Imagine a world where Deflategate never could happen again. Sounds like an awesome place, doesn’t it?
Apparently Big Game USA is working to make that world a reality. The Dallas-based football-making company, which is the leading producer of footballs for the NCAA’s Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), is developing a device that can check the air pressure of a football to make sure it’s properly inflated.
Dubbed “Vairify,” the optional accessory is a small indicator that can be embedded into a Big Game USA football. If the ball is inflated to 12.5 pounds per square inch (PSI) or more — the minimum requirement for college and NFL footballs — a green check mark appears. If the ball is under-inflated, the check mark doesn’t light up.
[tweet https://twitter.com/BigGameUSA/status/600998855455322113 align=’center’]
“We created this device so anyone involved with the game can ensure the footballs have not been tampered with,” Big Game USA owner Chris Calandro said, via Yahoo Sports.
Tom Brady and the New England Patriots obviously are the motivation for this innovation, as the Wells Report incriminated the team in intentionally deflating footballs in last season’s AFC Championship Game. Of course, this device also could have been useful for referee Walt Anderson and his crew, who provided some faulty data in measuring the deflated balls in question.
The “Vairify” device is a good idea in theory, but it might be a while before the ultimate deflation preventer hits the gridiron.
“We haven’t heard from the NCAA or any of the teams we supply footballs to that this is going to happen at the collegiate level,” Calandro told ESPN.com. “But we want to be prepared if it does.”
Thumbnail photo via Twitter/@darrenrovell
