OT - Multiple sources reporting investigation of Patriots | The Boneyard

OT - Multiple sources reporting investigation of Patriots

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Bonehead

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Possible use of deflated footballs - if this proves to be true its time to drop the hammer!

NOT saying this is why they one - they manhandled INDY but follow the rules.

http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2015/...g-if-patriots-used-deflated-footballs-in-afc/

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-s...tigated-for-deflated-footballs-062844133.html

If the Patriots did cheat, it would not be the first time. The team was penalized a first-round draft pick, fined $250,000 and head coach Belichick was personally fined $500,000 after an investigation by the NFL determined the team had illegally videotaped their opponents hand signals during a 2007 game.
And unsubstantiated accusations of cheating have long dogged the team, stemming from their Super Bowl wins in 2002, 2004 and 2005. The St. Louis Rams claimed the team illegally videotaped their walk-through practices prior to the 2002 game, and players on the other defeated opponents have said the Patriots seemed to have inside knowledge of their playbooks.
 
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from that same article:

According to NFL rules, home teams are required to provide 36 balls for outdoor games and make the balls available for testing with a pressure gauge prior to the game.

The Patriots were also accused of flouting the rules in the game before Sunday’s contest, in which they beat the Baltimore Ravens using unorthodox formations that Ravens Coach John Harbaugh said were designed to confuse the officials and his defense.

However, the margin of victory and the fact that the Colts used the same game balls make it unlikely the cheating, if it occurred, had much of an impact on the game’s outcome.


So did they not make the balls available? Colts used the same balls? Translation, why do the patriots win so damn much.
 

Bonehead

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"The Colts used the same balls". But yeah, let's get all up in arms and proclaim the Patriots as cheaters. Again.

I know they used the same and even stated they were manhandled - however I counter with this:

IF NE practiced with under inflated footballs all week and Indy did not, you dont find an advantage or disadvantage to that? Curious.
I have NO horse in this race, literally!!
 
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Giving an opponent an unfamiliar ball is a huge advantage especially if you practiced with it.

Yep, that would be cheating.
 

whaler11

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Obviously it didn't change the outcome but the games are predicated on being played within a set of rules.

If they aren't and the integrity can be questioned they don't have much of a product.
 
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I wonder if that hold up of play at the beginning of the second half had anything to do with this. There was something with the game balls going on. All this has to make you wonder, if you're the Patriots, why even bother with this? Potentially losing draft picks trying to gain a competitive advantage over a team everyone knew you'd destroy before kickoff? It's not a good look.
 
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Giving an opponent an unfamiliar ball is a huge advantage especially if you practiced with it.

Yep, that would be cheating.

While I truly hate the Pats each team uses it's own balls on offense. They submit 12 balls to the officials before the game for inspection and the balls are changed upon each change of possession (there are also separate ball for the kicking game hence the guy with the large red K vest on each sideline) so the Colts were using their own game balls.
 

Bonehead

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While I truly hate the Pats each team uses it's own balls on offense. They submit 12 balls to the officials before the game for inspection and the balls are changed upon each change of possession (there are also separate ball for the kicking game hence the guy with the large red K vest on each sideline) so the Colts were using their own game balls.


I dont see where it states the visitor gets to use their own game balls...

Section 2


BALL SUPPLY



Each team will make 12 primary balls available for testing by the Referee two hours and 15 minutes prior to the starting time of the game to meet League requirements. The home team will also make 12 backup balls available for testing in all stadiums. In addition, the visitors, at their discretion, may bring 12 backup balls to be tested by the Referee for games held in outdoor stadiums. For all games, eight new footballs, sealed in a special box and shipped by the manufacturer to
the Referee, will be opened in the officials’ locker room two hours and 15 minutes prior to the starting time of the game.



These balls are to be specially marked by the Referee and used exclusively for the kicking game.
In the event a home team ball does not conform to specifications, or its supply is exhausted, the Referee shall secure a proper ball from the visitors and, failing that, use the best available ball. Any such circumstances must be reported to the Commissioner.
In case of rain or a wet, muddy, or slippery field, a playable ball shall be used at the request of t
he offensive team’s center.



The Game Clock shall not stop for such action (unless undue delay occurs).

Note: It is the responsibility of the home team to furnish playable balls at all times by attendants from either side of the playing
field.



OFFICIAL NFL


'An underinflated or deflated ball would be easier to grip, which would have been advantageous in the pouring rain Sunday night.'
 
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Isn't it the responsibility of the game officials to make sure the balls are ok??
 
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So all year long , nine games this is not an issue. Yesterday its an issue. I guess we will see how it shakes out. If they weighed a ball during the game yesterday, what am I missing? I know there was an issue with a kicking ball versus a playing ball, but we will see.
 
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"Each team will make 12 primary balls available for testing by the Referee two hours and 15 minutes prior to the starting time of the game to meet League requirements"

I think that pretty much spells it out and I completely agree that if the Pats were using under inflated balls, and I wouldn't put anything past them, it would have given them an advantage

My post was in response to the point that the Colts were at a disadvantage on offense using balls that they were unfamiliar with since they submitted. their own prior to the game.

College teams also use their own complete with team logos. This is why you will see someone on the sideline wearing the opponents colors running along the sidelines exchanging balls with the officials.
 

Bonehead

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"Each team will make 12 primary balls available for testing by the Referee two hours and 15 minutes prior to the starting time of the game to meet League requirements"

I think that pretty much spells it out and I completely agree that if the Pats were using under inflated balls, and I wouldn't put anything past them, it would have given them an advantage

My post was in response to the point that the Colts were at a disadvantage on offense using balls that they were unfamiliar with since they submitted. their own prior to the game.

College teams also use their own complete with team logos. This is why you will see someone on the sideline wearing the opponents colors running along the sidelines exchanging balls with the officials.
I know college teams use their own balls - I dont believe NFL teams do.

I could be wro...wron...wrong...
 
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Wouldn't the officials be trained to notice something like this? They handle the balls on every play (no pun intended). Also, if the Colts suspected something why wait until after the game to report it?
 
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As could I (and not for the first time) Just going by what I've been told by people who should know what they are talking about.
 
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I wonder if that hold up of play at the beginning of the second half had anything to do with this. There was something with the game balls going on. All this has to make you wonder, if you're the Patriots, why even bother with this? Potentially losing draft picks trying to gain a competitive advantage over a team everyone knew you'd destroy before kickoff? It's not a good look.
They said it was because they (all) use a different ball for kickoffs. WTF? Make them all use 1 for the whole game.
 
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Possible use of deflated footballs - if this proves to be true its time to drop the hammer!

NOT saying this is why they one - they manhandled INDY but follow the rules.

http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2015/...g-if-patriots-used-deflated-footballs-in-afc/

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-s...tigated-for-deflated-footballs-062844133.html

If the Patriots did cheat, it would not be the first time. The team was penalized a first-round draft pick, fined $250,000 and head coach Belichick was personally fined $500,000 after an investigation by the NFL determined the team had illegally videotaped their opponents hand signals during a 2007 game.
And unsubstantiated accusations of cheating have long dogged the team, stemming from their Super Bowl wins in 2002, 2004 and 2005. The St. Louis Rams claimed the team illegally videotaped their walk-through practices prior to the 2002 game, and players on the other defeated opponents have said the Patriots seemed to have inside knowledge of their playbooks.
So I click the first link, and in the comment section they blamed Obama by the 3rd post.
 

Bonehead

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So I click the first link, and in the comment section they blamed Obama by the 3rd post.

Well that is just silly - Obama was NO WHERE near Foxboro yesterday, however one of his cronies was. That was John Kerry in the owners box.

:)
 
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CL82

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My guess is that the Pats had warm balls at the start of the game but that the cold air caused some shrinkage.

george-shrinkage.jpg
 

Dooley

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The officials were also holding each game ball (through a towel to protect it from rain) before every change of possession. If they felt an under-inflated ball, they would have surely taken it out of the game.

So to summarize everything that I've understood about this "charge" (what's been reported, up until now):
1. both teams used the same balls
2. the officials handled all balls before each change in possession to protect them from the rain
3. the Patriots ran the football more often than they threw it...if they knew they were deflating balls, I would have guessed that Brady would have thrown it 50+ times

I guess it was the deflated balls that caused Josh Cribbs to head butt a punt. And to choose to attempt an impossible 51 yard FG into a 30 mph wind. And Herron to drop a 30 yard swing pass when he was wide open. And Blount to run over dozens of Colt defenders (including our own D-But on occasion). And for Andrew Luck to make some of his most horrendous decisions with the football that he has all season.

I understand the reasons why people hate the Patriots. But these desperate "gates" after every big Patriot win are growing tiresome.
 

Dooley

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My guess is that the Pats had warm balls at the start of the game but that the cold air caused some shrinkage.

george-shrinkage.jpg

"I was in the pool!"

Hey, it was raining pretty hard last night!
 
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The officials were also holding each game ball (through a towel to protect it from rain) before every change of possession. If they felt an under-inflated ball, they would have surely taken it out of the game.

So to summarize everything that I've understood about this "charge" (what's been reported, up until now):
1. both teams used the same balls
2. the officials handled all balls before each change in possession to protect them from the rain
3. the Patriots ran the football more often than they threw it...if they knew they were deflating balls, I would have guessed that Brady would have thrown it 50+ times

I guess it was the deflated balls that caused Josh Cribbs to head butt a punt. And to choose to attempt an impossible 51 yard FG into a 30 mph wind. And Herron to drop a 30 yard swing pass when he was wide open. And Blount to run over dozens of Colt defenders (including our own D-But on occasion). And for Andrew Luck to make some of his most horrendous decisions with the football that he has all season.

I understand the reasons why people hate the Patriots. But these desperate "gates" after every big Patriot win are growing tiresome.
Pretty sure nobody would argue that the Colts are nearly as good as the Patriots but that has nothing to do with the cheating. Everyone is supposed to play by the same rules. You say these desperate gates are growing tiresome, the explaining away of the Patriots cheating is also getting tiresome.
 
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They got beat like rented mules and are now complaining about soft balls, good Lord.
 
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So we're just going to ignore the elephant in the room that NE could have been pulling this crap in the Baltimore game? Or was that game a blowout too?
 
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