New England Patriots Controversy

The New England Patriots find themselves amidst another controversy following their 45-7 pummeling of the Indianapolis Colts (National Football League, 2015). During the AFC Championship game, New England Patriots were said to have altered 11 of their 12 game footballs to gain the advantage and win against the Indianapolis Colts. The NFL's investigation concluded that the footballs were underinflated by approximately two psi. Footballs that are deflated, give players a better grip on the ball, and changes how the football will travel in flight. This is clearly an illegal action that was taken by the team to gain an upper hand. The two teams must provide a certain number of footballs to be inspected prior the start of the game. NFL rules state, no alterations of the footballs is allowed once approved. If a person is found breaking league rules and tampering with the footballs, that person could face up to a $25,000 fine and potentially more discipline (ESPN, 2015). Addressing issues such as the Patriot Scandal is important to the NFL because it could compromise the integrity of football, in general. According to ESPN (2015), "League sources have confirmed that the footballs were properly inspected and approved by referee Walt Anderson 2 hours and 15 minutes before kickoff, before they were returned to each team." The Patriot Scandal otherwise known as”DeflateGate” is not the first issue involving this team. During the NFL's investigation of the issue, all game balls were thoroughly inspected. While most of the Patriot's footballs were illegally deflated for an advantage, the Colts footballs met the NFL’s requirements. Ethics plays a large role in all organizations, in this particular case the Patriots used an unethical means to achieve their intended goal of winning while the Colts chose an ethical approach to playing a fair game. The result was consequential for the Patriots as they were punished by a loss of draft picks for the next season. Over the years, other...