According to league sources, several “abnormal” balls were removed from the Patriots vs. Colts game Sunday night.
The New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts met in Foxborough yesterday to crown an AFC champion. If you have not heard by now, the ensuing contest was about as ugly as any playoff drudging witnessed in NFL history. The Pats would go on to win 45-7, with Indy never really looking like it belonged on the same field. But in the wake of this game, a controversy has arisen regarding the inflation level of balls in play.
According to NBC Sports, several “abnormal” balls had to be removed from the field throughout the duration of the game.
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“Deflation-gate” as it is being dubbed in the media, is something not “unheard of” according to league sources, as abnormal ball removal is somewhat of a regularity within the league.
However, many are questioning the sheer amount of instances in which this occurred last night. Initially, there were suspicions that the Patriots were intentionally deflating balls, however, those seemed to die down after only a few hours. Now it appears those rumblings might have some traction after all, as the matter is currently under investigation by the league.
Whether the deflation was deliberate remains to be seen, however, the Patriots themselves are no strangers to bending the rules.
While this could very well lead to nothing, it is worth pointing out that the infamous “Spygate” scandal was revealed less than a decade ago. For those of you who do not recall, New England was found guilty of taping opposing teams’ defensive signals from the sideline during games. The investigation into this violation of league rules occurred after the team was caught during a match-up with the New York Jets on September 9, 2007.
What truly makes this a strange occurrence though is that air pressure in-game balls is periodically tested throughout the night. If such were the case, why was this problem happening so frequently? No matter whether foul play is suspected or not, this is an issue the league should look further into.
As for the Patriots being seen as a possible guilty party, the media and fans alike will always be quick to point a finger towards New England after knowing of the aforementioned scandal. Thus, there is an inherent bias from the start. Nevertheless, the aftermath of these Patriots vs. Colts games has almost always been interesting, as the match-up between the two has become arguably the NFL’s premier rivalry over the past decade and a half.
(H/T NBC Sports)
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