Tom Brady is Mediocre!!!

[oVTo]

On November 30, the FOX broadcast showed sideline heaters being used to warm the footballs. Warming the footballs before sending them in for play is against league rules - it's cheating.

Was either team fined? Did they lose picks? Was there nationwide outrage? No, the league issued a reminder to all teams that they cannot warm the footballs prior to using them. No punishment for either team.

Both violations improve the ability to grip the ball. To be consistent, the NFL should issue a notice reminding all teams of the proper football the proper inflation level.

Can you imagine what the national press would have done to the story if instead of Panthers and/or Vikings heating the footballs, it was the Patriots? The same infraction that went completely under the radar would have been front page nationally for a week. It's not fair, but Belicheck has to understand he and the Pats are held to a different standard than the rest of the league, so he has to behave appropriately.

[SVRACER01]

Then this will make you cry.

Doyel: Deflating ball beneath most; but this is the Pats

that was far more objective than the SI one.
if youre a pats fan then you know what its like to be a yankees fan. the pats are the team everyone loves to hate.
everyone wants the pats pulled from the super bowl, well if that happens then we should start pulling some world series trophies from the yankees because...well...A rod.

[butcher bergs]

As a fan, the luster of all these wins will be lost for me if this turns into something more than being isolated to the Colts game.

[RandyO]

leaky stems and rough use

[scottieducati]

As a fan, the luster of all these wins will be lost for me if this turns into something more than being isolated to the Colts game.

Really? It seems pretty commonplace for teams to heat, inflate or deflate balls as they can get away with. I'm not sure why the rules even allow for their own balls if this is such an issue... just make everyone use the same ones the refs keep, period. Otherwise this is much ado about something it seems... we at least have knowledge has been done in recent times, by varying degrees, by multiple teams and preferences range from liking dem big balls (Rodgers) to illegally warming them. I think SpyGate was a far bigger deal IMO, I'd never heard of messing with footballs before but think of it like pitchers getting away with whatever they can do to a baseball. Been that way for years, probably always will be, but it doesn't take much luster away for me.

[mzdagrl]

I'm suprised no one here has posted this yet:
Patriots reportedly used properly inflated backup balls in second half - The Washington Post

After the officials found that the majority of the balls used in the first half were below the acceptable PSI as mandated by the NFL, the backup balls were brought in. According to the source, the backup balls were tested and found to be at the correct levels, and subsequently put into play — just barely in time, as the second half already had started by the time the testing was completed. This is why the officials stopped play and swapped out the kicking ball on the first play from scrimmage of the second half.

[Point37]

On one end of Gillette Stadium is a lighthouse, the stadium’s signature architectural feature. But if you sit behind the opposite end zone and look at the lighthouse, you will notice something else: An enormous television beyond the lighthouse, in the parking lot.

Officially, this allows people in the parking lot to watch TV. Is it a coincidence that you can see that TV from the Patriots’ sideline, but not from the opposing sideline, making it easier for the Patriots to watch replays and decide whether to throw the challenge flag?

That's all you got? How's that work for you on the road?

i thought some reporter went down onto the field on the patriots side and filmed towards the screen and you couldn't even see it

edit: yea you can see it if you have superhuman sight
SI writer takes cheating accusations to another planet | nePatriotsLife.com - New England Patriots Fan Site, Blog, T-shirts

[butcher bergs]

Really? It seems pretty commonplace for teams to heat, inflate or deflate balls as they can get away with. I'm not sure why the rules even allow for their own balls if this is such an issue... just make everyone use the same ones the refs keep, period. Otherwise this is much ado about something it seems... we at least have knowledge has been done in recent times, by varying degrees, by multiple teams and preferences range from liking dem big balls (Rodgers) to illegally warming them. I think SpyGate was a far bigger deal IMO, I'd never heard of messing with footballs before but think of it like pitchers getting away with whatever they can do to a baseball. Been that way for years, probably always will be, but it doesn't take much luster away for me.

Yes really and because everyone else (who isn't under such close scrutiny like the Pats are) is doing it, doesn't make it acceptable in my book.

Something that has been so trivial in the NFL for years (and possibly decades) is about to blow up in our face and it will be the Pats (or the coach) who will be made an example of as the NFL is licking its wounds and trying to save face after we all learned how incompetent certain members on the NFL staff are.

So, yeah, luster lost since we, of all teams, should be keeping our noses clean.

[nhbubba]

The lynch mob is not interested in details.

[Falko]

Belicheck sort of threw Tommy under the bus this morning. Let's see where this goes now.

[jimmycapp]

Bax was calling it "Ballgazi" this morning.

[stoinkythepig]

Here's how I think it will go down:

BB just sheltered himself and the team from major sanctions with his press conference and regardless of the truth, already knows the NFL cannot prove tampering
TB will claim ignorance about why the balls were flat
The NFL will not ever be able to prove how the balls lost air
NEP will promise to keep a close eye on ball pressure from now on and the NFL will have no choice but to say OK to that/maybe apply a small team/coach fine
The other 31 teams will now be more careful about ball pressure too

[scottieducati]

Here's a good article that pretty much sums up how I feel.

[nhbubba]

I'm okay with that.

Most radio bozos are saying the NFL "has" to issue a fine and penalty. That the flat balls at halftime is enough evidence by itself.

I think that's silly. But..

[RandyO]

more people will watch the StupidBowl because of the controversy

NFL has most motive to leak rumor of deflated balls

[Point37]

Deflate-Gate: Ball Boy Prepped Footballs for QBs' Liking

[nhbubba]

NFL has most motive to leak rumor of deflated balls

I agree. If anything, I'm pissed at the league for releasing information piecemeal. Seems like a BS way of pumping up the hype. But in a cheap way. Nobody's talking about the game.

[Garandman]

Brady talks to press today at 4: he will have some splaining to do.

On 98.5 that took two footballs that were over and under inflated, and even Zolak couldn't correctly tell the difference.

Earlier in the season teams were warming footballs under heaters on the sidelines, and were warned not to do so. But they weren't asked to vacate the SuperBowl, because not Patriots.

[AEG]

Anyone watched it?

[Garandman]

Anyone watched it?

Brady said, "I'm married to Giselle Bundchen - and you aren't."

JK - Tom Brady of New England Patriots says he didn't alter footballs - ESPN Boston

[Imbeek]

Doesn't anyone care that a slipping football has never been a major problem for Brady, that in this particular game Brady had a subpar passing game, that there's really no tangible benefit to flattening "his balls" and therefore no way that football geniuses like Belichek and Brady would put ANY weight on the "reward" side of a risk/reward decision of attempting such tomfoolery (pun intended)? It makes NO sense as alleged...

The only ones I can imagine with even semi-logical motive to intentionally alter the balls, are either a ballboy more warped than Ray Finkle, or a media guy/anti-patriots fan intentionally stirring this up for profit, entertainment, revenge, or to move betting lines.

Since those are so far fetched...has anyone re-tested the actual balls themselves and the equipment used both to fill them and measure them? I listened to a bunch of the statements made today by TB and BB, and they didn't answer about the actual chain of custody of the footballs. WHO had access, and has all the equipment been tested? What tanks were used to fill them, if any? What gauges? Do these new balls or the valves leak? How about the gauges that the refs used to test them? Were the refs able to measure without any air getting out, cuz I've never been able to(!). Were the balls perhaps NOT at room temperature (heated with the intention of softening them, for example) when filled, resulting in a larger than expected pressure drop when brought outside? Was it normal "air" in the tanks? Was that at room temperature? Were the tanks? Pv=NrT, mfer! Did the balls or seams STRETCH more than normal, so that a constant volume of air would have less pressure after the stretching?

Spygate had benefit.

This doesn't.

Not guilty.

[SVRACER01]

im over it. the whole thing is ridiculous. everyone does something to the ball and until the NFL starts providing the game balls then its going to continue to happen. not to mention i highly doubt that air pressures are routinely checked during or after the game for any team.

[Garandman]

Spygate had benefit.

This doesn't.

Not guilty.

Doesn't matter what we think, most of the rest of the country says "They haven't won a SuperBowl since Spygate."

[Rambunctous]

They probably used a "Made In China" tire gauge. Unreliable Walmart crap.

[Garandman]

While Indianapolis is still deflated, in Seattle ball pressure is receiving very little attention.

Sports | Seattle Times

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