Report: NFL investigating whether Patriots deflated footballs in AFC title game

[tk13]

http://www.wthr.com/story/27881499/s...-against-colts

Source tells Bob Kravitz that Patriots may have deflated footballs against Colts

Posted: Jan 19, 2015 1:15 AM EST
Updated: Jan 19, 2015 1:44 AM EST
By WTHR Channel 13

FOXBORO, Mass. -

A source within the NFL tells wthr.com's Bob Kravitz that the league is investigating the possibility that the Patriots deflated footballs in their 45-7 win over the Colts Sunday night.

The source told Kravitz that officials took a ball out of play at one point and weighed it.

A deflated football could be easier to throw and catch in poor weather conditions than a properly inflated ball.

Kravitz was told that if a league investigation confirms deflated footballs, it would result in lost draft picks for the Patriots.

More to come on this story.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by Direckshun

No one can accurately predict weather?

What?

That's exactly right.

For example, last weekend in Los Angeles, there was a 20% chance it would rain on Saturday and a 70% chance on Sunday. Well, it rained for all 24 hours on Saturday but didn't rain on Sunday.

There is no way that Bill Belichick is designing his strategy in Monday around rain, sleet or snow seven days later. The weather predictions change every day, sometimes every hour.

[ThaVirus]

Originally Posted by tk13

What's interesting was they had a delay, was it at the start of the 2nd half?... where they switched out the football. It took a while. CBS figured they accidentally had a kicking ball in play, but maybe it was related to this.

I remember.

Could get Intredasting..

[Just Passin' By]

OMG! Warmed-up-footballs-gate!

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Vikings played their coldest home game in 38 years on Sunday, when they beat the Carolina Panthers in 12-degree temperatures at TCF Bank Stadium.

As both teams dealt with the freezing temperatures, Fox cameras showed sideline attendants using heaters to warm up game balls, which is against league rules. NFL vice president of officiating Dean Blandino said Monday morning on NFL Network that officials warned both the Vikings and Panthers not to heat up the balls during Sunday's game, and would remind teams this week not to heat game balls.

"You can't do anything with the footballs in terms of any artificial, whether you're heating them up, whether it's a regular game ball or kicking ball, you can't do anything to the football," Blandino said. "So that was noticed during the game, both teams were made aware of it during the game and we will certainly remind the clubs as we get into more cold weather games that you can't do anything with the football in terms of heating them up with those sideline heaters."

By rule, the home team is responsible for providing the game balls. The footage shown on NFL Network is from the Vikings' sideline, though there are attendants from both teams on both sidelines and a league source said the Vikings weren't heating up the balls during the game.

Zimmer said he hadn't heard anything from the league about it on Monday, adding, "Somebody told me (Carolina's) ball boys were doing it."

Ball boys are allowed to carry hand heaters, as Fox officiating analyst Mike Pereira pointed out, but they are not allowed to put game balls in front of sideline heaters. The Vikings have two December home games on their schedule -- this Sunday against the New York Jets and Dec. 28 against the Chicago Bears. After the league sent out a warning, it stands to reason they'll be watching the sidelines closely in cold-weather games this month.

http://espn.go.com/blog/minnesota-vi...nthers-vikings

[Dylan]

Excerpt: Star-Ledger

The NFL rulebook on the official website has no mention of how much a ball should weigh.

The home club shall have 36 balls for outdoor games and 24 for indoor games available for testing with a pressure gauge by the referee two hours prior to the starting time of the game to meet with League requirements. Twelve (12) new footballs, sealed in a special box and shipped by the manufacturer, will be opened in the officials' locker room two hours prior to the starting time of the game. These balls are to be specially marked with the letter "k" and used exclusively for the kicking game.

A 2011 rulebook, however, lists the specific required dimensions.

The ball shall be made up of an inflated (12 1/2 to 13 1/2 pounds) urethane bladder enclosed in a pebble grained, leather case (natural tan color) without corrugations of any kind. It shall have the form of a prolate spheroid and the size and weight shall be: long axis, 11 to 11 1/4 inches; long circumference, 28 to 28 1/2 inches; short circumference, 21 to 21 1/4 inches; weight, 14 to 15 ounces.

If the league finds the balls were below the league mandated weight, the Patriots could be docked a draft pick.


Although it is unclear if the below video had anything to do with the weight of the football, it is worth noting that the game was momentarily held up at the beginning of the third quarter due to issues with the football. (video via The Cauldron)

http://www.nj.com/eagles/index.ssf/2...l#incart_river



Click twice on the white square in the right corner...

Everybody is running around handing off footballs...

[Just Passin' By]

Originally Posted by Dylan

Click twice on the white square in the right corner...

Everybody is running around handing off footballs...

Careful, now, or Direkshun will accuse you of 'debating'.

[Hootie]

Scumbag franchise but they won by a million ...

[Dylan]

Originally Posted by Just Passin' By

Careful, now, or Direkshun will accuse you of 'debating'.

I am just having a little fun.

What was the ball boy on the sidelines doing with the bag of balls?

[eDave]

Originally Posted by Dylan

I am just having a little fun.

What was the ball boy doing with the bag of balls?

That's what ball boys do.

[Just Passin' By]

Originally Posted by Dylan

I am just having a little fun.

What was the ball boy on the sidelines doing with the bag of balls?

My guess is that Carey's right and he was swapping out the 'K' ball, but that's just a guess.

But just supplying the rule, along with video that shows the situation, and a story about an earlier ball infraction by another team, while daring to say "whole lotta nothin'" and then editing that in order to remove any opinion from the post seems to somehow be debating, in the eyes of Direckshun, even though I didn't actually debate anyone.

[Dylan]

Originally Posted by eDave

That's what ball boys do.

Who does he work for eDave?

Hard to keep track of the original ball that was on the field...Everybody is exchanging balls.

[Just Passin' By]

Full text of the rule (not formatted, sorry):

Rule 2 The Ball
Section 1
BALL DIMENSIONS
The Ball must be a “Wilson,” hand selected, bearing the signature of the Commissioner of the League, Roger
Goodell.
The ball shall be made up of an inflated (12 1/2 to 13 1/2 pounds) urethane bladder enclosed in a pebble
grained, leather case (natural tan color) without corrugations of any kind. It shall have the form of a prolate
spheroid and the size and weight shall be: long axis, 11 to 11 1/4 inches; long circumference, 28 to 28 1/2
inches; short circumference, 21 to 21 1/4 inches; weight, 14 to 15 ounces.
The Referee shall be the sole judge as to whether all balls offered for play comply with these specifications. 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.
Section 2
BALL SUPPLY
Each team will make 12 primary balls available for testing by the Referee two hours and 15 minutes prior to the
starting time of the game to meet League requirements. The home team will also make 12 backup balls
available for testing in all stadiums. In addition, the visitors, at their discretion, may bring 12 backup balls to
be tested by the Referee for games held in outdoor stadiums. For games in outdoor stadiums, eight new
footballs, sealed in a special box and shipped by the manufacturer to the Referee, will be opened in the
officials’ locker room two hours and 15 minutes prior to the starting time of the game. These balls are to be
specially marked by the Referee and used exclusively for the kicking game. For games in indoor stadiums,
six new footballs will be shipped.
In the event a home team ball does not conform to specifications, or its supply is exhausted, the Referee shall
secure a proper ball from the visitors and, failing that, use the best available ball. Any such circumstances
must be reported to the Commissioner.
In case of rain or a wet, muddy, or slippery field, a playable ball shall be used at the request of the offensive
team’s center. The Game Clock shall not stop for such action (unless undue delay occurs).
Note: It is the responsibility of the home team to furnish playable balls at all times by attendants from either side
of the playing field.
OFFICIAL NFL PLAYING RULES 3

http://static.nfl.com/static/content...2_The_Ball.pdf

So the teams have to supply adequately pumped footballs to the officials. The officials get the balls, and a pump in case it's necessary, 2 hours and 15 minutes before the game. From then, until just before the game, the balls are under the control of the officials. They are then given to the ball boys.

[Ming the Merciless]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

If NE deflated balls, why couldn't Luck and company catch anything?

This.

Sore ****ing losers

[keg in kc]

Wasn't it 50 degrees during the game? Wasn't exactly the ice bowl out there. Not like Brady did a ton of damage in the air, either. Deflated balls the reason Blount went through the Colts defense like they were bowling pins?

[Hootie]

Originally Posted by keg in kc

Wasn't it 50 degrees during the game? Wasn't exactly the ice bowl out there. Not like Brady did a ton of damage in the air, either. Deflated balls the reason Blount went through the Colts defense like they were bowling pins?

Pretty much this.

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by eDave

If true, you have to vacate that win. Anything less is a travesty.

Surely you arent serious. ..I hate NE but it wouldnt have mattered. Personally i dont find quasi deflating a football a big deal. .not nearly as big of a deal as spygate