Obama weighs in on deflated footballs, politics

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-Excite

By NEDRA PICKLER

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama on Sunday said the NFL should consider how referees can control game footballs instead of individual teams and he defended his aggressive stance with congressional Republicans during a live interview during NBC's Super Bowl pregame show.

The Obama interview mixed a discussion of the game's high-profile controversy — deflated footballs — with a brief discussion of politics. But the president ducked picking between possible 2016 Democratic presidential contenders Joe Biden and Hillary Rodham Clinton. "Love 'em both," Obama said with a smile.

He also wouldn't pick a favorite in the Patriots Super Bowl match-up against the Seattle Seahawks. "I think it's always wise for me not to choose a team because then I just alienate one big city," Obama said.

As the NFL investigates how the New England Patriots used the deflated balls in their 45-7 AFC championship victory, Obama said the Patriots would have defeated the Indianapolis Colts "regardless of what the footballs looked like."

FULL story at link.


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20150201/us--obama-super_bowl-c28e1c686a.html

[marshall]

1. Nationalize all big money sports-

It would be more efficient to have all this stuff run from a national government agency that had no vested interest in the outcome.

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

2. Something rotten happened, no doubt...

but to think a 45-7 score would somehow be overcome by a slight PSI change to the football just seems like strong wishful thinking.

[pnwmom]

3. Yeah, but what about the games against other teams that led to them being there?

They only beat Baltimore by 4 points, and the balls could have made a difference. We'll never know.

[former9thward]

4. Why didn't the officials say anything?

It is THEIR job to determine the balls are proper.

[pnwmom]

5. How would they have known? Their job, normally, is to check the balls before the game, not at half time.

The only reason they checked during the Colts game was because there was a complaint. This wasn't necessarily the first time deflated balls were used in play, however; this was just the first time they were caught.

[former9thward]

6. The balls were alleged to be under inflated

during the first half. So, yes they should have known before the game. Also they handle the ball EVERY play so if it was a problem they would have known. Dead silence from them. Thee NFL is simply trying to protect their officials.

[pnwmom]

7. They were alleged to have been found to be delated during HALFTIME.

The game officials use gauges to check inflation -- they don't go by the feel, unlike Tom Brady, who claims to have an exact personal preference of 12.5 PSI. And they normally only uses these gauges on the ball in the minutes before the game, not during it.

This won't be blamed on the officials.

[former9thward]

8. Of course it won't be blamed on the officials.

Even though they handled the balls on every play in the first half and it is their job to ensure the balls are proper.

BTW it now turns out only one of the ball was significantly under inflated not the 11 that has been constantly reported.

Report: Only one of Patriots' 12 balls were under-inflated by two pounds

Only one of the 12 New England Patriots footballs used in the team's AFC Championship game win against the Indianapolis Colts was under-inflated by a full two pounds, according to NFL.com's Ian Rapoport.

"Several" other balls were found to be roughly one pound under-inflated, and "several more" were either right at, or barely beneath, the correct inflation mark.

The one football under-inflated by two pounds is in the NFL's possession for purposes of its ongoing investigation as to whether the Patriots purposefully deflated their footballs in order to gain an advantage over the Colts.

http://www.si.com/nfl/2015/02/01/deflategate-only-one-patriots-football-underinflated