Sports

Report: Patriots Deflated Footballs

TOM BRADY “GENERALLY AWARE” OF PRACTICE … || By FITSNEWS ||  The New England Patriots violated NFL rules by deflating footballs prior to the AFC championship game – giving the team’s players an unfair competitive advantage.  Not only that, star quarterback Tom Brady was “at least generally aware of the inappropriate…

TOM BRADY “GENERALLY AWARE” OF PRACTICE …

|| By FITSNEWS ||  The New England Patriots violated NFL rules by deflating footballs prior to the AFC championship game – giving the team’s players an unfair competitive advantage.  Not only that, star quarterback Tom Brady was “at least generally aware of the inappropriate activities,” according to a new report prepared for the league by attorney Ted Wells.

In the aftermath of the Patriots’ 45-7 win over the Indianapolis Colts four months ago, eleven of the team’s twelve footballs were determined to have been at least two pounds per square inch below league specifications – which call for all balls to be inflated between 12.5 and 13.5 pounds per square inch (and weigh between 14 and 15 ounces).

The scandal – known as “Deflate-gate” – dominated headlines in the weeks leading up to Super Bowl XLIX, which the Patriots won.

“It is more probable than not that New England Patriots personnel participated in violations of the Playing Rules and were involved in a deliberate effort to circumvent the rules,” Wells’ report concluded.

Specifically, the report concluded that a pair of Patriots’ equipment managers “participated in a deliberate effort to release air from Patriots game balls after the balls were examined by the referee.”

Yeah … “busted.”

Under-inflated balls are easier for players to grip – especially in slick, rainy conditions like those that prevailed at Gillette Stadium during the AFC championship.  They are also easier for wide receivers and running backs to catch.  In fact, Brady has made his preference for under-inflated footballs well known, telling a New England radio station in 2011 “I like the deflated ball.”

The Patriots were also accused of using deflated balls following a game against the Colts in November – and after a Brady pass was intercepted by Colts’ linebacker D’Qwell Jackson, Colts’ personnel noticed the ball was under-inflated.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft blasted the report, saying he was “offended” by its insinuation that the team did not fully cooperate with the investigation.

“When I addressed the media at the Super Bowl on January 26 – over 14 weeks ago – I stated that I unconditionally believed that the New England Patriots had done nothing inappropriate in this process or in violation of the NFL rules and that I was disappointed in the way the league handled the initial investigation,” Kraft said in a statement.  “That sentiment has not changed.”

“To say we are disappointed in its findings, which do not include any incontrovertible or hard evidence of deliberate deflation of footballs at the AFC Championship game, would be a gross understatement,” he added.

This website is highly conflicted in this story, seeing as our founding editor is a 29-year fan of the Indianapolis Colts.  Also for the record, we have repeatedly stated that the deflated footballs were highly unlikely to have impacted the outcome of the game.

Contributed to its outcome? Yes. Changed it? No.

“New England is – year-in, year-out – one of the most talented teams in the league.  And Brady is without question one of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of the league (and hands-down the NFL’s best-ever post-season passer),” we wrote in the immediate aftermath of the scandal. “But the Patriots continue to sully the integrity of the game with their unnecessary and unsportsmanlike efforts to gain an unfair competitive advantage.”

Indeed …

In 2007 the NFL fined New England head coach Bill Belichick $500,000 for his role in “spy-gate” – a scandal in which the Patriots were found to have illegally videotaped the New York Jets’ defensive coaches’ signals.  The team was fined another $250,000 and docked its first round pick in the 2008 NFL draft as a result of the scandal – which allegedly involved a long-standing team practice.

It’s not clear what – if any – penalties may follow from “Deflate-gate” especially seeing as no definitive finding of deliberate wrongdoing was made.

***

Related posts

Sports

South Carolina Breaks Through With Emphatic Upset Of No. 10 Texas A&M

FITSNews
Sports

Panthers’ Disastrous Diontae Johnson Trade

Will Folks
Sports

South Carolina Football: Another Make Or Break Game

Will Folks

64 comments

shifty henry May 6, 2015 at 2:46 pm

In the record books give that game an (*) and move on. In the foto too bad the blow-up whacko #44 can’t be deflated.

Reply
GrandTango May 6, 2015 at 3:09 pm

Will you give Obama’s 2012 alleged win at the polls an (*) because some inner city precincts had idiot Obama-drones – like you…voting six times-a-piece???…There was precinct after precinct that had ALL votes for Obama, and not a SINGLE vote for Romney…and some stations had close to 120% participation…

You ignorant F*#k…you cheat, on purpose, and give us a F*#king Monster to steal our money and our freedoms..and you sluff around like an ignorant Dumb@$$…but you fall in w/ the FOOLS over a football game, involving trumped-up charges, by people too F*#king small to admit they got their @$$#$ kicked…fair and square…

YOU and FITS are the F*#king disease in this country…

Reply
shifty henry May 6, 2015 at 3:33 pm

Thanks for your prompt reply and I agree with you on the major points, however you lost (as you have previously lost in replies to other commentators) your credibility for your unreliable, erroneous, unsubstantied , ignorant replies which, as in this case, includes —

–idiot Obama-drones – like you …BUZZZ-WRONG!
— voting six times-a-piece…BUZZZ-WRONG!
–You ignorant F*#k…you cheat, on purpose…BUZZZ-WRONG!
–you slouch around like an ignorant Dumb@$$…BUZZZ-WRONG!
–YOU and FITS are the F*#king disease…BUZZZ-WRONG!

Reply
Nölff May 6, 2015 at 3:43 pm

That’s a true story he made up.

Reply
Fecal Matters May 6, 2015 at 3:44 pm

Brian Williams was there.

shifty henry May 6, 2015 at 4:04 pm

I can’t ignore the GrandTurnip’s posts because I copy and print them daily to give to the immigrant kids in my neighborhood and tell them it’s their English language lesson. Some of them can already pronounce Dumb@$$ – F*#king Stupid – S#!t and P!$$#d….

TroubleBaby May 6, 2015 at 4:14 pm

“I can’t ignore the GrandTurnip’s posts”

I was hoping to see his commentary in one area I know he has expertise in, deflated balls.

Oh well, such a disappointment.

shifty henry May 6, 2015 at 5:39 pm

Haw! Haw! 10+

Fecal Matters May 6, 2015 at 4:26 pm

That’s better for them than Common Core.

easterndumbfuckistan May 6, 2015 at 10:06 pm

Contributing to the delinquency of a minor and child abuse are crimes around these parts.

shifty henry May 6, 2015 at 11:42 pm

The kids were told that my name is — Grand Tango (heh-heh)

Rocky May 6, 2015 at 3:48 pm

You just can’t stand that the black guy beat your white guy fair and square. Just kicked your beloved Romney Rino’s ass, landslide electoral victory. Que pasado senor? Well, blackie beat ya. Beat you at the polls and you cry no fair. Do over. Well there ain’t no do over. Now just move along and dream of the past. I guess you wish it was still 1956 when dem blackie’s had to dance a jig, answer some obscure questions and pay dat poll tax. Your sheet still fit you from then? Duh!!!!! LMAO – ROLFSMP – TTYL – OMG – KK?

Reply
Fecal Matters May 6, 2015 at 3:52 pm

Fair and square? What planet are you from?

Reply
Rocky May 6, 2015 at 3:54 pm

Earth. And you?

Fecal Matters May 6, 2015 at 4:00 pm

Your rant feature above may be tongue in cheek, but you sound like a bigger racist than most on here with all that colloquial nonsense.

Rocky May 6, 2015 at 4:02 pm

Sorry’z boss.

GrandTango May 6, 2015 at 4:10 pm

You deny it….I guess that settles it then…You’re on the up-and-up…LMAO…

And Michael Brown relented and raised his hands, too…LMAO…

Rocky May 6, 2015 at 4:33 pm

Tell me again Papa Smurf like you did yesterday – how Jeb’s all washed up and is sinking like a rock and won’t get the nomination. I like that story Papa.

GrandTango May 6, 2015 at 5:46 pm

The fact you’re obsessed w/ the GOP candidate speaks volumes about you, your candidate…and how much trouble you’re in…(see Clinton Foundation)…LMAO…

Saluda Rapids May 6, 2015 at 5:25 pm

Is it any wonder you root for a team that cheats? Why do you glorify your hero Aaron Hernandez? Your sick dude, just sick.

GrandTango May 6, 2015 at 5:44 pm

Hernandez is not on the team, you DumbF*#k..he was not all year…

Not to mention: only reason I pulled for NE was because there was so much hatred of them, by the liberal media…and idiots, like you…LMAO…

I’m just glad they won…

ROcky May 6, 2015 at 6:13 pm

You should try reading some of the nwes stories, particularly the quotes of the IMs between the atheltic staff. Seems none are much fans of the great Tom Brady. But they don’t know or care who your are either.

Saluda Rapids May 6, 2015 at 8:03 pm

Now Daddy Brady is calling it “Framegate.” It’s “Deflategate”…all very Nixonian, which is why GrandWizard is so hot for the Pats now. He likes cheaters and criminals in politics and sports. They should have had George Mitchell do the investigation, he of the Mitchell Report, who noted everyone but Red Sox players were doing PEDs. The Pats would have gotten off scot-free, and then GrandWizard would have reversed field (again), called it a F#%’n liberal conspiracy, and demanded a Colts victory. And would have told someone he made them s$%t their pants.

Saluda Rapids May 6, 2015 at 7:44 pm

Hernandez is part of what and who they are. Brady is a great QB, but he’s thin-skinned, that is why he didn’t go to the WH. He couldn’t take the jokes because he knew he was guilty. Only in your mind is it an Obama issue. And now of course we find out he did it. So the jokes turn out to be correct, and turns out you are wrong…again! LMAO. Just like you were with Kraft…HAHAHAHA!

Hippo Le Tango May 7, 2015 at 10:33 am

“I’m just glad they won…”

So, it’s okay for NE to cheat but not the Democrats? Thanks…

GrandTango May 7, 2015 at 12:30 pm

N.E. didn’t cheat (even the NFL investigators admit there is not proof)…you did cheat…Google Melowise Richardson, Cincinnati…

Melowise voted SEVERAL times for Obama…and how many millions of Melowises, were voting in 2012, for Obama….????

Just Guess May 7, 2015 at 3:29 pm

How many for Romney?

GrandTango May 6, 2015 at 4:04 pm

“tongue in cheek?” No, Rocky is likely paid. No one can be as ignorant and as sycophantic for Obama as he is…for free…

Make a charge against Obama…and Rocky immediately fetches reams of official-type documents trying to sell his absurd contentions…like some hack spin doctor…He’s not smart enough, from what I’ve seen, to find the crap he vomits, on his own…

And you see here: when all else is lost…he resorts to the Racist charge to defend the indefensible, Obama…

It’s textbook Democrat operative behavior…

Rocky $#)$(# May 6, 2015 at 4:12 pm

#$)%*)!!!! %#$#)( and $#)@#($@!!!! And don’t make me repeat myself – Mr. Obsessed with Men Crapping their Pants. #)$%*#$()!!!!!

Rocky May 6, 2015 at 6:12 pm

Do you really think the DNC would pay a person to post against you? They don’t even know or care who you are. You really have an inflated ego. Which is interesting, since it’s a story about deflated balls.

Comment Death Penalty May 6, 2015 at 4:58 pm

Will, please get out the ban-hammer for this one. He is a determent to any actual discussion here, everyone one is a some kind of liberal except for him. I guess he thinks he constitutes the entirety of conservatism in the United States with his fucked up trolling rants.

I can only imagine that he is either off his meds or needs a one way trip to a padded room on Farrow Rd.

I know you believe in the market place of ideas and hell so do I, but some people don’t belong in the market place or in society. I believe GrandTango deserves the first Fits News death sentence.

Reply
GrandTango May 6, 2015 at 5:45 pm

Why do you always cower from who, and what you are…when called on it?

Reply
Comment Death Penalty May 6, 2015 at 5:55 pm

I know exactly who and what I am. I’m not a troll, I contribute, and unlike you I’m not a so much of a cliché that someone could write a bot to impersonate me online.

GrandTango May 6, 2015 at 6:03 pm

But you ignored the case I made against your ignorant claims…Is that because you’re a F*#king Dumb@$$ (as I suspect?) Or because I’m correct (which I know?)….

Comment Death Penalty May 6, 2015 at 6:16 pm

I’m not ignoring anything. I promise you I’m am far from being a fucking dumbass and you’re not correct, you’re the opposite of correct. You’re wrong, you’re always wrong. You are an IDIOT and you’re not a “conservative” you and your ilk are the ones that cause people to turn against what you think you advocate for. You are archetype for the caricature liberal media and pundits create of conservatives.

Drop the fucking hieroglyphics, this isn’t ancient Egypt we read and write English here. Study policy, engage in actual debate and add something valuable to a debate or go away.

Will again can we do something about activating the ban-hammer or at least an ignore button.

GrandTango May 6, 2015 at 6:49 pm

You’re such a lame cliche, vomiting that Bull-S#!t about being for the death penalty, yet against abortion. The two are far apart…and only an ignorant and trite Dumb@$$ would push something so stupid…

Comment Death Penalty May 6, 2015 at 7:54 pm

GrandTurnip show his (un)intelligence yet again, just like Hillary you can’t help it you were born without a brain in your noggin.

Please point me to where I’ve said anything about abortion or anything about the death penalty except as hyperbole for have Will ban you from continuing to harass his community of commenters.

guest May 6, 2015 at 10:27 pm

Boz did this on the Sun News Opinion Blog and used his Facebook ‘friends’ to try and have contributors banned.

Straight out of his playbook.

Comment Death Penalty May 7, 2015 at 12:31 pm

I think you have be confused with someone else.

Boz did this on the Sun News Opinion Blog – Was never on the blog, not my part of the state. I don’t even know Boz except his for post on here, so well there went that theory right out of the window.

GrandTurniptruck is a menace. No one is “conservative enough” for him except you and your myriad of aliases. Just because one doesn’t specifically agree to every fucking word of the so called “Republican” platform doesn’t make them a (take your pick from the list: Liberal, Liberal-tarian, Communist, Socialist, Obamabot, cliche, ignorant, a monster, an enabler, a fool, etc, etc, etc.) You see it’s possible to dislike the current state of the Republican Party and to dislike Obama and still be conservative.

The most reasonable conclusions about the GrandTurniptruck is he is one of the following a liberal making a mockery of conservatives, completely and utterly nuts and needs a padded room at the state hospital, or is off his meds.

Will I ask again, can we activate the ban-hammer or an ignore button. This twat waffle is the social media version of a serial killer.

Debbie Wasserman Shultz DNC May 7, 2015 at 12:47 pm

Nice job!

Comment Death Penalty May 7, 2015 at 3:27 pm

Flippy, Flippy, Flippy: Thou doth protesteth too much. You’ve catorgized me completely wrong.

Billary and Crew belong in Jail.
David Axelrod is a dumbass
Debbie Wasaman Shucks is the 3rd most vile human on this planet.

David Axelrod May 7, 2015 at 12:48 pm

Kudo’s!!!

Hillary C. May 7, 2015 at 12:48 pm

Foundation money well spent!

GMoney May 6, 2015 at 2:57 pm

This report is BS and complete waste of time. Bob Kraft’s response makes these people look dumber than Harry Reid. 3 of the 4 Colt’s footballs tested were also below the 12.5 PSI limit.

Reply
GrandTango May 6, 2015 at 3:04 pm

STFU….you whiny @$$ punk. You got your @$$ kicked…take it like a man, instead of a baby…

You’re just P!$$#d because Brady told Obama to get F*#ked on the White House visit….LMAO…

Reply
Saluda Rapids May 6, 2015 at 3:52 pm

Remember when you jumped to Kraft’s defense because you thought he was a Republican, only to find out he is a major Democratic Party and Obama supporter? Yeah, that was awesome.

Reply
GrandTango May 6, 2015 at 3:56 pm

I don’t give a F*#k what party Kraft is in…the media, and the liberals, like your STUPID @$$…hate the Patriots. Maybe it’s because of their pro-American name. Maybe it’s because their personnel is not to your hate-based liking…

And now Brady told Obama to F*#k off…and that p!$$#s off your smarmy little @$$, even more…LMAO….I’m STILL laughing about that..and the way the media, and you, S#!t your pants over it…

Reply
Depends for Men May 6, 2015 at 4:09 pm

Pants crapping again. God you’re sick.

Reply
GrandTango May 6, 2015 at 4:28 pm

Blasphemy is anti-Ten Commandments…

mamatiger92 May 6, 2015 at 4:56 pm

“the media, and the liberals, like your STUPID @$$…hate the Patriots”
Quite possibly your most ridiculous post to date. Congrats.

Reply
Saluda Rapids May 6, 2015 at 5:22 pm

That’s true. I have nothing against the Patriots. In fact, I enjoyed them immensely when they lost 2 SBs to the Giants. I think he believes they are actual patriots (not football players, but Patrick Henry, Samuel Adams etc.) and that he himself is a patriot because Glenn Beck tells him so.

Saluda Rapids May 6, 2015 at 5:17 pm

Got it. Thank you for admitting you were wrong. That’s a big step for you.

Reply
mamatiger92 May 6, 2015 at 4:57 pm

One of my favorite threads ever. What a maroon.

Reply
Nölff May 6, 2015 at 4:11 pm

Can you say that with your inside voice without speaking?

Reply
GrandTango May 6, 2015 at 4:27 pm

To quote Hillary: What difference does it make?…Dumb-F*#ks like you don’t want to hear it regardless…because it’s true…

Reply
SCBlueWoman May 6, 2015 at 4:38 pm

I read that as “without spanking.” Oops.

Reply
Fess Up May 6, 2015 at 3:06 pm

If Barry had a son…

Reply
Rocky May 6, 2015 at 4:12 pm

He’s probably already be signing with Duke or Georgetown, but definitely not South Carolina or Clemson.

Reply
Rocky May 6, 2015 at 3:48 pm

The Patriots deflated Brady’s balls? Oh my!!!

Reply
Daniel Boome May 6, 2015 at 3:49 pm

“It is more probable than not”. Wow, the NFL paid this atty for a report that has this phrase in it? That’s awfully specific. Just clears everything up, doesn’t it?

Reply
fc May 7, 2015 at 11:51 am

I agree.He must be a moderate RINO like you with his finger in the wind.

Reply
Daniel Boome May 7, 2015 at 12:00 pm

So you’ve softened your stance now? Just a couple days ago I was a straight up liberal. Now I’m a moderate RINO??? I’m moving up in the fc world.

Reply
Rocky May 6, 2015 at 4:03 pm

Bella did it. Heard them say – Bella check the balls.

Reply
Saluda Rapids May 6, 2015 at 8:33 pm

They didn’t learn from their Spygate punishment. So now they really need to get hit hard.

Reply

Leave a Comment