The NFL and the media have continuously- and needlessly- harassed the New England Patriots over the last two weeks.

Following Tom Brady’s interception late in the first half of the Patriots-Colts AFC Championship game, Colt’s linebacker D’Qwell Jackson who picked off the ball, handed the ball to the Colt’s equipment manager to keep as a souvenir. The equipment manager took the ball and noticed something was off.

The equipment manager tested the ball and found the ball to be lacking two pounds of air, and alerted officials. The balls were examined on the Patriots sideline, and it was discovered that 11 of the 12 balls the Patriots brought to the game were under inflated. (Each team brings their own set of 12 balls to football games, each checked by officials prior to game time.)

An under-inflated ball can give a team a number of advantages, especially in the cold weather. It can make it much easier to catch, carry, and throw, due to the increased grip.

Since the game, the Patriots have held multiple news conferences denying any wrong doing, with speeches ranging from quarterback Tom Brady, head coach Bill Belichick, and owner of the Patriots Robert Kraft.
Senior Tyler Buckley believes that the Patriots head coach is not at fault.

“I think that Bill Belichick had no idea,” said Buckley. “I’m not so sure about Tom Brady, but regardless, I think the Patriots could have beaten the Colts or Ravens with golf balls, tennis balls, bars of soap- it doesn’t matter. The two best teams in the NFL are in the Super Bowl.”

Athletic trainer Mike Fleming believes that there would be a competitive advantage.

“The NFL inflates their balls to the point where they are rock hard,” said Fleming. “It would be easier for the center to grip the ball, and would be easier for the quarterback to grip the ball, for the receivers to catch the ball, and for anyone else that would touch the ball. In situations with bad weather, you’re going to want to grip the ball better.”

Bill Kerr, history teacher at Susquehannock, believes that the whole situation is ridiculous.

“Two pounds of pressure is not going to affect the football drastically,” said Kerr. “The score was 45-7. I believe the Patriots outscored the Colts 27-0 in the second half, after the balls were re-inflated. The under-inflated balls did not affect the game that much, if at all.”

And he’s right. The Patriots scored four straight touchdowns in the second half of the game, and went on to absolutely blow out their opponent. The under-inflated balls proposed as much of an advantage as having receiver gloves rather than not. The outcome of the game was not affected, and the whole situation needs to be resolved. But the public needs something to have an outcry about, right? After all, it is Super Bowl week.

The Patriots will face off against the Seahawks Sunday at 6:30p.m., in Super Bowl 49 on NBC.