there is a very simple explaination of how those footballs could be deflated legally.
We all have noticed how air expands and contracts. A college sophomore could do precise calculations to bring the pressure to an ideal pressure for Brady. We all have seen the effect expansion and contraction of air caused by temperature variation. A car tire at room temperature is checked and is normal. Once it is heated by driving it expands. If air is reduced to bring the hot tire down to base line levels, then there is less air in the tire. If that hot tire is chilled then the shrinking air mass inside the tire will appear as a tire with low tire pressure.
The Patriots could have utilized this principle. They might have warmed the balls by a device like a clothes dryer or a sauna. While warm then , air could be removed to relieve the balls of their high pressure and have them brought into the approved range. The timing could be arranged for the balls to be checked by the officials immediately after they were adjusted by the equipment mgr. Once the game officials approved the balls the balls would be taken outside. Or perhaps the warmed balls were kept on top of the player's warming bench where they would still be hot and in range when checked by the officials. The officials would feel the balls are warmed but would attribute the temp to the warming bench.
In either event, once the balls were approved, they could be moved to the ground. Any backpacker will confirm the ground will draw out the heat very quickly like a human body on cold ground. Add to that , just a little dampness from the rain and those balls would chill very quickly. The chilling would make the warm air inside the balls to contract. The smaller volume of air would result in lowered ball ptessure.
The balls would be with lower pressure, yet technically no removal of air took place after the refs approved the balls.
Think about it. Brady could truthfully say he did not remove the air, and nobody was directed to remove it. Hence no tampering. Brady could say he does not think he cheated.
Air Pressure can be manipulated by the amount of air in the ball, but also by manipulating the temperature of the air gas after the air pressure was certified by the refs. I hope this concept is pursued by the NFL. It's inconceivable to think an equipment manager alone would initiate these simple but effective protocols. I also assume the pressure modifications would be conducted in a fashion to maintain plausible deniability for Brady and others.
This post was edited on 1/23 11:21 AM by kabzs
We all have noticed how air expands and contracts. A college sophomore could do precise calculations to bring the pressure to an ideal pressure for Brady. We all have seen the effect expansion and contraction of air caused by temperature variation. A car tire at room temperature is checked and is normal. Once it is heated by driving it expands. If air is reduced to bring the hot tire down to base line levels, then there is less air in the tire. If that hot tire is chilled then the shrinking air mass inside the tire will appear as a tire with low tire pressure.
The Patriots could have utilized this principle. They might have warmed the balls by a device like a clothes dryer or a sauna. While warm then , air could be removed to relieve the balls of their high pressure and have them brought into the approved range. The timing could be arranged for the balls to be checked by the officials immediately after they were adjusted by the equipment mgr. Once the game officials approved the balls the balls would be taken outside. Or perhaps the warmed balls were kept on top of the player's warming bench where they would still be hot and in range when checked by the officials. The officials would feel the balls are warmed but would attribute the temp to the warming bench.
In either event, once the balls were approved, they could be moved to the ground. Any backpacker will confirm the ground will draw out the heat very quickly like a human body on cold ground. Add to that , just a little dampness from the rain and those balls would chill very quickly. The chilling would make the warm air inside the balls to contract. The smaller volume of air would result in lowered ball ptessure.
The balls would be with lower pressure, yet technically no removal of air took place after the refs approved the balls.
Think about it. Brady could truthfully say he did not remove the air, and nobody was directed to remove it. Hence no tampering. Brady could say he does not think he cheated.
Air Pressure can be manipulated by the amount of air in the ball, but also by manipulating the temperature of the air gas after the air pressure was certified by the refs. I hope this concept is pursued by the NFL. It's inconceivable to think an equipment manager alone would initiate these simple but effective protocols. I also assume the pressure modifications would be conducted in a fashion to maintain plausible deniability for Brady and others.
This post was edited on 1/23 11:21 AM by kabzs
