Some Thoughts on “Deflate-Gate”
Author’s Note: What follows is not normal TAH fare. But I’ve seen so much scientifically illiterate speculation and bogus commentary on this particular issue that I could damn near hurl. And all our regular readers know how I am about running numbers to ground. (smile)
That illiteracy includes a whopper of a “rookie” mistake that appeared in the original version of this article (forgetting to change from gauge pressure to absolute pressure – hey, it’s been approaching 40 years since I took thermodynamics, so I plead the proverbial “senior moment” here). It’s corrected below.
. . .
We’ve all heard about “deflate-Gate” recently.
A quick refresher: 11 of the 12 game balls used by the NE Patriots in their conference championship game were found to be substantially underinflated. The Patriots claim that the balls were inflated to the lower end of the NFL’s specification (between 12.5 and 13.5 PSI – gauge pressure – inclusive) prior to inspection by the game’s referee. What I’ve seen indicates the underinflated balls were reportedly later all found to be approx 2 PSI below the lower limit.
Each team provides their own game balls for use on offense during the game. The balls are inspected prior to the game, and marked as compliant by the game’s referee. They are then in the possession of that team throughout the game.
Various theories have been offered. Chief among them is, “The cold temperature during the game caused the pressure to drop.” The NE Patriots claim no wrongdoing, and to have followed the NFL’s rules “to the letter”.
Well, let’s look at this.
A Bit of Science Background
Provided its chemical composition remains unchanged, gas behavior in a closed system is governed by the ideal gas law
PV=nRT
where
P is pressure – absolute, not gauge
V is volume
n is the number of gas molecules present
R is the universal gas constant
and T is temperature – Kelvin, not Celsius or Fahrenheit
This equation is equivalent algebraically to
P = nRT/V
Since R is a constant, if there’s no change in chemical composition of the gas only 3 things can change the pressure of a gas in a closed system. Those are (1) a change in temperature, (2) a change in volume, (3) removal of some of the gas molecules, or (4) a combination of the three. It really is that simple.
Change in Temperature
OK, now let’s assume the change was due solely to a change in temperature.
10.5 and 12.5 PSI (gauge) equate to 25.2 and 27.2 PSI (absolute), respectively. The balls in question were found to be inflated to (25.2 PSI) / (27.2 PSI) = 0.9265 of the minimum allowable pressure. However, they were inflated in (presumably) environmentally controlled conditions – let’s say 70F. The game conditions were in the high 40sF – let’s say 47F. Could the game temperature being 47 F have caused the discrepancy?
In a word: no.
Unlike a balloon, a football’s volume doesn’t change much if any when the internal pressure rises from 25.2 PSI to 27.2 PSI. Rather, the football’s volume remains essentially constant. And if no gas was removed, that means the number of gas molecules is constant between the two pressure measurements.
Let’s let P1 and T1 be the temperature when inspected; P2 and T2 are similarly the later pressure and temperature.
That means we have
0.9265 = P2/P1 = (nRVT2) / (nRVT1) = T2/T1
A common mistake here is to fail to convert to degrees Kelvin (yeah, it does indeed matter here). 70F is 294.26 K. Doing the math, we find that
T2 = 0.9265 x T1 = 0.84 x 294.26 K = 272.62 K
272.68 K is about 31 F. Since the game was played in conditions in the high 40’s F, um, no that isn’t the case here. This was a cool and rainy – but not exceptionally cold – winter day in New England, but the rain wasn’t freezing.
The game temperature (47 F) only explains a pressure drop of about 1.2 PSI, or somewhat more than half of the observed discrepancy. What I’ve seen indicates the 11 underinflated balls were all reportedly around 2 PSI below the lower limit – or 0.8 PSI lower than can be explained by the game temperature alone.
Change in Volume
Well, NFL teams reportedly “prepare” the surface of game balls after inspection to ensure the surface is to their quarterback’s liking after they’ve been inspected by the referee. If this “preparation” process somehow added enough volume to the ball to account for the measured discrepancy, that might explain the incident.
However, we now know the actual pressure drop due to the temperature change from 70 F to 47 F – 1.2 PSI. That makes P1’ – the expected pressure at 47 F in the absence of tampering – 26 PSI (absolute), or about 11.3 PSI (gauge). So let’s see how much additional volume at 47 F would be required to account for an additional 0.8 PSI pressure drop. Here, T1=T2=47 F. As above,
V1/V2 = 25.2/26.0 = 0.969 = P2/P1’ = (nRT2V1) / (nRT1V2)
which means that
V2 = V1/.969 = 1.032
The observed pressure of 10.5 PSI (gauge) would require an increase in volume of 3.2% at 47 F. Thus, if the “preparation” process causes a gain in volume of the football by about 3.2%, the observed low-pressure conditions in the 11 of 12 game balls would be explained.
Let’s see if that’s plausible.
Per this article, a football can be approximated by an ellipsoid of rotation with major axis a = 14.0 cm and minor axis b = 8.5 cm. Since the equation for the volume of an ellipsoid of rotation is known – V = (4/3)(PI)ab2 (where PI is the physical constant 3.1415926 . . . ) – if we assume that the proportions between a and b remain constant we can calculate how much larger the football would have to be for this to be the case.
Assuming proportionality will be retained, since 14/8.5 = 28/17, replacing a with 28/17 b yields the simplified equation
V = (4/3)(PI)(28/17)b3 = (112/51)(PI)b3
Using the necessary increase in volume of 3.2%, this yields
Vnew/V = 1.032 = [(112/51)(PI)bnew3] / [(112/51)(PI)b3] = (bnew3)/b3
Since b = 8.5cm, this yields
Vnew/V = 1.032 = (bnew3)/614.125, or bnew3 = 1.14(614.125) = 633.62
This means bnew is approximately 8.59cm.
Since proportionality is assumed retained this gives revised axis dimensions of b = 8.59cm and a = 14.14cm.
If the pre-game prep process caused the footballs to expand somewhat, that might explain the rest of the discrepancy. That’s only a slight difference (about 2mm in “fatness” and about 3mm in length) in size. Even professional athletes might not notice that small of a difference.
Still: I’d have to see that demonstrated to be the case before I’d buy it.
Change in Number of Gas Molecules
OK, that leaves a change in the number of gas molecules to explain the difference.
One way is to use gases that react chemically – like hydrogen and oxygen, for example. The problem here is that most such reactions are also exothermic (heat-producing) and fast – and would raise the football’s internal temperature and pressure to the point it would likely cause the football to explode. They also generally require something to initiate the reaction, like a spark. Those reactions that don’t generate heat generally require long times and/or some heat source. I think we can rule those out.
Inflating the footballs with gas that begins to condense at around 50 F would also be a possibility, since condensation removes gas molecules also. However, I don’t know of such a gas – and controlling that to achieve a specific pressure drop would be a nightmare. Moreover, if the weather got colder than expected, that could result in complete deflation. I think we can ignore this one also.
That leaves the possibility of gas molecules being removed.
While air does diffuse through rubber, it’s a very slow process; it’s one reason why your tires lose pressure over time. A 2 PSI drop just doesn’t happen to 11 out of 12 footballs naturally in one half of football.
A Last Possibility
There is one other possible explanation that I can think of. Suppose the footballs were intentionally inflated with heated air, then immediately inspected? Leather and rubber are thermal insulators – not great insulators, but they provide some insulation. If the time between inflation and inspection was very short, the heated air used to inflate the balls might not be apparent. This might be the case if the ball was inflated in a referee’s presence, then immediately handed to them for inspection.
Let’s see if this is feasible. How hot would the air have to be to cause a 2 PSI drop between inflation and game temp of 47 F?
From above, if volume is constant and no air is removed then P2/P1 = T2/T1. That means
P2/P1 = 25.2/27.2 = 281.483/T1, or T1 = (27.2/25.2) x 281.483 = 303.77 K, or about 87 F
So, if the footballs were intentionally inflated in the presence of the referee using air heated to around, say, 87 F to 90 F vice ambient temperature, during the game they’d drop to about 10.5 PSI (gauge).
My Guess
Based on the above, I’m guessing one of two things happened.
First, and IMO most likely, possibility: someone intentionally let some air out of the game balls in question, dropping the pressure by about 1 PSI or so. In doing that they missed one, accounting for 11 of 12 balls with low pressure.
Second: one ball was inflated previously using air at 70F, then given to the referee for his inspection. The remainder were inflated in the referee’s presence using air heated to around 87 to 90 F. This would also explain the observed conditions.
That said, it’s close. Most teams would be given the benefit of the doubt. But given the Patriots’ history, well, I’m not inclined to give them that benefit. IMO, even in 2007 NFL teams just didn’t give up a 1st round draft pick when they were alleged to have broken league rules w/o a fight if they were innocent. YMMV.
If I had to bet, I’d bet on the first. But either is possible. And IMO either is absolutely shady and unethical conduct.
The sad thing is that if this was indeed a case of tampering, like many cases we see regarding stolen valor it just simply wasn’t necessary. The way the Patriots were playing that day, as Andrew Luck – quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts – put it: “They could have used soap for balls and they’d have still won.”
Again: sorry for the rookie error in the original, but it’s been a while since I dealt with this stuff.
Category: Pointless blather, Who knows
Bellicheat knew worst case is they face a fine and perhaps a draft pick. Why not a little deflating?
Kinda curious as to who missed the 12th ball.
And why he feels he needs to cheat against teams they can easily beat is a head scratcher.
If you have any actual proof of Coach Belichick or the Patriots cheating, feel free to post links.
Otherwise, you can STFU and STFD.
It’s self-selecting adolescents like you who keep false rumors and innuendo alive and well.
And your explanation of how the balls were below “legal” pressure is…?
I think what a lot of people forget is that it was the Ravens who first reported this as they suspect it was done during their game with the Pats. Don’t know what proof they had, but their suspicions appeared to be correct in the Indy-Pats game.
Even Pats fans are saying this will be a hollow victory if they win.
It’s called a “preponderance of evidence”. Quick-Tom Brady needs another tongue bath. You’d better get going.
About the only time I could ever root for the Seachickens is against The Pats.
Go Sea-Chickens! Beat the Cheats!
lol
2007 video taping opponents practices. Well documented example of bellicheat earning his name. To deny he. Heats is to be too much a die hard fan and willingly ignoring history
AW1Tim – Here’s a link you might find interesting.
http://www.sharpfootballanalysis.com/blog/2015/new-england-patriots-fumble-more-often-when-playing-for-other-teams
Proof is in the eye of the beholder. Clearly, you don’t think PV=nRT is PROOF…
It IS, however, a law in science… And it is very damning evidence that the Patriots did something untoward. Why they did so is another question. Doesn’t seem like they would have to…
Regardless, YOU are the Self-Selecting-Adolescent…
Its been a while, but don’t you need to use absolute pressure instead of gauge pressure? That’ll move your numbers around, but the point is still the same: the Pats are unscrupulous bastards that didn’t have to cheat, but did anyways.
I do agree with the sentiment above, when the penalties are meager (loss of a single draft pick), who wouldn’t trade that for a better Super Bowl prospects?
Yeah, it’s been a while for me too – like multiple decades. And you’re right.
Re-running the numbers. Preliminary calculations indicate that my conclusions might change.
Damn, I hate it when I make a FNG-type mistake.
Would the fact that the footballs were wet from the rain change the volume and thus change your calculations?
i.e. What if any are the expansion properties of a leather football as it becomes water-soaked?
Actually, the footballs inspected during the first half of the game were found to be about 1psi less than the allowable limit.
The one ball that was found to be about 2psi under the minimum? The one intercepted by the Colts and turned over to their equipment manager. He then gave it to the coach, who had it sent to the Owner’s box, where Irsay then contacted the refs. That’s a pretty shady chain of custody, especially since it involves an owner convicted of OWI and illegal prescription drug possession.
It’s even more shady when the player who intercepted the ball says that HE didn’t notice any difference in it and HE never said anything about it to his equipment manager. The player (Jackson) said he gave it to the equipment manager to hold for him, and who said that the ball would be in his locker on Monday morning.
The balls who inspected and approved for play by the refs. After that inspection, they remained under the control of the refs, and the NFL-appointed ball boy during the game.
This has all the hallmarks of the Colts and the NFL trying to smear a good team and cause a distraction to keep them from winning the Superbowl. It’s similar to the bullshit accusations prior to the 2007 SB where the Patriots were accused of filming the other team’s walkthroughs. A charge that was later proved groundless when both the man making the charge and the breathless reportard who gave it legs were forced to admit it was all speculation and nothing more.
But, haters gotta hate. Florio’s column today sheds more light on what is looking more and more like BS charges that are about to lead to charges of corruption and moral bankruptcy in the NFL front office.
Regardless of air pressure… the Colts left their balls at home, and that is why they lost.
2 PSI of air in a football is about equivalent to the weight of a dollar bill. The majority of coaches/quarterbacks past and current state it is a non issue.
The issue isn’t about the weight, it’s in how much easier it makes it to grip the ball. If you can really clench your fingers into it versus if it’s like a rubber rock, it makes it significantly easier to throw and significantly less likely to be fumbled.
Yet according to one current NFL quarterback who has repeatedly admitted to breaking the rules, it is a firmer ball(over the limits set in the rules) that makes for a better throw. I am still waiting on the NFL investigation and outrage from the NFL Fandom over that.
There is zero evidence the Patriots did anything. They utterly destroyed the Colts, with most of their points coming in the 2nd half with balls once again inspected by the officials.
You are correct that Aaron Rodgers indicated he prefers a football inflated to the maximum end of the allowable range, and also stated he’d prefer to be allowed to inflate the ball even more (I haven’t seen any direct admission he and/or his team ever did so, however). However, had you read further, you’d know that Rogers is a rather odd case. His hands are huge – much larger than most NFL QBs’ hands – and he can therefore grip a highly inflated football much better than most pro QBs. (Think Meadowlark Lemon palming a basketball.)
If you’ll re-read the last para in the article above, you’ll see I also noted that this had zero impact on the game in question’s outcome. Andrew Luck, the Colts’ QB, said much the same.
It made no difference, yet it happened anyway.
Mike Kensil… ever hear of him? He was on the Colts sidelines during that game, and is the apparent source of the story that broke about the “deflated footballs”. Lot of things being said, and I hate conspiracy theories, but in his case? Just as much credence as the idea that Brady needed a big competitive advantage against the Colts, whom they utterly destroyed in the 2nd half with balls that were all at the perscribed PSI.
Possibly true about Kensil – and completely irrelevant. 11 of 12, my friend; 11 of 12. I’m pretty sure that only one of those 11 was ever in the possession of those on the Colts’ sidelines.
You are correct that the Patriots didn’t need the extra advantage during that game. And yet, all indications are they likely took liberties with the rules anyway.
There is PLENTY of evidence that something happened. That you cannot comprehend it doesn’t negate its existence…
Actually, most NFL players (and many laymen) say they absolutely can tell the difference in a ball at 12.5 PSI and 10.5 PSI – both pressures gauge, not absolute. The softer ball is significantly easier to grip, throw, and catch.
Maybe they should consult with Paul-mer (of the Ballsack) Wickre and Commander Phil Monkress.
They would appear to know a lot about “balls” and straight-up dishonesty.
It’s a damn game and it has no bearing on our lives. The media are calling for prosecution, fines and lost draft picks……..
Yet we have a miserable, socialist failure as a president with no balls and the media is silent.
Go figure.
The Refs on the field handle the ball after each and every play on the field.
You’d think they’d have noticed something if the inflation thing mattered nearly as much in play advantage as the numpties are making it out to do.
Did anyone bother to investigate the Colts’ balls?
There’s one other option you missed, Hondo. Projection by a drug addict owner.
Grimmy, you cannot ask about the Colt’s personal life. Anyway, since they didn’t sign that openly gay player, there was no one available to investigate their balls.
FirsTech Solutions could handle that contract.
All of the math above assumes extremely accurate pressure gauges.
The gauges the NFL uses are fairly cheap and do not have a mirrored background for really accurate readings (like you might see in aircraft use cases where 1/2 lb of pressure could be a huge difference).
They are analog by the way not digital and just the position of the eye relative to the gauge, dominant eye of the viewer, etc, etc all have an impact on the “reading”.
so if they were “read” at the bottom of the legal limit, and were inaccurate then later (and more finely checked or using a different gauge or even a different viewer with same gauge and a diff dominant eye) you could get different readings even if there was a smaller PSi drop because of temp change.
This just in….
http://www.theheckler.com/2015/01/20/belichick-fires-ball-boy-for-failing-to-deflate-1-of-12-balls/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=belichick-fires-ball-boy-for-failing-to-deflate-1-of-12-balls
If they switch to nitrogen instead of air, that’ll quash any temperature conspiracies. In the meantime, I’m looking forward to the Warren/911/Whatever Commission report that Congress will invariably mandate.
They should try flubbergas. (smile)
For the record I am a life-long Seahawk fan, been with them since 1976 when they were first organized and suffered through some awful seasons. That said, I want the Patriots to have the best on the field because I want the Seahawks to face the best team. Regarding the 12th ball that was not deflated I think that may have been the kicking ball IMHO.
My problem is the way the NFL dinks around with the whole thing. They do not hesitate to fine Marshawn Lynch of the Seahawks for not talking enough to the media (100 K ) for the year. They also have fined him 20 K more than once because he put his hand near his junk after a touchdown in the championship game yet the NFL is selling the photo of that framed for $150.00! They were ready to EJECT him last week if he wore some fancy gold plated spikes. Now everything he has done has never given an edge to the team, and never had the possibility for altering the outcome of a game. So what will happen to a player that violates the rules regarding a ball? I don’t dislike the Patriots, have cheered for them in past SB’s, I just wonder how fair Mr. Goodell is going to be. I probably am not totally objective but that is my take on the matter.
Cacti35: my understanding is that each team maintains a separate set of balls for plays involving kicks – 4 of 5, I believe. Those are separate and distinct from the 12 each team uses as “game balls” for normal plays. And my understanding is that those are typically inflated to the top end of the allowable pressure range – more range, and harder for the receiving team to handle.
You are correct. There are separate kicking balls.
Hondo’s Article Netted Out for less intelligent Infantryman (because Hondo is really friggin’ smart):
So I, the son of a boilerman who went on the steam boilers in the Navy, graduating BT Class “A” school at 17 with 97.34 average, passed my NY drivers test and scored 100 (there is a joke there), steamed 2 ships, graduated SWOS EOOW Class #1 (only white hat in class), went on to teach engineering at the “1200 # Plastic Palace” in Newport and wrapping up my steamin’ deamon’ days as a 26 year old BT1(SW) EOOW, Oil King and REP V Locker Officer on a fast boy … all I can is this:
With respect to pressures and temps of footballs and the sample 11 of 12. BULL SHIT FLAG is thrown. Better known as the MCPO calling a BRAVO SIERRA foul!
NETTED
Slight changes in temps at low pressures (less than 15 psi) may result in insignificant pressure changes. These are not losses, just very slight pressure changes based on temps … sometimes unmeasurable.
The losses recorderd on 11 of 12 footballs was NO accident.
The Head Coach is a morn, the QB is a thoughtless pretty boy and the equipment manager should have been fired.
Me, I am just a retired BT/MM MCPO who knows a wee bit about thermoe dienamicks …
However, there is no way in hell I know more than Hondo!
Former nuke concurs.
Even when gas heats up as it is compressed (when one inflates a football) there’s no way it would drop 1-2 psig as it cooled to ambient or game temperature, unless one was playing in the Ice Bowl.
Keep in mind, your tire pressure barely changes more than that, and a “hot” tire runs just below the boiling point of water.
The boiling point of water at what altitude? Water boils at 212 degrees at sea level, but in my kitchen in Albuquerque it boils at 187 degrees. (Which is why I use a pressure cooker to cook my beans.)
Actually the gas wouldn’t heat up, because it is going through an orifice into a lower pressure area, it would cool down. Just as air does going into a ballast rank.
Um, no. A ballast tank receiving air is in general not a fixed volume like a football. The two situations are not directly comparable.
The air going into a ballast tank is expanding from conditions of low volume/high pressure (sources I’ve seen say 600 PSI) to lower pressure into an area open at the bottom and containing water (don’t forget – some of the ballast tank holes are open, not closed). The air expands, but in doing so displaces water out of the openings in the ballast tank. The work done in this expansion cools the air.
That is not expansion into a closed container. The openings in the ballast tank allow the air to expand to whatever volume is supported by the water pressure at that depth; it’s thus expanding into an effectively unlimited volume with expansion limited only by the water pressure encountered. If enough air is used, it will displace all the water and start bubbling out of the openings in the tank.
In contrast, air being pumped into a closed container of fixed volume (like a football) has no where to go, and cannot expand. Pumping air into a fixed volume heats it. Mechanical energy is used to force air into that fixed volume. Essentially, you are pumping energy into the stored gas, storing some of it as pressure. The increase in pressure – whether in a compressor or in some other enclosed space – in turn raises the gas’s temperature.
Don’t believe that compressing a gas raises its temp? Just reach out and touch the cooling fins on an air compressor, or touch the “business end” of a hand pump after using it for a while. (Personally, I’d suggest just getting your fingers close enough to feel the warmth, but that’s just me.) That heat is waste heat from compressing the gas.
Add gas to a container of constant volume, absent a chemical change or some process to remove heat the temp and pressure both rise. Period.
Add an “o” to the morn above!
I never said I cood spell.
All well and good–meaning, I have absolutely no idea what all of the science is about–but the question is why? Why would the Pats deflate balls intentionally? I do not mean to suggest that they didn’t: I have no doubt that it was done deliberately. My answer is that they have become accustomed to it and that if they were playing the local high school freshman team, the Pats would still deflate the balls. But why do it in the first place? Fumble prevention, that’s why. The Pats’ stats for fumbles per offensive play are off the charts–and have been for the past five years. You need a set of binoculars to find #2 over that span.
My household faces a dilemma over the upcoming SB. Collectively, we detest the Seahawks and loathe the Pats. Our task remains to determine which team we abhor more so that we can hope (we’ll never root) that one beats the other. It probably will remain a tossup until the 4th quarter when, by then, one of the two will have earned our disdain for the day.
I don’t guess there’s any way both teams could lose, is there?
Yes.
If All-Points Logistics picked up the logistical contract.
Then GO SKINS!
Since the local geography in AZ makes it unlikely that an earthquake will open a chasm and let both teams sink into it, I will be cleaning my garage rather than watch that shitfest.
The NFL just released information (confirmed) that 10 of the 12 balls were only 1lb under pressure and 1 was 2hrs under. This is virtually right in line with your analysis, so you probably need a rewrite. Good analysis.
Not seeing that announcement on any Internet searches. Source citation, please?
“The Pats’ stats for fumbles per offensive play are off the charts–and have been for the past five years. You need a set of binoculars to find #2 over that span.”
Whoa. I see that I wasn’t clear. By that I mean that the Pats lose balls by fumble far, far less than do other teams. For me, that’s not merely curious but worthy of conclusion: They freakin’ cheat.
I need to preface what Im about to say with a disclaimer,
I know jack shit about football other than its pointy at both ends. I dont watch sports of any type.
I do know about how gasses behave under pressure.
The simplest solution is generally the correct one. Heated air is one answer, removal it the other.
Funny news conference parody:
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2015/01/25/want-to-see-a-patriots-press-conference-meltdown-watch-the-snl-version/
Chris Carter. What a piece of work.
A Hall of Famer, I will give him that. Good player.
But I love is HOF speech where he screamed and raved about his Ohio State Buckeyes.
Funny.
He was KICKED OFF the team for conduct “issues” and went in the Supplemental Draft. No senior year or diploma there!
Good player but horrible person and an all-around sack of shit.
And I really do not think I need to explain Michael Irving, his crack pipe and the 15 year old girls.
Got to love the NFL.
And did anyone see the NFLPA (Player’s Union)put out a statement complaining, and I mean complaining, about players being held to higher personal standards?
And how much do they make?
The NFLPA (as does the larger NFL) does a great disservice to the game.
But in the end, Paul-mer (of the Ballsack) would still help them “deflate” their balls, if you know what I mean.
Clowns.
Scum in the National Felon League?
Shocking.
First NFL controversy this year that actually involved football.
Winner!
I got a simple question from here.
Why does anybody care?
Mind you I’m kinda jealous that Hondo dredged up all the math to address football. I followed it until I fully realized that he was talking about Pro Football.
Ain’t that kinda like calculating drag on a dropped 500 LB bomb? The bomb is gonna hit and explode. Etc, etc… From X altitude Y drag is gonna shift the impact point Z.
In theory, yes.
Unless you are the VA and claim (in lowering disability claims) that 2+2=5.
An analogy, of course.
Interesting paradigm, is it not?
Odd that… But we are talking about Pro Football. Little attachment to any form of reality.
Hmm.. that may address your query???
The controversy centers around it making it easier for the quarterback to grip/less likely to be fumbled if it has some give to it rather than if it’s like a rubber rock. Giving yourself an unfair advantage and all.
Anyways though, the Patriots would have won without it no question, so there’s that.
So no harm, no foul? Is the guy who robs a store at gunpoint of $20 any less a criminal than one who robs it of $2000?
Not nearly equivalent really, but it is interesting to think that a league plagued with dopers, rapists, domestic abusers, and straight up murderers is worried about a couple of pounds of air ruining the integrity of the game.
Of course all the talk about a lack air keeps the Seahawks from having to address all the suspensions for doping over the years including their big mouth corner Sherman who has tested positive for steroids or the drunken Marshawn Lynch whose been popped for DUI or the two wife beaters with criminal records on the Seahawks who will be playing on Sunday.
There is not now and I suspect there never has been any real integrity in the NFL. They overlooked doping and criminal misbehavior for years while pretending they were serving up family fare that was appropriate for your kids to watch and enjoy.
The advertising tells who their demographic is rather nicely, drunks with erection problems seem to be the target audience for the NFL…couch potatoes with poor circulation apparently love this league.
I am enjoying every minute of this nonsense as it is immensely amusing watching people who like a team with a rapist for a quarterback, or a wife beater decrying the injustice of letting a team win with soft balls…there is an irony in this issue that is so obvious and immense that it is completely lost on those who are so upset about what they think is a terrible injustice to their beloved game of football.
It reinforces the reality that a good story now matter how untrue told often enough becomes the truth.
Watching the game here.
That being said, I am wondering how a lot of these players even made it to the Pro Bowl.
I get the absence of Redskins, I do.
But I am seeing a few folks (Mark Ingram) that must have paid there own way to play.
Just an observation.
Any thoughts?
Quite a few Pro Bowl starters each year decide to skip the event due to numerous reasons. Normally because they’re injured, don’t want to risk injury, they are playing in the SB, or are just plain disinterested, so a lot of second & third tier selections get sent. Aaron Wroggers probably wasn’t in any frame of mind for a Pro Bowl, after the crushing loss the Green Bay had against Seattle.
I am laughing my ass off at all of you Patriot homers trying to blame this shit on Irsay. Irsay had nothing to do with it. The Colts GM, Ryan Hrigson, made the call to the league after being informed by the HC. How did Irsay ( or anyone else associated with the Colts for that matter) get ahold of 11 of the Pats 12 balls? Belichick (or more probably Brady) got caught shading the rules yet again. Why is that so hard to believe? It certainly wasn’t the first time and it probably won’t be the last.
Grigson, not Hrigson.
I’ve been a Colts fan since the Mayflowers rolled into Indianapolis. The Colts lost because they left their offense, defense, and special team at home. The balls had little to do with their loss IMHO.
Agreed. And that’s what makes this incident so damn frustrating.
If it was – as IMO it appears – deliberate tampering, it was unnecessary as hell.
I am a HUGE Colts fan and I agree completely. The under inflated balls are not why the Colts lost that game. I can point to several examples during the regular season where they played the same way and got a similar result. With that being said, if it is determined that the Patriots broke the rules, they should be punished whether it was the reason they won or not.
You mean global warming didn’t cause it like Bill Nye said? #SOS #physics #temperature
mwahahahaa
I wonder WTF is going on elsewhere that has someone using this as a media diversion?
And why has not President Obummer commented on it yet?
He comments on everything else “outside the White House lane”!
The analysis is incomplete. As far as I can tell, only one commenter has mentioned the accuracy if the gauges as a source of error. The NFL investigation requred at least measurements, which means the actual ball pressure could be off by as much as twice the error rating of the gauges. I’ve seen 4% quoted for a typical sports gauge.
That’s also relatively easy to account for with a post-measurement calibration test of the device used to take the measurements. Doing that yields an offset, which can then be applied to the original data to yield the actual value corresponding to the measurement. Example: if a gauge is determined experimentally to measure 0.4 PSI lower than actual in the range of 10-13 PSI, adding a correction factor of 0.4 PSI to all data in that range taken with that gauge yields the actual pressure corresponding to that measurement.
Similarly, an average amount of pressure lost per measurement can also be determined and used to correct for the effect of multiple measurements.
Human error is a given. Not much can be done to eliminate that; best you can do is train the person taking the measurements to use the equipment properly and do so with care.
You need to explain what you mean by “NFL investigation requred at least measurements” – that doesn’t appear to make much sense.
I don’t understand “least measurements” either, but from the context it sounds like the “error rating” is the standard deviation (SD) of repeated measurements. Assuming a normal (Gaussian) error distribution (which may not be valid), then approximately 95% of measurements would be expected to be within a 4-SD range (2 above, 2 below).
The per-measurement variability is a separate issue from a fixed offset. As you point out, it’s easy to correct for a reproducible offset simply by adding a constant. The problem arises when there is random variability associated with each measurement. The fixed offset is like someone who shoots a tight group, but the group is at the edge of the target, while the random per-measurement variability thing is like someone shooting a really wide group, but the group is properly centered. Heck, you probably said that already and I just didn’t understand.
Finally, if the 11/12 being under was due to random gauge error, it’s a WAY less likely event than getting (e.g.) heads on 11 of 12 coin tosses, since the probability the gauge reading “normal” when in actuality low is <<50%. Something stinks on top of the overall stink of the NFL.
Mike C: I was assuming the gauges worked in a consistent, repeatable fashion and that any random variability was due to human error/bad technique/whatever you want to call it. While not universally true, for most mechanical measuring devices like gauges I’ve found that’s a good assumption. They tend to work generally consistently until they fail, with the possible need for periodic recalibration/adjustment.
From what I’ve seen it’s also true for most electronic devices – with the caveat that you can occasionally find one with an intermittent issue. That can get interesting. (smile)
I must confess I remain amazed that people will pay hundreds or thousands of dollars to watch this stuff… So some millionaires who play a child’s game for billionaires might have let the air out of some balls and the nation’s all a buzz over the issue. I wonder how truly important this issue is the NFL if they already have a half a dozen or more guys in black and white stripes officiating and they claim the amount of air in the balls is really important but the multi-billion dollar NFL doesn’t pay a guy to monitor and secure the balls during the game? Why are both teams allowed to bring their own balls to the event and use their own balls? It seems the NFL says it’s important because apparently there is a rule, but the punishment for the multi-million dollar salaried offenders is $25k….based on the salaries of the two individuals involved that’s a fine equivalent to what $200 or $300 bucks for the average guy that sounds like a misdemeanor at best not nearly a felony… If you have professional referees who handle the balls between each play (the few games I watch it appears that the players toss the ball to the ref at the end of every play) how was such an egregious error left unnoticed by these professional officials? It is funny to see how many people in this country are really upset over something that will never affect them in way, shape or form…and I see very little mention of the concept that the ball issue was discovered at half time and the Patriots scored more points in the second half with supposedly properly inflated balls… I can’t even understand why anyone cares at all, that’s the problem with me as I just don’t get it. I played sports in high school, college and in the military but I don’t get the attraction of pro sports at all. Most pro athletes look like pro wrestlers to me these days anyway it’s more entertainment and a way to sell product than a real… Read more »
“People are just fine with their local politicians being liars and cheats as we keep re-electing the same people…”
All I have to say is that President Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho would never put up with this shit.
Thank you for that…I have orange gatorade streaming down my monitor now..
But, But, Brawndo has electrolytes!!
Right On, GD. If there ever was a documentary that fully explained the current state of affairs in America today, it was that movie.
I LMAO every time I watch it until the Household 6 says “Turn that stupid shit off and make me a sammich”!!
At least Joe Bauers was a real Corporal and not a poser.
I agree CLAW. Our country is crying out for real leadership. Like this:
President Camacho: Shit. I know shit’s bad right now, with all that starving bullshit, and the dust storms, and we are running out of french fries and burrito coverings. But I got a solution.
South Carolina Representative # 1: That’s what you said last time, dipshit!
South Carolina Representative # 2: Yeah, I got a solution, you’re a dick! South Carolina, what’s up!
Exactly. I don’t know about the rest of the states, but in the one here that I’ve lived in for the past nine years, Frito Pendejo type families are the rule, not the exception.
Pray for me.
Here’s a link to a story that covers the details of the Pat’s miraculous low fumble rate. Miraculous? Not quite. Under-inflated balls are easier to retain. And when one becomes a accustomed to something, he tends to continue to do it whether it’s needed in a particular instance or not.
http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/2015/01/25/patriots-fumble-nearly-impossible-rate/LCgrlUR9qgxDsIgcal9dUI/story.html
In a league filled with felons who are involved in everything from rape, domestic abuse and murder I am often left wondering what integrity of the sport that everyone keeps talking about is so important regarding this issue? The league has a would be rapist as a quarterback, a man who killed dogs for amusement was part of the game and the number of people who commit assault, drunken driving, and general lesser felonies is astonishing.
The NFL is a league without any integrity in the players or the owners, but they’ve done a great job of selling bullshit to folks willing to forget about what kind of people they are rooting for on Sundays. I crack up when I see people wearing the jerseys of men who have been arrested countless times for assault, rape, etc…but then those people want to get all sanctimonious over who the bad guys are.
Folks, it’s simple the NFL is the bad guy in the room. This would be the same league who thought so much about the integrity of the league they brought in a bunch of hack referees when the pro refs went on strike and let those guys make some calls that have people still scratching their heads. That’s how much the NFL cares about the integrity of their league, they really only care about the money they can separate away from their fans. The sad part is the NFL, like Washington DC politicians, knows exactly how stupid most people are and continues to carry on like they haven’t a care in the world secure in the knowledge that idiots will continue to pay thousands of dollars to be crammed into a seat next to drunken jackasses swearing at the top of their lungs for hours.
Word.
I watch the NFL Films Football life on Coach Walsh of the 49ers this week. He “lost” use of his phones one year in the playoffs (because their plays were scripted) and then so did the Giants. The next year Parcells called him out and Coach Walsh just said it was a bit of gamemanship.
In this case, Bellichik is probably a dou*** and continues with a cheat regardless of a team calling him out. Takes away from the game in the end. He’s had great teams why have an asterisk on your Super Bowls because your thickheaded and stubborn.
If they were THAT serious about the pressure in their game balls, then why don’t they hire personnel to monitor that using calibrated equipment? I used to make my living as a HAZMAT Contractor and we had to have our monitoring equipment calibrated daily. No, this isn’t a life-or-death matter, but things like Chains of Custody and monitoring would eliminate molehill-to-mountain junk like this!
I’m sure that an out of work hairdresser like Mona Lisa Vitto with her Sears Craftsman Signature Series calibrated equipment would be able to keep the pressure up in their balls.
And the calibration certificate to back it up is available upon request.
http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/2015/01/21/how-the-patriots-could-have-cheated-without-letting-air-out-the-ball/Eocm5m29nIlh0HRBjFWsYO/story.html
Similar commentary from Martin Schmaltz, Professor of Physics at Boston University
Gee, that Professor sure is smart – ain’t he? Who am I to disagree with him! (smile)
And, for the record: no, I don’t know the man, nor did I see his article before VOV posted the link above.
That was never my suggestion brother, just pointing out that another smart fellow wrote and article drawing similar conclusions to the article written by our resident smart fellow….
No impropriety suggested or inferred on my part, I would never wave that banner at you Hondo.
My apologies if you were offended that would never under any circumstance be my intent.
(Chuckling) No offense at all, VOV – just wanted to make it clear that I hadn’t seen the prof’s article previously. If I had, I’d have saved myself a couple of hours work (plus the embarrassment of having to own up to a “newbie” mistake in the original version of this article) – I’d have simply linked to his article instead!
Phew, thanks…thought I had stepped on my dick for a minute there, and that’s not an easy thing…
If you know the AC/DC song titled, “Big Balls”, you will get a kick (no pun intended) out of this parody. The vocals are spot-on for this as well. Bon Scott would get a kick out of the resemblance.
http://www.sportsradiokjr.com/media/play/toms-big-balls-25751615/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAGrse5N8v8
‘Nuff said
Sore losers.
Pats won, Colts lost. Colts are just plain sore losers.
It’s one reason I quit watching football.
Care to comment on this experiment, showing pressures dropping on average 1.8 psi for 12 different footballs?
Well, since 75 F starting and 50 F (a bit higher than actual) game temp explains only a 1.27 PSI difference, I’m guessing that means the balls were actually inflated with air about 10 F warmer than 75 F – specifically, at about 86 F. (smile)
I don’t have any data on how much leather stretches when wet at 12 PSI. So I can’t assess the validity of the allegation that “the leather stretched enough to account for the difference”.
Given the Pats history of cutting corners, I’m not inclined to accept that theory without concrete proof that leather under those conditions indeed can stretch enough to account for approx a 2-3% change in volume of the football (between 2 and 3% change in volume is still required). I suppose that’s theoretically possible. But before I buy it, I want to see proof it’s possible.
I see a few problems here. Everyone seems to be treating air as an ideal gas when it isn’t one.
Humidity in the air on a rainy day would play a large part in the pressure change, making the gas far from ideal.
*If* the balls were inflated just prior to measurement, their temperature would be higher than ambient due to the pressure change.
In the Pats’ case, I just don’t think the ref’s took the time to measure each ball with a calibrated gauge and record the data. They probably just did the squeeze test as usual:
http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/super-bowl-xlix/deflate-gate-nfl-ball-boys-perspective-preparing-footballs-n290801
The great thing about the study in the video, Hondo, is there is no theory, just real measurements. They speculate as to what else goes on aside from temperature, but in the end it is a net effect of 1.8psig for a drop of 25F. Of all I’ve seen so far I put the most credence in that study.
You asked for thoughts on this subject. Here’s mine:
Much ado about nothing.
A lot like eating unshelled sunflower seeds. Too much work for too little meat.
The Headsmart Labs experiment seems like pretty strong evidence. Until someone else debunks it empirically.
What if it’s just the normal way a football reacts in those circumstances?