Deflategate

Discussion in 'Tennessee Titans and NFL Talk' started by Thaddeus43, Jan 19, 2015.

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  1. CheeseheadTitan

    CheeseheadTitan Pro Bowler Tip Jar Donor

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    OK, so how does this imply that all crews for all games can only do the inflation and measurement in their respective locker rooms? If Peter King had followed a crew in September (when it is much warmer) what would stop the crew from taking the balls to a sauna or something? Not saying that this happens, but, with the rules as written, it could without repercussion.

    The latest article I found on the locker room attendant is below:

    http://espn.go.com/boston/nfl/story...cker-room-attendant-deflategate-investigation

    In this article the investigation is said to focus on a 90 second period in which the attendant is in a one holer bathroom with the game balls. 90 seconds....one and a half minutes. I am sorry, but I struggle to see how a player can deflate 11 balls almost exactly the same amount in that time. That would mean, after factoring in about 5 seconds to leave the room, he was "precision deflating" balls about once per 7.5 seconds. I am sorry, but that is absurd IMO.
     
  2. CheeseheadTitan

    CheeseheadTitan Pro Bowler Tip Jar Donor

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    If the balls were measured to be in regulation, then lost pressure due to temperature conditions, there is no fine IMO. If this is an issue, the NFL needs to be more specific about where the ball needs to be within the regulation pressure....in other words, measure the pressure after the ball has reached equilibrium in the game conditions. Then, if the balls are outside of regulation, I would agree with a fine.

    This whole notion of "bending the rules" is a matter of degrees. I think that it is "bending the rules" to overtly encourage your fans to make stadium conditions impossible for the other team to communicate, for example. Is that against the rules? No. Does it give the home team an advantage over the other team? Absolutely. By your logic it would be ok for Goodell to punish home teams for encouraging this, since it is gaming a situation while not against the rules. Not saying I would endorse this, but it is just an example.

    Brad Johnson personally paid an attendant $7,500 to scuff the game balls before the 2003 Super Bowl....why aren't we clamoring to have that game invalidated? Is that not bending the rules as well?

    Lets just call this what it is IMO.....Patriot/Belicheck hate. I am not a Pats fan either, but I don't intend to endorse this exercise, since as mentioned numerous times before, I struggle to see how the rules, as presently written, were broken. If the new standard is "he may not have broken the rules but he still cheated because he gamed a situation", we would cease to have anyone on the field....IMO.
     
  3. Riverman

    Riverman That may be.... Tip Jar Donor

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    This wouldn't be an issue except for the Pats history with Spy-gate being exposed right after their 3rd Super bowl. NFL fans across the league also haven't forgotten Goodell's destruction of the evidence after the "investigation".

    The league has lost credibility across the nation. Memories of pressers by he mutual admiration society of Goodell, Kraft, Rooney, Jerry Jones is affecting how the public feels about the league. The role that Goodell played in the Ray Rice incident as well.

    This chicken is coming home to roost.

    I find the most interesting statistic (with exceptional p values) is the Pats dramatically different rate of fumbling from the rest of the league. IMO- that is why Belicheat bent these rules. I don't have as much a problem with Brady- because he throws the best ball in the league regardless of air pressure.
     
    #263 Riverman, Jan 27, 2015
    Last edited: Jan 27, 2015
  4. GoT

    GoT Strength and Honor

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    not in the least.




    easily get the job done in that amount of time, especially with all the pratice he gets
     
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  5. CheeseheadTitan

    CheeseheadTitan Pro Bowler Tip Jar Donor

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    OK...so he picks up the ball, inserts the needle, depressures it (repeatedly to nearly the same amount), removes the needle, and replaces the ball in 7.5 seconds....believe what you want, I don't buy it.

    What I would buy is this....attendant has been told repeatedly how important that the balls are not tampered with, has to take a leak, goes into the bathroom with the game balls (so no one can mess with them while he is doing his business), does his business, washes his hands, and comes back out.

    Crazy theory, I know......especially in the "Evil Empire" LOL....

    Luckily the poor guy did not have to take a dump....there would be more basis to support the conspiracy theory if that were the case.
     
  6. Laserjock

    Laserjock South Endzone Rocks! Staff

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    They can put activity trackers inside a soccer ball....they should find a way to stick a digital air pressure display on these things and be done with it. This is bordering on obsessive hate for the Pats.
     
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  7. Vigsted

    Vigsted Starter

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    Several QBs have come forward saying that "tampering" with the balls is common pregame. This usually consists of wearing them down, as new balls a slick as hell and difficult to catch. I think it's likely the Patriots procedure for doing this combined with a low inflation to start with caused them do lose pressure although that was not the intent.

    An underinflated ball is a disadvantage only when throwing it, but my whole point is it has to be significantly underinflated. A ball inflated at 11psi is theoretically easier to catch than a ball at 12psi but my experience is that it's so marginal you don't notice. I've been playing for 10+ years now and I don't notice a drop in pressure until it's close to 3/4 inflated (I don't have the exact psi, but I'd guess it's below 10psi)
     
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  8. Vigsted

    Vigsted Starter

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    Seriously, video tape shows the ball boy going to a bathroom on his way to the field and the first assumption is that he must have tampered with them? If a player goes the bathroom on his way to the field are we also going to assume he's taking steroids in there?
     
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  9. CheeseheadTitan

    CheeseheadTitan Pro Bowler Tip Jar Donor

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    And I would agree with that. If there is evidence to support that the lower pressures have been giving the Pats an advantage (as the fumbling stat seems to suggest), then, by all means, CHANGE THE RULE. I can fully get behind that, and would be just as vehement in wanting punishment for those who violate the rule.

    That said, no sport is perfect, and rules are modified over time to eliminate behavior like this. The spit ball, pine tar, and other items were eliminated from baseball for this reason. Stickum (Fred Biletnikoff went to the Hall of Fame using stickum on his hands for virtually his whole career) was outlawed about 30 years ago. Belicheck found a way to game this rule to his advantage...now we know, so change the rule. I do not see this incident as anything that abnormally puts the league in a bad light. There are plenty of other things (domestic abuse) that has done that much more than this.
     
  10. Smash

    Smash 2017 Survivor Winner

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    The problem is, there a difference between how the rules are written and how they're executed. I assume the way the Steratore crew does it, is how it is executed.

    I had a discussion after week 17, whether taunting is an automatic first down. Tauting is, by rule, Unportsmanlike Conduct (section 3) and the rules does not mention "automatic first down". Personal Fouls (section 2) are automatic first down. But taunting is penalized like a Personal Foul.
    Source: http://www.nfl.com/static/content/public/image/rulebook/pdfs/15_Rule12_Player_Conduct.pdf
     
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