Are you ready for some NFL Football? 2014 Edition.

[dsc123]

Quote:

"Like many aspects of our policies and procedures, there are modifications for the Super Bowl.

"At the Super Bowl, the equipment manager of another team [Bears, Tony Medlin] is in charge of the game balls and arranging for the ball attendant crews, which are hired before the Super Bowl teams are determined. The officials will maintain strict control of the game balls for the Super Bowl.

"Many aspects of the regular-season process are in place. The Super Bowl teams receive balls to work with during practice as per our policies. The balls are then returned to the league late next week.

"We would expect that the Competition Committee will review all of these procedures in the offseason."

[Statement from the NFL]

[Golfingdad]

[Statement from the NFL]

From what I've been reading, I'm pretty sure this is how it's always been for the Super Bowl.

[dsc123]

From what I've been reading, I'm pretty sure this is how it's always been for the Super Bowl.

Yes, I should have said that.

This guy in particular has done it a bunch.  I learned that while googling to see if I could make out any NEP connection.  Furthest back I can find is that he went to college in NC.  Seems like he's been with the Bears ever since.  I cannot stress this enough though--I have no proof that he was not born in New England, that he is not a NEP fan, or that he is not related to anyone on the NEP.  All of those may very well be true.

[Golfingdad]

Yes, I should have said that.

This guy in particular has done it a bunch.  I learned that while googling to see if I could make out any NEP connection.  Furthest back I can find is that he went to college in NC.  Seems like he's been with the Bears ever since.  I cannot stress this enough though--I have no proof that he was not born in New England, that he is not a NEP fan, or that he is not related to anyone on the NEP.  All of those may very well be true.

LOL ... now you need to go back and investigate who filled this role during the Super Bowls that the Patriots won. ;)

[dsc123]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

LOL ... now you need to go back and investigate who filled this role during the Super Bowls that the Patriots won. ;)

It was the same guy! I knew there was a conspiracy in there somewhere!

Quote:

After the 2000 season, Medlin received the Whitey Zimmerman Award as the NFL's top equipment manager.

Two seasons earlier he was selected to coordinate the game ball operations for Super Bowl XXXIII in Miami and has done so for the last eight years.

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2006-10-19/sports/0610190128_1_bears-defensive-coordinator-buddy-ryan-tony-dorsett

That's 1998-2006!

Thanks for the tip, @Golfingdad !  Maybe I should share my moniker with you?

[Golfingdad]

Thanks for the tip, @Golfingdad!  Maybe I should share my moniker with you?

Nah, I'm like the Sergeant on the cop show who bosses everybody around and tells them what to do while drinking my coffee and trying not to get my butt chewed by the "Chief."  I don't actually do any investigating on my own.

[meenman]

LOL ... now you need to go back and investigate who filled this role during the Super Bowls that the Patriots won. ;)

The patsies werent messing with balls back then - i am pretty sure that they were more consumed with a little episode most people refer to as *spygate*

[Golfingdad]

The patsies werent messing with balls back then - i am pretty sure that they were more consumed with a little episode most people refer to as *spygate*

That's a really dumb name for that, BTW ... they weren't spying on anybody, they were taping things that they were perfectly free to be witnessing with their own eyes, things that were out in the open.  Should just have been called "tapegate" or "videogate."

Well, except for the whole stupidity that is the medias collective lack of imagination.  "What, there is a scandal?  OK, take the word and add gate to the end of it and we got our headline!!!  God dammit we are so clever!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Makes you wonder ... what did they call scandals before 1972?

[meenman]

Whole lot of nothing coming out of bradys mouth

If you blindfolded me, I wouldnt be able to tell if this was a-roid or brady doing this press conference.

[dsc123]

When someone says they aren't aware of x happening, you HAVE to ask if he asked anyone else if x happened.

[saevel25]

Just a thought, I know the NFL will not own up to it if it happened, but couldn't the ref have just done a lazy job checking the footballs? I mean, we just assume the NFL is telling the truth, and the ref is telling the truth.

[Slice of Life]

Just a thought, I know the NFL will not own up to it if it happened, but couldn't the ref have just done a lazy job checking the footballs? I mean, we just assume the NFL is telling the truth, and the ref is telling the truth.

They also check the balls before the game if I'm not mistaken. If that's the case, they could have deflated them after they checked them. And also, why were 11/12 deflated on the Pats side, and somehow all were legally inflated on the Colts side?

[Golfingdad]

Just a thought, I know the NFL will not own up to it if it happened, but couldn't the ref have just done a lazy job checking the footballs? I mean, we just assume the NFL is telling the truth, and the ref is telling the truth.

You don't read my posts, do you?

They also check the balls before the game if I'm not mistaken. If that's the case, they could have deflated them after they checked them. And also, why were 11/12 deflated on the Pats side, and somehow all were legally inflated on the Colts side?

Theory:  Balls lose a little air over the course of a game maybe?  Pats balls started at the bare minimum and Andrew Luck is like Rodgers and prefers firm balls so theirs started at the maximum.

Little deflation over the course of the game and voila, now you have one teams entire set of balls under the limit and the others at the low end.

(Obviously I'm making a ton of assumptions here, but it's certainly plausible, no?)

[k-troop]

:cry:   You don't read my posts, do you?

What, are you at like 11,003,421 posts now? Who has that much time?

[Golfingdad]

What, are you at like 11,003,421 posts now? Who has that much time?

Apparently, I do.  Good point though ... back to work I go!!

[saevel25]

They also check the balls before the game if I'm not mistaken. If that's the case, they could have deflated them after they checked them. And also, why were 11/12 deflated on the Pats side, and somehow all were legally inflated on the Colts side?

I thought they only checked them once before the game. Then they do give them a check during the game, but that is mostly subjective because they are actually squeezing the football. Though I am not sure they actually use a pressure gauge or not.

You don't read my posts, do you?

Oops, I didn't read that post.

[dsc123]

When Brady says he has no knowledge of any other employee deflating the ball, how do they not ask if he asked the equipment people about it? If he says no, then you know he has no interest in what happened, and you know where the most likely culprit is, unless you don't believe TB. If he says yes, we'll then you KNOW someone is lying. Also, to the idea that it just naturally deflated some, that was debunked by science. How about the NFL not even contacting Brady. They said they will complete their investigation in 2 or 3 days (from yesterday), and have not scheduled an interview with the guy who is most likely to have been involved. So we know they have no interest in getting to the bottom of this.

[Golfingdad]

Also, to the idea that it just naturally deflated some, that was debunked by science.

It has?

Every single ball (and bike and car tire) I've ever known has deflated over time.  How has science decided this isn't possible?  Or have they claimed that it's not possible to have deflated a certain amount over a certain period of time? [I paused here to google "air pressure and temperature" and what do you know, two of the top returns are about footballs ;)]

http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/deflategate-patriots-football/40975001

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/patriots_nfl/new_england_patriots/2015/01/colder_temperature_could_explain_football_pressure

Now, let's revisit the "facts" of the case:

1. Balls were inspected 2 hours before the game.
2. Balls were inspected during/after the game and were found to be under-inflated by about 2 pounds.

According to the articles above (which appear to both include science) it is entirely possible for balls filled in warmer and dryer temperatures to lose pressure in colder and wetter temperatures (up to 2 pounds no less).  Now, Belicheck today has admitted that they inflate their balls to the bare minimum of 12.5.  Those two things being true, why wouldn't it be possible for the balls to have lost a couple of pounds of PSI?

BTW, did they actually test the Colts balls?