Patriots being investigated for Deflating footballs.....(Mega Merge)

[Shane Bond]

Why do you think that is? Is it so surprising to you that Patriot fans might like to inject a little reality check into all this sensationalism-driven witch hunt? I suppose Colt fans just sat back in mature serenity when accusations of the Colts pumping in crowd noise was surfacing.

For what it's worth, it is now being reported that Bob Kravitz' source is none other than Jim Irsay himself.

and you ignored the first part conveniently

[RandomFan]

This argument seems silly willy to me...

who is even saying  "You only won the SB because..."???

All I said is the whole thing is funny...

 

& you shouldn't be able to talk about this with a straight face because the whole thing has great comedy already built in with the great names that this "investigation" warrants...

be it DEFLATE-GATE, or BALLSGATE, or BALL TAMPERING, Bill B.'s Floppy Balls, whatever!!!

any name given to this ordeal is comedic gold...

 

For the casual fan cheating equals cheating, I live on the west coast where 99% of the population didn't have a vested interest in the AFCC game, but they were surely talking about DEFLATE -GATE today, so the perception of pats as cheaters gets propagated further... that's tainted

 

the perception of the pats is that they cheat, bend the rules, however small, to get the upper hand...

not sure who thinks the outcome of the game was seriously effected by floppy balls, but regardless of the outcome of the investigation, the seed is planted (on national media) and the idea that pats=cheaters gets propagated further, over something as minor as deflating balls none the less...

 

silliness, but funny & awesome...

 

Haters gonna hate,

cheaters gonna cheat,

and ball tamperers are gonna tamper some balls...

 

Well, when you put it that way...........hard to disagree lol...... Deflaters gonna deflate. 

[da_pats_troll]

Cool, you can use Wikipedia. So you were just nonchalantly pointing out other people tampering with balls, and then saying every nfl team has cheated, with no proof, all for * and giggles? With no real point? Is that what you're telling me? Then why say anything if you have no point?

You had a slight point with the warming, but not the cheating comment. So you are basically being a typical woman who makes passive aggressive comments that you can deny if someone calls you out on it. Congrats, your ignored.

 

Cool. You can learn when you have no argument to fall back on, personally insult another poster, then run away and hide in the corner.

[daredevildog]

Hillarious, no matter what happens now this season will be tainted for the pats!

DEFLATE-GATE...

& i cant say enough how funny it is to see tons of pats fans celebrating their sb birth by defending their teams shady transgressions on a rivals message board.

With thundering lashings against the Colts averaging 47.3 points per game over the past 4 games, you no longer are rivals. New England sports teams thrive on tough competition and work hard to rise to the top to compete. It is who we are. With Andrew Luck you have the makings to be great again, you just have to assemble the supporting cast. Your quarterback should not be the one supporting the whole team. Pagano has done wonderful things and hopefully he will continue to do so. Looking forward to seeing you again!

 

As for deflate-gate. Time will tell on that and if Irsay is the one that leaked his frustrations to the press, then your organization has far more work ahead of itself than you might think.

[jvan1973]

With thundering lashings against the Colts averaging 47.3 points per game over the past 4 games, you no longer are rivals. New England sports teams thrive on tough competition and work hard to rise to the top to compete. It is who we are. With Andrew Luck you have the makings to be great again, you just have to assemble the supporting cast. Your quarterback should not be the one supporting the whole team. Pagano has done wonderful things and hopefully he will continue to do so. Looking forward to seeing you again!

As for deflate-gate. Time will tell on that and if Irsay is the one that leaked his frustrations to the press, then your organization has far more work ahead of itself than you might think.

First off, you aren't on the team. Your actions and desires to win have no effect on the outcomes of games. I also find it interesting that you say "its who you are". What does that say about you and your region for all tgw years pre 2000?

Second, the balls were pulled from play during the game. Irsay wouldn't have been able to be the "mole"The bigger point should be why were the balls tampered with at all?

[ruksak]

.....you no longer are rivals.

True ....true....

 

We are rivals to the Patriots the same way a fly is a rival to a spider. 

[Gramz]

As for deflate-gate. Time will tell on that and if Irsay is the one that leaked his frustrations to the press, then your organization has far more work ahead of itself than you might think.

. Leaking air vs. Leaking info to the press. And you are suggesting the Lessor of two evils is ????

[mintor]

proves  that cheating too win works .  are as saying goes win at all cost is  no diff in real wars. 

[BlacknGold77]

http://m.wcvb.com/sports/nfl-investigating-after-colts-player-thought-ball-was-under-inflated/30798932?utm_campaign=WCVB+Channel+5+Boston+-+wcvb5&utm_medium=FBPAGE&utm_source=Social

Apparently DQ thought the ball felt under inflated when he picked it off.

 

so its a simple run of the mill thing that happens all the time?  Better condemn the Patriots...

 

Also, dont you think the ref would've noticed if the ball felt different?  He only touches and squeezes it every play (double entendre unintended)

[amfootball]

First off, you aren't on the team. Your actions and desires to win have no effect on the outcomes of games. I also find it interesting that you say "its who you are". What does that say about you and your region for all tgw years pre 2000?

Second, the balls were pulled from play during the game. Irsay wouldn't have been able to be the "mole"The bigger point should be why were the balls tampered with at all?

Allegedly tampered with.

[Narcosys]

Cool. You can learn when you have no argument to fall back on, personally insult another poster, then run away and hide in the corner.

Are you serious? You're making arguments and changing your points on a dime. I have no need to fall back because you're not making sense or clarifying your own arguments. You're just saying stuff with no real reason. It's not on me to defend anything cause you can't argue against the nonsense you're spouting.

You make claims with no evidence that everyone cheats just to justify your own teams history of cheating. You're the one with no argument to fall back on. And I'm just calling you out for exactly what you're doing. Don't like it, don't do it.

[amfootball]

Pagano says he did not notice deflated balls, http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/01/19/pagano-on-deflated-footballs-didnt-notice-it-wont-comment-on-it/

[pgt_rob]

Pagano says he did not notice deflated balls, http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/01/19/pagano-on-deflated-footballs-didnt-notice-it-wont-comment-on-it/

 

Of course the coach isn't going to say anything about it. It's out of his reach anyway. Up to league officials to investigate and do all the commenting.

[da_pats_troll]

Are you serious? You're making arguments and changing your points on a dime. I have no need to fall back because you're not making sense or clarifying your own arguments. You're just saying stuff with no real reason. It's not on me to defend anything cause you can't argue against the nonsense you're spouting.

You make claims with no evidence that everyone cheats just to justify your own teams history of cheating. You're the one with no argument to fall back on. And I'm just calling you out for exactly what you're doing. Don't like it, don't do it.

 

...really?  Lets go back to the original post. where was your outrage when it happened before. You somehow twisted that into I was classless, and dumb, and that I claimed every one did it. I have never changed MY arguments or discussion points., You have although...lets see, you said it was pregame and not in game, and then when that was pointed out to you to be false, you backed off that and then twisted the topic to be that I claimed everyone did it and made the strawman argument. 

 

When called out on that, you did the typical internet thing, and started attacking me and not the subject of the discussion.

 

I'll ask you again, why were you not calling for punishment when other teams broke the same rule?

[amfootball]

Of course the coach isn't going to say anything about it. It's out of his reach anyway. Up to league officials to investigate and do all the commenting.

It's not what he didn't say, it's what he did say. He did not notice any deflated ball. I think it was his way of distancing himself given how badly the Colts lost. The conditions were miserable and it is not uncommon for balls to lose air during the game and for the officials to ask for new balls. Because it was the Colts and not the refs that noticed something up with the balls, gives enough pause to think this is malarkey. Refs handle the balls all game long. We shall see ...

[pgt_rob]

It's not what he didn't say, it's what he did say. He did not notice any deflated ball. I think it was his way of distancing himself given how badly the Colts lost. The conditions were miserable and it is not uncommon for balls to lose air during the game and for the officials to ask for new balls. Because it was the Colts and not the refs that noticed something up with the balls, gives enough pause to think this is malarkey. Refs handle the balls all game long. We shall see ...

 

Just wait and see. Everything is just speculation.

[AndreRison]

Per ESPN

Colts first noticed something unusual after an interception by Colts linebacker D'Qwell Jackson late in the second quarter.

Newsday reported that Jackson then gave the ball to a member of the Colts' equipment staff, who noticed the ball seemed underinflated. At that point, coach Chuck Pagano and general manager Ryan Grigson were notified, and Grigson alerted NFL director of football operations Mike Kensil, according to the report.

[GoPats]

Awwww boo hoo. Cry me a river. LOL its OK when 3 of "you guys" American , MDJ and another come on "our" forum and agree that Luck compares to Dalton. Nothing more than trolling and trying to inflame.. Now I have to see you whine about 3 or 4 out of probably 30 colt fans that "treat " your fan base poorly. You're kidding me right ? 

 

Oh good God man get over it... I'm sorry that I compared Luck's performance to something we'd see out of Dalton. I didn't realize you would take it like I personally insulted every person you care about in life. Luck is light years ahead of Dalton, OK? Not even the same universe. If you guys want to sell that he played a good game on Sunday, super-duper. Yay. 

[Bad Morty]

I looked at the Colts stats for the year and saw that D'Qwell Jackson had exactly ZERO interceptions this year. Does it make one iota of sense that a guy who apparently never gets his hands on a football is going to be able to notice what would be a pretty subtle difference in the air pressure inside a football while the referees who have handled balls on every snap of every game they've ever officiated didn't notice this? I'm sorry, but this duck just doesn't fly.

[GoPats]

http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/extra_points/2015/01/report_patriots_may_have_deflated_footballs_for_af.html?p1=menu_sports_main

 

Colts are the ones that alerted the refs that the ball seemed deflated after the Colts pick.

 

As per WCVB-TV Channel 5 sports anchor Mike Lynch, Colts linebacker D'Qwell Jackson, who intercepted Tom Brady in the second quarter of Sunday's game, told coach Chuck Pagano that the ball felt deflated.

Newsday's Bob Glauber, citing "a person familiar with the background of the matter," also reported that Jackson "gave the ball to a member of the Colts' equipment staff, who noticed the ball seemed underinflated and the notified" Pagano. Glauber reports that Colts general manager Ryan Grigson was then notified in the press box and contacted NFL director of football operations Mike Kensil, who then communicated the information to the officials on the field at halftime.

 

OK, so...

 

D'Qwell Jackson, a linebacker who has touched a football in game play 19 times (8 INTs, 11 fumble recoveries) in nine years, noticed that the ball seemed deflated. 

 

The very same ball that a referee, who touches a ball over 100 times/game to set it, put down for the snap without swapping it out or somehow taking note that it seemed "off?" 

 

Where it went from there is irrelevant to how odd that is on the surface. Obviously if the NFL is looking into maybe there's more to the story. Still, this is weird, and would suggest that if anything was shady, the refs were either ignorant to it or complicit in it. So the whole story, from that perspective, gets a little more ridiculous and far-fetched. 

 

The problem here is that most have clearly already decided that the Patriots are guilty, and no sort of statement or action taken by the league to indemnify them will matter to the masses.

 

Like Tedy Bruschi said yesterday, there's a loooonnnnggggg line of people who want to take their shots at the Patriots and see them fail. Or embarrassed. Or both. Hate on, haters. 

[GoPats]

Also, I should leave this here...

 

 

[Gramz]

Also, I should leave this here...

 

 

[amfootball]

OK, so...

 

D'Qwell Jackson, a linebacker who has touched a football in game play 19 times (8 INTs, 11 fumble recoveries) in nine years, noticed that the ball seemed deflated. 

 

The very same ball that a referee, who touches a ball over 100 times/game to set it, put down for the snap without swapping it out or somehow taking note that it seemed "off?" 

 

Where it went from there is irrelevant to how odd that is on the surface. Obviously if the NFL is looking into maybe there's more to the story. Still, this is weird, and would suggest that if anything was shady, the refs were either ignorant to it or complicit in it. So the whole story, from that perspective, gets a little more ridiculous and far-fetched. 

 

The problem here is that most have clearly already decided that the Patriots are guilty, and no sort of statement or action taken by the league to indemnify them will matter to the masses.

 

Like Tedy Bruschi said yesterday, there's a loooonnnnggggg line of people who want to take their shots at the Patriots and see them fail. Or embarrassed. Or both. Hate on, haters. 

Yeah, pretty much my thoughts as well. The refs did nothing during the game which speaks volumes as well. We shall see ...

[BlacknGold77]

Yeah, pretty much my thoughts as well. The refs did nothing during the game which speaks volumes as well. We shall see ...

 

yup, but you know the routine. rabble rabble patriots bad rabble rabble

[BlacknGold77]

also, a HUGE thank you to all of the folks stirring this up in the media.  This is a wet dream for Belichick going into the Superbowl.  You have all given him the ultimate motivation piece.  They are at their best when they believe everyone is against them and they can circle the wagons.

 

So thank you so much for lighting an even bigger fire under the Patriots' backsides

[GoPats]

 

Oh believe me I'm sorry it's come to that. But I'm not going to bang my head against the wall. 

 

Like I said above... most people, regardless of any impending outcome or report, have already made up their minds about it.

[Susie Q]

Yeah, pretty much my thoughts as well. The refs did nothing during the game which speaks volumes as well. We shall see ...

Well I think the refs did the only thing that they had the authority to do at the time is replace the ball and wait and let the NFL investigate the situation.    It's not like they could stop the game.  It just seems kind of ironic that these things always happen to the Pats.   Well I'm sure that the NFL will get it all straightened out and if found guilty your team will loose a draft pick. The pick doesn't hurt as much as another strike on your organization I would think.   

[amfootball]

Well I think the refs did the only thing that they had the authority to do at the time is replace the ball and wait and let the NFL investigate the situation.    It's not like they could stop the game.  It just seems kind of ironic that these things always happen to the Pats.   Well I'm sure that the NFL will get it all straightened out and if found guilty your team will loose a draft pick. The pick doesn't hurt as much as another strike on your organization I would think.

No Susie, the refs most certainly could have stopped the game. They were handling the ball the entire game whereas the Colts LB had his hands on one ball and as a defensive player he rarely handles the ball to begin with.

 

It is interesting that this always happens to the Pats, isn't it? And it always seems to be their opponent's whom they have just beat that seem to raise these accusations whether it was Harbaugh last week on the legal formations or now this week with the air of the ball.

 

All I know is this. IF this turns out to be nothing, it will be a bad, bad look for your organization.

[Buck Showalter]

Oh believe me I'm sorry it's come to that. But I'm not going to bang my head against the wall.

Like I said above... most people, regardless of any impending outcome or report, have already made up their minds about it.

Ha, thats the funniest part, that the average fan already has the pats viewed as rule benders and pats fans celebrating their sb birth by having to go into defense mode, on the interwebs,

Bwahahahahahaha

[dynasty13]

Ha, thats the funniest part, that the average fan already has the pats viewed as rule benders and pats fans celebrating their sb birth by having to go into defense mode, on the interwebs,

Bwahahahahahaha

 

Oh don't you worry....this isnt ruining our excitement, trust me.

[Buck Showalter]

With thundering lashings against the Colts averaging 47.3 points per game over the past 4 games, you no longer are rivals. New England sports teams thrive on tough competition and work hard to rise to the top to compete. It is who we are. With Andrew Luck you have the makings to be great again, you just have to assemble the supporting cast. Your quarterback should not be the one supporting the whole team. Pagano has done wonderful things and hopefully he will continue to do so. Looking forward to seeing you again!

 

As for deflate-gate. Time will tell on that and if Irsay is the one that leaked his frustrations to the press, then your organization has far more work ahead of itself than you might think.

Hillarious, pats fans hard at work defending their organization on the interwebs by taking their shots, guised with back handed compliments...

[Narcosys]

5. Go back far enough, and that can be said about almost every team in the NFL. Sad, but true.

This. You're saying every team had cheated. You're using this as a counter to me pointing out your teams recent history of it. This doesn't excuse your teams cheating cause everyone does it. That is the only point and reason that can be pulled from that statement. If that was not your point then your statement had no bearing on the argument and no reason to be brought up.

That's not strawman, that's simple reasoning. Maybe i'm just over estimating your intelligence to not make senseless comments that have nothing to do with the topic at hand.

[GoPats]

Ha, thats the funniest part, that the average fan already has the pats viewed as rule benders and pats fans celebrating their sb birth by having to go into defense mode, on the interwebs,

Bwahahahahahaha

 

"Berth," Buck, "berth"...  ;)

 

It's only day two of "Deflategate," but it's starting to have a somewhat galvanizing impact. On both the team and the fan base, I think.

 

Either way, it's just football. Yesterday at my office, a 25-year-old kid had a heart attack and literally almost died in my arms. When I got to him there were two people already performing CPR. It seemed to take forever for the paramedics to show up. He was losing his color fast, no heartbeat, no pulse. We got his heartbeat back a minute or two before the EMTs arrived and took over. He's recovering and is in good spirits from what his family tells us. 

 

It's weird how life works out. I was active in discussions about this topic yesterday until that happened. After that... not so much. A little perspective in life is good. Football is great entertainment, but in the end, it's meaningless in the grand scheme of things. 

[Yehoodi]

I just have a few more thoughts on the matter, was thinking about starting a new thread but figured I would enter my thoughts here with respect to what has been disclosed by the media to date, and thus the only “facts” that we have to date on the matter.

 

It appears that only team ball boys handle the balls for their respective offense, that the teams are requested to bring 12 balls to the game, 24 on bad weather days.  The balls are checked pregame by the refs are not allowed to be touched by the teams until the game starts.  It is against the rule to tamper with a ball.  If one wanted to tamper with a ball to make it underinflated one could simply take a ball inflator and press it into the ball for a brief moment to release some of the air.  A ball inflator is something that can be easily concealed by a person.

 

Now for the $64,000 question with the facts that we know of now

1. Over the course of BB/Brady 15 year tenor in New England, there is no record of any player or team complaining about underinflated balls with respect to the Patriots offense.
2. Yesterday Adam Schefter reported on NFL Insiders that colt player that picked off Brady twice in November indicated that the ball was underinflated and the NFL was alerted.
3. Also yesterday Adam indicated the player who intercepted the ball on Sunday felt the ball was underinflated.  The refs were alerted. (this fact was backed up by the links in this thread).

So the $64,000 question for me is a chain of custody question.  The only three balls that I am aware of that connect BB/Brady with underinflated balls are ones that were in the possession of the colts players and team members on their sidelines, in the two games this year.  If in our long history of BB/Brady’s tenor and all of the interceptions and balls being handled by the refs and opposing players, does anyone fine interesting that the only three balls that we are aware of in that history have the same common denominator, and that being the colts sideline?

 

[jvan1973]

No Susie, the refs most certainly could have stopped the game. They were handling the ball the entire game whereas the Colts LB had his hands on one ball and as a defensive player he rarely handles the ball to begin with.

It is interesting that this always happens to the Pats, isn't it? And it always seems to be their opponent's whom they have just beat that seem to raise these accusations whether it was Harbaugh last week on the legal formations or now this week with the air of the ball.

All I know is this. IF this turns out to be nothing, it will be a bad, bad look for your organization.

Not really, the refs are the ones that took several balls out of play. There was a reason for that..

[Narcosys]

I looked at the Colts stats for the year and saw that D'Qwell Jackson had exactly ZERO interceptions this year. Does it make one iota of sense that a guy who apparently never gets his hands on a football is going to be able to notice what would be a pretty subtle difference in the air pressure inside a football while the referees who have handled balls on every snap of every game they've ever officiated didn't notice this? I'm sorry, but this duck just doesn't fly.

Only if it is a significant difference. The fact he hasn't had an interception lends credence to him being able to catch that ball. But don't be native to think he never touches a football at all.

[amfootball]

Not really, the refs are the ones that took several balls out of play. There was a reason for that..

Yeah, most likely the inclement weather. Happens all the time.

[jvan1973]

Yeah, most likely the inclement weather. Happens all the time.

it wasn't that cold For a ball to feel deflated by merely handling it, it would have had to be much colder.

[Narcosys]

...really? Lets go back to the original post. where was your outrage when it happened before. You somehow twisted that into I was classless, and dumb, and that I claimed every one did it. I have never changed MY arguments or discussion points., You have although...lets see, you said it was pregame and not in game, and then when that was pointed out to you to be false, you backed off that and then twisted the topic to be that I claimed everyone did it and made the strawman argument.

When called out on that, you did the typical internet thing, and started attacking me and not the subject of the discussion.

I'll ask you again, why were you not calling for punishment when other teams broke the same rule?

Furthermore I said I had no page because warming then is no where the same. The argument is not about tampering but the extent of the tampering. Idc they warmed them. I can correct a statement instead of backing off. There's a difference. You're the one backing off and not addressing your claim that everyone cheats.

[amfootball]

it wasn't that cold For a ball to feel deflated by merely handling it, it would have had to be much colder.

Who said the refs removed them from feeling deflated? They most likely removed them from being soaking wet given the weather got significantly worse in the second half vs the first half.