This really could use its own thread. The only way the NFL will do more than fine the pats a negligable fine is if the fans continually express we want a cheating free game.

Well the balls are going to be handled by an impartial third party and unless the NFL can prove the Patriots did it, which Adam Schefter says they're having trouble doing, there might only be a small fine.

Well, that is what you would expect when the Super Bowl has been the most watched and profitable American show for a long time. If all other news outlets were not covering the cheating, I would expect the NFL to silently sweep it under a rug. No matter what this Super Bowl is tainted far more than the discipline will ever show for it.

You know what I would love to know....if you're Tom Brady, and you've been throwing footballs professionally for over a decade, how do you not instantly notice if you're suddenly throwing balls that are like 16% lighter than what you're used to? I mean that's a significant difference in my mind. No way you can't tell something is up there.

And I'm not saying he's a cheater, or the Pats are a bunch of cheaters, or whatnot. I have a lot of respect for them as a team, because they've been great so consistently for so long, and frankly I think most of the people who call them cheaters are just bitter because people are quick to envy greatness, and like to see people in that situation fail. Not denying they haven't gone outside the rules before, but I think if we're being completely honest then we can find some things every organisation in sports has done that blemishes their record.

Still, with all that said....I wanna know....Tom Brady, how do you not immediately notice your balls are 16% lighter than the MINUM weight that has been allowed in all your years of football. How do you not touch that ball and go "Wait a minute. That's not right." Instead he laughs it off like "Under inflated balls, now I've heard everything." Give me a break Brady. 2 pounds off a 12.5 pound ball, you can't tell? After a decade of throwing 12.5 pound balls? Stfu

Because I'm just going to assume that if NE had been under inflating balls for such a ridiculously long amount of time then surely it would have come up before now.

Because someone would have noticed it? I'm pretty sure the dude on the Colts wasn't the first person to intercept Brady in his career and he could tell by just feeling it, so should a lot of other players.

This is how over-blown this has gotten:

The amount of people here for this Brady press conference is absurd. Prob 2x as much as for Belichick's presser on Aaron Hernandez

— Michael Giardi (@MikeGiardi) January 22, 2015

Deflation > Murder

I know, right?