BTW, you are repeating a lie propogated by the crooked liar Goodell here.  As soon as he was asked to prove it in court, he shut up and ended all the players' suspensions.

Funny how the Colts' footballs didn't magically deflate. Weather must've been different on their sideline. I'm sure the genius NPR weathermen have it all figured out.

Have we seen the actual numbers to what level below the 12.5 PSI the illegal balls were? (If the balls were measuring in at 11.5 to 12.4 they would still be illegal but the results then could easily be attributed to standard usage, if below 11.15 then it is a little harder to swallow that explanation). If the balls lost an average of 1 PSI because of weather usage and the Pats started the balls inflated at 12.5 PSI as they requested, they would be below the legal limit by halftime. If the Colts started at 13.5 PSI and also lost 1 PSI b/c of weather and usage, they would still be measured at 12.5. No one has said the Colts balls hadn't deflated, just that they were still within the legal limit when tested at halftime. If they started at a higher inflation that variations from usage would still leave them within the legal limit. Belichik did say they requested the 12.5 PSI inflation before the game per Brady's preferences, but the officials preparing the balls are under no obligation to honor those types of requests as long as the balls start within the legal limit. I am not sure how accurate or detailed the records are. The balls are checked to see that they start in the legal limit, not sure if they record the actual PSI of each and every ball. Unless they do, and and mark each ball somehow to identify what it stated at and what the result was again when tested a the half to see what the actual level of deflation was and if it was outside the standard deviation of usage, there is no way to be sure that the loss of PSI was the result of tampering unless they had some other sort of evidence of the tampering (witnesses, video footage, confessions, etc. etc.) Without such, it would be nearly impossible to satisfy some sort of burden of proof. 

But you know in trial by media it's guilty even if proven innocent and things like burden of proof and evidence are irrelevant as long as what you believe because of personal bias must be true regardless of facts, and anyone who says otherwise must be biased and covering things up. 

The NFL was transparent in their investigation and employed independent investigators, which is about as much due diligence as can be expected in the matter. Some would only be happy if they dredged up the ghosts of the Spanish Inquisition to get the results they wanted rather than the actual facts of the matter, but that's not the way due process works. 

If there had been evidence of actual tampering, then the Pats should have been fined and lost a mid-round draft pick or taken a reduction of their salary cap for next season, and if the evidence showed a particular individual responsible for it, then that person should also have been fined and/or suspended for 2-4 games. But the CBA requires a certain level of proof for those types of punishments to players, and NFL by-laws require certain standards of proof for those types of sanctions against teams and staff, none of which has been found by the independent investigators or league investigation. But again its trial by media and fanbase, and such matters will never enter into those thought processes and it's all a conspiracy against them and their teams personally. 

So now it's onto a Superbowl between two of the teams I like least in the NFL (if we want to talk coaching culture of cheating let's look at Pete Carroll's track record at USC and the flagrant disregard for NCAA rules under his administration there and the fact that Seahawks players have been suspended for PED usage more than any other team in the league since he became coach, but no the Seahawks are currently in vogue so we won't, but then I detest Pete Carroll the way many seem to detest Belichik, so I am not exactly objective about his actions), and where I am rooting for both teams to lose if possible and am not likely to even turn the game on because I don't care to watch either team win. 

-M

I don't know why the NHL bothers having an all-star game any more.

There's rumblings they will try to do a Ryder cup style tournament in lieu of an All-Star Game in the future. I think they should make the All Star Game the Winter Classic or do a second outdoor game for the All Star Game and at least make it an event that is worth checking out. Of course I have lost all interest in the NHL since my beloved Whalers relocated to Carolina...I hung on to watch the Hurricanes win the cup, but I don't think I have watched a game since...

-M