Originally Posted By: greenjp
Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
Seeing some of the comments in this thread reinforce the reasons why I choose not to be one of the legions of doltish football fans.
Agree wholeheartedly pops. Posting about things you proclaim not to care about on the internet is surely a more noble and productive use of ones time.
jeff
ps. I do like football, both to watch and play.
The ball pressure "data" the NFL used has been conclusively debunked, so this is certainly a case as they say of the coverup being worse than the crime - because there is no evidence that the crime actually occurred. Circumstantial evidence only exists if there's an underlying crime, which in this case there is not.
Actually, no it has not.
At the official inspection by the ref's prior to the game all of the Patriots' balls were set to the league minimum of 12.5 PSI except for 2 which were under and had to be inflated. So 9 started out at exactly 12.5 and 2 were at least 12.5( can't find what they set them to ).
NOTE - upon completion of the pre-game inspection by the ref's the balls are supposed to be stored in a secure location until released for game use. One of the Patriot attendants however is seen on video disappearing with the balls into a bathroom without cameras
AFTER the official inspection by the ref's. He was in there for 90 seconds with them( more than enough time to let some air out ).
At halftime, once foul play was suspected with the balls, the ref's rechecked the PSI levels in the Patriot game balls; twice for each ball. There were multiple balls( 5 or 6 )that when tested were in the mid 10 to low 11 PSI range which mean even with the Ideal Gas Law(IGL) equation, working "ideally", that they were well below where the IGL would allow for. Some of the balls can be explained by the IGL( in an "ideal" scenario )but not all.
People need to remember here that during the game in question, when this deflategate fiasco started, the game time starting temp was in the 50's. It was a rainy and unseasonably warm( January after all )game. The temp stayed pretty consistent through halftime when the issue was addressed and properly inflated balls were used the rest of the game. People are acting like the balls came from a 90 degree building and were introduced into Lambeau Field like -10degree conditions. Just not the case. The balls came out of the building into very moderate temps.
Also, they were only used until halftime. It isn't like they were outside for 10 hours. 2-3 hours tops( accounting for them being brought out prior to start of game ). The IGL would have to work extremely fast to account for the drastic PSI drops. I just don't believe it truly effected the balls the way some claim. IF the temp was really cold maybe it would have some effect but it was too warm out. Imagine setting your tire PSI in a 70 degree garage and then pulling it into your driveway on a rainy( no sun to heat tire up )day for 3 hours. Do any of you believe the tire PSI would be any different let alone have dropped 1.5-2PSI? If you believe the IGL accounts for the Patriots' deflated balls then you have to believe the above with the tires.
Tires are too thick you say, so it would take longer to cool down and lose the PSI? Ok, then imagine cleaning the 70 degree garage on that 50 degree rainy day instead. 1st thing you do is set your kids bike and football outside( that just so happens to be at 12.5 PSI - what a coincidence
). 3 hours later when done you put the football back in the garage. Do you believe the PSI would have dropped at all let alone as far as to fall to 10.5-11.0 which is where 5-6 Patriot balls were at when remeasured? No, of course not. IT is foolish to think such a minor temp swing for just a couple hours would do that. Overnight or something maybe the PSI drops a bit but I just don't see it unless the temp difference is drastic and you need more than just a half of football.
Someone messed with the balls. The IGL, in real world application, just doesn't account for it.