Patriots Probably Deflated Footballs on Purpose, Report Says

[Drum]

Via NYTimes

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/07/sports/patriots-probably-deflated-footballs-on-purpose-report-says.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=first-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news

An N.F.L. investigation has found that “it is more probable than not” that New England Patriots personnel intentionally deflated footballs to gain an advantage in the A.F.C. championship game last season, and that Tom Brady, the Super Bowl most valuable player, was aware of it.

No penalties have been announced.

The long-awaited report into so-called deflategate, released on Wednesday, concluded that it was probable that Patriots personnel were “involved in a deliberate effort to circumvent the rules.”

The report said that Jim McNally, a locker room attendant, and John Jastremski, an equipment assistant, released air from the footballs. It said that besides those two and Brady, no other Patriots personnel, including Coach Bill Belichick, were aware of the wrongdoing. The report separately determined that the Patriots had not deliberately tried to introduce an improper football for kicking and cleared kicker Stephen Gostkowski of any wrongdoing.

More at link....

[RockaFowler]

1. I guess they will now be on Double Secret Probation

[mythology]

2. Shocking

A team that cheated before continues to cheat now. What a classless organization.

[trotsky]

3. Wow, what a surprise.

[El Supremo]

6. +100 A-Rod bobble heads!

[frylock]

4. Jim Rome is reading through the transcripts of text messages between Jastremski and McNally..

good stuff! Fuck Tom!!

http://deadspin.com/the-hilarious-brady-bashing-texts-sent-by-the-pats-bal-1702598756

[frylock]

5. The only thing deflating sun..is his passing rating

[joeybee12]

11. Ignore

Reading comprehension is not your friend.

[frylock]

19. What have I misinterpreted?

[mythology]

28. Nothing

It's actually that you underestimate the willingness of Pats fans to refuse to accept the truth that their team cheats.

It's a lot like how those who deny climate change will refuse to look at the evidence that it's occurring.

[trotsky]

7. LOL

Cheater cheater pumpkin eater.

[joeybee12]

10. Ignore...

Reading comprehension is not your friend.

[trumad]

8. Just read the texts...

Holy smoking gun.

[KamaAina]

9. Uh, remind me, what was the score of the game again?

Wasn't it something like 45-7? In what possible universe could one or two extra PSI have allowed the Dolts to be competitive?

[trotsky]

13. So cheating is OK if you win by a large enough margin? n/t

[KamaAina]

15. Of course not.

But given the lopsided nature of the game, this is all much ado about next to nothing.

Also note that the first ball tested had been intercepted by a Dolts DB and spent quite a length of time on their sideline before being turned over to the league.

[trotsky]

16. Much ado about next to nothing?

How long had the Pats been doing this? How many close games did it make a difference in?

[KamaAina]

17. How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop?

The world may never know.

[mythology]

29. And the Colts magically deflated the other footballs?

You can claim it made no difference, but do you really think that an organization that has been caught cheating before, and is known for being deeply detailed orientated were accidentally deflating the footballs to their star player's preference by sheer randomness?

Cheating is pathetic.

[Goblinmonger]

33. So why cheat if they are going to kick their ass?

Doesn't make sense. They did it. They knew they did it. They knew it was against the rules. But it didn't help them, but they still did something willing that they knew was a significant violation.

That's not that's and and and

[KamaAina]

34. So why cheat if they are going to get killed 45-7?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/120454395

[frylock]

20. Check the timestamps on those texts..

this shit was happening ALL SEASON.

[joeybee12]

12. Thanks for posting...

Now I know who to ignore...

[trotsky]

14. :)

[frylock]

21. LEAVE LANCE ARMSTRONG ALONE!!!

[El Supremo]

22. Leave Joeybee alone!

[GusBob]

23. He's taking this real harsh-like

has 3 hides in the GD thread, and is putting everyone who disagrees with him on ignore

Oh, the humanity

[frylock]

24. I can't imagine getting so caught up in the identity of a team..

so as to take something like this so personal. But JB went to the mat for Lance Armstrong as well, and still doesn't believe he did anything illegal.

[GusBob]

25. I actually feel sorry for their fans

Well the ones that can accept the facts.....

In terms as if the shoe were on the other foot, if it were my team.....I dunno, I guess I would not say anything, or just camp out on a fans only website....I wonder what the popular Pats' forums are like today? Maybe a lot of how bout them BoSox threads?

[Drum]

26. be my guest n/t

[KamaAina]

18. So I just saw this on FB

Care to guess who posted it? Why, a Seattleite, of course.

[hughee99]

27. Which is funny because just about the ONLY game you can be sure the balls weren't deflated

by the Pats was the SB. The balls were handled by NFL officials for that game.

[KamaAina]

30. Some soreheads up there think the Pats should have had to forfeit the AFC title

[mythology]

31. Lance Armstrong had his Tour de France titles taken away for cheating

There's a long list of Olympic medalists who forfeited their medals due to cheating. USC lost their national title for cheating and Reggie Bush forfeited the Heisman trophy for the same cheating.

Would the Patriots have beaten the Colts anyway? Almost certainly. But what about the Ravens, or other games in the season which would have lowered their playoff seeding?

It's not absurd to expect that cheaters have to forfeit victories obtained via fraud.

[KamaAina]

32. It was proven that those athletes doped.

Not this "it is more likely that they did than not" BS.

[ProfessorGAC]

35. ^^This^^

This isn't even a preponderance of the evidence. It's just speculation.

Here's why i can't let this get to me. Why the range in the rule book? If there is an advantage to a slightly deflated ball, then why is there an upper limit? Certainly, the harder the ball the worse it is, otherwise we wouldn't be talking about underinflated footballs.
Then why is the lower limit where it is?

The answer to both questions is that it's a guess, probably based upon what the manufacturer thought and not on any performance data.

Also, why would the NFL inspect and then return the balls that far ahead, instead of having someone carry them out to the sidelines where they would be in plain sight all the time.

Answer: THE NFL REALLY DIDN'T CARE ABOUT THIS RULE!