Soft Balls?

Thread Starter

BR-549

Joined Sep 22, 2013
4,928
I'm not a fan, but it seems to me that if you take 12 balls and inflate to 12.5 lb. at 70 degrees.......and then take them to 50 degrees for an hour or so(halftime).......the pressure could drop 1 ~ 1.5 lb.

Why is everyone so convinced of fraud here?
 

#12

Joined Nov 30, 2010
18,224
Repeating what I said to Little Ghostman today: "Most of what is in, "the media" is not news, and a fair percentage isn't even true." This is non-news generated by people that need viewers to cause money for them. The pressure in the balls can be checked in a couple of minutes, so when it was announced 24 hours later that an investigation would start, that was enough to convince me it was all hooey.
 

joeyd999

Joined Jun 6, 2011
5,237
I'm not a fan, but it seems to me that if you take 12 balls and inflate to 12.5 lb. at 70 degrees.......and then take them to 50 degrees for an hour or so(halftime).......the pressure could drop 1 ~ 1.5 lb.

Why is everyone so convinced of fraud here?
Assuming constant volume, the pressure will drop by only 3.8% (or less than 1/2 pound) for the numbers you gave.
 

jpanhalt

Joined Jan 18, 2008
11,087
If the supposedly soft balls gave the Patriots an advantage, did anyone notice that after the balls were replaced with properly inflated balls at half-time, and the Patriots blew the Colts away in the second half. Maybe the Colts should be investigated for sabotaging the Patriots in the first half? They had the motive. Besides, if a soft ball is easier to catch, wouldn't that also make it easier to intercept?

The Colts have been darlings of the NFL and media since Andrew Luck got the starting position. Apparently this is just another example of the NFL being unable to conduct an unbiased investigation Rice proved that at an arbitrator's meeting. The Patriots won. The officials had every chance to stop the game and didn't. In any case, it is a bit late to start making penalty calls.

John
 

GopherT

Joined Nov 23, 2012
8,009
I'm not a fan, but it seems to me that if you take 12 balls and inflate to 12.5 lb. at 70 degrees.......and then take them to 50 degrees for an hour or so(halftime).......the pressure could drop 1 ~ 1.5 lb.

Why is everyone so convinced of fraud here?
Because some people are aware of science and how the ideal gas law works and some are not. PT Barnum would have really like you.
 

joeyd999

Joined Jun 6, 2011
5,237
Because some people are aware of science and how the ideal gas law works and some are not. PT Barnum would have really like you.
I am obviously among those unaware. Just checked my calculations above -- I forgot to account for atmospheric pressure. I believe now the pressure change would be 1.03 lbs., within the range he stated.
 

Brownout

Joined Jan 10, 2012
2,390
It's an absurd story, and #12 nailed it. There's two weeks with no real football, and writers need something to write about.
 

killivolt

Joined Jan 10, 2010
835
I was wondering what in the world this was about?

It's all about what was actually in the ball. Inflating it with a mixed gas; might to bring down pressure with temp.

But; the kicker would have a real difficult time unless he wanted it to be closer to his in-zone; or an onside kick and passing would be a joke.

kv

Edit: Filling it with helium might get interesting. :rolleyes:
 

shortbus

Joined Sep 30, 2009
10,045
I'm not a fan, but it seems to me that if you take 12 balls and inflate to 12.5 lb. at 70 degrees.......and then take them to 50 degrees for an hour or so(halftime).......the pressure could drop 1 ~ 1.5 lb.

Why is everyone so convinced of fraud here?
But wouldn't that have been the case for both teams? Funny that the Colts balls stayed the same pressure.
 

jpanhalt

Joined Jan 18, 2008
11,087
But wouldn't that have been the case for both teams? Funny that the Colts balls stayed the same pressure.
1) Maybe the Colts kept their balls warm? I believe there are heaters on the sidelines, except when Bud Grant coached the Vikngs. He didn't allow heaters even outdoors in Bloomington during the Winter.
2) There is a paucity of real facts available in this matter. Do we know what the measured pressures were for all of the balls? The media report various rumors.
3) According to the media, the balls used by New England were replaced with fully inflated balls at half-time -- True/False/Rumor?
4) I tend to agree with Brownout and #12. This story smells blown out of proportion to create interest in the SB. Just imagine the story line: Will the angels from Seattle defeat the cheaters form New England? Based on Pete Carroll's departure from USC one step ahead of the NCAA cops, I don't think Seattle can claim any moral high-ground in the ethics department.

John
 
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