Report: Patriots' Footballs Passed Pre-Game Inspection By Officials
BOSTON (CBS) -- It's unclear what happened to the footballs used by the New England Patriots in their AFC Championship win over the Indianapolis Colts, but according to a report, they went through the proper pre-game protocol and passed an inspection by officials.
From Ben Volin of The Boston Globe:
According to an NFL source with direct knowledge of the situation, referee Walt Anderson inspected all 24 of the Patriots' footballs with a pressure gauge supplied by the league, as well as all 24 footballs from the Colts. All 48 footballs were found to be within the allowable range of 12.5-13.5 pounds per square inch.
Once the footballs were approved for game use, they remained in the locker room until about 10 minutes prior to kickoff, at which point the officials handed the footballs to the ballboys on each team.
Anderson and other officials involved in the game are not allowed to publicly comment on the situation until given permission by the NFL.
The league is currently investigating the matter, and also has not commented. Volin's source says the NFL has spoken with Anderson regarding the situation.
The Patriots are accused of using under-inflated footballs in their 45-7 win over the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC title game. New England will play the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX on Feb. 1 in Glendale, Arizona.
Tune in to Super Bowl XLIX on 98.5 The Sports Hub — the flagship station of the New England Patriots. It's the only place to hear Bob Socci & Scott Zolak's local call of the game!
