TOM BRADY

[pinstripers]

Because it's a rule.

[MoValley John]

I know I'm in the minority but this is such a non-issue to me I can't believe its gotten this big. First off the NFL lets the teams scuff, sand, polish, do whatever they want to make the balls the way their QB wants it, so what is the big deal about dropping the pressure 1 psi? The NFL has done everything they can with rules to favor more offense, so if a ball at 11 psi instead of 12.5 makes that teams' QB better, why not let em do it? IMHO they should change the rule and let teams complete control over the balls, or take back control and the NFL supplies the same balls for use be either team. If the issue is one teams has an advantage then make them play with the same balls! The NBA doesn't provide different basketballs for each offense, it seems ridiculous to even have separate balls for each team. And while they're at it do away with the 18 psi rocks they use for kickers, just use the same balls, both teams, all the time. This to me seems very hypocritical and makes me lose even more faith in the NFL.

I read someone else say the ball is equipment, like gloves or cleats. They allow WR's to use special gloves to make the ball easier to catch, different cleats for a RB to cut, why not allow the ball to be set the way the QB wants it?

And even if they are going to punish NE, there were so many holes in the Wells report I don't know how they can base it on that. They compared the change in psi from all (11, I think) of NE's balls, to only 4 of Indy's, and even Indy's did experience some drop in psi. Without knowing exactly where all the balls started how can you know much they dropped and make an accurate comparison? If the NFL was tipped off ahead of the game why didn't they take pre-game measurements to compare to? Why didn't they check all of Indy's to see who much they dropped in the same conditions? And don't get me started on "more probably than not" as the basis for punishment, yikes if that's the new standard.

I'm not a NE fan by any stretch (life long Chiefs fan) but this seems like the NFL wanting to throw its weight around and going way overboard. Just fix your stupid rule NFL and you won't have to worry about this anymore.

This is really a non issue to me, too, but it's something to talk about.That said, one teensie psi in a football isn't so teensie weensie, it's huge.

[1972Shocker]

I think Brady should re-think his PSI preference. He did better in the 2nd half against the Colts with the properly inflated balls then he did in the 1st half with the deflated balls. Maybe Gisele has told Tom that she much prefers underinflated balls.

[wusphlash]

Maybe that's why Tom got rid of his pre-Gisele girlfriend, she was getting over inflated.

[The Mad Hatter]

I think that the problem for the NFL, much like their problem with how they handled the domestic abuse punishments, is that they spent years giving slaps on the wrists to the Patriots in exchange for Super Bowl Championships, and when it finally dawns on them that these pattern of behavior was actually going to affect perceptions of the integrity of the game, they give a disproportionately large penalty for what is no worse (and maybe far less important) than the long string of things that the NFL gave no penalty or comparatively small penalty to the Patriots over.

I don't know if it will stand on appeal, not because I don't believe the hammer should come down hard on the Pats for their long standing pattern of cheating, but because, as with domestic abuse, I don't know if the league can get away with sweeping stuff under the rug for years, then justify an arbitrary large penalty when the public frustration has mounted to a point that the league panics into realizing it can't keep up it's head in the sand approach.

[capnkirk]

My question is why do teams have access to game balls?

It's understandable for pee wee football, but when you get to college and especially the NFL there should be no reason for the players to have access to the balls.

And another thing, why do the kickers get a special ball to kick with????

[MoValley John]

My question is why do teams have access to game balls?

It's understandable for pee wee football, but when you get to college and especially the NFL there should be no reason for the players to have access to the balls.

And another thing, why do the kickers get a special ball to kick with????

In college, each team supplies their own set of balls.In the NFL, that isn't the case. If you're team doesn't have balls, you can't play NCAA football.

[WuShock16]

Makes sense with college teams as they don't use the same ball. Nike schools obviously use that, whereas non-Nike schools use Wilson or something else (if their company doesn't have a game ball). With the NFL, everyone uses the same ball, so there is no need for teams to touch the game ball. With all the people working for the NFL, surely someone neutral from the league office can handle the game balls for each game.

[Kung Wu]

Lance Armstrong is innocent.

[Kung Wu]

And another thing, why do the kickers get a special ball to kick with????

Because a-holes like Brady deflate them! Have you ever tried to kick a balloon?

[DUShock]

What happened to the Patriots center, shouldn't he have reasonably known also?

[tgcshock]

What happened to the Patriots center, shouldn't he have reasonably known also?

I think that is what the 1 Million dollar fine to the organization is for. Those explicitly involved Brady (who presumably gave the order to do it) and the equipment guys (who actually deflated the footballs) get specific punishments. Everyone else is covered by the fine to the organization as a whole.

[wusphlash]

And, of course, Brady and Kraft are shocked at the severity of the punishment and will appeal. Maybe they can use Aaron Hernandez's attorneys.

[Kung Wu]

Because a-holes like Brady deflate them! Have you ever tried to kick a balloon?

Actually I am not sure why I called him an a-hole. I like Tom Brady.

But when I woke up this morning, I was bugged by something. If the NFL says, "footballs must be inflated to X pounds, and you supply your own" -- doesn't that mean they are partially to blame if they don't gather the footballs Y hours before the game and inspect each one? At that point, the team staffs shouldn't be allowed to touch the ball. If it doesn't work like that, then the NFL needs to point at themselves a little bit here. If it does work like that, how were the teams able to manipulate the footballs?

[ShockdaWorld]

Actually I am not sure why I called him an a-hole. I like Tom Brady.

But when I woke up this morning, I was bugged by something. If the NFL says, "footballs must be inflated to X pounds, and you supply your own" -- doesn't that mean they are partially to blame if they don't gather the footballs Y hours before the game and inspect each one? At that point, the team staffs shouldn't be allowed to touch the ball. If it doesn't work like that, then the NFL needs to point at themselves a little bit here. If it does work like that, how were the teams able to manipulate the footballs?

The NFL does check the balls sometime before (I believe it's 4 hours) the game. Then they give the balls back to the teams to control. One of the dumbest rules written, kind of like the tuck rule. Needs adjusted.