Quote:
Originally Posted by blackmonsters
You have a strange interpretation of "innocent until proven guilty".
Waiting to get proof is not the same as conspiring to let it happen.
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The NFL had been informed by the Colts organization, prior to the game, that they suspected the Patriots of deflating the footballs after they had been approved by the Referee. So the NFL was quite aware of, and on alert for, this possibility- and did not double check the Patriot's balls BEFORE they were allowed to be used for the first half, EVEN AFTER these balls were removed from the Official's locker room by McNally WITHOUT the permission of the Referee, Walt Anderson - who says that is the first time it had happened in his 19 year career.
With knowledge that the Patriots had been accused of cheating in this manner, and a highly irregular situation happening to the footballs as well, the NFL did not check those balls again before allowing them to be used in the first half. Even if the cheating allegation alone was not enough to warrant them being double checked before being used, having them taken without permission and the Referee not knowing where they were, in violation of the NFL's procedures, should have been enough to do so.
Also, as others have noted, a simple note from the league to ALL teams that ball security would be a point of emphasis in the playoffs would have ended this issue before this entire fiasco started. Why would the league not do so, in light of the allegation of cheating, except for the fact that they wanted to catch the Patriots cheating? I never used the word conspiring - but what would you call it?