FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Bill Nye the Science Guy says the Patriots’ explanation for how footballs on their team’s sidelines lost pressure doesn’t hold much air.
In an interview Sunday, the celebrity scientist said statements about the so-called “deflategate” controversy made by New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick “didn’t make any sense.”
“Rubbing the football?” Nye said incredulously. “I don’t think you can change the pressure. To really change the pressure, you need one of these: the inflation needle.”
Deflategate stems from the Jan. 18 AFC Championship game, in which multiple footballs provided by New England were found to be under-inflated. Softer footballs tend to be easier to handle during inclement weather, prompting many to wonder whether the Patriots might have let air out of the balls to give quarterback Tom Brady an unfair advantage.
The Patriots went on to beat the Indianapolis Colts 45-7.
Nye went on to mention — in the spirit of full disclosure — that he is a Seattle Seahawks fan.