The NFL made the astonishing announcement today that they have deflated 72 footballs to Tom Brady’s ideal pounds per square inch (psi) in preparation for the Super Bowl. Unsurprisingly the revelation has left many in the league both baffled and upset, prompting the NFL to explain its actions.
“Except for the 36 footballs that will be used for kicking, we’ve gone ahead and deflated the pigskins to Tom Brady’s ideal firmness. Specifically, we’ve taken them from 13 down to 9.7745 psi in order to ensure for a more exciting and high scoring game,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell stated.
Goodell admits the deflated footballs will give Brady a “slight advantage” over Patrick Mahomes, but emphasized that it will give the Chiefs quarterback a “somewhat easier time” throwing the ball.
Goodell then mentioned that the NFL was trying to account for Brady’s age.
“Tom Brady is 43 years-old, Mahomes is only 25,” Goodell stated. “So, in a way, we’ve sort of evened the playing field here.”
Goodell concluded his announcement by adding that referees will also be assisting Brady and the Buccaneers.
“If the footballs aren’t enough to help Tampa Bay win, we’ve given our refs the go-ahead to make erroneous pass interference calls against the Chiefs in the 4th quarter,” Goodell stated. “Honestly, we’ll do pretty much anything we can to help Mr. Brady reach his 7th Super Bowl victory. It just makes for a good story.”
Photo Credit All-Pro Reels