The "Deflategate" scandal has not only dragged the name of New England Patriots star player Tom Brady to the muck but also, and more embarrassingly, painted a negative picture of the National Football League (NFL) to the public and among the other teams. With the increasing tension in the league and the pressure on Commissioner Roger Goodell to mete out a fair and suitable punishment for the quarterback in question, new rules were announced for the 2015 football season with regard the manner by which the footballs will be inspected and prepared.
According to Mike Pereira of Fox Sports, the new set of procedures for the next season will focus primarily on the pounds per square inch (PSI) of every football submitted by the teams. The most significant adjustments made by the organization pertain to the number of footballs submitted per team, the addition of crew members to check the balls at certain intervals and the monitoring of the balls' PSI measurements.
As per the new rules, the teams in every match will be required to submit 12 footballs each. This is an increase from the previous seasons, when the home teams submit 24 balls and their opponents present 12. The footballs chosen as the primary footballs will then be numbered from 1 - 12, wherein each ball's PSI will be measured as well. Prior to these rules, no concrete procedures were implemented with regard the measurement of the SPI - an argument Brady's camp pointed out in an effort to exonerate the Patriots star. This time, however, the SPI measurement of every football will be required to fall between 12.5 and 13.5.
Meanwhile, two crew members chosen by the referee will be designated to measure the SPI of every football and record the data accordingly. To further guarantee that no malicious activity may be raised again with regard this concern, random testing of the balls will be conducted throughout the game. Should the crew members find a football with a PSI below or beyond the designated measurement, such will be deflated or inflated to 13.0 PSI. The same procedure will be applied to the other 12 backup footballs.
As for the athlete who is at the center of the "Deflategate" controversy, it appears that Brady is not letting the issue get to him. In an interview with Patriots safety Devin McCourty, it was revealed that the star quarterback is determined to hurdle this obstacle unscathed and come out an even stronger athlete next season.
"I think the greatest thing with him as a leader and as a player is that you haven't seen him change much," McCourty shared via Comcast Sports. The Patriots safety added, "He's still the same fiery guy in OTAs and minicamp, talking trash to the defense and trying to win the day, offense versus defense. I think that part of him hasn't changed. I think each year, it's crazy, but it seems like he gets more and more competitive out there to go out there and show that he can still do it."
