Mere hours after the New England Patriots celebrated their dominant 45-7 win over the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Championship Game, coach Bill Belichick and his team face another cheating scandal.
The regime known for #Spygate after illegally taping St. Louis Rams practices prior to the 2001 Super Bowl is now facing heat for #Deflategate.
Allow us to explain: The NFL mandates that game-used footballs must be inflated between 12.5 and 13.5 pounds per square inch and weigh between 14 and 15 ounces. When the weather is poor — as it was on Sunday night, Jan. 18 — teams might be tempted to deflate the footballs they use to make them easier to throw and catch.
Apparently, the Patriots were accused of doing so during the championship game, and the league is now officially investigating.
"Once the balls have left the locker room, no one, including players, equipment managers, ball boys and coaches, is allowed to alter the footballs in any way," former official Jim Daopoulos told ESPN. "If any individual alters the footballs, or if a non-approved ball is used in the game, the person responsible and, if appropriate, the head coach or other club personnel will be subject to discipline, including but not limited to, a fine of $25,000."
Star quarterback Tom Brady told Boston radio station WEEI he was not aware of the report and denied any involvement.
"I think I've heard it all at this point," he said, via Deadspin. "That's the last of my worries. I don't even respond to stuff like this."
If the Patriots are found not guilty, another explanation is that the deflated balls were caused by the poor conditions in Foxboro, Massachusetts.
"Officials check balls as they go into the game, and if the ball doesn't feel perfect, they can throw it out," Daopoulos said. "There is always the possibility that balls can lose air due to the conditions."
NFL fans love to bag on the Patriots, a team that, despite tremendous success, has not won a Super Bowl in 10 years. No one is likely to let #Deflategate slide if the league finds any wrongdoing.
On Sunday night, the Pats got extra-zinged by former New York Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes, who helped beat New England twice in the Super Bowl:
The Pats have learned to celebrate the hell out of those AFC Championships because the know what comes 2 weeks later. #0-2inGlendale
— Lawrence Tynes (@lt4kicks) January 19, 2015
