NFL 2015

[Jimbone]

They may not have known, but they didn't incorporate any measures to make sure there wasn't illegal activity. Any manager can tell you all about internal controls safeguarding fraud. Additionally, this is the SECOND cheating scandal that the same Patriots administration is dealing with. Same owner, same head coach.

Safeguarding fraud? That's the responsibility of the NFL Officials (game umpire and referees) who are tasked with making sure there isn't illegal activity going on (from a team who already has a cheating scandal).

They lost track of the balls, their testing and management of them was weak at best, and they have no measurement record of the balls prior to the start of the game. The League was even given a heads up that someone thought there might be a problem with the balls, and the NFL still didn't see it important enough to do their part to maintain the 'integrity' of the game.

I haven't heard of the disciplinary or punitive actions for the officials who failed and essentially helped the Patriots 'cheat'. The NFL has been silent on that oddly enough.

Based on that, The Jimbone Report finds it 'more likely than not' that the officials were in cahoots with the Patriots organization until halftime *wink wink, nudge nudge*

The whole thing is nonsense. It should have been a $50K fine and a non-story. But you're right, since it was the Patriots, and the eventual winner of the Superbowl it's a huge deal.