Deflategate
The NFL investigated the New England Patriots after the Indianapolis Colts raised concerns about football pressure during the AFC Championship Game in January 2015.
The pressure measurements taken at halftime became the center of the dispute. The league hired attorney Ted Wells to investigate, and his team reviewed the readings, the conditions in which they were taken, and text messages between Patriots employees.
The Wells report concluded that it was more likely than not that two employees had deliberately released air from footballs and that quarterback Tom Brady was at least generally aware. Brady and the Patriots disputed the finding. Their objections included the effect of cold weather and uncertainty about the gauges used to take the measurements.
The NFL fined the Patriots, took away draft picks, and suspended Brady for four games. A federal district court vacated his suspension. The Second Circuit reinstated it in 2016 because it found that the commissioner had acted within his authority under the collective bargaining agreement. The pressure readings remained a matter of dispute.
A related topic is Black Sox Scandal.
Bibliography:
- Wells, T. V., Jr., Karp, B. S., & Reisner, L. L. (2015). Investigative Report Concerning Footballs Used During the AFC Championship Game on January 18, 2015.
- National Football League Management Council v. National Football League Players Association, 820 F.3d 527 (2d Cir. 2016).