The New England Patriots lambasted the Indianapolis Colts 45-7 in the AFC Championship game. At points, it looked like the two teams were playing different games, and as it turns out, they might have been playing the same game, but with different equipment. Almost immediately after the game, the allegations started trickling out: the Patriots were using deflated footballs in order to gain a grip advantage over the Indianapolis Colts. It was dismissed as hogwash, as every one of the 12 balls the team uses are checked before game time and then… given to the a ball attendant. As it turns out, 11 of the 12 footballs used by the New England Patriots were underinflated by at least 2 pounds during the AFC title game.
League standards say the ball must weight between 14 and 15 ounces and be inflated to somewhere between 12.5 and 13.5 pounds of pressure. Once the footballs are checked–these footballs were checked by referee Walt Anderson 2 hours and 15 minutes before kickoff–they are not to be tampered with. Either Anderson didn’t check the footballs, or someone tampered with the footballs, because that difference in inflation makes a huge difference in how a football feels both throwing it and catching it. As we all know, cheating and spying to gain an advantage is rampant in the NFL, but no team has been caught more than the Patriots and their various coaches and former coaches, thanks to Spygate.
Said Patriots spokesperson Stacy James, “We have been in complete cooperation with the league and will continue to do so.”
Tags: football, nfl football, professional football, national football league, new england patriots, indianapolis colts, deflated footballs, new england patriots cheating, new england patriots deflated footballs, new england patriots beat the indianapolis colts with deflated footballs, stacy james, walt anderson