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The Physics of Natural Football Deflation

Discussion in 'Fred's House of Pancakes' started by SageBrush, Jan 21, 2015.

  1. SageBrush

    SageBrush Senior Member

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    From the report, here are the ball pressures checked at halftime:

    Screenshot 2015-05-19 at 5.01.18 PM.png

    There was no attempt to bring the balls up to room temperature before the pressure check, and since only a couple minutes passed from bringing them in from outside until they were checked, the test is a sham. From here to conclude that needle deflation must have occurred is idiocy, pure and simple.

    If anything, the pressure results are entirely consistent with the Patriot's stance that they deflated the balls to 12.5 psi in the locker room prior to the game, as allowed by NFL rules.

    The lawyer firm that conducted the investigation has instructed the physicist consulted to not talk about the report with the media.
     
  2. SageBrush

    SageBrush Senior Member

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    Here is a fair summary from si.com:
    So depending on an uncertainty over which gauges were used each time, either the pressures were exactly as expected by the effect of cold weather or were 0.2 psi below the expected range.

    Think about that: 0.2 psi too low. A cheating conspiracy over 0.2 psi ?
     
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  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    the whole affair is a sham. if you start with the premise that the max penalty for playing with the balls is $25,000., add in the fact that the lead nfl investigator worked for the jets for over 20 years, as did his father before him, add to that the fact that the punisher was on the eagles when they lost to the pats in the Super Bowl, and add to that the fact that the league wants to level the playing field any way they can because the pats have the smartest/best owner/gm/coach/quarterback, and the rest of the league is mostly littered with fools/idiots/losers, this is what you wind up with. a witch hunt.
     
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  4. Sergiospl

    Sergiospl Senior Member

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  5. SageBrush

    SageBrush Senior Member

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    Indeed.

    If we all go back to page one, it is obvious that the initial ESPN story of finding footballs at least 2 psi below legal limit was interpreted to mean that the balls were all below 10.5 psi. ESPN never saw fit to correct that point and the media feeding frenzy took off. By the time facts were allowed to come out the court of public opinion had made up its mind and damn if anything is going to change it now.

    So pathetic. And all over a little bit of high school physics that is ignored.
     
  6. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    So where is the 10.5 psi ball? OK I see it now.
    What I want to know if the QB can sort thru the balls to pick his favorite.
     
  7. SageBrush

    SageBrush Senior Member

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    You are begging the question.

    Why don't you ask how many footballs were used during the first half by the Patriots.
    Or whether Brady kept one football at his side at all times.
    Or whether a conspiracy to preferentially use one football was identified.
     
  8. SageBrush

    SageBrush Senior Member

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    This thread was meant to apply the physics, so time for a last go around now that more information is known:

    Using the worse case pressure gauge, the footballs at halftime averaged 11.1 psi
    The Pats say they deflated the balls in the locker room to 12.5 psi pre-game
    Ambient outside was 50F

    So ...
    The football average pressure dropped from 27.2 PSIa to 25.8 PSIa at halftime
    If the balls were measured at 50F, the pre-game temperature would have been by the ideal gas law

    (27.2/25.8)*283 = 298.36K = 77.4F

    Smoking gun, right ?!!?
     
    #188 SageBrush, May 20, 2015
    Last edited: May 20, 2015
  9. Chuck.

    Chuck. Former Honda Enzyte Driver

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    In various sports forums, homers have completely lost their mind. The Patriots are either pure evil or pure good....then they present the facts(?) to support their view. The logic at times is incredibly lame....I can't believe grown men behaving this childish and idiotic. While I support the Patriots, I might be OK with a fine, but even so the evidence is flimsy...."more likely than not" is below any standard of proof in a courtroom.

    I would link CowboysZone.com, but it's down, probably due to all the posts of rabid Hatriots there. :p

    All the fans dancing at the Patriots misfortune should remember it's just a matter of time before Goodell slams another team the same way - ask the Saints.
     
  10. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

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    No....for GOD's sake leave those Cajuns alone!!!
    They're still on a low simmer about having been caught with their fingers in the cookie jar. :eek:
     
  11. Chuck.

    Chuck. Former Honda Enzyte Driver

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    I really hope this goes to a real court where hanging judge Goodell is not in charge and Brady wins. Goodell has screwed up many times
    • Gone nuclear on BountyGate
    • Too light on Ray Rice of all things
    • Too harsh with about ten players
    • Not dealt with head injuries very well
    • Not dealt with Washington Redskins name
    • Substitute refs
    • Cheerleaders
    • No team in LA
    • ....but more interested in a team in London with the time zone issues
    • Many players hate him > http://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2015/5/26/8659999/joe-horn-roger-goodell-saints-nfl-draft-hugging-the-devil
    • What about random drug testing?
    Predecessor Paul Tagliabue has differed with him....with Goodell it's all about the money at the expense of player relations (crude paraphrase from GQ interview)

    If years ago, Goodell had a set of rules made, DeflateGate would have been a blip
     
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  12. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

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    Brady isn't going to win squat.
    For the rest of his life, there will always be an asterisk in people's minds about the 2014 Superbowl win, or at least a strong association with the word "Cheater!"
    Legal or not....Just or not, that's his real punishment.
    20 years from now, when he's doing diet supplement commercials and contemplating testosterone levels and joints that creak and groan more than my Prius on a country road, he's still going to have to wonder if two people giggling at a party are laughing at him or something else.
    People with outsized egos are self-punishing.

    I don't give a toss either way, since I'm not a particular fan.
    I can watch and enjoy a game (something that I cannot say about soccer or the NBA) but I'm thinking that courts have weightier issues to settle than overpaid adults arguing about a game that doesn't even involve a real ball. ;)
     
  13. Chuck.

    Chuck. Former Honda Enzyte Driver

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    ^ just another example of hating and sticking it to someone you don't like.

    Aaron Rodgers, has admitted to liking over inflated footballs - I guess he needs to be more hateable or win more Super Bowls.

    The root problem is Goodell is like a bad substitute teacher.
     
  14. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

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    Naah.
    The root problem is corruption.
     
  15. Chuck.

    Chuck. Former Honda Enzyte Driver

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    ^ corruption starts at the top.

    Goodell is about making money for the owners more than having a good game.
     
  16. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

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    ^ Concur.

    This isn't unique to football.....either one.
     
  17. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    methinks the lady doth protest too much.:cool: