Toucher and Rich: Sources said the League approved under-inflated balls BEFORE GAME

Jewber said:

Toucher just admitted he's a jets fan to boomer esiason during his interview.

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That isn't news. He has admitted he is a Jets fan many, many times.

I'm not sure where I stand on this one...

The owner of the team comes out last night and blasts the NFL and media for leaks and then the team's flagship station (with a Jets fan as a host) comes on with a leak this morning? Did someone on Park Avenue let that out there just to tick Kraft off? Is this just two morning drive guys wanting to make a name for themselves? Is there really a leak or did they kind of piece this together as many in this thread have done?

The last thing the NFL wants is for their officials to come under (more) scrutiny. It is a legit slap in the face to the integrity of the game and will only heighten the push for full time officials. As many have said, they are trying, as hard as they can, to find a way to pin this on the Pats and I'm not sure today's "leak" helps them with that.

FrodoBagginz said:

Didn't the NFL just say in a statement that the balls were inspected and approved and were within limits at pre-game?

The plot thickens.

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They never confirmed the balls were tested pre-game with a gauge. I said from the beginning that I bet the refs didn't test the balls the way they were supposed to - only did the squeeze test!

robertweathers said:

New title...Doucher & Rich.

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I don't think our work here is done.

Doucher & ****?
Doucher & *****?
Doucher & Witch?
Doucher & Lich?

Dear NFL corporate officers....if you don't stop the BS, we'll never allow any of you into Gillette Stadium again.

Fair warning.....

It is the referees jobs to inspect the footballs. If they were underinflated when they received it for inspection, IT WAS THEIR RESPONSIBLITY TO INFLATE THEM TO THE PROPER LEVEL. If they were over inflated, IT WAS THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO DEFLATE THEM TO THE PROPER LEVEL. THEY DID NOT DO THEIR JOBS PROPERLY. PERIOD. THE BUCK STOPS WITH THEM, and I'll bet they have not been measuring football air pressure for any team. If they have, it's been inconsistent. IT'S SIMPLE. THEY DIDN'T MEASURE THE PRESSURE IN THE FOOTBALLS. The league knows it but they don't want to admit it.

Mv1029 said:

They never confirmed the balls were tested pre-game with a gauge. I said from the beginning that I bet the refs didn't test the balls the way they were supposed to - only did the squeeze test!

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Agree!! I have felt this way from day 1. When Brady preps the footballs they'll be underinflated because that's the way Brady likes them. . When Aaron Rodgers preps the footballs they'll be overinflated because that's the way Rodgers like the........AND THE REFS HAVE NEVER CHECKED THE PSI AND THE LEAGUE HAS NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH IT.....until now.

NO ONE tampered with those footballs after the refs released them to the ball boy.

Mv1029 said:

They never confirmed the balls were tested pre-game with a gauge. I said from the beginning that I bet the refs didn't test the balls the way they were supposed to - only did the squeeze test!

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They had to have been tested with a gauge otherwise how would they know the balls approved by the refs were under inflated?

this has been the only explanation from the beginning.

BradfordPatsFan said:

I'm not sure where I stand on this one...

The owner of the team comes out last night and blasts the NFL and media for leaks and then the team's flagship station (with a Jets fan as a host) comes on with a leak this morning? Did someone on Park Avenue let that out there just to tick Kraft off? Is this just two morning drive guys wanting to make a name for themselves? Is there really a leak or did they kind of piece this together as many in this thread have done?

The last thing the NFL wants is for their officials to come under (more) scrutiny. It is a legit slap in the face to the integrity of the game and will only heighten the push for full time officials. As many have said, they are trying, as hard as they can, to find a way to pin this on the Pats and I'm not sure today's "leak" helps them with that.

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This leak didn't occur last night or this morning. Rich said that he was told this earlier in the week and he sat on the info. He went public after Belichick and Krafts' amazing press conferences, because it became clearer to him where this was headed.

Toucher is a loudmouth, no-nothing Jets fan. He went from pathetic Pats hater to full ****** this morning when he posed the question whether they still took MORE air out of the ball, after the refs ok'd the balls without checking them with the gauge. He really sounded like he was going to need Brunell's tear towel.

I never call into these shows but if any of you do, I beg you to call him out on this.

Now Albert Breer feels they are guilty if true because they intended to skirt the rules. But Aaron Rodgers openly admitted that he does exactly what these sources say about this case.

FrodoBagginz said:

They had to have been tested with a gauge otherwise how would they know the balls approved by the refs were under inflated?

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I get what you're saying but Belichick said himself that the balls were delivered to the refs pregame and the refs were asked by the PATS to inflate the ball to 12.5. I think the league ASSUMES this means the balls weren't inflated to at least 12.5 upon delivery and uses this to save face.

Rob0729 said:

Now Albert Breer feels they are guilty if true because they intended to skirt the rules. But Aaron Rodgers openly admitted that he does exactly what these sources say about this case.

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They jump from one leak to the next. Who are T&R's multiple sources?

And then how do they account for the science suggesting that atmospheric conditions would have caused a PSI drop?

Cramden said:

That would be a game changer if true. I hope there's more to this.

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Doesn't change anything. To use another poster's words: there's already a narrative. Stories are used and molded to fit the pre-conceived narrative. Submitting under-inflated balls is evidence the Patriots cheated.

IMO, Kraft chose his words carefully: the league has to find concrete evidence that NE *tampered* with the pressure. Handing over under-inflated balls without knowing they're under-inflated is not tampering.

I know everyone keeps picking on The League. Yes, they've handled this in the worst way. But, the grossest negligence is from so-called sports journalists.

The League is on the spot to determine the baseline of scrutiny given to air pressure across the league, especially with the Refs. If proper checks-and-balances are not executed by Officials, and there is no clear statement that the Team is responsible for air pressure, then the League has no grounds to prove cheating.

I can see the headlines now. Pats hand under inflated balls to refs with hope that they wouldn't test them.

Rob0729 said:

Now Albert Breer feels they are guilty if true because they intended to skirt the rules. But Aaron Rodgers openly admitted that he does exactly what these sources say about this case.

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Exactly right about Rogers. Somehow a guy that steels cash out of the cash register before the cash is counted by management is morally ok by them, but if you take it out after the cash was counted you're a thief. Rogers inflated the balls hoping they wouldn't notice or check them....clearly trying to skirt the rules.

Rob0729 said:

Rich was just on the air and said that they had multiple sources that the Pats turned in the balls to the league prior to the game slightly under inflated and the refs approve them. So the refs didn't measure the balls.

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I don't think the Pats (or any team) even check the balls with a gauge prior to giving them to the refs, they give them the ones that feel good and tell the refs how they want them inflated. This sounds like pure speculation to me.

If this is in fact true, screw the media. The true story is on the NFL and why the refs approved under inflated balls and caused an uneven playing field (according to public opinion) in the championship game.

The Pats are the scape goat here and the NFL has nothing on them.

FrodoBagginz said:

They had to have been tested with a gauge otherwise how would they know the balls approved by the refs were under inflated?

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They found out they were underinflated by testing them at half time. This is when the colts/NFL sting operation went into affect. They were trying to catch the pats red handed, knowing very well those balls would be underinflated.

The Refs had 48 balls to inspect.

I will lay money down that they felt the balls to gauge them pregame and did not take a pressure gauge and test each one individually.