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

[Dustin]

That $25k fine is really going to hurt them. Only in the NFL can you cheat and face no real consequences. 

[mintor]

FL found the New England Patriots used deflated footballs during the AFC Championship, according to a report from  Chris Mortensen of ESPN. According to the report, the league sources say the NFL determined 11 of the 12 footballs used by the Patriots were under-inflated

 

 

 

 

http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2015/1/20/7864117/patriots-deflated-footballs-nfl-new-england-bill-belichick

[Dustin]

"Hey you literally tampered with equipment to gain an advantage in a playoff game. He's your $25k fine Mr. Billionaire Robert Kraft"

[Dustin]

Cheaters. Always have been. Always will be.

[pgt_rob]

Wow. NFL is just getting worse and worse as time goes by. I don't see how teams do this and not get a proper punishment. Suspensions on top of draft picks and fines. Nobody is going to care if they are fined. These guys have more money than they know what to do with anyway. It's like fining us regular people $12.99.

[Gabriel Alexander Morillo]

Well goshdamn. At first I thought this was a bogus claim, but wow. I'm disgusted and disappointed that the superior team needed to cheat to gain an advantage.

[PrincetonTiger]

Wonder what the punishment will be

[fatboy]

Wonder if they used that same advantage versus Ravens (of course they did).

[bababooey]

I just heard that on local radio and turned on ESPN. It will be interesting to see what else the NFL finds out in regards to this investigation.

It will be interesting to see what else is found but now we have confirmation that they in fact cheated.

[Colts_Fan12]

Hate that team so much... And the sad thing is their fans accept this and are proud of winning this way

[Dustin]

If the game had been close, we'd probably see the game replayed. 

[Colts_Fan12]

It will be interesting to see what else is found but now we have confirmation that they in fact cheated.

only pats fans are shocked everyone on the planet knows they cheat

[Dustin]

This deplorable organization shouldn't be allowed in the Super Bowl.

[Dustin]

This may be worse than Spygate.

[GoColts8818]

Pats fans will not like this but I think the Pats dynasty is severally tarnished now.  They have now been caught cheating twice.  It is highly unlikely that those are the only two times this team has cheated under BB and they just happened to get caught doing it.  I know Pats fans are going to say oh everyone else does it.  That's a nice defense line but you know what other teams are not getting busted like the Pats did.  So rather other teams do it or not doesn't matter.  That's the old defense of when you get in trouble in school to go well everyone else does it, well guess what everyone else didn't get caught IF they are doing it. 

 

I have no clue what the NFL will do but I do feel a suspension of BB is in order as this is the second time he's been caught cheating.  While under inflating footballs isn't the worst thing in the world, and is no where near the level of putting hits on other players like the Saints did, and it sure didn't impact the outcome of the game it's still cheating and that goes to the heart of integrity of the game.  This is the second time he's been caught doing it, Goodell has a history of dropping the hammer on players who are multiple offenders, I think he should do the same here as BB is now a multiple offender when it comes to cheating.

 

The really sad thing is like I said before, it wasn't needed.  Which begs the question why?  To me it screams that BB will do anything to win and at times he does too much.  He needs help in this area.  I'll go this far, he should be suspended this time and if he is ever caught cheating again he should get a life-time ban from the NFL.  You can't have players and coaches cheating.  You just can't. 

[Colts_Fan12]

This deplorable organization shouldn't be allowed in the Super Bowl.

I really really wish they would take that away from those *

[mintor]

sad cheated and didn,t need too.

[Patagonia Chris]

Well then, that explains why they ran all over us, their WR were consistently open and our WR's couldn't get open all night!! I knew something was up...

[Gavin]

Well Ill be a sob, I don't think it had any real impact on the game though or would have changed anything, And truthfully if you look at the size of a regulation sized NFL football they are the length of a football players forearm and twice as thick, They are pretty damn big....I think the biggest difference it would make is when a rb carries the football and Im of the opinion footballs should be a bit smaller, Dumb move by the Pats if they cheated but I aint gonna get all mad about it

[Dustin]

They did it against the Ravens as well

 

Some Ravens believe kicking balls may have been deflated in their playoff game at New England: http://t.co/pjbf41tTtQ

— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora)

January 21, 2015

[Patagonia Chris]

If the game had been close, we'd probably see the game replayed.

 

There is no way the NFL would do something like that.

[Dustin]

There is no way the NFL would do something like that.

 

I bet they would. They wouldn't want to leave any doubt going into the Super Bowl.

[mintor]

They did it against the Ravens as well

 

Some Ravens believe kicking balls may have been deflated in their playoff game at New England: http://t.co/pjbf41tTtQ

— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora)

January 21, 2015

  does matter pats and kraft pay off goodell 

[RockThatBlue]

This may be worse than Spygate.

Apparently the ravens think their kicking balls were under inflated against em.

[Dustin]

Deflaitriots imo.

[Dustin]

Apparently the ravens think their kicking balls were under inflated against em.

 

Wouldn't doubt it. 

[Colts_Fan12]

Well then, that explains why they ran all over us, their WR were consistently open and our WR's couldn't get open all night!! I knew something was up...

nobody cares about us losing its the fact the cheaters got caught again funny how anyone could still stand up for them after everything

[ruksak]

Well then, that explains why they ran all over us, their WR were consistently open and our WR's couldn't get open all night!! I knew something was up...

Not. The. Point. 

 

My god, I don't understand why they did this. Despicable, just disturbing and wholly disillusioning toward the integrity of this league. 

 

You wanna "protect the shield", Roger? Do something about this. Fans should boycott the Super Bowl. Cheaters have no place in that game. ANY other non-pro sport would consider this grounds for disqualification. 

 

I actually defended them due to what I considered an absolutely ridiculous premise. They need to pay for this. We didn't lose because of this, but cheating is cheating is cheating. 

[Superman]

Well Ill be a sob, I don't think it had any real impact on the game though or would have changed anything, And truthfully if you look at the size of a regulation sized NFL football they are the length of a football players forearm and twice as thick, They are pretty damn big....I think the biggest difference it would make is when a rb carries the football and Im of the opinion footballs should be a bit smaller, Dumb move by the Pats if they cheated but I aint gonna get all mad about it

Footballs are the size they are. Been that size for years, and they get thrown and caught just fine. Seems to me a really out of place argument right now.

[Clem-Dog]

If this report is accurate then I hope the NFL sets a stern example by actually punishing this repetitively bad franchise.

As a repeat offender they should lose an entire drafts worth of picks spread over two seasons, odd then even.

[Dustin]

*cracks open redbull*

 

This gonna be a good night. 

[TKnight24]

Welp......... There's that

Doubt Goodell does anything though, but we'll see

[Superman]

Pats fans will not like this but I think the Pats dynasty is severally tarnished now. They have now been caught cheating twice. It is highly unlikely that those are the only two times this team has cheated under BB and they just happened to get caught doing it. I know Pats fans are going to say oh everyone else does it. That's a nice defense line but you know what other teams are not getting busted like the Pats did. So rather other teams do it or not doesn't matter. That's the old defense of when you get in trouble in school to go well everyone else does it, well guess what everyone else didn't get caught IF they are doing it.

I have no clue what the NFL will do but I do feel a suspension of BB is in order as this is the second time he's been caught cheating. While under inflating footballs isn't the worst thing in the world, and is no where near the level of putting hits on other players like the Saints did, and it sure didn't impact the outcome of the game it's still cheating and that goes to the heart of integrity of the game. This is the second time he's been caught doing it, Goodell has a history of dropping the hammer on players who are multiple offenders, I think he should do the same here as BB is now a multiple offender when it comes to cheating.

The really sad thing is like I said before, it wasn't needed. Which begs the question why? To me it screams that BB will do anything to win and at times he does too much. He needs help in this area. I'll go this far, he should be suspended this time and if he is ever caught cheating again he should get a life-time ban from the NFL. You can't have players and coaches cheating. You just can't.

I am the last person to bring up Spygate, but when you take everything into consideration together, it's adding up to an organization that doesn't respect the rules.

And Pats fans had the nerve to get huffy when I said the formations were in violation of the spirit of the rules. This is flat out cheating.

[mintor]

If this report is accurate then I hope the NFL sets a stern example by actually punishing this repetitively bad franchise.

As a repeat offender they should lose an entire drafts worth of picks spread over two seasons, odd then even.

 

 

 

 lose draft picks 1 too 3  and banned brady and bb for a year.  colts get their draft picks they lose.

[Fx Stryker]

Belichick should be suspended.

For the Super Bowl, and next season. A cheater is a cheater. I don't believe the Colts would have won if they didn't tamper with the ball, but a cheater is a cheater.

Guilty twice now.

[TKnight24]

If this report is accurate then I hope the NFL sets a stern example by actually punishing this repetitively bad franchise.

As a repeat offender they should lose an entire drafts worth of picks spread over two seasons, odd then even.

"If this report is accurate"

Umm, it's confirmed. It's as accurate as accurate can get

[Superman]

This may be worse than Spygate.

It is. This is like scuffing balls on the mound. Spygate is like stealing signals.

[Gavin]

Footballs are the size they are. Been that size for years, and they get thrown and caught just fine. Seems to me a really out of place argument right now.

Out of place I agree, I was just making an observation, I just don't think this is a huge a deal as many are going to make it, That's not to say Im excusing the Pats for breaking the rule but I just don't think its a big deal

[RockThatBlue]

I wonder if Brady still thinks its "ridiculous"

[PrincetonTiger]

Not. The. Point. 

 

My god, I don't understand why they did this. Despicable, just disturbing and wholly disillusioning toward the integrity of this league. 

 

You wanna "protect the shield", Roger? Do something about this. Fans should boycott the Super Bowl. Cheaters have no place in that game. ANY other non-pro sport would consider this grounds for disqualification. 

 

I actually defended them due to what I considered an absolutely ridiculous premise. They need to pay for this. We didn't lose because of this, but cheating is cheating is cheating.

From what I read the NFL Brass is disgusted over it