Deflated Footballs. Did It Really Help?

The New England Patriots have become a team that is used to scandal. Back in 2007, the Patriots were punished for videotaping sideline signals used by the New York Jets during a game. Belichick was fined $500,000, and the team was docked $250,000 and stripped of its 2008 first-round draft pick. So this is something the Patriots have faced in the past. Now the team is involved in what has become none as “Deflate-gate.” The NFL is probing whether the Patriots deflated footballs that were used in their AFC championship game victory over the Indianapolis Colts.

This was reported Sunday night after the Colts-Patriots tilt in the AFC title game. An interception by Indianapolis Colts linebacker D'Qwell Jackson is what initially led to an NFL investigation into whether the New England Patriots intentionally deflated footballs. After Jackson made the pick, which came in the second quarter, he gave the ball to a member of the Colts' equipment staff, who noticed it was not fully inflated and informed Indianapolis coach Chuck Pagano. Colts general manager Ryan Grigson was alerted about the ball in the Gillette Stadium press box. Grigson contacted NFL director of football operations Mike Kensil, who then told game officials during halftime (ESPN).

At the time the Patriots had a 17-7 lead, en route to 45-7 crushing win over the Colts. NFL rules stipulate that footballs must be inflated between 12.5 and 13.5 pounds per square inch and weigh between 14 and 15 ounces. Former NFL official Jim Daopoulos, in an interview with ESPN on Monday morning, explained the process in which footballs are managed. Two hours and 15 minutes before each game, officials inspect 12 footballs from each team and put a mark on them to indicate they meet the proper requirements and are good for usage. Then those footballs are given to the ball attendant. There also is a second set of six footballs, used specifically for the kicking game, that are marked appropriately and remain in the possession of officials at all times.

Now come on here this is a little bit ridiculous. Look it was a rainy day, the ball was wet and hard to grip. It was tough for both teams to grip the ball. But it was Indy that was complaining about it. If it was under inflated for New England, it should have been the same way for the Colts as well.

Tom Brady even said in an interview in 2001 on a radio station in Boston that he doesn't mind playing with a slightly deflated football, so it was known going in that Brady is comfortable with those type of footballs. Here's what stick out to me. Indy just seems to be complaining about it after they were blown out in the title game. I mean come on really? If the Colts had played better, even going on to win for that matter, then you wouldn't have heard a word about it. I could be wrong here but I just think Indy is complaining because they were blown out. Just shut up take your loss and move along.

Is it wrong that the balls were deflated? Yes it is. The league has rules and standards. I understand that the Colts wanted this to be a fair game, which is totally understandable. But lets face facts, Indianapolis was outplayed in this football game and it wouldn't really have mattered they were still going to get beat. Even if its proven that the Patriots deflated the footballs, the Colts still lost the game. What good is it going to do now. It should have been brought up to the game officials during the game, not afterwards.