In the News

It’s been dubbed “Deflate-gate” — “gate” being the common suffix used ever since the Watergate saga to indicate a scandal — and it refers to the discovery during the NFL game on Sunday, January 18, that 11 of the 12 footballs used by the New England Patriots in their game against the Indianapolis Colts were under-inflated. The Patriots won that contest 45 to 7 and advanced to the Super Bowl.

The under-inflation matters because balls with less than the regulation 12.5 to 13.5 pounds of air per square inch (psi) would have been slightly easier for the Patriots’ quarterback to hold and its receivers to catch, especially during the slick, rainy conditions of that particular game. The same advantage would not go to the opposing team because teams always use their own sets of footballs when they’re on offense.

It’s not been determined who deflated the balls or when it was done, but with 11 of the 12 being some 2 pounds psi low, most observers consider it unlikely that that condition happened without someone tampering with them — the temperature variation from indoors to out has been calculated to result in less than a 1-psi change. As of this writing, the NFL investigation is focused on a Patriots locker room attendant.

The NFL reports that all 12 balls were properly inflated before the game when they were tested by game officials. They were then placed in a zipped bag by the sidelines. From time to time during play, ball boys hand fresh balls from the bag to officials, who put them into play.

It’s not certain who told the Colts about the under-inflated balls, though Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer reported that the Baltimore Ravens, who previously played against the Patriots, tipped off the Colts about the possibility of such an occurrence. In any case, officials checked the Patriot balls at half-time and found all but one low on air. They were then re-inflated to the mandated level and stayed that way throughout the second half of the game.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft insists his team did nothing wrong and says he wants an apology from the NFL if it cannot be determined that his team tampered with the footballs.

Sports commentators say that with the way this particular game went — with the Patriots winning by such a wide margin — the under-inflated balls made little, if any, difference in the outcome. For one thing, the Patriots scored mostly by running the ball, a tactic where an under-inflated ball would make little difference. For another, in the second half, when the balls were at full psi, the Patriots still outscored the Colts by 28 points.

People concerned about the under-inflated balls, however, point beyond this specific game to the fact that the Patriots have a history of stretching limits of what the rules allow and that on one occasion, the Patriots’ coach was caught illegally filming an opposing coaching staff to learn their hand signals. Also, in a close game, experts say, under-inflated balls could tip the balance in the Patriots’ favor.

Former NFL referee Brian Taylor, now a pastor and member of the TWW team, is reluctant to apply the word “cheating” to Deflate-gate. He says he has seen the level of competition and the “edges” athletes try to get, and he compares the under-inflated ball violation to drivers who travel at 65 mph in a 55 mph zone in an effort to get home in time for dinner. But TWW team member Mack Crumpler counters, “How we got to the point where we either break the law and speed just a little, or be late and miss dinner with the family is another story. But suddenly, there we are; what to do? We don’t really want to do either one, but one will be done.”

Leigh Steinberg, writing about this incident in Forbes, commented, “All of the NFL’s overwhelming dominance and revenue flow depends on the public’s trust that the outcome of games is determined on a level playing field.” He also said, “It is hard to argue that deflated balls made the difference in a 45-7 rout, but what about the prior playoff game with Baltimore, won by 4 points?”

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The team member continued, “I just can’t make sense of how this came about. I hope it had something to do with her feeling some sort of desperate need on behalf of a family member, medical issue or such, but, sadly, that’s not entirely the picture I’m getting from at least one friend there. I am more sad than mad. I feel that something in her life just ‘broke’ somehow, and a temptation she normally would have been able to resist was not resistible at that given time, and one bad step led to another and another, and she likely felt she just couldn’t come up for air from it all. To me, it points out how broken we all are, and how easily any one of us can falter. I don’t feel self-righteous in regard to her circumstances; more, my heart just goes out to her in some odd way.”

More on the Deflate-gate story can be found at these links:

The New England Patriots’ Deflated Footballs Scandal, Explained. Vox  What Is the ‘Deflategate’ Controversy? Boston Globe  10 Things to Know About Deflate-Gate. Forbes  Patriots Owner Wants Apology Over ‘Deflate-Gate.’ CBS News 

The Big Questions Here are some questions we may discuss when we are together:

  1. What internal arguments do we Christians sometimes use to give ourselves permission to do something that is not acceptable according to our faith and moral code (and is sometimes even illegal)? Why do we allow ourselves such exceptions? When it comes to the scriptures, how do we decide which laws, commands or commandments we are going to keep and which we might “fudge” a little?
  2. How should we as Christians navigate in a society where some things that are not really right are not illegal? How should we determine the difference?
  3. Is there danger to our souls in crossing “little” lines, such as accepting too much change back from a restaurant or taking office supplies home from our workplace? If so, what is the danger? If not, why not? Does the term “a slippery slope” apply to such cases? If so, how? When is being only good enough good enough?
  4. What theology addresses the human tendency to rationalize exceptions to our faith values and moral code? In the church, how should we respond to someone who has been discovered to be engaged in a serious sin? What remedies does the Bible offer?
  5. What sort of accountability systems (such as church small groups, Christian friends in whom you confide, etc.) do you actively include in your life to “save yourself from yourself” and maintain your personal relationship with Christ? Whom do you trust to help you make these decisions?

Confronting the News with Scripture and Hope We will look at selected verses from these Scripture texts. You may wish to read these in advance for background:

Genesis 3:1-15 Matthew 4:1-11 Hebrews 4:14-16 Jeremiah 17:5-9 1 Timothy 6:6-10 James 1:12-16

When we meet, we will talk about these passages and look for some insight into the big questions, as well as talk about other questions you may have about this topic. Please join us.

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