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.

[Wallcrawler]

Originally Posted by BigMeatballDave

So, why are the Patriots a scumbag franchise?

Because some lowly employee may have videotaped the Rams Practice, or whatever over a decade ago?

****ing Whaaa!

Not sure if serious.

Belichick cheated in the past. Taping other teams was a long standing thing they were doing. They were videotaping the signals from the sideline so that when they saw the signals in the game, they would know what was coming.

Cheating, in ANY FORM, makes you a scumbag. The Patriots sticking with Belicheat and not firing him is an act of pure acceptance of Belicheat's scumbag practices and therefore anoints them as a scumbag franchise.

Oh, Bill played it off spectacularly in his comments.

I accept full responsibility.

My interpretation of a rule in the [NFL's] Constitution and Bylaws was incorrect.

Really, Bill? You just happened to think that YOU WERE THE ONLY ****ING GUY IN THE LEAGUE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE "LEGAL" OPTION TO ****ING VIDEOTAPE THE OPPOSING TEAM'S HAND SIGNALS??

It NEVER ****ing occurred to you that if it was an acceptable practice, EVERY OTHER ****ING TEAM WOULD BE DOING IT?

So this so-called "genius" head coach, HAD NO CLUE that videotaping an opponent's signals was cheating.

Sure.

Sure Bill.

If you aren't cheating, you aren't trying. Then Goodell inexplicably destroyed the tapes. Are you ****ing kidding me? Why the **** would evidence EVER be destroyed?


Now, a deflated football didn't give Blount increased vision and cutting ability. It didn't make the Colts overpursue against the run time and again. It didn't make the Colts unable to bring him down quickly. 30 carries, 150 yards, 3 TDs. It didn't make the Colts offense unable to muster up more than a single TD. A deflated ball is not the reason the Colts lost the football game.

Its the principle. Its the idea that it is well within the realm of possibility that the Patriots and Belichick would cheat. They push the very limits of what is considered underhanded and what isn't.

It would literally surprise NOBODY if it came out that the Patriots were cheating again.

[Simply Red]

Originally Posted by Brainiac

Chiefsplanet is outraged because a source they never heard of made a claim about a game the Chiefs aren't even playing in.

Before you guys get even more spastic, I have to ask one question: who touches the football before every single play?

Answer: The referees. I think the referees would be pretty quick to notice an underinflated ball, and they'd throw it out. Apparently there was a question about ONE ball. It got thrown out.

I root against the Patriots. I'm not a Patriots fan. But the way some of you are melting down in hilarious. "If true, you have to vacate that win. Anything less is a travesty."

I can beat that - I HOPE THEY DIAF!

[BigMeatballDave]

Originally Posted by Wallcrawler

Not sure if serious.

Belichick cheated in the past. Taping other teams was a long standing thing they were doing. They were videotaping the signals from the sideline so that when they saw the signals in the game, they would know what was coming.

Cheating, in ANY FORM, makes you a scumbag. The Patriots sticking with Belicheat and not firing him is an act of pure acceptance of Belicheat's scumbag practices and therefore anoints them as a scumbag franchise.

Oh, Bill played it off spectacularly in his comments.

I accept full responsibility.

My interpretation of a rule in the [NFL's] Constitution and Bylaws was incorrect.

Really, Bill? You just happened to think that YOU WERE THE ONLY ****ING GUY IN THE LEAGUE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE "LEGAL" OPTION TO ****ING VIDEOTAPE THE OPPOSING TEAM'S HAND SIGNALS??

It NEVER ****ing occurred to you that if it was an acceptable practice, EVERY OTHER ****ING TEAM WOULD BE DOING IT?

So this so-called "genius" head coach, HAD NO CLUE that videotaping an opponent's signals was cheating.

Sure.

Sure Bill.

If you aren't cheating, you aren't trying. Then Goodell inexplicably destroyed the tapes. Are you ****ing kidding me? Why the **** would evidence EVER be destroyed?


Now, a deflated football didn't give Blount increased vision and cutting ability. It didn't make the Colts overpursue against the run time and again. It didn't make the Colts unable to bring him down quickly. 30 carries, 150 yards, 3 TDs. It didn't make the Colts offense unable to muster up more than a single TD. A deflated ball is not the reason the Colts lost the football game.

Its the principle. Its the idea that it is well within the realm of possibility that the Patriots and Belichick would cheat. They push the very limits of what is considered underhanded and what isn't.

It would literally surprise NOBODY if it came out that the Patriots were cheating again.

I really don't give a shit.

If you aren't cheating, you aren't trying.

Ooohh! Videotaping the other team. OH NOES!

like stealing signs in MLB?

BFD

But keep crying about it.

Execute them all!

[mikeyis4dcats.]

A ball properly inflated inside in a warm place would deflate when taken out into cold weather. See your car tires on a cold day.

Didn't watch the game, so no idea the conditions, nor do I really care.

[Simply Red]

By the way - I don't even think the NFL is 'looking into this' - give me a break - & if they did; it wouldn't take weeks to study to gain conclusion - Yes this is an isolated dumbass reporter IMO

[WhawhaWhat]

Originally Posted by Simply Red

By the way - I don't even think the NFL is 'looking into this' - give me a break - & if they did; it wouldn't take weeks to study to gain conclusion - Yes this is an isolated dumbass reporter IMO

It won't take weeks to do the study but they can make it take weeks for them to report the findings in that study. Like for instance 2 weeks from today.

[BucEyedPea]

Originally Posted by Wallcrawler

Not sure if serious.

Belichick cheated in the past. Taping other teams was a long standing thing they were doing. They were videotaping the signals from the sideline so that when they saw the signals in the game, they would know what was coming.

Cheating, in ANY FORM, makes you a scumbag.

According to this all teams steal signals, which is legal, and they can get them many other ways, with binoculars, scribbling notes etc. They just can't use videotape. Although there's plenty of videotape of each game that can be matched up with notes later. It's just easier with videotaping. Other teams have done it too. Technology, per this article, has pushed the envelope and made things murkier and will continue to do so.

"The issue, rather, is the method of acquiring the signals." — not stealing the signals.

Otherwise, why do coaches cover their mouths and use other modes to hide their communication? I've read about spies going to other teams' training camps even.

In the N.F.L., It’s Not Cheating Until You Start Videotaping

[ct]

#1 the patriots were clearly the better team, and football inflation had nothing to do w/ that
#2 am i missing something, that this story is based on one football during the game? there's gotta be more than that, or this is crap. one football out of who knows how many losing some of its air is a manufacturing anomaly, a few of them obviously would require intervention.

until i hear of more than one football being seriously questioned, i'm not gonna give one more shit about this.

[BigCatDaddy]

The NFL needed a story for the off week to fill some air time.

[BucEyedPea]

So don't act as if other teams were unable to get Patriot signals either. In fact, Jay Fieldler admitted the Dolphins did."There were times in games when we knew certain defensive calls from what we were able to gather during the game or our scouts’ eyesight," Fiedler revealed.

[BucEyedPea]

Originally Posted by ct

#1 the patriots were clearly the better team, and football inflation had nothing to do w/ that
#2 am i missing something, that this story is based on one football during the game? there's gotta be more than that, or this is crap. one football out of who knows how many losing some of its air is a manufacturing anomaly, a few of them obviously would require intervention.

until i hear of more than one football being seriously questioned, i'm not gonna give one more shit about this.

Lot of sour grapes and jealousy out there, especially when it comes to the Patriots.

[Simply Red]

Originally Posted by WhawhaWhat

It won't take weeks to do the study but they can make it take weeks for them to report the findings in that study. Like for instance 2 weeks from today.

probably.

[WhawhaWhat]

Originally Posted by BucEyedPea

So don't act as if other teams were unable to get Patriot signals either. In fact, Jay Fieldler admitted the Dolphins did."There were times in games when we knew certain defensive calls from what we were able to gather during the game or our scouts’ eyesight," Fiedler revealed.

Figuring out another teams signals isn't against the rules. The means by which the Patriots figured out another teams signals was against the rules.

[RobBlake]

pats are not cheaters stfu lol Someone from indy is sour and the reporter is from indy if i recall

[BucEyedPea]

"To steal signals from the booth, everybody's done it," Ditka said. "There are a lot of ways to cheat, a lot of ways of stealing signals, and if a team's not smart enough to change their signals, they deserve to be stolen.

"But to put a camera on the sideline ... it's blatant arrogance to think you're going to get away with it."

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2...gnals-stealing

An edge through espionage? More common than you think

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d...than-you-think