NFL launches 'Deflategate' probe of Patriots win; could Super Bowl be disrupted?
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The NFL is investigating to determine whether under-inflated footballs were used by the New England Patriots in the team’s winning AFC Championship game against the Indianapolis Colts in Sunday.
The Patriots are cooperating with the NFL in the “Deflategate” probe, which could potentially disrupt the scheduled Feb. 1 Super Bowl game between the Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks, reports the Associated Press.
A little over two hours before the game, each football team submits one to two dozen balls for use by their offense, which are inspected by officials under NFL rules, according to the AP and the New York Times (reg. req.). The balls are then handled by home-team personnel during the game.
“Officials check balls as they go into the game, and if the ball doesn’t feel perfect, they can throw it out,” former NFL official Jim Daopoulos told ESPN on Monday. “There is always the possibility that balls can lose air due to the conditions.”
The investigation was launched after anonymous league sources told ESPN that 11 of the Patriots’ 12 allotted footballs had been underinflated. The Patriots won against the Indianapolis Colts with a score of 45-7.
The NFL game operations manual provides for “discipline, including but not limited to, a fine of $25,000” if footballs are altered in any way after the balls leave the locker room, the ESPN article notes.
Related coverage:
Indianapolis Star: “Report: Colts noticed deflated footballs in 2nd quarter”
