Is this video deflating ?DeflateGate?? Or, is science so obvious not even ESPN can deny it?
After causing significant uproar publishing a damning article accusing the New England Patriots of cheating, ESPN is now distributing a science segment redeeming the Pats.?The basic question we have all been asking is this: How does playing with less air inside footballs help you win? The answer? It doesn’t.
The tests show that deflating balls by 2 psi (pounds per square inch) ease the grip by 1 millimeter which is the equivalent of 0.039 inches. This would result in applying 1.5 percent more force to the ball, either throwing or receiving.
That 1 millimeter of ?more grip? is not necessarily a good thing, as every quarterback has a unique style of grabbing and throwing.
Also worth noting is that less air inside the ball means less mass. Less mass translates into more force necessary to throw the ball further. In this case, the 2 psi deflation reduces the mass of the ball by 1.5 grams or 0.05 ounces, or the weight of a dollar bill.
Here’s the math:
On a 20-yard pass released at 50 miles per hour, an under-inflated ball will arrive 0.03 seconds later, which would change a little under 1 inch the amount of coverage of a typical defender. Given the score difference, this inch was definitely not a factor.
If the conversation is real Physics and if the Colts want to discuss what really made a difference in the 7 to 45 score, we should be looking at the weather.
According to ESPN,
“There was one environmental issue that could’ve had a much bigger impact, at least from a physics perspective ? the rain. Water clinging to the pebbled surface of the football, can add as much as half an ounce of weight…?That’s ten times more of a weight differential than the disputed inflation issue.?
After days of spiteful tweets and endless conspiracy theory articles, “Deflategate” has been debunked by science.?The rain, the cold, and the fact the Colts could not get past the Pats defense were the real reasons why the Cost lost. They could have played with a Honey Mustard Over Roast Ham, and it would not have changed the outcome of that game.
Was this a fabricated controversy to fuel the ongoing animosity some in the NFL seem to nurse against the Patriots then?
Whenever the debate for best quarterback of all times heats up, the Colts are reminded of how many rings Brady gets to wear as opposed to Manning. That alone is an incentive to get the Indy fans to create, follow and fuel any chance to try to embarrass the Patriots’ fans.
Let’s face it. The New England Patriots has the best QB out there and any further attempt to deflate this fact is only going to reinforce what we all know ? every other quarterback out there just wants to be Tom Brady.
Check out the science behind “DeflateGate” below.
