New Report Suggests Patriots Might Have Been Deflating Balls All Season And The NFL Was Aware Of It

[Cali_Democrat]

Report: NFL Was Aware Of Patriots Deflation Allegations Before Sunday

This, at least, answers one of the peripheral questions surrounding claims that the Patriots illegally deflated Tom Brady's footballs: just how and when the Colts and the NFL became aware of the funny business.

ESPN's Adam Schefter says the Colts' suspicions date back to their Nov. 16 game against New England, a 42-20 Patriots win. In that game, Indianapolis safety Mike Adams intercepted two passes and handed both balls to the Colts' equipment manager to hold as souvenirs. Both balls, Schefter's sources say, were noticeably underinflated.

Those sources said the Colts raised concerns to the league, which was aware of the issue going into this weekend's AFC title game.

The timing of everything else then falls into place. Reportedly, the Colts' Sunday suspicions were confirmed the first time they got their hands on one of Brady's balls: when D'Qwell Jackson picked him off in the second quarter. The equipment manager told coach Chuck Pagano, who told GM Ryan Grigson, who told the NFL's director of field operations, who alerted the officials working the game. At the half, they inspected the balls.

Gerry Austin, longtime referee, says halftime Pats-Colts footballs brought in, checked at half. Colts footballs still legal. Pats were not.

— mike freeman (@mikefreemanNFL) January 21, 2015

http://deadspin.com/report-nfl-was-aware-of-patriots-deflation-allegations-1680914291

[KamaAina]

1. So the league knew and did nothing?

The league, not the Pats, comes out of this looking rather awful.

[chelsea0011]

4. This is why I think this story has legs.

I don't think the NFL cares about this rule. This is their pine tar rule or having one foot not quite in the batters box (where Carl Everett was ejected after the opposing team complained. I don't think the rule has been enforced ever after that). I believe after all the years of the NFL ignoring this rule has probably passed onto the refs who probably don't inspect the balls prior to games with gauges. So, I think it will take awhile for the league to come to grips with this. There will be stories for weeks about this.

[mythology]

5. Actually both come out looking like crap if this is the case.

The Patriots lose the ability to lie and say it was about the weather (which already falls apart given the Colts' footballs weren't underinflated) and the NFL loses the ability to be seen as anything approaching an impartial arbiter, especially given what a prominent supporter of the NFL commissioner Robert Kraft is.

If this is true, Goodell has to go (even more than he should have after the Ray Rice debacle where he screwed up with the undersuspension and then attempting to raise it).

[Capt. Obvious]

2. Even the NFL is in on it

[El Supremo]

3. Goodell was unaware of the videos!

Er... balls.