Why all the attention on deflated balls
pocketpiececommems
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Why is there all of the attention on the deflated balls? ( I'm not saying it's right if it can be proved who did it. ) People are acting like it's the only time that something like this has happened in sports. How about watering down the field. Cutting the grass close or letting it grow long. Putting sand around the first base area to slow down base stealers. Watering down the pitchers mound. We could go on and on.
It's time for the Super Bowl.
It's time for the Super Bowl.
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<< <i>People are acting like it's the only time that something like this has happened in sports. How about watering down the field. Cutting the grass close or letting it grow long. Putting sand around the first base area to slow down base stealers. Watering down the pitchers mound. We could go on and on.
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Those things are allowed, at least when done in moderation. Plus, when you alter a baseball field, it still affects both teams equally. Deflating a football below 12.5 PSI isn't allowed.
<< <i> Plus, when you alter a baseball field, it still affects both teams equally. >>
Not always true.
<< <i>
<< <i> Plus, when you alter a baseball field, it still affects both teams equally. >>
Not always true. >>
Elaborate.
Spring training is only a month away guys.
i am excited guys.
Once super bpwl is over it wont be long.
Go Red Sox!
<< <i>I think what he is trying to say is that both teams have to play with the same field and the other team has the speedsters and the away team does not so it affects only the visiting team.
Spring training is only a month away guys.
i am excited guys.
Once super bpwl is over it wont be long.
Go Red Sox! >>
They still need to move some excess players, IMO
Something will happen to make the better players come to the top like cream did to the top of the milk bottle in the old days. ( do you remember those days?)
<< <i>Why is there all of the attention on the deflated balls? ( I'm not saying it's right if it can be proved who did it. ) People are acting like it's the only time that something like this has happened in sports. How about watering down the field. Cutting the grass close or letting it grow long. Putting sand around the first base area to slow down base stealers. Watering down the pitchers mound. We could go on and on.
It's time for the Super Bowl.
Because even though they didn't need it, Patriots gave them selves and illegal advantage.
Saying that violating the rules is only bad if it's the first time its ever been done makes no sense to me, but to answer your baseball question in part, sand was often brought in when a team complained about watered down infields.
If we are not going to enforce the rules, why even have them?
"Not always true"
"Elaborate"
While it does affect both teams equally, one team can benefit more....
I think thats what MG meant
BTW: Cubby=Cub Fan
For 11 of 12 footballs to lose 2PSI before halftime would suggest that either the bladders of his footballs were defective or they were tampered with. It is fairly well known that having less pressure in a football makes it easier to catch and grip. Having a football less likely to bounce off a receivers hands would help a quarterback's completion percentage and might keep a drive going that leads to points. So there is definitely an advantage even if it's just a small one, maybe it equates to a few extra completions over the course of a game. I am sure some of the old Denver Broncos receivers back in John Elway's time wish they could take some air out of the football. Catching balls shot out of a cannon led to many crooked fingers over the course of a career.
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By providing a 1.5 lbs of additional PSI explanation the Patriots are able to turn the conversation into a .5 lbs of PSI under inflation story. I would image the Patriots tested the theory several times before going all in with it. Given that the refs are responsible for measuring and then inflating the balls to the 12.5 - 13.5 lbs of PSI when they receive the balls from the Pats the .5 lbs of PSI could very easily fall within the margin of error for the refs reading of the PSI as well as when the refs re-measured the footballs at halftime. If they did it at halftime then there would not have been time for the footballs to reach an equilibrium from their time outside. Also note I have read that the refs do not always check the actual pressure of the balls with a gauge but sometimes rely on the feel of the ball. If the Pats submit footballs at 12 or 12.25 lbs of PSI that could very easily pass the feel test. Aaron Rodgers has already said that he sometimes tries to get overinflated footballs (ie over 13.5 lbs of PSI) past the refs which would turn this into a non-story.
According to Simms, Rodgers admitted to them that he likes to over-inflate game balls. "I like to push the limits of how much air we can put in the football, even go over what they allow you to do," is what Simms recalls Rodgers telling them.
I believe it is a theory that allows for reasonable doubt to creep into the conversation. I am not sure if this is much of a story if the headline is 11 out of 12 footballs under-inflated by .5 lbs of PSI. It also removes the testing of the Colts footballs from the conversation as well since there is no guarantee the Colts followed the same ball preparation steps as the Patriots, performed the preparation at the same time nor requested the refs inflate the football to the same initial pre-game PSI.
Given the Patriots explanation neither the bladders of the football being defective nor the footballs being tampered with are required for a 2PSI difference. It will be interesting to see if the league verifies the up to 1.5 lbs of PSI added by ball preparation. Certainly food for thought.
Robb
<< <i>
<< <i>
<< <i> Plus, when you alter a baseball field, it still affects both teams equally. >>
Not always true. >>
Elaborate. >>
Several teams have adjusted the outfield fences to favor the strengths or weaknesses of their hitters.
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<< <i>What does any of this matter? The Colts scored 7 points and lost by 38. Wake me when this happens in a close game..... Yawn >>
Were all the Patriot wins blowouts this year? A few losses and the final playoff match could have been on the road with a New England loss.
No Olympic runner has been spared disqualification because of PED use because their winning margin was too great.
according to Charles law temperature affects pressure.
Were the balls checked at 70 degrees and used at 40 ????
Is there enough air volume for this to matter?
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BTW: Cubby=Cub Fan
Also, if the deflated balls were such a HUGE advantage (which you'd be led to believe by all the crying going on around the league and on this board), and the Colts suspected the Pats of using "deflated" balls in their regular season game, why would the Colts not tip the refs to it prior to gametime, and have them measure the balls again 10-20 minutes before kickoff?
Don Banks puts it all into perspective rather well on SI.com. I didn't see what Peter King wrote, but he can't be serious. Is there anyone on the planet that makes a mountain out of a mole hill better than Peter King?
FACT ONE...the "deflated footballs" were identified and removed in the first half of the game, score at half time 17-7 Patriot's.
FACT TWO..."properly inflated footballs" were introduced at the beginning of the second half. Second half score was 28-0 Patriot's, final score 45-7.
Le question...(pls research the first half stats), how on earth did Brady etal gain one scintilla of an advantage over a football that was approximately 1lb less in psi than the "properly" inflated footballs introduced in the second half?
Is it not possible that weather conditions came into play and that maybe MAYBE, as the footballs went from a nice and toasty 70, low humidity environment to one over 25 degrees colder and much more humid with rain that the footballs could have shrunk a bit? Surely the logical person could see that if the footballs were originally in tolerance...ie 12.5 psi (the lowest side of the range scale)...then the balls go outside and drop by "x". Could that not be a rational conclusion? The problem here is, I don't know how low they dropped and certainly don't know the impact of weather on the footballs...surely there is a correlation here.
As an aside, while Belichick isn't the smoothest orator amongst coaches and Brady appears a bit more laissez-faire, I believe both of them...too much at risk for such an almost miniscule advantage...spy-gate was different and Billy ponied up $500k. The snow plow thing was more like field maintenance and kinda funny at the time, but not for the Miami team.
So, I say this...it's all in the details somewhere. Undoubtedly all this will come out good, bad, or indifferent. I say much ado about nothing...the Patriot's were gonna win that game and there was nothing Luck could do about it...again, google the game stats and see what took place on the field.
Ok, I'm out of this...may the better team win next Sunday. I'll be pulling for the Pat's...others for the Seahawks...we shall see.
If your team is the Seahawks...good luck to ya...I think my Boston boys will bring home the bacon.
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<< <i> Is there anyone on the planet that makes a mountain out of a mole hill better than Peter King? >>
Alot of posters here.
FACT ONE...the "deflated footballs" were identified and removed in the first half of the game, score at half time 17-7 Patriot's.
FACT TWO..."properly inflated footballs" were introduced at the beginning of the second half. Second half score was 28-0 Patriot's, final score 45-7. """"
No one is doubting that NE would have one that particular game with or without using off spec balls. Just as Richard Nixon would have won in 72 even without the break in.
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