An NFL investigation has determined that 11 of the 12 balls furnished by the New England Patriots for use in their AFC championship win over the Colts were underinflated according to various news reports. How those balls became deflated has not yet been determined. It's unlikely weather played a role since temperatures were in the 50s at game time.
A Colts staff member noticed the potential issue late in the second quarter after being handed one of the balls following a Colts interception. The staff member reportedly told Coach Chuck Pagano, who notified NFL officials of the problem. The detection of the problem before the second half was played did not detour the Patriots from routing the Colts.
Any punishment the team receives from the rules infraction is not likely to be severe. The team faces a minimum fine of $25,000 and, if the NFL determines it was an egregious enough rules violation, the loss of a first-round draft choice. That latter offense was meted out to the Patriots in 2007 after they were caught using cameras to spy on opposing teams during the game.
No comments:
Post a Comment