NFL Zeroes in on Patriots locker room attendant

[Mace]

Maybe it's just me but it would be fun to see the video of the NFL trying to recreate it. The time trials would be zany madcap shenanigans and even funnier if some daffy prankster oiled the balls to show the NFL has a sense of humor.

[Discotrish]

They need to check the tape from prior weeks.

Does Lee Harvey Locker Room Attendant regularly take the game balls for a leak?

Patti

[gebobs]

They need to check the tape from prior weeks.

Does Lee Harvey Locker Room Attendant regularly take the game balls for a leak?

Hah...doubtful that those still exist. Probably a loop.

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Maybe it's just me but it would be fun to see the video of the NFL trying to recreate it.

No, Mythbusters!

[Albany,n.y.]

Here's a suggestion.

Get 12 footballs and a gym bag. Fill them to 12.5. Find a bathroom. Go in, deflate all the balls by 1 - 1.5 psi (the balls will lose another .5 psi going outside), put them back in the bag and exit. All in 90 seconds. Make a video. You'll be a youtube hero....

Yesterday on Inside The NFL Boomer Esiason took a football from 14 to 10.5 PSI. I timed it & it was about 8 seconds. If someone trained for this he could get the job done in 90 seconds, especially since he would only have to start at 12.5 PSI. Even allowing for the 1.5 difference, at 8 seconds & 11 balls that's 88 seconds. It's entirely possible

[Joe Fo Sho]

Yesterday on Inside The NFL Boomer Esiason took a football from 14 to 10.5 PSI. I timed it & it was about 8 seconds. If someone trained for this he could get the job done in 90 seconds, especially since he would only have to start at 12.5 PSI. Even allowing for the 1.5 difference, at 8 seconds & 11 balls that's 88 seconds. It's entirely possible

Plus, since everyone is talking about the cold weather further deflating the footballs, this guy wouldn't even have to get them down to 10.5 psi. He probably only has to take out 1 psi or so. He probably stuck a needle in the football, counted to 2 mississippi, and was done with it. It's really not that hard.

[harmonkoz]

Wilson needs to develop a tamper-proof or tamper-evident air seal for the balls.

[Joe Fo Sho]

Wilson needs to develop a tamper-proof or tamper-evident air seal for the balls.

I'm not sure about that, because they are allowed to add/remove air as long as it's within spec.

One thing they might be able to do is make special footballs for the NFL that have some sort of indicator. If the pressure is within 12.5 and 13.5 psi the indicator is green, if not it's red. I'm not sure of the logistics of making something like this happen, but it might be realistic.

I doubt anything is going to change with the footballs though, they'll treat this as a 1 time thing. What may change is the procedure in which this is enforced, or at least they'll make sure the current procedure is being enforced properly.

[harmonkoz]

I'm not sure about that, because they are allowed to add/remove air as long as it's within spec.

One thing they might be able to do is make special footballs for the NFL that have some sort of indicator. If the pressure is within 12.5 and 13.5 psi the indicator is green, if not it's red. I'm not sure of the logistics of making something like this happen, but it might be realistic.

I doubt anything is going to change with the footballs though, they'll treat this as a 1 time thing. What may change is the procedure in which this is enforced, or at least they'll make sure the current procedure is being enforced properly.

I am very certain about it, I work in an FDA regulated industry. When we receive a shipment it has tamper-evident seals, ensuring to us the package has not been tampered with since it left the manufacturing facility and it has a proper chain of custody.

What I am talking about for the balls is no different. The ref's inspect the ball, adding or removing pressure, then they add a tamper-evident seal. Probably an insert of some sort.

[Joe Fo Sho]

I am very certain about it, I work in an FDA regulated industry. When we receive a shipment it has tamper-evident seals, ensuring to us the package has not been tampered with since it left the manufacturing facility and it has a proper chain of custody.

What I am talking about for the balls is no different. The ref's inspect the ball, adding or removing pressure, then they add a tamper-evident seal. Probably an insert of some sort.

Yeah that might work. I just don't see the NFL implementing it.

[harmonkoz]

Yeah that might work. I just don't see the NFL implementing it.

You are probably right, but it would give them a way to show they are taking corrective action. I am not sure that just changing the ball process before the game will entirely eliminate the risk.

The tamper evident seal would be cheap, and could be made of materials that already exist. It could be a round wafer seal with an insert in the middle of it. When removed, it would leave print on the ball.

[casdhf]

It's hard to believe that this is even an issue. What a bunch of scum bags regardless. People suck.

[Bill Cody]

You are probably right, but it would give them a way to show they are taking corrective action. I am not sure that just changing the ball process before the game will entirely eliminate the risk.

The tamper evident seal would be cheap, and could be made of materials that already exist. It could be a round wafer seal with an insert in the middle of it. When removed, it would leave print on the ball.

my understanding is the refs are supposed to hold on to the balls after inspection until just before game time. They could try actually doing that.

[harmonkoz]

my understanding is the refs are supposed to hold on to the balls after inspection until just before game time. They could try actually doing that.

http://mmqb.si.com/2015/01/22/deflat...ball-pressure/The balls would be in the officials’ possession until just minutes before the start of the game, at which point they would hand to ball boys on each side of the field. For balls to be tampered with, it would most likely have to take place on the field during the game.

Unfortunately that would not address a ballboy deflating the ball. A tamper evident seal would. The seal would be removed when the ball entered the game, thereby ensuring the ball had not been tampered with from the time of the inspection to the point it entered the game, approximately a three plus hour time range.

[Bill Cody]

Unfortunately that would not address a ballboy deflating the ball. A tamper evident seal would. The seal would be removed when the ball entered the game, thereby ensuring the ball had not been tampered with from the time of the inspection to the point it entered the game, approximately a three plus hour time range.

I don't believe any ball boy would risk tampering with many balls in front of a stadium full of fans, cameras and players. The bathroom thing is possible but it wasn't on the field. Use your common sense. Especially since there are people with the idea this was an ongoing practice by NE. No, that didn't happen on a regular basis on the field without someone seeing something sometime, ridiculous. I think the league can afford their own ball boys don't you? That would end that. Tamper proof seals? Ya, ok whatever.

[harmonkoz]

I don't believe any ball boy would risk tampering with many balls in front of a stadium full of fans, cameras and players. The bathroom thing is possible but it wasn't on the field. Use your common sense. Especially since there are people with the idea this was an ongoing practice by NE. No, that didn't happen on a regular basis on the field without someone seeing something sometime, ridiculous. I think the league can afford their own ball boys don't you? That would end that. Tamper proof seals? Ya, ok whatever.

Not sure where the animosity is coming from. FU too buddy. I was using my common sense, and just offering up a concept for discussion. A concept which is used in various other trades to ensure something is as it is supposed to be.

In the span of a 3 hour game, I can see lots of oppotunities to deflate a ball. Would a ball boy risk it? I can't answer that. If you think and NFL team would risk it--I don't think it's that big of a leap.

[swiper]

Establishing a chain of custody for NFL football just sounds silly.

[CommissarSpartacus]

The haters have jumped the shark.

You guys are off your ****ing rockers.

"Common sense"? Too funny.

I'd feel sorry for you guys if your psychoses were harmless, but you're ruining the Superbowl just to feed your manias and you're giving a bad name to other people that suffer from reality challenges without turning into gigantic ass holes...

[Discotrish]

The haters have jumped the shark.

You guys are off your ****ing rockers.

"Common sense"? Too funny.

I'd feel sorry for you guys if your psychoses were harmless, but you're ruining the Superbowl just to feed your manias and you're giving a bad name to other people that suffer from reality challenges without turning into gigantic ass holes...

So says Tom Brady's hemorrhoid.



Patti

[CommissarSpartacus]

So says Tom Brady's hemorrhoid.



Patti

The reality is that the more one tries to impress their fellow haters, the dumber and douchier they appear.

Now, that's not a problem for the dumb and douchey, but do you REALLY want to self-identify with people like that?

Im know I don't...

[Strongman]

I'm sort of wondering if the reason this investigation is going to take weeks is because they are trying to see how far back it goes.