Re: Conference Championship thread
 

[quote=Chico23231;1105520]reasons for me is Wilson is a hometown kid, kam chancellor and the biggest reason is just physical defense.[/quote]

You have admire the way they play defense. It is fun to watch. A breath of fresh air from the stale spread offense chuck and duck NFL ......like Denver.
We finally have a SB with two teams that can run and pass and defend.

Re: Conference Championship thread
 

[url=http://nesn.com/2015/01/sports-illustrated-patriots-cross-lines-other-teams-wouldnt-dare-crossing/]Sports Illustrated: Patriots Cross Lines Other Teams Wouldn’t Dare Crossing | New England Patriots | NESN.com[/url]


[quote]In a column framed around the accusation that the Patriots deflated balls in Sunday’s 45-7 AFC Championship Game win over the Indianapolis Colts, Sports Illustrated listed many other ways in which the Patriots “cut corners.”
Here are some:


–Patriots staffers who supply the visiting team with towels eavesdrop and report back findings to the home team.

–Opposing coaches put locks on their locker room to prevent Patriots staffers from walking in to grab play sheets.

–Head coach Bill Belichick didn’t follow the unwritten rule to run by his ineligible formations with the league office before running them last Saturday

–Belichick instead ran it by NFL referee Bill Vinovich before the game in hopes to confuse and intimidate the official.

–And the best of all: The large monitor outside CBS Scene restaurant in Patriot Place only is visible to the Patriots’ sideline, which gives Belichick and the Patriots the advantage of being able to see replays.

[/quote]

Re: Conference Championship thread
 

45- 7 and people say it because of deflated balls and they cheat (BS) .Belichick if he wins in two weeks will be the greatest NFL coach in history,I think he is now,to do what he does with ever changing talent like he does and take a QB who almost wasn't drafted and to turn him into the greatest (one of them anyway) QB's of all time is amazing . Two things 1) simple ,people that hate him and accuse him of cheating are jealous ,yes it is that simple .2) All of us that root for other teams want the same success that the Patriots have ,and we would laugh and defend our team it it was attack in the same matter ,the Colts and Andrew Luck are grown ups if the balls need air ...."LET the REF KNOW" .

Re: Conference Championship thread
 

[quote=Giantone;1105548]45- 7 and people say it because of deflated balls and they cheat (BS) .Belichick if he wins in two weeks will be the greatest NFL coach in history,I think he is now,to do what he does with ever changing talent like he does and take a QB who almost wasn't drafted and to turn him into the greatest (one of them anyway) QB's of all time is amazing . Two things 1) simple ,people that hate him and accuse him of cheating are jealous ,yes it is that simple .2) All of us that root for other teams want the same success that the Patriots have ,and we would laugh and defend our team it it was attack in the same matter ,the Colts and Andrew Luck are grown ups if the balls need air ...."LET the REF KNOW" .[/quote]

Agreed, people are just jealous. Every year the demise of the Patriots is predicted when they lose key players because of finances yet they just plug someone else in. Many times Brady making a previously unheard of receiver into an elite one. Other teams throwaway players turn into stars. Blount is this year's special. Having top notch ownership, and a HOF coach and QB keep the Patriots contenders year after year no matter what happens.

Re: Conference Championship thread
 

[url=http://m.espn.go.com/wireless/story?storyId=12202450]11 of 12 Pats' footballs under-inflated - ESPN[/url]

Ladies and Gentlemen your 2014 New England Patriots:

[IMG]https://scontent-b-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/10394465_10103373876072158_8832361189321101844_n.jpg?oh=37fb6a341b4d7b81b2ae850de8f69b25&oe=552BD1C8[/IMG]

Re: Conference Championship thread
 

[quote=Giantone;1105548]45- 7 and people say it because of deflated balls and they cheat (BS) .Belichick if he wins in two weeks will be the greatest NFL coach in history,I think he is now,to do what he does with ever changing talent like he does and take a QB who almost wasn't drafted and to turn him into the greatest (one of them anyway) QB's of all time is amazing . Two things 1) simple ,people that hate him and accuse him of cheating are jealous ,yes it is that simple .2) All of us that root for other teams want the same success that the Patriots have ,and we would laugh and defend our team it it was attack in the same matter ,the Colts and Andrew Luck are grown ups if the balls need air ...."LET the REF KNOW" .[/quote]

[B]Are you saying since they won by a lot, that their cheating didn't matter.[/B] How many points do you have to win by for cheating to matter? Is it a certain number of points, or a ratio?

No one said they won solely based on cheating. But they did cheat and they did win. So they do deserve to be punished and [U]HARD[/U]. They got off light last time you have to crack down this time.

Re: Conference Championship thread
 

[quote=Ruhskins;1105696][url=http://m.espn.go.com/wireless/story?storyId=12202450]11 of 12 Pats' footballs under-inflated - ESPN[/url]

Ladies and Gentlemen your 2014 New England Patriots:

[IMG]https://scontent-b-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/10394465_10103373876072158_8832361189321101844_n.jpg?oh=37fb6a341b4d7b81b2ae850de8f69b25&oe=552BD1C8[/IMG][/quote]


Same balls used for both teams .

Re: Conference Championship thread
 

[quote=Giantone;1105699]Same balls used for both teams .[/quote]


Once again showing you don't know much. [B]There are 3 sets of balls 12 for NE when they are on Offence, 12 when Indy is on Offence and the "K balls"; the ones they use for punting and kicking. [/B]

The only time that Indy player would touch a New England ball would be a turnover. In fact it was a Indy player who pointed it out to refs on a interception. The first time a Indy player touched one, he knew it was wrong. You telling me Brady didn't know, on about 50 snaps?

Re: Conference Championship thread
 

[quote=Giantone;1105699]Same balls used for both teams .[/quote]

They are not the same balls for both teams, each team supplies 12.

Re: Conference Championship thread
 

[quote=Hijinx;1105700]Once again showing you don't know much. [B]There are 3 sets of balls 12 for NE when they are on Offence, 12 when Indy is on Offence and the "K balls"; the ones they use for punting and kicking. [/B]

The only time that Indy player would touch a New England ball would be a turnover. In fact it was a Indy player who pointed it out to refs on a interception. The first time a Indy player touched one, he knew it was wrong. You telling me Brady didn't know, on about 50 snaps?[/quote]

I admit, I thought that the refs actually had control of all the footballs all the time. I remember the issue that came up when the "K" ones were added. It seems crazy that somehow this could even be an issue at this point in the NFL.

Re: Conference Championship thread
 

Got caught cheating. Should be forced to forfeit a draft pick or fine. A late pick though, this isn't really worth a 1st or 2nd.

Re: Conference Championship thread
 

Cheating is cheating it probably wouldnt have made a difference in the outcome but they need to punished. But knowing the NFL is a will be a slap on the wrist, unlike us getting docked $36 million dollars cap space for unwritten rules for an uncapped year...NFL is a f'ing joke and they will not sling mud on the prized Pats.

Re: Conference Championship thread
 

funny how there is a history of cheating and rule bending from that franchise. Because of this history I hope the league takes draft picks

Re: Conference Championship thread
 

[quote=CRedskinsRule;1105702]I admit, [B]I thought that the refs actually had control of all the footballs all the time. [/B] I remember the issue that came up when the "K" ones were added. It seems crazy that somehow this could even be an issue at this point in the NFL.[/quote]

I thought so, too. We can be sure that a rule change will make it that way now.

Re: Conference Championship thread
 

[quote=Hijinx;1105700]Once again showing you don't know much. [B]There are 3 sets of balls 12 for NE when they are on Offence, 12 when Indy is on Offence and the "K balls"; the ones they use for punting and kicking. [/B]

The only time that Indy player would touch a New England ball would be a turnover. In fact it was a Indy player who pointed it out to refs on a interception. The first time a Indy player touched one, he knew it was wrong. You telling me Brady didn't know, on about 50 snaps?[/quote]


No , once again people are showing that they just can't accept how good that Belichick is or how good that whole organisation is ,at 45 - 7 it is jealousy that simple

I will admit I forgot there was a separate group of balls for the kickers but still the hate and jealousy for this team is amazing .

Re: Conference Championship thread
 

[quote=Darrell_Green_28;1105701]They are not the same balls for both teams, each team supplies 12.[/quote]

I will be in the minority here but....if this is true they should forfeit. It isn't the reason they won but, you cheat, you lose. Either that or the NFL needs to ban hoodies to really make Billy pay.

Re: Conference Championship thread
 

Pffftttt.....if all the teams in the NFL got caught "cheating" there wouldnt even be a draft.

Re: Conference Championship thread
 

[quote=Alvin Walton;1105728]Pffftttt.....if all the teams in the NFL got caught "cheating" there wouldnt even be a draft.[/quote]


If the NFL catches a cheater red-handed and does nothing about it then they are, in effect, declaring open season on cheating. That would hurt the league.

Re: Conference Championship thread
 

[quote=Giantone;1105725]No , once again people are showing that they just can't accept how good that Belichick is or how good that whole organisation is ,at 45 - 7 it is jealousy that simple

I will admit I forgot there was a separate group of balls for the kickers but still the hate and jealousy for this team is amazing .[/quote]

Its not hate and jealousy, its simply that some people dont want them to cheat. I know its a novel concept to you, but a lot of people are like that. Stop using the excuse that its ok for the better teams to cheat because they are the better teams. Im getting sick of hearing that since they would have won anyway, that any cheating is justified. Cheating is never justified regardless of whether they are good or bad. I hate Seattle, have never accused them of cheating. They are going to back to back SB's due to how good they are (and GB just giving a game away but it is what it is), but I both hate them and are jealous of their success since Carroll arrived. So if what you are saying is true, then where are the Seattle cheated accusations?

I mean seriously, how hard is it to inflate a football? You have to be one of the stupidest people on the planet to screw that up 11 out of 12 times...

PS... its not just separate balls for the kickers, its separate balls for each team as well. If both offenses used the same ball, this would be no where near the issue that it is.

Re: Conference Championship thread
 

Again, this is not the first time they have been caught red-handed. They got a pretty hefty hit the first time around with video gate. Didn't stop them from doing it again. As repeat offenders, they should lose multiple first round picks and a few seconds. Their players should be barred from the pro-bowl for inflating their stats. If the league said, "You're a repeat offender cheater and, as such, you forfeit the game." I would be okay with it.

We either all play by the rules and pay the consequences when we get caught not doing so or their really aren't any rules.

Re: Conference Championship thread
 

[quote=Hijinx;1105700]Once again showing you don't know much. [B]There are 3 sets of balls 12 for NE when they are on Offence, 12 when Indy is on Offence and the "K balls"; the ones they use for punting and kicking. [/B]

The only time that Indy player would touch a New England ball would be a turnover. In fact it was a Indy player who pointed it out to refs on a interception. The first time a Indy player touched one, he knew it was wrong. You telling me Brady didn't know, on about 50 snaps?[/quote]

According the NFL rule book (link below), the refs are solely responsible to make sure all footballs comply. Also they mention each team provides 12 footballs, but the 12 footballs from visiting team will be backup footballs. Where did you get your information that the refs segregate the footballs by team? 12 for one team and 12 for another during play? I have NEVER heard of that. I have heard they have special designated footballs for kickers, but no mention that each can only use use the footballs they provided? What is your source? I am not saying you are wrong or calling you a liar, as you seem pretty emotional about this, but I am curious where you got your information? You might be right.?.? I don't claim to know.

[URL="http://static.nfl.com/static/content/public/image/rulebook/pdfs/5_2013_Ball.pdf"]http://static.nfl.com/static/content/public/image/rulebook/pdfs/5_2013_Ball.pdf[/URL]

" [B][U]The Referee shall be the sole judge as to whether all balls offered for play comply with these specifications. [/U][/B]A pump is to be furnished by the home club, and the balls shall remain under the supervision of the Referee until they are delivered to the ball attendant just prior to the start of the game.
Section 2
BALL SUPPLY
Each team will make 12 primary balls available for testing by the Referee two hours and 15 minutes prior to the starting time of the game to meet League requirements. The home team will also make 12 backup balls available for testing in all stadiums. In addition, the visitors, at their discretion, may bring 12 backup balls to be tested by the Referee for games
held in outdoor stadiums. For all games, eight new footballs, sealed in a special box and shipped by the manufacturer to the Referee, will be opened in the officials’ locker room two hours and 15 minutes prior to the starting time of the game.

Re: Conference Championship thread
 

[quote=Skinzman;1105731]Its not hate and jealousy,.[/quote]

Yes it is and I understand you have to spin it to make yourself sleep better at night .If the Skins were to hire Belichick and he came here and had the same or better success this board would be defending him ,Fact .


[url]http://static.nfl.com/static/content/public/image/rulebook/pdfs/5_2013_Ball.pdf[/url]

Re: Conference Championship thread
 

[quote=Defensewins;1105736]According the NFL rule book (link below), the refs are solely responsible to make sure all footballs comply. Also they mention each team provides 12 footballs, but the 12 footballs from visiting team will be backup footballs. Where did you get your information that the refs segregate the footballs by team? 12 for one team and 12 for another during play? I have NEVER heard of that. I have heard they have special designated footballs for kickers, but no mention that each can only use use the footballs they provided? What is your source? I am not saying you are wrong or calling you a liar, as you seem pretty emotional about this, but I am curious where you got your information? You might be right.?.? I don't claim to know.

[URL="http://static.nfl.com/static/content/public/image/rulebook/pdfs/5_2013_Ball.pdf"]http://static.nfl.com/static/content/public/image/rulebook/pdfs/5_2013_Ball.pdf[/URL]

" [B][U]The Referee shall be the sole judge as to whether all balls offered for play comply with these specifications. [/U][/B]A pump is to be furnished by the home club, and the balls shall remain under the supervision of the Referee until they are delivered to the ball attendant just prior to the start of the game.
Section 2
BALL SUPPLY
Each team will make 12 primary balls available for testing by the Referee two hours and 15 minutes prior to the starting time of the game to meet League requirements. The home team will also make 12 backup balls available for testing in all stadiums. In addition, the visitors, at their discretion, may bring 12 backup balls to be tested by the Referee for games
held in outdoor stadiums. For all games, eight new footballs, sealed in a special box and shipped by the manufacturer to the Referee, will be opened in the officials’ locker room two hours and 15 minutes prior to the starting time of the game.[/quote]


Thank you for the link .

Re: Conference Championship thread
 

A friend of mine who's a diehard Pats fan just posted this:

"I've spent most of the morning thinking about my response to the issues with Patriots, especially since everyone knows I'm a fan. My conclusion? I'm disappointed. I'm disappointed in the culture and pressure the team has placed on winning, all at the expense of values. I'm particularly disappointed at the message this sends our most impressionable fans--the kids. I'd much rather teach them about losing with value rather than winning by cheating. While we don't know the whole story yet, and I'm not about to abandon my team, I just hope the young ones that look up to these players and coaches learn that life and sports is more than just finding a way to win."

Re: Conference Championship thread
 

[quote=JoeRedskin;1105735]Again, this is not the first time they have been caught red-handed. They got a pretty hefty hit the first time around with video gate. Didn't stop them from doing it again. As repeat offenders, they should lose multiple first round picks and a few seconds. Their players should be barred from the pro-bowl for inflating their stats. If the league said, "You're a repeat offender cheater and, as such, you forfeit the game." I would be okay with it.

We either all play by the rules and pay the consequences when we get caught not doing so or their really aren't any rules.[/quote]

Belichick's legacy is that he is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, NFL coach ever.

Why he spoils his legacy with cheating is beyond me. It's a shame, really.

But you are right, he deserves to have the book thrown at him.

Re: Conference Championship thread
 

IMO you cant give the Pats the benifit of doubt...there is too much already there.

Bill Belicheat is a cheater. Kraft should be ashamed, but he has allowed it and should be held accountable as well. Low character, both of them

Re: Conference Championship thread
 

[quote=Giantone;1105699]Same balls used for both teams .[/quote]


I think enough posters have pointed out your ignorance on the subject so I'll continue on with the rest of what I have to say. You can't give NE the benefit of the doubt since 11 of the 12 balls were deflated. That and they've had a history of cheating. Dock a draft pick and have the league start furnishing the balls and control them during games instead of allowing teams to handle them. That said, those balls didn't change the outcome of that ass whupping.

Re: Conference Championship thread
 

On Aaron Rodgers radio show he admitted to increasing the PSI of the balls and yelling at the refs when they lowered them to below 13.5 psi. I am not excusing it merely pointing out that this is a widespread for of cheating. I am curious if it is a turn a blind eye to it type of thing.

Regardless I am pulling for the Pats in the Superbowl. Keep it on the east coast, plus when ever the Skins are out and there is no longer an NFC east team to root against. I pull for the region I would rather live in. I would prefer New England over the pacific Northwest

Re: Conference Championship thread
 

[quote=NC_Skins;1105742]I think enough posters have pointed out your ignorance on the subject so I'll continue on with the rest of what I have to say. You can't give NE the benefit of the doubt since 11 of the 12 balls were deflated. That and they've had a history of cheating. Dock a draft pick and have the league start furnishing the balls and control them during games instead of allowing teams to handle them.[/quote]

Has anyone heard about the psi for the Colts balls yet? I am curious if they were all in compliance as well.

Re: Conference Championship thread
 

[quote=Defensewins;1105736]According the NFL rule book (link below), the refs are solely responsible to make sure all footballs comply. Also they mention each team provides 12 footballs, but the 12 footballs from visiting team will be backup footballs. Where did you get your information that the refs segregate the footballs by team? 12 for one team and 12 for another during play? I have NEVER heard of that. I have heard they have special designated footballs for kickers, but no mention that each can only use use the footballs they provided? What is your source? I am not saying you are wrong or calling you a liar, as you seem pretty emotional about this, but I am curious where you got your information? You might be right.?.? I don't claim to know.

[URL="http://static.nfl.com/static/content/public/image/rulebook/pdfs/5_2013_Ball.pdf"]http://static.nfl.com/static/content/public/image/rulebook/pdfs/5_2013_Ball.pdf[/URL]

" [B][U]The Referee shall be the sole judge as to whether all balls offered for play comply with these specifications. [/U][/B]A pump is to be furnished by the home club, and the balls shall remain under the supervision of the Referee until they are delivered to the ball attendant just prior to the start of the game.
Section 2
BALL SUPPLY
Each team will make 12 primary balls available for testing by the Referee two hours and 15 minutes prior to the starting time of the game to meet League requirements. The home team will also make 12 backup balls available for testing in all stadiums. In addition, the visitors, at their discretion, may bring 12 backup balls to be tested by the Referee for games
held in outdoor stadiums. For all games, eight new footballs, sealed in a special box and shipped by the manufacturer to the Referee, will be opened in the officials’ locker room two hours and 15 minutes prior to the starting time of the game.[/quote]

What that says is that each team supplies their own balls and the ref checks them. Two hour prior to the game the ref checks them, but the balls supplied by each team is their own. Each is rubbed down and broken in how they want it to be, within the rules. Except for the K balls which are brand new.

Here is a Boston Globe story agreeing with what I said. [url=http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2015/01/20/nfl-says-patriots-used-under-inflated-footballs/7UlPZI3eotRTBadM89saeO/story.html]NFL says Patriots used 11 under-inflated footballs - Sports - The Boston Globe[/url]

Re: Conference Championship thread
 

[quote=Giantone;1105737]Yes it is and I understand you have to spin it to make yourself sleep better at night .If the Skins were to hire Belichick and he came here and had the same or better success this board would be defending him ,Fact .


[url]http://static.nfl.com/static/content/public/image/rulebook/pdfs/5_2013_Ball.pdf[/url][/quote]

This is the exact same thing you said when this board complained about a player getting caught drunk driving, then using Brandon Meriweather as the reasoning that we would defend it since he also did the same thing. Yet most on this board was calling for him to be released when he was caught doing the same thing.

No I dont want my team to film other teams, to deflate balls, etc. You need to break away from your theory that since you support cheating, that everyone else must also since you hold yourself above the average person.

I have also never said Belicheck is a bad coach. I have never said the pats arent good. But they have a history of cheating. A history of cheating means one thing, that they cheat. I dont need to appease some idiot New Yorker or a cheating New Englander to feel better about myself therefore allowing me to sleep. I sleep just fine at night. I slept just fine before and after the Pats got caught filming other teams practices. I slept just fine last night after hearing this nonsense.

Re: Conference Championship thread
 

I feel like this is a Barry Bonds like situation. Bonds was so good. First ballot Hall of Fame before he got into the steroid game. He didn't need them

Patriots are so good, such a finely run organization and team that they didn't need this. Yes, every team (most teams) fudge the rules but it seems to be a bigger public issue with the Pats than with other teams.

Regardless, I think they still would have crushed the Colts and I'm rooting for them on Sunday

Re: Conference Championship thread
 

[QUOTE=Ruhskins;1105739]A friend of mine who's a diehard Pats fan just posted this:



"I've spent most of the morning thinking about my response to the issues with Patriots, especially since everyone knows I'm a fan. My conclusion? I'm disappointed. I'm disappointed in the culture and pressure the team has placed on winning, all at the expense of values. I'm particularly disappointed at the message this sends our most impressionable fans--the kids. I'd much rather teach them about losing with value rather than winning by cheating. While we don't know the whole story yet, and I'm not about to abandon my team, I just hope the young ones that look up to these players and coaches learn that life and sports is more than just finding a way to win."[/QUOTE]


Nice to see a fan not stick his head in the sand. It's rare to see. Pats fans on my FB have been in total denial.

Re: Conference Championship thread
 

The most common Pats fans response, in order:

1. weather - cold air makes the PSI go down

2. innocent until proven guilty - show me the proof or GTFO

3. not a big deal - like going 60 mph in a 55, or extra stick-um on a receivers gloves

4. everyone else is doing it - point to aaron rodgers comments or panthers heating their balls

5. mysterious ball goblin walking the sidelines with an invisibility cloak

------------------------

Can anyone else point to another team "cheating" on an organizational level?

We got a brutal 2 year penalty for cap shifting during the uncapped year. 33 mil taken away from us? thats a killer.

if true, the pats should lose some draft picks and cap room for a few years. it has to be comparable to our penalty if not greater. fining the owner or coach does nothing.

--------------------

student manager deflated balls at USC v Oregon.

[url=http://www.usatoday.com/story/gameon/2012/11/08/usc-fined-deflated-game-balls/1691303/]USC fined for deflating footballs during game against Oregon[/url]

But in a general sense – just taking USC out of the equation – there are few college-football tricks more duplicitous and underhanded than tampering with the football itself. While USC attests that Lane Kiffin, his staff and the roster had no knowledge of the student manager's deflating tactics, the act reflects very poorly on the entire football program.

Re: Conference Championship thread
 

Has anybody seen this post?

[url=http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/01/21/brad-johnson-paid-a-bribe-to-tamper-with-footballs-at-the-super-bowl/]Brad Johnson paid a bribe to tamper with footballs at the Super Bowl | ProFootballTalk[/url]

Re: Conference Championship thread
 

What's the old saying..."If you ain't cheating, you ain't trying!" LOL....Seriously, deflated balls? I guess that deflated ball gave Blount an advantage while he was trampling the Colt defenders. Personally I think it was probably a mistake the ball boy made. Or maybe Brady told the ball boy to take some air out of the balls. Either way, the Pats are not going to tell the NFL anything. I'll be rooting for them to beat Seattle since Brady's been my fantasy QB for 11 years. I've always rooted for the bad guys since I was a kid.

Re: Conference Championship thread
 

[quote=SmootSmack;1105750]I feel like this is a Barry Bonds like situation. Bonds was so good. First ballot Hall of Fame before he got into the steroid game. He didn't need them

Patriots are so good, such a finely run organization and team that they didn't need this. Yes, every team (most teams) fudge the rules but it seems to be a bigger public issue with the Pats than with other teams.

Regardless, I think they still would have crushed the Colts and I'm rooting for them on Sunday[/quote]

Sorry Smoot, but I have to disagree with you on one point. Barry was not a first ballot hall of famer before he got into the steroid game.

Re: Conference Championship thread
 

[quote=OmahaRedskins;1105757]Sorry Smoot, but I have to disagree with you on one point. Barry was not a first ballot hall of famer before he got into the steroid game.[/quote]

I'd argue he was close to it

Re: Conference Championship thread
 

[quote=SmootSmack;1105758]I'd argue he was close to it[/quote]

I think it depends on when you think he started taking steroids.

Re: Conference Championship thread
 

[quote=OmahaRedskins;1105755]Has anybody seen this post?

[URL="http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/01/21/brad-johnson-paid-a-bribe-to-tamper-with-footballs-at-the-super-bowl/"]Brad Johnson paid a bribe to tamper with footballs at the Super Bowl | ProFootballTalk[/URL][/quote]

I can relate to this a little bit as I was a QB in HS. The new balls are very slick, much harder to grip and harder to spin, at least for me. Especially if you don't have real big hands. The refs would come to the games with brand new balls, maybe 4-5 of them and those were the ones to be used in the game. I would tell our manger to put the new balls back in the ball bag and play with our practice balls. Those balls were old, beat up but MUCH easier to grip and throw a spiral with. Back then it wasn't a big deal and they would let you play with whatever ball you wanted. Anyhow, the manger was responsible to rotating our practice balls during the games. Really not a big deal at all. My coach John Harvill would get on me about it and would say..."you should be able to throw any ball!"..but that wasn't the case. Hated new balls and never used them.