Quote:Yes this "personal responsibility" concept does seem vaguely familiar to me...

 

All kidding aside, the Patriots personal responsibility has little to do with the league's enforcement of their own rules.  If they want a game ball that is inflated to somewhere between 12.5 and 13.5 PSI, they are the responsible party for ensuring that's what is on the playing field and not creating windows of opportunity in the process.  It doesn't take "info structure", or infrastructure for that matter, for the league to keep an eye on the game balls once they take possession of them prior to the game.  Whether that's a ref or league official wheeling the balls out, or whether it's a league official walking with the ball boys once the balls are returned to the teams.  I'm sure those will be considered as possible solutions going forward.  

 

Patriots are likely guilty of something, but unless there is video evidence of the ball boy releasing air from the game balls in a private room that he side stepped into on his way to the field, I don't think any real punishment will come of this.  I'm sure changes in policy will though.  

Just because a cop doesn't sit in a car with you every time you drive doesn't mean the police aren't enforcing the rules.

 

The team's are accountable to behave in a responsible manner. If they require babysitting, then they don't belong in the game.

 

This isn't a criminal court. The league just needs enough evidence to show opportunity to go along with motivation and the end results of discovering the deflated balls. The league obviously thought the film evidence was damning enough to release that bit of info to the public.

 

It's no longer a matter of if the league will punish them, but rather to what extent.

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