The New England Patriots, a team not unaccustomed to controversy, find themselves involved in an NFL investigation following their NFC Championship win over the Indianapolis Colts.
NFL Media report that the league is looking into the alleged use of deflated balls by New England on Sunday. Balls must contain 12.5-13.5 pounds of air, according to league rules. An NFL spokesman confirmed one ball was taken away for examination during Sunday’s game.
NFL spokesman Michael Signora confirms the NFL is looking into whether footballs were properly inflated in Patriots-Colts game.
— Bob Glauber (@BobGlauber) January 19, 2015
Deflating balls can help give players extra grip on the ball. The issue came up at college level in 2012, when USC dismissed a student manager after it was alleged he let air out of balls.
WTHR-TV’s Bob Kravitz reported that if found guilty, the NFL could take draft picks off the Patriots. New England were docked a first-round pick and fined in 2008 over the so-called SpyGate scandal.
Tom Brady laughed off the allegations on Monday. “I think I’ve heard it all at this point,” Brady told WEEI-FM. “That’s the last of my worries. I don’t even respond to stuff like this”.
The Patriots face the Seattle Seahawks in next month’s Super Bowl.
