Report: Only One Of The Patriots Footballs Was Under-Inflated By Two Pounds

Update:

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports that the NFL has retained “multiple” experts to conduct experiments regarding the effects of temperature and other atmospheric conditions as it relates to the air pressure of footballs.

According to Florio, the NFL has yet to interview Patriots HC Bill Belichick and QB Tom Brady, which comes as no surprise seeing as previous reports have said that the NFL was likely to wait until after the Super Bowl to speak to them.

———–

Ian Rapoport has the latest in regards to the NFL’s investigation into whether or not the Patriots deflated footballs during the AFC Championship game.

Rapoport confirms that previous report that a man took two bags of 12 footballs (one from each team) into a restroom that’s located near the referees’ room in Gillette Stadium.

According to Rapoport, the man is described as elderly and was in the bathroom for a total of 98 seconds.

Upon learning of the situaton, Patriots HC Bill Belichick and QB Tom Brady were reportedly “incredulous” and stressed that they had no involvement in the matter.

Here’s probably the most interesting detail from Rapoport: Eleven of the 12 footballs used in the first half were determined to be under the minimum of 12.5 PSI. However, only one was two pounds under while the others were “just a few ticks under the minimum.”

Previous reports have said that the league’s investigation could take a few weeks before being released to the public.

We’ll have more updates as the news is available.

————

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk has spoken to numerous sources regarding the surveillance tape that reportedly shows a locker room attendant taking footballs into to another area on way to field.

According to Florio, the other “area on way to field” is a bathroom consists of a toilet, a sink and a door that locks from the inside.

Another source tells PFT that the person carried two bags of balls that includes the 12 balls from the Patriots and the 12 balls from the Colts into the bathroom.

The employee reportedly spends approximately 90 seconds in the bathroom with gameballs, which really isn’t much time at all.

Interestingly enough, Florio’s source mentioned that the Patriots were the ones who brought the surveillance video to the NFL’s attention early on in the investigation.

It seems like this person wouldn’t be able to deflate 12 balls in only 90 seconds while also getting them out of the bag and then back in.

Investigator Ted Wells has said that the investigation could take weeks, but it sounds like they’ll need to unearth something more concrete or prove that this person was able to deflate the footballs in only 90 seconds or so.

————

Ted Wells, the investigator handing the Patriots case, released a statement following Jay Glazer’s report from earlier in the day, Mark Maske.

“We are following customary investigative procedures and no one should draw any conclusions about the sequence of interviews or any other steps, all of which are part of the process of doing a thorough and fair investigation.”

Wells added that the investigation is likely “to take at least several more weeks.”

————

Jay Glazer of FOX Sports reports that the NFL’s investigation into the Patriots’ handling of gameballs during the AFC Championship game has “zeroed in on” a locker room attendant.

According to Glazer, the locker room attendant allegedly took the Patriots gameballs from the officials locker room to another area on way to field.

Sources tell Glazer that the league has already interviewed the person of interest and even have video of him.

As of now, the NFL is still gauging whether he had any wrong doing in the matter, but he is considered a “strong person of interest.”

Patriots HC Bill Belichick held a press conference this past weekend in which he explained their findings of how a ball can be deflated. Belichick maintained that they’ve “followed every rule” in regards to their handling of the gameballs, and even Tom Brady has refuted that they did anything to the footballs from the Championship game.