Small Ball

Rule two, section one of the NFL Rule Book stats that game balls must be a certain width, length, and even color. The weight of the ball must be inflated to anywhere between 12 ½- 13 ½ pounds per square inch and weigh between 14 and 15 ounces. For the New England Patriots apparently, those rules do not apply. During their 45-7 victory in the AFC Championship Game over the Indianapolis Colts, Colts players noticed the balls that were in use felt a little, well, deflated. In reports by ESPN’s Chris Mortensen today, 11 of the 12 balls used were deflated by more than 2 pounds (per square inch). Footballs tend to lose some of that weight when the temperatures are low, the result of that deflation results in the ball being easier to grip, thus making it easier to throw and catch. This isn’t the first time the Patriots have suspected of cheating however; in 2007 Bill Belichick was fined $500,000 for having an assistant spy on the New York Jets.

The rulebook also goes on to stat the following:

·       “Each team will make 12 primary balls available for testing by the referee two hours and 15 minutes prior to the starting time of the game to meet League requirements. The home team will also make 12 backup balls available for testing in all stadiums. In addition, the visitors, at their discretion, may bring 12 backup balls to be tested by the Referee for games held in outdoor stadiums. For all games, eight new footballs, sealed in a special box and shipped y the manufacturer to the Referee, will be opened in the officials’ locker room two hours and 15 minutes prior to the starting time of the game”

The real question is, does anyone really care if the Patriots cheated? Did it really make a difference in the outcome of the game? It’s doubtful. The Patriots thoroughly dismantled the Colts and could’ve done so with inflated balls, deflated balls, or a basketball. The Colts couldn’t stop LeGarette Blount who scored 3 touchdowns and had 148 yards. I get the fact that each team has their own balls and gets to choose which ones, but what were the Colts game balls like? Were they deflated? Do we know? Could they have scored the same amount of points if they used the same balls as Tom Brady? The answers to those questions are irrelevant because the NFL isn’t going to strip the Pats of their AFC crown and replace them in the Super Bowl. More importantly though, all of this is taking away from what should be an outstanding Super Bowl matchup. If Seattle can win their second title in a row and minimize the Patriots offense, their defense should be mentioned with the greats. If Tom Brady finally gets his fourth Super Bowl ring, where does he rank all-time? Those are the things we should be focusing on. Not if a couple of balls were deflated by a few pounds. And please, can we stop saying the word "balls"?