#INFLATEGATE – Another Reason why we need Smarter Reporters
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/01/24/basic-physics-may-defeat-deflategate.html
#INFLATEGATE, what a waste of time and why am I writing this? Generally, it isn’t worth my time, except to make a point.
I’ve seen this story mentioned, at least, 50 times and I don’t think ONE REPORTER has mentioned that gas pressure decreases with a decrease in temperature. That is a FACT not something that needs to be investigated.
Tom Brady said that he likes his footballs at 12.5 PSI (the lower limit) and Andrew Luck likes them at 13.5 PSI (the upper limit). Check out the attached article and relatively simple math shows that a 25-35 degree temperature drop will result in 1.5 to 2.0 PSI drop in pressure in the football. FACT. With a 1.5 to 2 PSI drop the Patriot’s football would be ~ 10.5 PSI.
Does the press point this out? No, they would rather ‘inflate’ the issue and get ratings then actually answer the question and downplay the situation. I saw one reporter take a regulation football and put an inflation valve in it to let out a little air. He did, and the pressure dropped by 2 PSI and he gave a look that said, ‘see how easy it is to cheat?’ He manipulated the demonstration to cast doubt on the Patriots. Perhaps he didn’t do very well in high school physics class.
I just saw another demonstration of this lunacy on the Today Show. This morning they’re talking about the ball boy taking the footballs into the bathroom for 90 seconds. They went through the same effort of putting a inflation valve in to demonstrate how easy it is. Give me a break; have they timed how long it takes to wash your hands or take a piss?
No one points out, that if someone did let out some air and the effect of changing temperature is included then the pressure would likely have been 8-9 PSI.
All of these words to get to my point. Without good science education minor incidents like this get blown out of proportion and we all waste our time listening to ignorant people speculating about things they weren’t taught. I wish someone in the press would blow this off and get on with something important.
Check out this link above and you’ll see someone has done the math. I’ll bet, the NFL will finally end their investigation (after the game) and find no fault. Leaving the investigation ‘pending’ only builds the hype and ratings.
Ray Jay Perreault
