[dbussone]

Originally Posted by CFrance

The ball tender should not be from either team. Should be a paid NFL official. Problem solved. That one, anyway...

Excellent solution from a thoughtful mind.

[cromlich]

Originally Posted by dbussone

Excellent solution from a thoughtful mind.

I'll third that

[Topspinmo]

IMO that's why the balls need to be controlled by the NFL. All teams should be playing with the same ball. Beings I'm advanced tennis player would be like me using my own balls when I am serving cause I like the way the compress on the strings or the pop I get off the ground strokes and volleys. Again another 99 reasons I lost interest in Pro football.

[DougB]

The Patriots don't know about Ballagra? At my age, I've been playing with deflated balls for years. That's why I got Ballagra. Pats should be notified of the side effects and not use Ballagra if they have any kind of heart condition.

[CFrance]

Originally Posted by DougB

The Patriots don't know about Ballagra? At my age, I've been playing with deflated balls for years. That's why I got Ballagra. Pats should be notified of the side effects and not use Ballagra if they have any kind of heart condition.

And if they experience an inflated ball for four hours they should seek medical help.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by CFrance

And if they experience an inflated ball for four hours they should seek medical help.

Or call the newspapers.

[SALYBOW]

Originally Posted by Topspinmo

I'm in the dark here? Do teams supply there own balls? and if so Doesn't the Referees inspect them? If so something wrong here. The referee's should be supplying the balls and they should be tested before the game starts and at half time. Air pressure effect by air temps. or leak. If both teams played with the same balls then what's the beef? Just cause they got blown out don't mean they get the win by ball under inflated by 1 or 2 pounds. Now if New England supplies their own balls, why wasn't they checked before the game started and if so why does team get to play with their balls. And Last the referee's handle the balls after each plays. if they were under inflated enough don't you think they come feel that? And if not the refereeing not that good IMO. Loosing always leaves bad taste and we look for reasons why we got or clocks cleaned!

The balls were inspected two hours before the game but were returned to the teams 1 hour before. The thing that confuses me is don;t both teams use the same balls?

[CFrance]

Originally Posted by SALYBOW

The balls were inspected two hours before the game but were returned to the teams 1 hour before. The thing that confuses me is don;t both teams use the same balls?

No, each team has 12 balls and uses their own balls on offense.

[Indy-Guy]

I am from Indianapolis. There is no way that the deflated balls had any influence on the outcome of the game.

Are we led to believe that since the deflated balls situation did occur and had no influence on a lopsided game that it should just be ignored? Then how about the week before when the Patriots defeated Baltimore by 4 points. Ask a Baltimore fan what they think.

The poor Patriots they cheat only twice in the 14 years that William Stephen Belichick is head coach and get caught both times. They just aren't very lucky.

I had two conversations with very strong Patriots fans yesterday and I asked both of them who was the head coach of the Patriots before Belichick. Neither could tell me. One even said that he must not be much of a coach if he couldn't remember him.

The previous Patriots head coach was Pete Carroll the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks. We all know Pete never cheated at Southern Cal.

[birdawg]

Originally Posted by dbussone

We are BOSTON STRONG!

That slogan is not meant to defend CHEATERS!

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

I'm truly amazed at the hate being spewed out, not only here but on several websites, newspapers, radio and television programs. I would think that most people would wait for some absolute PROOF that the someone from the Patriots organization deliberately and intentionally under inflated the balls.

But no. An allegation has been made and based on that, people want to bounce them from the Super Bowl.

This whole thing is ridiculous. But, among the thousands of articles that have been published on this, I found one that talks about how messing with the ball inflation is common practice in the NFL. All the teams do it and everyone knows about it including the commissioner. The rule is broken all the time and the league looks the other way. It has been going on for years. Now that it has been exposed, the league is going to have to play CYA. They are now looking for some way to handle this from a public relations standpoint.

I'm amazed for how much hatred there is of The Patriots. I guess that it comes with the territory of being on top.

This as been one of the best and classiest organizations in the history of professional sports. From the owner all the way down to the ball boys, this organization has been a model for other sports teams.

But because the league has screwed up over the years, they are going to have to blame someone and The Patriots and their coach will probably take a hit just like they did in that phony spygate case ten years ago.

So go ahead and spew the venom. The Patriots and their fans will embrace it and continue to win football games.

But anyone who thinks that this franchise has won more football games than any other over the past 14 years because they took some video of an opponent from a few yards away from where it's allowed, or a few footballs were under inflated by a couple of pounds is thinking with their hearts and not their heads.
This is one of the greatest teams in the history of the NFL. They have what many believe to be the greatest coach and greatest quarterback in history. All of the players work their tails off to win games and it's a shame that a stupid allegation overshadows that fact with some people.

[redwitch]

It's a bigger shame that a great team has to stoop to the antics that the Pats have used over the years. They don't need the extra edge, so why do they consistently go for it? A class act would have kept the balls within the guidelines. A class act wouldn't resort to spying on their opponents. A class act plows the field for both sides, not just their own. Sorry, but you'll never convince me that the Pats have class.

They do have a great team, a great coach and a great quarterback. It's a shame that isn't enough for them.

[KeepingItReal]

Originally Posted by Dr Winston O Boogie jr

I'm truly amazed at the hate being spewed out, not only here but on several websites, newspapers, radio and television programs. I would think that most people would wait for some absolute PROOF that the someone from the Patriots organization deliberately and intentionally under inflated the balls.

But no. An allegation has been made and based on that, people want to bounce them from the Super Bowl.

This whole thing is ridiculous. But, among the thousands of articles that have been published on this, I found one that talks about how messing with the ball inflation is common practice in the NFL. All the teams do it and everyone knows about it including the commissioner. The rule is broken all the time and the league looks the other way. It has been going on for years. Now that it has been exposed, the league is going to have to play CYA. They are now looking for some way to handle this from a public relations standpoint.

I'm amazed for how much hatred there is of The Patriots. I guess that it comes with the territory of being on top.

This as been one of the best and classiest organizations in the history of professional sports. From the owner all the way down to the ball boys, this organization has been a model for other sports teams.

But because the league has screwed up over the years, they are going to have to blame someone and The Patriots and their coach will probably take a hit just like they did in that phony spygate case ten years ago.

So go ahead and spew the venom. The Patriots and their fans will embrace it and continue to win football games.

But anyone who thinks that this franchise has won more football games than any other over the past 14 years because they took some video of an opponent from a few yards away from where it's allowed, or a few footballs were under inflated by a couple of pounds is thinking with their hearts and not their heads.
This is one of the greatest teams in the history of the NFL. They have what many believe to be the greatest coach and greatest quarterback in history. All of the players work their tails off to win games and it's a shame that a stupid allegation overshadows that fact with some people.

Totally agree, very well said..

[Hancle704]

I find it amazing that all of the experts have commented about what has been alleged here and that there is no mention that only the Pats Coach knows about the way an underinflated football is different. Many Pro and College teams play every season in conditions that such a ball might help their team and this has not come up until the Pats won. With all of the technology that has been introduced I find it interesting that there was no way to detect this while the game was being played especially since the ball is placed at line after each play. BTW, I am not a Pats fan.

[CFrance]

Originally Posted by Hancle704

I find it amazing that all of the experts have commented about what has been alleged here and that there is no mention that only the Pats Coach knows about the way an underinflated football is different. Many Pro and College teams play every season in conditions that such a ball might help their team and this has not come up until the Pats won. With all of the technology that has been introduced I find it interesting that there was no way to detect this while the game was being played especially since the ball is placed at line after each play. BTW, I am not a Pats fan.

Actually, I wonder if it was detected, at least during the Indy game. I remember a ref blowing his whistle before a ball snap and changing the football out for another one. The announcers opined that perhaps they had a punting ball rather than a playing ball. But maybe it was an underinflated ball.

Off topic, but I wonder... are any of those posters who want the Patriots to be kicked out of the super bowl or severely punished the same people who voted to put Pete Rose in the Hall of Fame?

This is going to be the most-watched super bowl ever! So good hype job by the NFL.