New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski celebrates after the Patriots beat the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL Super Bowl XLIX football game Sunday, Feb. 1, 2015, in Glendale, Ariz. Photo Credit: National Post

Brandon Fern, Live Wire Staff Writer

This past Sunday, the Super Bowl XLIX had everyone talking about its amusing commercials, a spectacular halftime show, and how the Seattle Seahawks suffered. Yet, some still wonder: did the New England Patriots deserve to play?

After the AFC (American Football Championship) game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Patriots, rumors started to circulate that the Patriots were using under inflated footballs. While the investigation into the issue is still going on, the rumors have been proven true, and the team and their coach, William “Bill” Belichick, are giving their full support into the investigation.

The reason this is a big issue is because the NFL requires all game balls to be inflated between 12½ and 13½ pounds of air per square inch. Anything under 12½ can allow for easier gripping, especially during games that coincide with bad weather, and anything over 13½ pounds can be harder to handle in bad weather. The NFL confirmed that 11 of the 24 balls the Patriots provided were 2 pounds under the required weight for play. However, all 24 balls were inspected and approved before the game.

This is not a new issue as the Patriots were involved in “Spygate,” a scandal where the patriots were reprimanded for videotaping the New York Jets defensive coach’s signals from the sidelines during a September 2007 game.

While the patriots did play the Super Bowl, the ethical implications have been examined by sports ethic experts. Shawn E. Klein, a philosophy professor who runs the blog “Sports Ethicist,” called what they did “steers toward undermining the integrity of a game.” However, he then went on to say that what they did was a misdemeanor. “It’s more like a traffic violation. You pay your fine. You didn’t commit assault.”

Belichick said in a press conference last Thursday that he had no knowledge on the footballs until Monday, and only wishes to prepare his team for Sunday’s game. Whether you believe the patriots are innocent or if what Belichick said about the atmosphere affecting the balls is on the up and up, one thing is certain: Super Bowl XLIX was a memorable one.