Outline · [ Standard ] · Linear+ NFL Investigating Patriots for Cheating, Deflating Balls for Championship Game

[sasports]

http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2015/01/19/n...otballs-in-afc/

The NFL has confirmed it is looking into charges the New England Patriots cheated Sunday night when they clinched a trip to the Super Bowl Sunday night by using deflated footballs.

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy confirmed the probe Monday, following the AFC championship game, in which the Patriots demolished the Indianapolis Colts, 45-7. The charge was first made Sunday night, when an Indianapolis reporter that the NFL had seized at least one game ball from the AFC championship game to examine whether pigskins were intentionally deflated to make them easier to throw and catch.



“The NFL is investigating the possibility,” Bob Kravitz, of WTHR, tweeted, adding that, “at one point the officials took a ball out of play and weighed it.”

[northicehero99]

If this is true then they should not get to play in the Superbowl. I know they won by a considerable margin, but still this would be a second offense and makes me question that whole organization and the integrety of the NFL as a whole. The NFL buried spygate, but many have often wondered/speculated how deep and long had that been going on???? Now this, makes me wonder if it has been done in the past as well. It certainly would have given an advantage to Brady and his team if their ball was more catchable.

[sasports]

NFL has confirmed 11 of the 12 Game Balls used by the Patriots were deflated!

Patriots are facing a hefty fine and loss of Draft Picks!

[Rabs]

NFL has confirmed 11 of the 12 Game Balls used by the Patriots were deflated! 

Patriots are facing a hefty fine and loss of Draft Picks!

Granted I'm sure they would have still beaten the Colts, if you break the rules you deserve to get punished. I hope the league makes a strong statement due to this, they should.

[sasports]

Yes, the Colts would have still lost, but cheating is cheating. The fact they felt that they needed to cheat to win says a lot about the team

[Kmart6nets]

I guess I'm in the very small minority but I really don't care about this at all. I don't at all understand the rage surrounding this. I think it's only because people seem to hate the Pats.

[sasports]

I don't really care for either the Colts or the Patriots. I just think cheating is wrong no matter how big or how little the infraction. Cheating is Cheating. And the Patriots repeat offenders. If any other team in the league had cheated they would be the first to throw a flag!

[northicehero99]

I guess I'm in the very small minority but I really don't care about this at all. I don't at all understand the rage surrounding this. I think it's only because people seem to hate the Pats.

Granted, I hate the Patriots, but to me it is more about the integrity of the game. If they cheated twice and were caught, how many other times did they not get caught? I just hate how the Patriots are thrown upon a pedestal as this super team, yet here they are again busted for cheating! If they are that great of a team they should be able to win without cheating. Belichek should be banned like Pete Rose is from MLB! The shame is also on the NFL for not being more controlling over things like this to prevent them from happening.

[maple19]

I posted in NFL News what Brad Johnson did in a Superbowl Footballs

[Tarasadie17]

I guess I'm in the very small minority but I really don't care about this at all. I don't at all understand the rage surrounding this. I think it's only because people seem to hate the Pats.

I am right there with you... and being a Miami fan, I of course despise the Pats.

The balls, the ones that both teams were using, were under-inflated. Big fat hairy deal.

If the Dolphins or Chiefs or Cardinals or most other teams were caught doing this, no one would care. But it is the hated Patriots, so it is blown waaaaaay out of proportion.... ridiculous....

[mjda]

First of all, both teams did not use the same balls. The only balls both teams use are the 8 selected kicking balls. Each team has 12 balls that they use on offense, that only they use.

Second, I don't feel like this is being blown out of proportion at all. Cheating is cheating, no matter how small the offense. If it's against the rules, don't do it. If you are going to do it, be prepared to face the consequences for breaking the rules. I have to tell my kids this. It should be no surprise to grown men in, and around, the NFL.

Third, if this is being blown slightly out of proportion it's only because the Pats have already been caught cheating before, so it's their own dang fault!

The only thing ridiculous surrounding this is the fact that there are fans of the game who are perfectly fine with teams breaking the rules (aka cheating) to get an edge.

[Tarasadie17]

First of all, both teams did not use the same balls. The only balls both teams use are the 8 selected kicking balls. Each team has 12 balls that they use on offense, that only they use.

Looked into it, you are absolutely correct that each team has 12 balls. Didn't used to be that way, but it is now....

What saddens me is all the hoopla over what, in my opinion, is a small deal.

And Mike, if you are going to play the "I have to tell my kids this" card, I think the bigger deal is the amount of arrests the NFL is experiencing right now....

In the last month alone you've got Junior Galette arrested for domestic violence, Josh McNary arrested for rape, Chris Johnson arrested on gun charges, Tim Jennings arrested for DUI, Jermaine Cunningham arrested for spreading sexual images and gun possession, Jabari Price arrested for drunken driving... heck, I'll stop there and that is just the last three weeks.

So instead of a real issue like the lack of accountability for NFL players who get in trouble with the law, we are discussing whether 12 balls had enough air in them or not.

RIDICULOUS

[Rabs]

Cheating is cheating, regardless of the extent. That's the bottom line. If you break the rules and get caught, you deserve to be punished. It's quite simple.

[northicehero99]

Michael, I agree there are bigger issues with the NFL. Overall there are a lot of problems with players and what they do OFF the field, however this discussion is now about what happened on the field. Yes the OFF the field issues are more important from a moral standpoint, but start with this as an example of why things are "acceptable" to players. Cheating, placing bounties on other players, all show a lack of moral standards. And if coaches are encouraging this, what do the players do?

Again, why this is a big issue to me is they tout the Pats as one of the greatest teams ever and yet they have been caught cheating. How many times have they gotten away with it to achieve that standing. They have had some great teams, but I wonder how many times they have cheated to win. Cheating is cheating and usually when you get caught cheating you fail or are removed from the contest. Here that is not happening.

IMO there is no reason this coach should be allowed to continue in this league, he should have been terminated during spygate. The NFL needs some inflated balls regarding this and make a real example out of this team and coach.

[mjda]

So instead of a real issue like the lack of accountability for NFL players who get in trouble with the law, we are discussing whether 12 balls had enough air in them or not.

Michael, you're talking about off the field issues. I don't think anyone would disagree that those are bigger issues than cheating in a football game, but that's not the issue at hand here. This topic is about the fact that an NFL team cheated and they should also be punished for that. Regardless of how small a deal it is, it's still cheating. Are you trying to suggest that it's ok to cheat as long as you only cheat a little bit?

[Tarasadie17]

I just don't equate deflating a ball to being a big deal. Kind of like the George Brett pine tar issue, it is a non issue for me. I have played sports my whole life, including college football and semipro rugby. I did whatever I could to gain a competitive edge within reason. Example: in rugby when we knew we were playing a team faster than us we always softened up the home field the week ahead of the game. Is that cheating? Some would say yes, some would say it is home field advantage.

So let me clarify something. Is letting the air out of the ball cheating? Yes it is. Is it the reason the Patriots won? No it isn't. In my opinion it is on par with the lineman who continually grabs the inner jersey of the player he is blocking, making it hard for the refs to see he is holding.

Part of my issue with this story is the amount of uproar over it, but the lack of uproar over the real issues. As some of you know, I work with youth. I have much easier time explaining Tom Brady deflating the football than I do explaining why the athletes and celebrities of this country are not held accountable for their illegal as in law breaking actions.

[Kmart6nets]

If everyone wants to punish the Pats for cheating because they cheated - fine. Fine them $10,000. It's over. I'd like to hear any other thing on Twitter/TV now. It was over for me 5 minutes after it became a 'story'. As Michael pointed out, if this happened to the Chiefs it'd be a 45 second section on Sportscenter. Not the inane ramblings going on now. It is about the lowest score on the 'cheating scale' as far as I'm concerned.

[mjda]

Might be true, but the Chiefs haven't already been caught, and punished for, cheating in the past.

[maple19]

Boy tonight it hit our Main News That's right 3 Story Then they show on the sports for another 2 minutes it ahead of hockey up here right now

[aceecards]

tom brady says and I quote. "I did not alter my balls"

make me wonder if Giselle was the inflator/deflator