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We’re about to enter the second week of Deflategate coverage — and even though on Saturday Bill Belichick tried to get the last word in his now-famous press conference, chances are good that this topic will stay hot all the way to the Super Bowl. (And, let’s face it, in a lot of ways, that’s fun! So fun, in fact, that SNL and Bill Nye got in on the action.)
But why? Why is everyone so eager to weigh in on the pressure of footballs?
Our obsession does not just exist because of the endless ball-related puns. It does not just exist because it’s New England, where controversy seems to have become a pattern for Belichick, Brady and the Patriots. (Spygate, anyone?) And it does not just exist because this drama is happening before the Super Bowl, the biggest date on the sports calendar.
Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports
All of the above contribute, of course. But let’s add another reason to the mix.
We love talking about this issue — still! — because there are no stakes.
There are no stakes because this is purely a football controversy. It’s unlike any of the other NFL scandals this year, be it Ray Rice and other instances of allegations of domestic violence around the league, Adrian Peterson and allegations of child abuse, even Josh Gordon and his latest failed drug test. Discussing those scandals is difficult because they all encroach on real life.
They are about things we don’t usually have to discuss when we talk about football.
But when it comes to under-inflated footballs? We’re right back in the sports wheelhouse. Where else could Deflategate happen? Nowhere. And who does it represent in the larger world? No one. And, because of that, it’s easy to feel comfortable weighing in, arguing, saying any ol’ thing.
And many people have. Since the Patriots were first investigated last week, few have been shy about sharing their opinions. While some have argued that the whole situation is ridiculous, others have said that the Patriots should be disqualified from the Super Bowl, that they should have their AFC Championship stripped from them, or that Belichick should be suspended.
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What are the real stakes of taking extreme stances like these? (Spoiler: there aren’t any.)
Deflategate is a debate without a moral compass — you can land anywhere and, essentially, come out unscathed. Plus, the issue reinforces that the NFL is, in fact, just a game — and that makes it easy to love, so long as we keep it all in perspective.
In other words: this controversy makes hanging out by the water cooler really fun. But does it mean anything? Will it change anything?
Nah.
