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
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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.
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student manager deflated balls at USC v Oregon.
USC fined for deflating footballs during game against Oregon
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.