Deflategate Scandal

It seems that every day there is a story or scandal surrounding a person or brand. Recently before the Super Bowl, there were many people pointing fingers at the Patriots, accusing them of deflating the footballs in their game against the Colts. Was this all just a story to obtain views, or did the Patriots cheat their way to the Super Bowl?

NFL Background   

Since the beginning of mankind, people have come up with different ideas to stay busy or be entertained. One thing that has stuck around through all these years though, are sports. While some people live and die by the sport or sports they follow, some do not want anything to do with them. One of the biggest and most popular sports in America today is the sport of Football. This sport is played at all ages but the pro version of the sport that is most widely viewed, is the NFL. The NFL (National Football League) has been around since 1922. Not surprisingly though, the game we see today is not the same game that began in 1922. There have been many rules and regulations added to the game. Recently there has been more safety rules and regulations than anything else. The NFL has introduced these new rules and regulations for football because it is quite frankly, becoming a more serious and therefore, dangerous sport. Athletes are being paid tenfold of what the men in the earlier years had been paid. One of the main factors that goes into their increase in pay is because athletes are beginning to see the affects on their bodies when they play for multiple years. Nevertheless, football has become a major sport, bringing in millions of dollars through ticket sales and memorabilia. Sadly, because of the idea of money, some teams or even individual players will do something illegal to get the slightest edge on an opponent. Some players will go for cheap shots while some teams will even spy on another team to learn their plays or illegally communicate with the quarterback on the field using a radio frequency outside of the NFL's awareness.

Cheating and the Punishments

Unfortunately, this brings up the question of if someone cheats or severely bends the rules, can they be punished? How would it be done and who enforces these penalties? To answer to the first question is yes, players or teams can be penalized for breaking the rules set out by the NFL. The type of punishment depends on what rule was broke and how severe the action was. If it is an illegal hit, it is usually just a fine and possibly a game or two suspension. One player that gets into the most trouble with dirty hits is Ndamukong Suh. These dirty hits range from practically tearing a quarterback's head off, to stomping on players. Another example is even when there is a scuffle between two teams on the field that is not called for. Usually the NFL handles all of these incidents directly and does not get the government involved in anything unless it is also illegal outside of the NFL's rules such as domestic violence and murder. The commissioner of the NFL, Roger Goodell, is normally the one who hands out the penalties and fines to the players and teams.

What is Deflategate?

This finally brings up the 'scandal' known as Deflategate. First off what is Deflategate? This term was and is used widely to this day when people mention how the New England Patriots made it to SuperBowl 49. Deflate gate first started after the Patriots destroyed the Indianapolis Colts, 45-7. After the game many people were amazed that the Patriots handed the loss to the Colts so easily. Thus began the many questions as to how. Eventually people started suspecting that the Patriots were using balls that were under inflated to the NFL's standards. The NFL requests that all the game balls have a standard 12.5-13.5 PSI (pounds per square inch). So the question is, did the Patriots cheat by purposely deflating their game balls to get an illegal edge on their opponent to go to the Super Bowl?
First off, lets look at the facts. The refs had confirmed that eleven out of the twelve balls that the Patriots had were under inflated. There was a major amount of speculation as to who deflated the footballs. D'Qwell Jackson, a linebacker for the Colts, had noted that the ball he had intercepted was under inflated but later denied that he noticed anything wrong with the football. Others speculate that the Colts were suspicious of the Patriots after a matchup between the two teams earlier in the season or the Baltimore Ravens tipped them off. During a press conference, Belickick stated that the only way the balls would become deflated would be because of the temperature.

The Science of Deflatgate

Many may wonder, does a few less PSI inside a football effect the game that much? First, it would practically not effect the ball's flight considering the weight of the ball is 97.7% the material. Changing the pressure that much would do nothing to the weight of the ball. It is also said that the ball does become more easier to catch and throw. According Neil deGrasse Tyson, even though the balls were probably inflated, he claims it would not have changed the outcome of the game considering it was a complete blowout. Bill Nye the Science Guy states that temperature would not directly impact the balls enough to change the pressure inside the balls; therefore, saying that Belichick's excuse that temperature played a role in the pressure of the balls is false.

Where are we Pointing Fingers?

The next question is, who actually deflated the footballs? Many would point their finger in the direction of Bill Belichick and the Patriots. Some say an assistant for the Patriots did it while a few people say that the Colts did it themselves. It is said that Belichick was in full knowledge of the the deflated balls but did not do anything about it. Back in 2007, the Patriots were caught filming the New York Jets signals to gain an edge. This is widely known as Spygate. The Patriots were fined heavily and lost a first round draft pick because of this cheating. Because he has cheated before to get the edge on the opponent, he is known to bend the rules, if not break them.The Colts had the chance to deflate a football after a player brought the ball back to the Colt's sideline. The coach for the Colts said this was, "ludicrous." The one story that is most likely is a rogue locker room attendant for the Patriots deflated the footballs. Apparently there is video evidence of the locker room attendant that took the bag of footballs into a bathroom for about 90 seconds. This is the most evidence of the whole Deflategate scandal.

What Happens Now?

Many wonder including myself, is does Deflategate have any merit to its argument, or is it just a way to bring in viewers? Excluding the people that think as I do and believe the Patriots should be punished for this, ask what their punishment should be. There is a possibility the NFL could fine the Patriots, take away a draft pick or two, and possibly suspend coach Belichick for a game. There have been a number of times when the government intervenes during a case in sports such as steroid use in baseball or Title IX saying that cheerleading is not a sport, however Deflategate would be a case where they should not step in. Because there were no real laws broken in this alleged act of cheating, and the NFL is handling it personally, there is absolutely no reason for the government to step in.