I’m not quite sure what the possibility of a coach knowing years ago that a college player might be getting perks, and a player who doesn’t like the press and another one who has a personality has anything to do with the possibility that the Patriots were cheating. Sounds like rationalization and deflection, next will we hear about what the Christian Crusaders did almost a thousand years ago, so therefore it’s not such a big deal about deflating the balls?
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emeraldkity, Carroll admitted that it was likely happening… after the NCAA dismantled his brilliantly concocted and convoluted intern scheme putting a buffer between himself and the infraction(s). Todd McNair, his running backs coach during the Reggie Bush era, knows what REALLY happened.
If people truly want to analyze the effect of deflated balls then they should analyze the followings in each play of the last game:
And it will be more interesting if the NFL inflates the balls 2 PPSI higher than the specified range for the Superbowl.
Did they test the balls used by Indy? If they did, and those balls were not deflated, well…
Teams only use balls for non-kicking plays that they provide themselves. Each team is required to provide 12 balls, and the home team is required to provide 12 backup balls. The away team can provide 12 backup balls as well, which I imagine the Colts did, given the weather.
At halftime they either pumped the balls back up or switched to the backup balls, which presumably they rechecked.
I haven’t seen anything that states that one team used another teams’ balls at any time.
Balls used for kicking are kept completely separate and are never under team control. This was instituted as a result of some teams trying to mess around with the balls for kicking.
The balls used for offense are managed by ballboys for each team. I don’t know if teams bring ballboys with them to away games or not.
After the refs approve the balls, they stay in the refs’ possession until given to the ballboys prior to the start of the game. So they do get back into the team’s possession.
That’s the process as I understand it.
The Pats’ offense (and Brady himself) performed much better in the second half, when they were using fully inflated balls.
In Brady’s press conference, he said he has never altered a ball, and doesn’t pay any attention to them because he knows they are the ones he selected. He said he doesn’t really squeeze them, and didn’t notice any difference between the balls in the first half and second half.
Omg I am so sick of ballgate already.
Everyone is coming out of the woodwork to give their opinion- but it doesn’t take much to see they have their own agenda. Like Troy Aiken.
I don’t think that it really made that much of a difference although the Ravens might disagree.
It does speak to attitude though.
Uh, it’s Troy Aikman. What is his agenda? He may well have one, I have no idea.
@coolweather, the Pats would only use balls that they provided so we can’t make those comparisons.
I assume if there’s an interception they switch to their own ball for the next play.
They did. Amazingly,
http://810whb.com/common/more.php?m=49&r=21
It’s getting pretty hard not to see nefariousness here.
Yep - if it was at all weather related the Indy balls would presumably also be impacted. However, maybe Belichick fills them with hot air before presenting them for inspection 
At any rate, it doesn’t matter if they didn’t receive any advantage that can be measured with stats. The intent to skirt the rules to possible advantage is what matters.
p.s. I really don’t like these new emoticons!
I give them noses and then they look like they did before the most recent change, at least on my computer. I’ve only tried a regular smile and wink.
No longer contributing to the football discussion as I have nothing meaningful to add.
Ha! That doesn’t stop the rest of us! 
Okay, there it is with a nose, only where’s the nose?
I tried the regular laughing face and it was not laughing . . . I had to change it.
Maybe the icons are deflated too.
They are certainly not as expressive as they used to be
I agree. They didn’t know for sure before the game that they would win convincingly. I don’t see how that has anything to do with alleged cheating and all of the implications of that.
I wonder why you would change something to make it worse. While we’re at it did anyone else’s profile picture tab go away or am I just on double secret probation? I am still stuck wearing this itchy turtle neck, and am rally ready for a change.
Deflated or inflated, time marches forward.
I’m heading to the concession stand.