pffft.

http://www.slate.com/articles/sport...s_lose_an_insanely_low_number_of_fumbles.html

 

[SissyBoyFloyd]

Do you think this "air in the ball" hasn't happened with regularity? Why is it brought up now. If you don't get caught, then you haven't done anything wrong I guess. Like if a tree falls in the forest and there is no one there to see it.

 

[GatorAZ]

Belichick just dropped a Mona Lisa Vito reference during his press conference. Lmao stating to like this guy.

 

[Russ Smith]

Anyone read this? Im sure its nothing. Everybody does it. This thing is being WAAAAY overblown. Pffft.

http://www.slate.com/articles/sport...s_lose_an_insanely_low_number_of_fumbles.html

Yeah the part of that article I missed when I read it is the rule on teams bringing their own footballs changed after 2006. From 07 on the Patriots fumbles per play stat is off the charts, significantly better than dome teams that tend to fumble less due to no weather issues.

I'm sure it's entirely coincidence and not that they happen to use under inflated balls that the RB's and WR's can hold onto easier.