In Sunday's AFC Championship game between the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts all the footballs were inspected two hours and fifteen minutes before the game, by half-time 11 of the 12 New England footballs were under-inflated by 2-3 pounds. Coincidence? Not likely, one ball may have had a slow leak, possibly two, but when 92% of the footballs you're playing with are under-inflated it's obvious what happened... someone let the air out.
Game day was cold, it was also rainy, a cold wet under-inflated football is marginally easier to catch and grip than a cold wet fully inflated one. Did this make a difference in the game? Maybe, but probably not by a 45-7 margin. If you didn't know, each team uses its own balls while on offense, how much do you want to bet that the one properly inflated ball was reserved for New England's field goal attempts?
This isn't the first time New England and its coach has been involved in controversy surrounded by ethical questions and accusations of cheating. In 2007 Head Coach Bill Belichick was fined $500,000, the team was fined $250,000 and lost a first round draft pick for filming the New York Jets Defensive Coach's hand signals.
Cheating and unsportsmanlike conduct should not be tolerated, disqualify the New England Patriots, ban Bill Belichick from the NFL (as head coach he's responsible), and send the Colts to the Superbowl against Seattle.
As a side note, I am an Eagles fan. I would have rooted for the Broncos as a current resident of Colorado if they were in it, and as a former resident of Massachusetts I would have rooted for New England against Seattle in the Superbowl as I rooted for Green Bay in the NFC Championship. That said, I would have the same opinion of cheating if it were the Eagles at the center of this controversy.
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