Patriots Fans Counter 'Deflate-Gate' Controversy With #Inflatethis
— -- New England Patriots player Brandon Browner believes that the accusations that his team under-inflated footballs in Sunday’s AFC Championship game are overblown.
Browner addressed the controversy in a Twitter post, using the hashtag #Inflatethis for added emphasis.
Patriots fans followed Browner’s lead, tagging posts with #Inflatethis to showcase their support of the team. Many fans focused on the score of the game -- 45-7.
The NFL says it is continuing to look into allegations that New England had 11 of its 12 allotted game footballs under-inflated in the victory.
According to ESPN, the footballs used by the Patriots were under-inflated by two pounds per square inch. Footballs, which are weighed before the game, must be inflated to no less than 12.5 pounds per square inch.
The minimum disciplinary action for tampering of a football is a fine of $25,000, according to the NFL’s game operations manual.
The controversy around “deflate-gate” has taken attention away from the Super Bowl, which will feature the Patriots playing against the Seattle Seahawks.
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