What, no NFL thread? Well let me start...

Bullshit.

You didn't read the article did you? Turnovers are huge. With the distribution curve, statistically speaking it is near impossible for the Patriots to have been so out of whack. A .0000616 probability. That's a fact.

What's really damning though is that we aren't just talking about one game. This goes back to 07. How does fumbles per play go from slightly below average for the proceeding five years, then from one season to the other not only go to the best, but for the next 8 years maintain a 30% advantage over the best in all time?

You've got to be the biggest homer of all time to think that is 'just a coincidence'.

I didn't have to read the article, because I read the better one in the Wall Street Journal. Tell me something. Do the 31 other teams all inflate to 12.5 pounds, or do they go higher? Does anybody know? How many of them play in an outdoor stadium in cold weather? What's their fumble rate when they visit Gillete That drops the number of teams that might benefit from atmospheric deflation to a mere handful. Can you honestly claim that, say, the Jets or Bears have the same level of on field talent?

I'm no homer about this, I already pointed out that I don't think there is anything wrong with most forms of cheating, regardless of whether I route for the team. There are several years worth of posts in the baseball threads that demonstrate this. So I have no reason to be defensive about cheating if I think it happened. But there's no proof, not one bit of it. And there is the problem for you guys whining about it. You have nothing but some incomplete stats that may or may not even demonstrate correlation, let alone causation. It's sloppy.

But I'll admit, watching all the is entertaining to a certain extent.

Anybody who knows anything about football knows that an underinflated ball is easier to throw (and more accurate), easier to catch, and easier to hold on to.

No dispute, there. Although supposedly Aaron Rodgers likes his over-inflated.

If I was dating Olivia Munn I'd want my balls as pressurized as possible, too.

You might want to look at media outside of Boston. Lots and lots of people are saying it isn't a joke. Here's 8 - including Madden and a couple of hall of famers:
http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/deflat...ngland-patriots-quarterback/story?id=28428275

The fact your hyperbole is so intense is a pretty big give away - 'Dozens of actual current and former NFL quarterbacks have said it's a joke, the Colts' players have said it's a joke, and science says it's a joke.' No, not really - some have said that it wasn't a factor, but just as many have. Almost no one has used the term 'joke' that wasn't wearing a Brady jersey when watching football on Sunday afternoon. Jerry Rice, the all time leader in receiving in virtually every category, called out the Patriots for cheating. He might know something about catching a football.

Did it sway that particular game? Certainly not. Might it have swayed other games? Almost certainly. Was it cheating? Absolutely. You won't even admit that. But there's no doubt of it at all. And this is a case of a repeat offender getting caught again. Remember the big issue with spy gate wasn't that they were taping - its that they were caught taping, told to stop, and continued to do it any way - and then got caught at it again.

There's a culture of cheating under Belicheck, and there's going to be a blurb about the Patriots under him in every history of the NFL about this crap.

You get your football information from the Wall Street Journal? LOL.

What's interesting is that the only other team to come close to the Patriots mindbogglling fumble loss stat is the Colts, from 2005-2010.

Who were the two QBs that managed to get the NFL to change the rule to the current one where the teams provide their own balls?

Tom Brady of the Patriots.
Payton Manning of the Colts.

This guy is definitely on to something.

Oh believe me IF ANYONE has a right to hate the Pats it's me, THEY CHEATED the Rams out of a Superbowl (Ask Marshall Faulk). The Rams were favored by 14 points and it seemed whatever they did, THE Pats knew it. HOW? They taped them practicing. YES, it was cheating. But my question here is, if it benefited Brady, WHY didn't it ALSO benefit Luck? They use the same balls, WHY didn't the refs (Who handle and place the balls every play) seem to notice? Clearly the Pats were the better team. I bet they check the balls at the Super Bowl.

Nope. Each teams supplies the balls used while they are on offense.

You know you're a homer when you turn to Rupert Murdoch for your 'facts'.

My point was that I had already read an article covering the same issue. But if you are ready to toss it aside, due to the source, I guess the Slate article that says the same thing must also be wrong, right? Too easy. I hope the Pats slaughter the Seahawks, because the crying of the 12th man will be legion.

This, so much this. I have nothing against the Seahawks. They've always been a neutral team in my eyes, neither hated nor loved. But their fans have far surpassed every other fan base in terms of over-all douche'ness. I don't want to see the 'Hawks lose, I want their fans to suffer.

There is only one proper response to that...

Which is the crux of the matter, really. How fucking STUPID is that rule? I wasn't aware of it until DeflateGate occurred, and honestly I'm shocked that this was the case. Why would they even have it setup like that? Have each team supply a dozen balls that go into a common pool before the game, use a ball until it's out of play, then grab the next one available. Why the FUCK did someone think there was a need to switch out balls upon changes of possession??!?!?

Yes, the Pats cheated, I believe. But deflated balls is roughly akin to a baseball pitcher throwing a spitball. He'll get tossed if he's caught, but it doesn't result in a forfeit by the offending team. And since we really have no idea WHO actually did the deflating, and since there was plenty of opportunity for the officiating crew to notice the deflations, but they didn't, it's going to be hard to put down a harsh penalty upon the Patsies. They'll lose a lower-level draft pick or two, maybe get fined a bit. That's about it.

The bottom line is that New England has lost any credibility in the realm of good sportsmanship. Let's be honest--if it was any other NFL team that had been caught doing this, it'd be much less of a story. But because they've been caught cheating previously, it's a bigger story.

Deflating footballs is a lot more serious than that. Look at the fumble stats provided in this thread. Doctoring the baseball is practically useless these days, precisely because balls get taken out of play the first time they're hit and replaced by balls controlled by the umpires, so that you can't build and maintain a level of doctoring. A pitcher trying to doctor the ball can't get the job even a quarter done before the ball is taken out of play. The Patriots, on the other hand, got exactly the balls they wanted on every play.

Deflating footballs is at least comparable to PED use in term of the potential advantage.

Do Want!

Americans think Pats cheated, rooting for Seahawks

Americans think the Patriots cheated in the AFC Championship game- and they're rooting for the Seahawks on Sunday. . . .


Overall 41% of voters think the Patriots cheated last week to only 27% who think they didn't, and among self described NFL fans- still 64% of voters even after this tumultuous season- it's a 50/28 spread that think the Pats cheated. Democrats (46/23) overwhelmingly think New England cheated while Republicans (36/33) are much more divided on the matter. Bill Belichick has a 28/41 favorability rating among NFL fans, compared to 37/16 for Pete Carroll. And the Patriots as a team overall have a 36/43 favorability rating with fans, making them one of only two teams we tested (the Cowboys at 40/42 being the other) with a net negative rating.
----------------
So, going by the prevailing probabilities, it seems that gul is a Republican and isn't an NFL fan.

This is well done.

Yeah, that's pretty funny. I can't even count how many times I've seen it pop-up on Facebook and some Boston focused discussion boards. I was surprised to discover that I'm neighbors with Ben Aflec and whoever that guy is who says he's from Rozzie Square.

Right assholes, who is going to win this, one word post for everyone before it starts.

I'll say pats but theres no depth of understanding behind it. Will prob turn this off now and catch the highlights tomorrow. Apart from being 11pm, iv no patience for spendimg 4hours on what in reality should be an hour? worth of play.

MESAS!!!

The mighty Grand Canyon in all its beauty.

And then a split-second of the stadium.

That's about the proper ratio.

The bird from frozen did a decent job and the airforce timed their run well with her

Seahawks

"Fireworks" ifyaknowwhatImean

Stuff it, T Mobile, you haven't been doing that for very long have you? No high and mighty nonsense from you

Uh, okay Geico

Whatevs, golf thing

NBC's stream has been mostly okay so far

Guess it's harder to keep control of regulation footballs.

Movie commercial not a total waste of my time? Wow. Still not interested in seeing Jurassic World, but at least the trailer entertained me

Pats looked good converting that 3rd and 1. Pats O and Seahawks D both looking competent so far, but the Pats look like their planning's been better.

Great pick for the Seahawks.

More pointed car ad than the first one. Better Geico ad.

Looks like Seattle's O is in gear now.

Another useless car ad, yay.

Yes, poor widdle Microsoft is just like a four-year-old with no legs.

Pizza Hut makes their point.

Pickup truck is funnier than it knows and not trying to be subtle.

Pointless action movie, check. It did catch me off-guard, with the statues making me think it was on to another commercial and then the car busted through.

Strong Nissan ad. Probably the best put-together so far.

Stream has just plain dropped a few times. Much like Seattle's offense right now. They're gonna have to adjust, or NE will grind out the win.

Biiig pass and big score for Seattle.

Camry ad.

Fifteen seconds of staring at a Coke bottle that's still less terrible than most of what Pepsi's done in the past 20 years.

Brilliant idea, by the way, of sticking huge video screens right behind the uprights like that. I'm sure the kickers don't mind that at all.

Coke "sugar water will cure bullying" ad that's still less stupid than at least half of what Pepsi's pulled over the last 20 years.

. . . Did they put a black bar across her boobs?

I bet Coke would have been mad if it had been a blowout at the end of the first quarter.

Guts pay off for the Seahawks, don't blame them for going for it, going into halftime tied. Good game so far. Time to go watch the Puppy Bowl or something.