NFL informs officials of new procedures for game balls

[Section15Box113]

 
This scenario wasn't discussed a whole lot.  Do you think the NFL realizes ball pressure can also increase?  They didn't seem to be 100% sold on the cold temperature / reduced pressure phenomenon, I imagine heads will explode if the opposite happens. 

Carolina @ Jacksonville, 1:00 ET, Week 1.
Average daily high: 86-87* F.

Balls start at 13.5.

And tests at the half show that pressure increased.

Honchos will be convinced that New England was cheating because the pressure in the AFCCG went *down* and here's a test showing it went *up*...

So NE must have been trying even harder. 2nd rounder gone, in addition to the first and fourth.

/snark

But nothing would surprise me.
(Actually, that might, but let me enjoy my fun.)

 

[WayBackVazquez]

There absolutely be a "non-NFL controlled"  control ball, with game-cycle psi-readings of an NFL legal ball from pre-game to half-time to post-game.

What really should happen is that media outlets that take their jobs seriously should demand that one pool-selected reporter should be given access to all inspections and recordings.

 

[j44thor]

I wonder if "randomly selected games" actually means "which ever games are being played in domes this week away from elements like rain, cold, heat and snow or San Diego"

 
We've got Bingo
 
Pats/NFL season opener will likely be the first and probably only Pats game selected since an early September night game should still be in the 60s thus minimal effect on the ball pressure.  This will be the "proof" that the NFL HQ so badly desires to "validate" that NE cheated.  I wonder who the dedicated leaker will be this time when the NFL confirms that the balls did not drop below 12.5 PSI.  Do they throw Mort a bone or does someone else get the honor.

 

[amarshal2]

 
We've got Bingo
 
Pats/NFL season opener will likely be the first and probably only Pats game selected since an early September night game should still be in the 60s thus minimal effect on the ball pressure.  This will be the "proof" that the NFL HQ so badly desires to "validate" that NE cheated.  I wonder who the dedicated leaker will be this time when the NFL confirms that the balls did not drop below 12.5 PSI.  Do they throw Mort a bone or does someone else get the honor.

I really don't buy this as the NFL's motivation.  The Wells report, flawed as it was, was way, way, way more sophisticated than saying, "balls don't deflate due to cold weather!".  They fully acknowledged the ideal gas laws.  They just (intentionally) bungled the time component of the science to make it look worse for the Pats.
 
As I sarcastically noted up thread, they haven't fixed a thing if they don't ask the officials to record the temperature and the time (or at least the order) at which the balls were checked.  A total joke.

 

[j44thor]

I really don't buy this as the NFL's motivation.  The Wells report, flawed as it was, was way, way, way more sophisticated than saying, "balls don't deflate due to cold weather!".  They fully acknowledged the ideal gas laws.  They just (intentionally) bungled the time component of the science to make it look worse for the Pats.
 
As I sarcastically noted up thread, they haven't fixed a thing if they don't ask the officials to record the temperature and the time (or at least the order) at which the balls were checked.  A total joke.

 
They don't want to fix anything, they want to win the battle of public perception.  If they wanted to fix anything they would have immediately refuted the mort tweet about balls being 2lbs PSI under legal.  Not only did they not refute that story but they didn't even let NE refute it after it was factually proven to be inaccurate.  The NFL is about revenue.  As long as they can find a few games where the PSI doesn't change much they are going to say we have validated what we always thought and leave it at that.
 
Doubt the random checking is even in place beyond next season.  The only way the results will leak is when they are supporting the NFL's narrative on this.

 

[Devizier]

 

[Reverend]

This level of ball security is farcical and is so clearly an over-compensating bit of theater to prove ex post facto how important the inflation levels of the ball really are and how seriously they take it. I mean, bracketing Pats fans, does anybody out there think the balls need that kind of security?
 
KenTremendous should put together a parody film, Ocean's 14, where the impossible heist is to steal an NFL game ball. 

 

[MarcSullivaFan]

This level of ball security is farcical and is so clearly an over-compensating bit of theater to prove ex post facto how important the inflation levels of the ball really are and how seriously they take it. I mean, bracketing Pats fans, does anybody out there think the balls need that kind of security?
 
KenTremendous should put together a parody film, Ocean's 14, where the impossible heist is to steal an NFL game ball. 

I find it particularly galling that they've only provided for ball security, not proper inflation DURING THE GAME!

If your 12.5 ball is approved indoors 2 hours before the game and you go out and play in 20 degree weather, GUESS WHAT???

These people are incorrigible assholes.

 

[Saints Rest]

I find it particularly galling that they've only provided for ball security, not proper inflation DURING THE GAME!

If your 12.5 ball is approved indoors 2 hours before the game and you go out and play in 20 degree weather, GUESS WHAT???

These people are incorrigible assholes.

The simplest change to make would be to require that all balls be measured on the field, before, during and after.  Eliminate the temperature change entirely.

 

[ivanvamp]

The simplest change to make would be to require that all balls be measured on the field, before, during and after.  Eliminate the temperature change entirely.

 
Of course, temperatures can change during a game.

 

[MarcSullivaFan]

The simplest change to make would be to require that all balls be measured on the field, before, during and after.  Eliminate the temperature change entirely.

Yup. [Subject to what Ivanvamp said]

 

[Saints Rest]

 
Of course, temperatures can change during a game.

True, but it's a much rarer occurrence to have the sort of temperature changes during the 90+ minutes of a half compared to the change from a climate-controlled locker room to either Miami in September or Green Bay in December

 

[rodderick]

This level of ball security is farcical and is so clearly an over-compensating bit of theater to prove ex post facto how important the inflation levels of the ball really are and how seriously they take it. I mean, bracketing Pats fans, does anybody out there think the balls need that kind of security?
 
KenTremendous should put together a parody film, Ocean's 14, where the impossible heist is to steal an NFL game ball. 

 
What's the downside of just allowing QBs to pick whichever PSI they want their balls at? They already employ a hands off approach regarding the way teams prep their footballs, so if comfort level is so important for a QB, why establish such a narrow limit of PSI allowed? I can't believe they are going to such lengths to secure the proper enforcement of a 70+ year old rule that nobody seemed to give a shit about 7 months ago.

 

[tims4wins]

Right, clearly they should let them play with beach balls or prunes or whatever each team wants. No competitive advantage either way.

 

[nighthob]

What's the downside of just allowing QBs to pick whichever PSI they want their balls at? They already employ a hands off approach regarding the way teams prep their footballs, so if comfort level is so important for a QB, why establish such a narrow limit of PSI allowed? I can't believe they are going to such lengths to secure the proper enforcement of a 70+ year old rule that nobody seemed to give a shit about 7 months ago.

I mean especially since the league effectively admits that it didn't and doesn't give a shit in the Wells report which documented the Colts' ball preparation methods, which violated the rules on ball preparation.

 

[Reverend]

What's the downside of just allowing QBs to pick whichever PSI they want their balls at? They already employ a hands off approach regarding the way teams prep their footballs, so if comfort level is so important for a QB, why establish such a narrow limit of PSI allowed? I can't believe they are going to such lengths to secure the proper enforcement of a 70+ year old rule that nobody seemed to give a shit about 7 months ago.

HOW DARE YOU?!?