OT-deflategate: Thought experiment--could the balls have been inflated at artificially hot temps?
Let's say, hypothetically, that your football team likes footballs to be a bit under inflated. Now, you know that the balls will be in public view as soon as the refs release custody of them, and you don't want some ball boy caught doctoring the footballs on NFL Films.
It is 45 degrees outside. The balls are delivered to the referees 2.5 hours before kickoff. They are inspected at that time and must record an air pressure of between 12.5 and 13.5 PSI. They are measured in a 70 F room.
You're at home. You have your own rooms with thermostats, and possibly customized air delivery equipment.
Is it possible to deliberately inflate the balls at an artificially high temperature to measure the correct pressure (say, 15 minutes after inflation in a 70 degree room), knowing that the pressure will decrease once they spend time outside? Note that the balls are kept indoors with the refs for over two hours. By halftime they were 2lbs light, which suggests 10-10.5 PSI. Would it hold enough heat to work? How hot are we talking?
January 21st, 2015 at 1:29 PM ^
January 21st, 2015 at 1:35 PM ^
This is why there should only be one week before the superbowl. Way too much time for nonsense.
BTW, I would be embarrassed if I was the Ravens or Colts. Excuses (especially weak ones) are for losers.
January 21st, 2015 at 2:13 PM ^
...that the issue here isn't the pressure of the balls New England used but the difference in pressure, if any, between the balls used when the Patriots were on offense and the balls used when the Colts were on offense.
If that wasn't checked, WTF was the league doing when it "investigated" this? If it was, why aren't we hearing the results?
January 21st, 2015 at 3:49 PM ^
January 21st, 2015 at 2:55 PM ^
3rd time the Pats haave been suspected of doing this for a game this season. This time they got caught red handed.
They probably just pay a large fine and lose a couple draft picks, but it's possible that Bellicheck isn't allowed to coach the Super Bowl.
January 21st, 2015 at 3:45 PM ^
January 21st, 2015 at 7:25 PM ^
Ben Mathis-Lilley, whom I believe to be an alum based on his past interest in Michigan, wrote:
"One seemingly well-informed contributor to this thread of nerdy Michigan football fans asserts that the observed loss in air pressure could have occurred if the Pats inflated their balls at 85 degrees."
January 26th, 2015 at 4:18 PM ^
And a "person of interest."
And, while I'm as big of a Tom Brady fan as anyone, what are the odds, you think, that this locker room attendant acted on his own accord, without the knowledge of the starting quarterback?
I'd put those odds at, oh...just about 0 percent.