#DeflateGate (Court of Appeals Reinstates Suspension)

[kozlodoev]

According to the just completed news conference, BB says (1) he knows nothing about this, and (2) that they have balls inflated to 12.5psi, which is the lowest limit. Makes sense, then, that some of the balls end up being deflated below the allowable limit when they come out into the cold. Doesn't explain how one or more balls is at 10.5 psi, but so far its not clear how many balls were at that level.

IF they were really at that level -- still no official statement on it. Also, in the example that Belichick gave, the differences were smaller by an order of 10. Wouldn't it be fun if they got the story wrong, and it was a difference of .2 PSI rather than 2 PSI?

[Cman]

According to the just completed news conference, BB says (1) he knows nothing about this, and (2) that they have balls inflated to 12.5psi, which is the lowest limit. Makes sense, then, that some of the balls end up being deflated below the allowable limit when they come out into the cold. Doesn't explain how one or more balls is at 10.5 psi, but so far its not clear how many balls were at that level.

IF they were really at that level -- still no official statement on it. Also, in the example that Belichick gave, the differences were smaller by an order of 10. Wouldn't it be fun if they got the story wrong, and it was a difference of .2 PSI rather than 2 PSI?

LOL. I wouldn't want to be a crow on the day that news breaks...

But, in fairness, I doubt that's the case. The NFL would have an incentive to "re-leak" the correct amount.

[Cman]

from Donald Trump

Just watched @Patriots Bill Belichick’s news conference. He did a great job—smart, concise, truthful!

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/558282995233460224

So, I guess that means it's a wrap on this whole deflategate thing, right?

[kozlodoev]

from Donald Trump

Just watched @Patriots Bill Belichick’s news conference. He did a great job—smart, concise, truthful!

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/558282995233460224

So, I guess that means it's a wrap on this whole deflategate thing, right?

I'm waiting for 4pm to see what Tom has to say about his balls

[beantownboy171]

According to the just completed news conference, BB says (1) he knows nothing about this, and (2) that they have balls inflated to 12.5psi, which is the lowest limit. Makes sense, then, that some of the balls end up being deflated below the allowable limit when they come out into the cold. Doesn't explain how one or more balls is at 10.5 psi, but so far its not clear how many balls were at that level.

I think he gave it away when he volunteered that he didn't know anything until these last couple of days about how the ball boy got the balls down to the field from the referees office via elevator and all those other questions being asked.

The ball boy does apparently go in the elevator at Foxboro with the balls, which presumably would have been when he could had done his deed.

It was a really strange detail for him to have brought up otherwise.

I'm not sure there's time to deflate 11 footballs over the course of an elevator ride.

[Boris Badenov]

According to the just completed news conference, BB says (1) he knows nothing about this, and (2) that they have balls inflated to 12.5psi, which is the lowest limit. Makes sense, then, that some of the balls end up being deflated below the allowable limit when they come out into the cold. Doesn't explain how one or more balls is at 10.5 psi, but so far its not clear how many balls were at that level.

I think he gave it away when he volunteered that he didn't know anything until these last couple of days about how the ball boy got the balls down to the field from the referees office via elevator and all those other questions being asked.

The ball boy does apparently go in the elevator at Foxboro with the balls, which presumably would have been when he could had done his deed.

It was a really strange detail for him to have brought up otherwise.

I'm not sure there's time to deflate 11 footballs over the course of an elevator ride.

We certainly know there's not enough time to deflate 12.

[D Dub]

According to the just completed news conference, BB says (1) he knows nothing about this, and (2) that they have balls inflated to 12.5psi, which is the lowest limit. Makes sense, then, that some of the balls end up being deflated below the allowable limit when they come out into the cold. Doesn't explain how one or more balls is at 10.5 psi, but so far its not clear how many balls were at that level.

ya know how you check a football's PSI? 
By letting some air out.

What if a Ref with wet cold hands & no reading glasses gets a little heavy handed with the needle trying to read the gauge?  Now they are all well under, so he swaps in the fresh 12 balls.  NFL official at the game gets wind of the swap & wants to know why.  Conversation overheard, story immediately leaked, snowball rolls downhill.

Knowing balls were at the min PSI three hours earlier in a warm room; isn't that a more likely scenario than a sneaky ballboy in an elevator with a hidden needle carrying out coordinated tactic? 

[D.o.s.]

According to the just completed news conference, BB says (1) he knows nothing about this, and (2) that they have balls inflated to 12.5psi, which is the lowest limit. Makes sense, then, that some of the balls end up being deflated below the allowable limit when they come out into the cold. Doesn't explain how one or more balls is at 10.5 psi, but so far its not clear how many balls were at that level.

ya know how you check a football's PSI? 
By letting some air out.

What if a Ref with wet cold hands & no reading glasses gets a little heavy handed with the needle trying to read the gauge?  Now they are all well under, so he swaps in the fresh 12 balls.  NFL official at the game gets wind of the swap & wants to know why.  Conversation overheard, story immediately leaked, snowball rolls downhill.

Knowing balls were at the min PSI three hours earlier in a warm room; isn't that a more likely scenario than a sneaky ballboy in an elevator with a hidden needle carrying out coordinated tactic?

Then the ref and the official would've come out at the NFL's behest and explained it at the start of this controversy, right? If not, then why not? What's the motive?

[TheFlex]

According to the just completed news conference, BB says (1) he knows nothing about this, and (2) that they have balls inflated to 12.5psi, which is the lowest limit. Makes sense, then, that some of the balls end up being deflated below the allowable limit when they come out into the cold. Doesn't explain how one or more balls is at 10.5 psi, but so far its not clear how many balls were at that level.

ya know how you check a football's PSI? 
By letting some air out.

What if a Ref with wet cold hands & no reading glasses gets a little heavy handed with the needle trying to read the gauge?  Now they are all well under, so he swaps in the fresh 12 balls.  NFL official at the game gets wind of the swap & wants to know why.  Conversation overheard, story immediately leaked, snowball rolls downhill.

Knowing balls were at the min PSI three hours earlier in a warm room; isn't that a more likely scenario than a sneaky ballboy in an elevator with a hidden needle carrying out coordinated tactic?

Then the ref and the official would've come out at the NFL's behest and explained it at the start of this controversy, right? If not, then why not? What's the motive?

You didn't know? The NFL has it out for its second richest franchise!

[D.o.s.]

Right. It is definitely in the interest of media outlets to talk about this (which is why they're still talking about it, to the disgust of us all), but it is certainly not in the NFL's interest to allow any kind of questions about potential impropriety in the games to continue if they can avoid it.

Now, the fact remains that this is a stupidly minor infraction that's being blown out of proportion by both sides, but the idea that the NFL could've taken steps to avoid the national conversation and didn't is just silly.

[celticsclay]

I am sure other people have said this, I am not interested enough to read the 21 pages of this thread. I just am really disappointed that there has been pretty much no discussion of the actual football teams and 90% of NFL coverage for the super bowl is on this topic.

From everything I have read the most likely penalty that would happen would be draft picks taken and a fine. I have not read a story saying there is a chance of players being suspended or anything, so why not just deal with this after the super bowl? They can drop the hammer on the patriots then if they want (multiple first rounds picks, 10 million dollars etc). If the deflate whatever is not going to impact the super bowl itself can we have some analysis of the patriots run game against the seattle defense? An analysis of why Wilson threw 4 picks against the Packers. What is the weather projection for the game? What is the status of Richard Sherman's arm? With the season ending injury to their 3rd best receiver, does the seahawks already average pass offense have more issues? Who will revis cover? I realize there is still a little over a week until the game, but this is all stuff that I would be way more interested in.

[D.o.s.]

I am sure other people have said this, I am not interested enough to read the 21 pages of this thread. I just am really disappointed that there has been pretty much no discussion of the actual football teams and 90% of NFL coverage for the super bowl is on this topic.

From everything I have read the most likely penalty that would happen would be draft picks taken and a fine. I have not read a story saying there is a chance of players being suspended or anything, so why not just deal with this after the super bowl? They can drop the hammer on the patriots then if they want (multiple first rounds picks, 10 million dollars etc). If the deflate whatever is not going to impact the super bowl itself can we have some analysis of the patriots run game against the seattle defense? An analysis of why Wilson threw 4 picks against the Packers. What is the weather projection for the game? What is the status of Richard Sherman's arm? With the season ending injury to their 3rd best receiver, does the seahawks already average pass offense have more issues? Who will revis cover? I realize there is still a little over a week until the game, but this is all stuff that I would be way more interested in.

But then what would you click on next Monday?

[TheFlex]

I am sure other people have said this, I am not interested enough to read the 21 pages of this thread. I just am really disappointed that there has been pretty much no discussion of the actual football teams and 90% of NFL coverage for the super bowl is on this topic.

From everything I have read the most likely penalty that would happen would be draft picks taken and a fine. I have not read a story saying there is a chance of players being suspended or anything, so why not just deal with this after the super bowl? They can drop the hammer on the patriots then if they want (multiple first rounds picks, 10 million dollars etc). If the deflate whatever is not going to impact the super bowl itself can we have some analysis of the patriots run game against the seattle defense? An analysis of why Wilson threw 4 picks against the Packers. What is the weather projection for the game? What is the status of Richard Sherman's arm? With the season ending injury to their 3rd best receiver, does the seahawks already average pass offense have more issues? Who will revis cover? I realize there is still a little over a week until the game, but this is all stuff that I would be way more interested in.

It's actually debatable whether or not I'd rather hear this stuff vs. ESPN providing their typical garbage analysis .

[celticsclay]

I am sure other people have said this, I am not interested enough to read the 21 pages of this thread. I just am really disappointed that there has been pretty much no discussion of the actual football teams and 90% of NFL coverage for the super bowl is on this topic.

From everything I have read the most likely penalty that would happen would be draft picks taken and a fine. I have not read a story saying there is a chance of players being suspended or anything, so why not just deal with this after the super bowl? They can drop the hammer on the patriots then if they want (multiple first rounds picks, 10 million dollars etc). If the deflate whatever is not going to impact the super bowl itself can we have some analysis of the patriots run game against the seattle defense? An analysis of why Wilson threw 4 picks against the Packers. What is the weather projection for the game? What is the status of Richard Sherman's arm? With the season ending injury to their 3rd best receiver, does the seahawks already average pass offense have more issues? Who will revis cover? I realize there is still a little over a week until the game, but this is all stuff that I would be way more interested in.

But then what would you click on next Monday?

what are you talking about? I would be reading about the game that happened and then presumably this investigation if I cared about it.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

I am sure other people have said this, I am not interested enough to read the 21 pages of this thread. I just am really disappointed that there has been pretty much no discussion of the actual football teams and 90% of NFL coverage for the super bowl is on this topic.

From everything I have read the most likely penalty that would happen would be draft picks taken and a fine. I have not read a story saying there is a chance of players being suspended or anything, so why not just deal with this after the super bowl? They can drop the hammer on the patriots then if they want (multiple first rounds picks, 10 million dollars etc). If the deflate whatever is not going to impact the super bowl itself can we have some analysis of the patriots run game against the seattle defense? An analysis of why Wilson threw 4 picks against the Packers. What is the weather projection for the game? What is the status of Richard Sherman's arm? With the season ending injury to their 3rd best receiver, does the seahawks already average pass offense have more issues? Who will revis cover? I realize there is still a little over a week until the game, but this is all stuff that I would be way more interested in.

As Koz mentioned earlier, the stipulated penalty for this infraction is a $25,000 fine plus other possible penalties as the league deems necessary. In the NFL world, $25,000 is peanuts. And that's an appropriate number here, because—as I and others have said—this is a minor infraction comparable with driving 50 in a 45 zone. Draft picks? Millions or even hundreds of thousands of dollars? Ridiculous. Especially considering numerous other teams have "tampered" with the football (on film, even) and received no punishment.