#DeflateGate

Over the past week, the NFL has been investigating the recent actions taken by the New England Patriots in order to win ball games. Per NFL rules, all game balls are required to be within 12.5-13.5 PSI. However, NFL officials found that 11-12 game balls were under inflated by about 2 pounds per square inch each during the AFC Championship game against the Indianapolis Colts.

It is crystal clear that the New England Patriots were not playing by the rules, but it seems as if the NFL wasn’t either. According to ESPN’s Ed Werder, NFL officials were blatantly warned that the New England Patriots’ balls were underinflated. Was this unfair advantage premeditated? It seems as it was as the NFL waited until halftime to intervene with Tom Brady and the rest of the Pats' plan to win the ball game. As to where this warning came from, the Green Bay Packers are rumored to have warned the Indianapolis Colts prior to the AFC Championship game that the New England Patriots had used underinflated balls during their 26-21 loss on November 30.

Fans are taking to social media to express their thoughts on #DeflateGate.  Ben White states, “SNL can't really lampoon ‪#DeflateGate because the real story and real characters are way funnier.” While NBC’s SNL states, “You can't handle the truth. ‪#Deflategate ‪#SNL”.

How are the New England Patriots reacting to thousands of fans accusing their beloved organization of cheating you may ask? Well, Tom Brady claims, “I didn’t altar the ball in any way” and when asked if he’s ever told an equipment manager to altar the balls before a game he responded with, "Absolutely not," he said. "No, I didn't. And I haven't. And I never will. I think that's obviously how I feel and the kind of person that I am.” And of course, Tom Brady’s posse of thousands of Pats lovers most likely believed him.

The New England Patriot’s head Coach Bill Belichick responded rather oddly. At a New England Patriots’ surprise press conference on Saturday afternoon, Belichick confirmed he is not a scientist, as if we didn’t already know that much. He stated, "I'm not a scientist. I'm not an expert in footballs. I'm not an expert in football measurements.” Apparently not in ball pressure either.

Although nothing has been finalized yet, the NFL is reportedly zeroing in on locker room attendant responsible for #DeflateGate. Ryan Leaf even tweeted a controversial tweet stating, “It’s troubling that the NFL can find the video of a locker room attendant in a week and never see the Rice elevator video”. Troubling, yes, and perhaps even scary. Perhaps Goodell and the rest of the NFL officials are slowly learning, but somebody needs to advise the NFL teams to study the rule books and act accordingly before the NFL drowns below the increasingly rising tide.