What Should The NFL Do With Bill Belichick and the Patriots?

[Mutt]

It looks like Belichick and the Patriots have been caught cheating again - they messed with the footballs under-inflating them to make them easier to throw and catch in Sunday's AFC Championship game against Indianapolis. Belichick is a dirtbag, he doesn't need to cheat but he's so monomaniacal that he can't control his evil ways.

Should he be banned for life? A full season? Loss of draft picks?

NFL says New England Patriots had under-inflated footballs in AFC championship game - ESPN Boston

[Spunky]

A huge fine and a loss of draft picks

[L-Pink]

Interesting that a Colt linebacker after an interception noticed the inflation level but numerous officials handling the balls between plays and on the sidelines didn't.

[slapass]

Time to ban him. I mean come on, how many chances does he get to destroy the sport?

[dyna mo]

whew, this explains my upset prediction upset.

[TCLGirls]

I know in the college game, each team uses their own footballs when on offense. If you look closely you might be able to see the differences in the footballs like color shade and small team logos. I thought the same was true for the NFL. I did not know the home team provided the same balls for the opposing team to use.

[The Porn Nerd]

With the Super Bowl in two weeks this will all be swept under the rug. Maybe after it will explode but before the Super Bowl the NFL will crush any bad publicity surrounding this incident.

[TCLGirls]

Originally Posted by TCLGirls

I know in the college game, each team uses their own footballs when on offense. If you look closely you might be able to see the differences in the footballs like color shade and small team logos. I thought the same was true for the NFL. I did not know the home team provided the same balls for the opposing team to use.

Hmmm...it looks like the same thing is true for the NFL...each team provides their own footballs to the officials for inspection. Strange that this incident occured unless someone deflated the balls after inspection.

[cmpmichael]

Originally Posted by TCLGirls

Hmmm...it looks like the same thing is true for the NFL...each team provides their own footballs to the officials for inspection. Strange that this incident occured unless someone deflated the balls after inspection.

why aren't the balls provided by officials and team-agnostic?

[kane]

Since this is at least the second time they have been caught I would like to see Belichick suspended for a number of games starting right now with the Super Bowl. I would also like to see anyone who may have had knowledge of what was happening suspended or fired. Perhaps even hit them with the loss of draft picks.

Fining a team does nothing because they have a ton of money, but taking away the people that help them win can have a direct, powerful effect.

I know it will never happen, but it would be funny if the NFL, as punishment, made them bench Brady for he Super Bowl.

[kane]

Originally Posted by cmpmichael

why aren't the balls provided by officials and team-agnostic?

The balls that are used for kicks are, but the teams provide their own balls for their offense to use. The reason for this is that many QBs don't like throwing brand new balls. This way they can use some that are broken in. There is also a spectrum of how inflated the balls can be and some QBs want them higher on the spectrum than others.

Personally, I think it is crap. The league should set a standard for the balls, they should control the balls and if you QB doesn't like how they feel he can either get used to it you find a QB that is okay with it.

As far as I know every other sport has the officials oversee the balls to make certain there is no tampering.

[dooglas]

Suspend him for a year and take all their draft picks in the upcoming draft. It's not his first offense.

[TCLGirls]

Originally Posted by cmpmichael

why aren't the balls provided by officials and team-agnostic?

The reasoning I have heard is that each QB has a set of footballs they are "comfortable" with handling...like minor manufacturing aberrations and such on the hide covering the ball. So the league allows each team to use their own footballs, instead of providing neutral footballs.

[NETbilling]

The Pats should be banned from the NFL for life!



(Disclaimer:'I am a Miami Dolphins fan)

[ReggieDurango]

No punishment at all
Pats did nothing wrong
All balls were inspected by the refs

[TCLGirls]

Originally Posted by ReggieDurango

No punishment at all
Pats did nothing wrong
All balls were inspected by the refs

The NFL already ruled that something went wrong. Given that the balls were in the exclusive control of the Pats, the investigation continues.

[sandman!]

good luck proving who deflated the ballz

Originally Posted by Mutt

It looks like Belichick and the Patriots have been caught cheating again - they messed with the footballs under-inflating them to make them easier to throw and catch in Sunday's AFC Championship game against Indianapolis. Belichick is a dirtbag, he doesn't need to cheat but he's so monomaniacal that he can't control his evil ways.

Should he be banned for life? A full season? Loss of draft picks?

NFL says New England Patriots had under-inflated footballs in AFC championship game - ESPN Boston

[2MuchMark]

Not really related but I'm throwing this in there...

[iamBoogieman]

Cheaters never win.

[selena]

My understanding...which admittedly could be wrong...is that when the refs inspected them prior to game time they were all regulation.

After that, control/possession would have been entirely in the hands of NE.

I don't think that would have changed the outcome of the game at all, but if proven true, they also deserve more than a hand smack.

[slapass]

Originally Posted by selena

My understanding...which admittedly could be wrong...is that when the refs inspected them prior to game time they were all regulation.

After that, control/possession would have been entirely in the hands of NE.

I don't think that would have changed the outcome of the game at all, but if proven true, they also deserve more than a hand smack.

This is what I read too. It was a deliberate attempt to change the outcome even if a really small one.

[scuba steve]

replay the game the colts game

also l-pink had a great point haha

[dyna mo]

if bellichick is such a brainiac cheater why didn't he think to re-inflate the balls at the end of the game?

certainly someone as smart as he is wouldn't scheme up a deflated ball cheat strategy that did not involve reinflation.

[Tom_PM]

This is a criminal action and costs people big money and loss of reputation (if you can go any lower than the NFL already is). Those responsible should get long jail terms and the Patriots should be replaced with the Colts in the super bowl since they weren't beaten by a better team; they were the only ones actually playing the game.

The NFL coddles criminals and is a laughing stock of an organization. And why the fuck are they tax exempt?

Not a SINGLE referee, ball handler or other noticed until ONE guy from the opposing team made an interception and said Hey, this ball feels funny. Yes, why wouldn't everyone believe that?

The only thing to possibly look forward to is if the patriots achieve a "win", Brady will be on Letterman who is a huge Colts fan. Nah, I was wrong. Don't care enough to look forward to it.

[SuckOnThis]

Belicheat and Josh McDoofus should both be banned from the NFL.

[PR_Glen]

the nfl is at its biggest crossroads in its long history and you guys think they should suspend players and coaches for the superbowl and ban the winningest coach in league history? (or up there anyway) This is your solution to 'fixing the game'? You guys are more delusional than I thought..

I like both these teams so I have no bias here, but at the end of the day this has turned an ant hill into a mountain and is ridiculous and mostly fuelled by angry fans who didn't get the result they wanted. If the patriots did something to mess with the colts footballs I'd agree with you but their own? Come on...

[Tom_PM]

Deflating the ball makes it easy enough for a cripple to catch it one handed on the 1 inch line for a dramatic touch down.

NOBODY noticed it until a Colt's defender touched one of the Patriots balls.................. I believe it. Santa Clause just high fived Superman in my living room too for added emphasis.

[MaDalton]

considering this I think I can live with occasionally diving football (soccer) players...

[jimmycooper]

Ballghazi or Deflate-gate?

[Captain Kawaii]

Originally Posted by jimmycooper

Ballghazi or Deflate-gate?

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Achem's "balls"

[fitzmulti]

Originally Posted by NETbilling

The Pats should be banned from the NFL for life!



(Disclaimer:'I am a Miami Dolphins fan)

^^^^^^ Me, too!

[dyna mo]

Originally Posted by MaDalton

considering this I think I can live with occasionally diving football (soccer) players...

isn't match-fixing widespread in soccer?

[MaDalton]

Originally Posted by dyna mo

isn't match-fixing widespread in soccer?

actually i think in every sport asians or balkan people can bet on

long story but in soccer nowadays mostly in friendly games (why can you even bet on those?) or in minor leagues and/or shithole countries

[Joshua G]

when nascars fail their post race inspection, the driver forfeits victory. I think the penalty should be the same - forfeit the game you cheated in. AKA no superbowl for the pats.

[Tom_PM]

Deflatriots

[OneHungLo]

I'll just leave this here...



Tom Brady Passing 1st Half
11-12 for 52%, 95 YD, 1 TD, 1 INT, 60.6 rating

Refs remove under-inflated balls...

Tom Brady Passing 2nd Half
12-14 for 86%, 155 YD, 2 TD, 0 INT, 167.3 rating

[L-Pink]

For every 10 degrees in temperature drop a tire will lose 1-2 pounds of air pressure. I'm sure footballs are the same. When the balls are checked inside the stadium prior to game time and it's 70 inside there will be a natural drop if the field is 35 degrees. Two balls set at identical temps inside prior to game time will be pretty different if the games are in Miami or New England in January. I'm sure that's taken into consideration. But who cares?

Since each team uses their own set of balls during the game who cares what the temperature is? It only affects the offense on the field not the other team.

[scuba steve]

correct me if i'm wrong, but i don't even think the colts player was the one that noticed. i think i read that after the pick, he handed it off to one of their handlers to return it, and it was that person that noticed it. so wasn't even the players that knew maybe

[L-Pink]

Originally Posted by scuba steve

correct me if i'm wrong, but i don't even think the colts player was the one that noticed. i think i read that after the pick, he handed it off to one of their handlers to return it, and it was that person that noticed it. so wasn't even the players that knew maybe

The officials throwing the balls in after each possession change and spotting them between plays didn't notice so couldn't have been that much if any?

[cosis]

I hate the Patriots and the Seahawks but after learning of this I am going to root for the Seahawks in the SB.

[scuba steve]

sorry by handler i mean one of the colts personal guys to give it back to the patriot's side

[Tom_PM]

Originally Posted by scuba steve

correct me if i'm wrong, but i don't even think the colts player was the one that noticed. i think i read that after the pick, he handed it off to one of their handlers to return it, and it was that person that noticed it. so wasn't even the players that knew maybe

You are wrong. The Colts defender told their ball handler that the ball felt weird and the ball handler immediately agreed and handed it off to the NFL to sweep under the rug.

Also, stats from the second half for Brady is MEANINGLESS! There are either rules for all, or NO rules at all. Brady is either a fraud as a QB for not being able to notice a deflated ball, or he's a liar for laughing it off when questioned about it. Take your pick.

This league is a sham.


Anyway, it just pisses me off that some of these people are just cheating pussies when they are supposed to be the best in the world. How about just winning your fucking game, pansies.

[AmateurBros]

Originally Posted by L-Pink

Interesting that a Colt linebacker after an interception noticed the inflation level but numerous officials handling the balls between plays and on the sidelines didn't.

my thoughts too.

I don't understand how there just aren't game balls provided and inflated by the NFL, instead of each team.

Since the officials are supposed to check inflation levels, I don't think the Pats should get fined or anything.

[baddog]

Off with their heads!

[dyna mo]

did juicy check the colts' balls?

[bronco67]

Hopefully the Seahawks will beat them and it won't be as much of an issue -- except for the Colts.

[Axeman]

Originally Posted by L-Pink

The officials throwing the balls in after each possession change and spotting them between plays didn't notice so couldn't have been that much if any?

Getting the ball and spotting it, highly unlikely you'd notice the difference, especially when rushing to get the ball set for the next snap. Its only if you tried to grip, put pressure on it, that you would notice the 2 psi difference.

And yes it was the equipment manager of the Colts that noticed it after Jackson gave him the ball.

The refs removed a couple balls from the game, and after the game all 12 balls were confiscated to check. Reported 11 of 12 were under inflated by 2 psi. So trying to split up Brady's stats in the game is pointless. They used the balls the whole game.

2 psi is a good difference when talking about grip to throw and catch. I hope the NFL comes down really hard on the Pats.

[sperbonzo]

Belichick has already proven that he will win at any cost, if he can find any way to skirt the rules and get around the spirit of fairness... I don't know why this was a shock to anyone.



Nothing will happen. There is too much money behind the Patriots, and Tom Brady.





.

[Axeman]

Originally Posted by AmateurBros

Since the officials are supposed to check inflation levels, I don't think the Pats should get fined or anything.

The officials did check the levels before the game, marked them and handed them back to the Pats as per usual. Its in that 2 hours between inspection and the game, the balls were deflated by 2 PSI. Of course they should be fined and more. If it was one or two balls, you could argue outside factors. But 11 of the 12? That's blatant cheating.

[L-Pink]

To answer the OP's original question, suspend Belichick for the next game.