Following initial reports that emerged late Sunday night after the New England Patriots defeated the Indianapolis Colts 45-7 in the AFC Championship, the NFL launched an investigation into whether or not the game balls supplied by the Patriots had been tampered with.
https://twitter.com/mortreport/status/557748673208401921
MORE: 11 of the 12 footballs the Pats used were under-inflated. League is "angry, distraught"http://t.co/KNWTYb7XKa pic.twitter.com/kDJVslgi8I
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) January 21, 2015
Per NFL rules, a monetary fine is the penalty for tampering with game equipment. There has also been media speculation that the league may strip New England of draft picks in 2015.
More on this story as it develops…….
UPRDATE: At least two Colts players have weighed in with their opinions:
If New England was to be DQ’d.. We’d be their replacements right??… I should probably lay off these strawberry margs
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 21, 2015
@nfl So we get to play the game again or nah? — Darius Butler (@DariusJButler) January 21,2015
UPDATE: Strong reaction coming from Bob Kravitz, the Indianapolis reporter who first reported on the NFL investigation:
If morts report is on target, and I’m sure it is, belichick should be suspended from the Super Bowl. My opinion.
— Bob Kravitz (@bkravitz) January 21, 2015
This is an integrity of the game issue and it’s belichick’s second offense. — Bob Kravitz (@bkravitz) January 21, 2015
If bob kraft is a true man of integrity he will take it out of the leagues hands and fire belichick. Not holding my breath
— Bob Kravitz (@bkravitz) January 21, 2015
A fine and picks aren’t enough for a repeat offender. — Bob Kravitz (@bkravitz) January 21, 2015
EDITORIAL OPINION
If the Patriots were in fact guilty of tampering with game equipment in such a significant matchup, the NFL is in a position where it simply HAS to react swiftly and with prejudice. Otherwise, a monetary slap on the wrist will send the message to all teams that the price of cheating and tampering in order to gain a competitive edge will merely be a financial one.
What should be on the table:
A fine of at least $1 million.
Strip New England of all draft picks in 2015.
Keep New England salary cap at 2014 level.
Force 2 home games at Foxborough to be played in front of empty stands – a punishment that has been used in European soccer in the past.
This has nothing to do with the opinion that is being propagated on social networking and among some analysts that New England would have won the game anyway. It has everything to do with the fact that an organization and a head coach long-known for stretching the rules in attempts to gain the competitive edge appears to have done so once again, and this time with a ticket to the Super Bowl on the line. As Kravitz has stated, this is an integrity of the game issue.
And on top of all that, if in fact New England “would have won anyway,” the question has to be asked: What was the point in tampering with game equipment that would allow for better grip of a ball during a downpour, then?
Ethically, if Bill Belichick is found to be involved in any way, this will be a second offense. The ball will be in the court of Patriots owner Bob Kraft to do the right thing. If nothing else, Belichick should be banned not only from the sideline, but from the stadium come February 1st.
UPDATE: Belichick led off his regular Thursday morning press conference by addressing the issue directly.
“When I came in Monday morning, I was shocked to learn of the news reports about the footballs. I had no knowledge whatsoever of this situation until Monday morning.
“I would say I learned a lot more about this process in the last three days than I knew or had talked about it in the last 40 years that I’ve coached in this league.
“I had no knowledge of the various steps involved in the game balls and the process that went through — that happened between — when they were prepared and went to the officials and went to the game, so I learned a lot about that.
“I obviously understand that each team has the opportunity to prepare the balls the way they want. Give them to the officials and the game officials either approve or disapprove the balls, and that really was the end of it for me, until I learned a little more about this the last couple days.”
Belichick argued that quarterbacks, kickers and specialists have certain preferences on footballs and “know a lot more about it than I do, and are a lot more sensitive to it than I am,” adding that “there is never any sympathy whatsoever from me on that subject — zero.”
Talking of his star quarterback, Belichick said of Tom Brady: “Tom’s personal preferences on his footballs are something that he can talk about in much better detail and information than I could possibly provide.”
Belichick repeatedly denied “any explanation” of what happened to his team’s footballs against the Colts.
“I can tell you that in my entire coaching career, I have never talked to any player, staff member about football air pressure. That is not a subject that I have ever brought up,” Belichick said. “To me, the footballs are approved by the league and game officials pregame, and we play with what’s out there. And that’s the only way that I have ever thought about that.”
Belichick promised the team would “take steps in the future” to ensure the Patriots don’t find themselves in the same situation again, before noting that the franchise has “cooperated fully, quickly and completely with every request” of the league’s investigation.
The coach went so far as to say that he has “never touched a game ball, that’s not something that I have any familiarity with,” reiterating that the entire controversy was a mystery to him until Monday morning, while saying: “I really can’t think of anything that I would have done differently based on what I knew then.”
“I have no explanation for what happened,” Belichick said. “And that’s what they’re looking into.”
Belichick took no further questions about the issue, repeatedly saying “I’ve told you everything I know” and also saying he had nothing else to say on the matter other than that he had no explanation.
UPDATE: Tom Brady is addressing the media.
Responding to the inevitable questions, Brady has asserted that he did not alter the balls in any way, and that he has always played within the rules. When asked about a previous quote where he said he preferred softer softballs, his response was “I read that I said that.”
Brady: “I feel like we won the game fair and square.”
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) January 22, 2015
When asked about his reaction to the controversy, Brady had the following to say:
“It’s very disappointing that a situation like this happens. Obviously, I would love to be up here talking about what really should be the best 2 weeks of the year. It should be a great 2 weeks. Very disappointed to be having a press conference like this. You’re all looking for answers, and I have none for you. Not quite sure what you want me to say [to fans, in response to a follow-up question about having the opportunity to address all fans].”
For what it’s worth, Brady has said during this press conference that he is very particular about his preference for the balls with equipment managers, but later on, he said that he cannot really tell a difference during a game.
Perhaps the biggest revelation by Brady so far is that, according to him, the NFL investigators have not contacted him yet.
Tom Brady says #NFL investigators have not spoken to him at this point
— Ed Werder (@Edwerderespn) January 22, 2015
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