No Fun League – The NFL has found that 11 of the New England Patriots‘ 12 game balls were inflated significantly below the NFL’s requirements, league sources involved and familiar with the investigation of Sunday’s AFC Championship Game told ESPN. The investigation found the footballs were inflated 2 pounds per square inch below what’s required by NFL regulations during the Pats’ 45-7 victory over the Indianapolis Colts, according to sources. “We are not commenting at this time,” said Greg Aiello, the NFL’s senior vice president of communications. Troy Vincent, the league’s senior executive vice president of football operations, told The Associated Press late Tuesday in response to this report that the “investigation is currently underway, and we’re still awaiting findings.” He told “Pro Football Talk with Mike Florio on NBC Sports Radio” earlier Tuesday that the NFL expected to wrap up its investigation in “two or three days.” Yet to be determined is what, if any, penalties may be imposed upon the Patriots. One source described the league as “disappointed … angry … distraught” after spending considerable time on the findings earlier Tuesday. Part of the investigation that needs further vetting is how the 11 footballs became underinflated. The game balls that each team received for preparation were required to be inspected and approved by referee Walt Anderson two hours and 15 minutes before kickoff, then returned to a ball attendant. No alteration of footballs is allowed once they are approved, under league rules and regulations. The balls are required to be inflated between 12.5 and 13.5 pounds per square inch and weigh between 14 and 15 ounces.

Before I get started, I need to point something out to Patriots fans. Any time something like deflate gate or spy gate happens, Pats fans call everyone else haters and bring up how successful they’ve been since 2001. Both of these points are facts, as Patriots fans, just like every other fan of a professional team, do have haters and the Patriots themselves have been very successful since 2001. My problem with Patriots fans is that they act as if they’re the only dynasty in NFL history. I’m a 49ers fans, so I’ll use their best stretch as an example. From 1981-1994, the San Francisco 49ers went 159-56 in the regular season, won 5 super bowls, and made the playoffs every full season except for 1991 (1982 was strike shortened). During their current run from 2001-2014, the Patriots have gone 170-54, won 3 super bowls, and only missed the playoffs in three of those years. The Patriots have had the same head coach and quarterback, while the 49ers had two different coaches and two quarterbacks. An argument can be made either way for which is more impressive, so for arguments sake, we’ll cancel that part out. Any time a Pats fan uses the ‘we’re the most successful franchise EVER YOUR TEAM SUCKS talking point I can now just point them to this blog so 1. they’ll shut up and 2. we’ll get more views!

Now, onto deflate gate. It seems as if everyone with a Twitter account has an opinion on this, but the most level headed view comes from Patriots fan and writer Bill Simmons.

In all seriousness – it’s a bummer & something that will overshadow SB Week. So tough to defend if true. And so unnecessary. I don’t get it.

— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) January 21, 2015

The worst part of ‘deflate gate’ is that the media is so happy about it and now that’s all we’re going to hear. Ravens players are already coming out and saying they thought the balls felt lighter in their game against the Patriots the week before. A few Colts players went on Twitter and asked if they were going to play the game again, because apparently getting embarrassed on national television twice in one year isn’t enough for them. One Boston writer said if the claims are true, then Bob Kraft SHOULD FIRE BILL BELICHICK. What world does that guy live in? And the worst part is if it comes out that the Patriots intentionally did this, it’s the dumbest thing in the world. Instead of celebrating a blowout win and focusing on the Super Bowl every coach and player is going to have to answer questions about how much a football weighs. And instead of analyzing what should be a very good Super Bowl, every analyst is either going to hate on the Pats or try to dismiss ‘deflate gate’. I can picture Ray Lewis right now flexing in the mirror yelling to himself “Tom Brady is a cheater! Bill Belichick is a cheater! You never would’ve heard of either of them if the football weighed between 12.5 and 13.5 pounds!”. On the flip side, what a year for the NFL, eh? Not only are their players terrible people, but their officials can’t get through a playoff game without a major scandal. First the picked up flag in Dallas/Detroit, then the reversed call in Dallas/Green Bay, and now this. The NFL probably won’t make this point in public, but some blame has to be attributed to the referees. I was looking forward to watching Sportscenter now and again between now and the Super Bowl, but it looks like that’s not going to happen. And anyone who thinks this is just going to go away has severely underestimated social media in 2015.

– Ryan