ANOTHER GOOD VIDEO:

According to chemistry's ideal gas law, reducing the temperature of a gaseous system in a confined space also reduces the pressure of the system--Could nature itself then be the culprit? The basic physics is covered very well in this video by Ainissa Ramirez, materials scientist and co-author of Newton's Football, for Time magazine--plus, she discusses whether a deflated ball would have offered an advantage to start with.

Ramirez notes that a deflated ball benefits many players: it's easier for a quarterback to grip, a receiver to catch, a runner to carry as well as easier to kick. (This Houston Chronicle article describes the lengths players would go--kickers especially--to tamper their way to the perfect ball, along with the efforts the NFL takes to curb them.)

Follow @brothersjudd