The under-inflated footballs that the New England Patriots allegedly used during their win over the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Championship Game were reportedly reinflated to the proper NFL standards at halftime.
ESPN Sports Radio 810 in Kansas City reported Wednesday that officials put more air in New England’s game balls at halftime after it was determined that they contained roughly 2.0 PSI less air than the league allows. The balls were then tested again after the game, though the results of the testing have not been revealed.
Why is that significant? For starters, the Patriots would have to be even dumber than we all thought if they intentionally deflated balls before the game and then did it again before the second half after officials put more air back into them.
So let’s assume the balls the Pats used in the second half were all inflated to legal standards. If you’re worried about the impact the alleged cheating had on the outcome of the game, you should understand that Tom Brady completed 12 of 14 passes for 155 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions in the second half. The Patriots also scored 21 points in the third quarter alone.
That is the main reason we have seen reactions like this from current and former players.
The real issue here is integrity. Very few people seem to believe that the Patriots won because the footballs they used were under-inflated. That said, the organization that is responsible for the Spygate scandal rarely ever receives the benefit of the doubt, and for good reason.
