Nah - I'll stick with my original call but thanks for the opportunity to review

This has me farked. The ball is thrown to an official at the end of nearly every play. Surely those refs have handled enough footballs to be able to tell if there is something appreciably wrong. With an AFL footy you can tell in your hands as you mark it if it's a touch flat. Different balls but I'd expect the principle to be the same

Not surprised to see the Ravens front & centre when the bleating bandwagon got rolling

My reckoning is the 'Occam's razor' theory ... someone simply got access to the footballs at some time and stuck a pin in 11 of them for about 3-5 seconds each. 2 minutes in total and it's done.

I'm thinking the footballs were probably unattended at some stage ... either that or the footballs weren't checked properly (initially) and were all set 2lbs lighter (except for one of them) Or they were somehow switched.

The answer will almost certainly be a perfectly logical one but someone probably has to 'talk' for that to happen. Regardless, they'll get done for governance issues you'd reckon.

For us here in oz, if a footy is ever over inflated, it doesn't take long to get enough air out so it's just right ... just a few seconds will do it.

This incident is going to be very difficult to explain away ... here's the full Tom Brady press conference ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HD7i5hQYHZs

Edited January 24, 201510 yr by Macca

The pats are forever going to be known as dodgy bars tards.

I could listen to Ray Lewis all day... He just got stuck right into the NFL and the patriots

I tried watching the pro bowl... It was sooooo crapppppppp!

Like training drill.

  On 26/01/2015 at 09:57, Gorgoroth said:

I tried watching the pro bowl... It was sooooo crapppppppp!

Like training drill.

I agree... I was looking forward to watching a bit of it and after the first 5 minutes I'd seen enough. The way they talk it up and advertise it, I thought "gee its pretty good they take it so serious" it really is a training drill.. I understand why they don't tackle and rush the QB as much but it really was average from the little bit I saw... Guess it's a good thing why the AFL doesn't do it anymore

My tip is seattle 17 - Pats 21

Brady will get MVP but I think the D of the pats will control Seattle well enough for Brady to pick the Seattle D apart enough to build a winning score.

Expect both D to play well.

If Lynch plays well tho, Seattle could romp over the pats, but I think they will contain him and Wilson enough.

I'm going with Pats 24 - Seattle 17

Seattle 23 Patriots 21

I'm just here so I don't get fined but while I'm here I'll take the pats 27-13

Everyone's on the Pats it seems ... I just reckon the Seahawks will take advantage of an opportunity that they may have thought had slipped away from them (until the Packers gifted them a berth)

I'm also thinking that this whole furore about 'deflategate' has got to have had an effect on the Patriots. And, ... if there's any truth to the controversy, then playing with fully inflated footballs might be a disadvantage for New England. They rarely fumble the football and I can just imagine the thinking if they fumble one early

Defense often wins out in these sort of games and if the Seahawks bring it, they'll win.

Macca, the big question for me is how fit Sherman and the D of Seattle is.

My question on seattle is their offense. The pats will move the ball around but can the Hawks do the same? Wilson needs to make his mark early in the game and if the pats can limit beast mode seattle could find themselves in the same situation they were in against Green Bay. I can't see them pulling another win out of nowhere.

What's everyones plans for Monday ? I was going to call in sick n take the day off work but don't think I can... Avoiding the the scores until 5:30pm Monday might be a bit of a challenge!

  On 30/01/2015 at 23:27, JV7 said:

What's everyones plans for Monday ? I was going to call in sick n take the day off work but don't think I can... Avoiding the the scores until 5:30pm Monday might be a bit of a challenge!

Yeah I gotta work. I'll try to avoid the scores. It should be a far better game then last year.

  On 30/01/2015 at 23:27, JV7 said:

What's everyones plans for Monday ? I was going to call in sick n take the day off work but don't think I can... Avoiding the the scores until 5:30pm Monday might be a bit of a challenge!

I'm on call Monday but I'm hoping not to get that call

I've been invited to a couple of functions but can't commit unfortunately. Every year is different ... for a long time I had every Monday off and that situation may eventuate again in the future.

If I'm off I'll probably be posting here ... otherwise, trying to avoid the scores might prove a little tricky.

Edited January 31, 201510 yr by Macca

  On 30/01/2015 at 20:50, Gorgoroth said:

Macca, the big question for me is how fit Sherman and the D of Seattle is.

The back of his elbow was hit was it not? It was an unusual knock and I'm not sure about the length of time for recovery. If it's like a corky, he should be fine.

Apparently he didn't train yesterday because of an unrelated back injury but who knows?

They'll need him, that's for sure.

I got the day off and can't wait!

Agree CFH, that is why I said Lynch could be the key, I reckon the Pats will load the box for the run and rely on their secondary containing the wides for Seattle.

My mate teddy bridgewater wins rookie of the year!

  On 01/02/2015 at 05:26, cowboy_from_hell said:

My mate teddy bridgewater wins rookie of the year!

Yeah, well done ...

Rodgers got the MVP but JJ Watt can count himself very unlucky. I think if the Texans had have made the playoffs, he might have got it.

Big honour for Bridgewater though.

Mvp is the QB medal, just like the brownlow is the midfielders medal.

  On 01/02/2015 at 05:50, Macca said:

Yeah, well done ...

Rodgers got the MVP but JJ Watt can count himself very unlucky. I think if the Texans had have made the playoffs, he might have got it.

Big honour for Bridgewater though.

What baffles me a little is Beckham Jr got the offensive ROY and Rodgers didn't win the offensive MVP. Am I too logical to think that if you win a award and you play on offense shouldn't you get both awards?

  On 01/02/2015 at 06:53, Gorgoroth said:

Mvp is the QB medal, just like the brownlow is the midfielders medal.

Yep, it is.

And the way the QB's are protected now, they'll have even better numbers to stake their claim. Not saying that Aaron wasn't a worthy winner though - he was almost certainly the best of the QB's. Romo had a very good year - probably his best year in fact.

  On 01/02/2015 at 08:30, cowboy_from_hell said:

What baffles me a little is Beckham Jr got the offensive ROY and Rodgers didn't win the offensive MVP. Am I too logical to think that if you win a award and you play on offense shouldn't you get both awards?

Sharing the accolades around ... there's a lot of categories now.

How about the most disappointed fan award? Or worst coach? I'd have a couple of candidates for those 2 would be awards

Edited February 1, 201510 yr by Macca

I've made the fateful call and taken a sick day tomorrow haha

Who's everyone going for btw ? I'm a bit torn but think after the deflated ball fiasco and would be good to see a side win back to back so I'm going for the Seahawks but tipping the pats