Air Gauges And Footballs Were Delivered To The Patriots’ Playoff Game By Police

No matter how much the NFL and the New England Patriots try to move on from “Deglategate” the story will never seem to die. It will surely continue after the Massachusetts State Police had to personally deliver footballs and pressure gauges to Gillette Stadium for the Pats’ game against the Kansas City Chiefs last weekend.

“At approximately 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Massachusetts State police at Logan airport were notified by the Hyatt Hotel on airport property that the officials at Gillette Stadium for that afternoon’s Patriots’ playoff game had left official, specially designated footballs and pressure gauges behind at the hotel,” Massachusetts State Police spokesman David Procopio said in a statement to ESPN. “The hotel had been contacted by the NFL after it realized the equipment had been left behind.

“State Police contacted an NFL security official at Gillette Stadium. NFL security requested State Police assistance in bringing the footballs and gauges to the stadium. The footballs in question are referred to as K-balls, short for kicking balls. They are the official footballs provided by the league for use in kicking plays.”

While the box was never opened by the police or hotel employees to confirm their contents, the officials apparently received everything they needed for the game to go off without a hitch. The Patriots defeated the Chiefs that afternoon and will face off with the Denver Broncos this weekend with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.

Photo: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots throws during the third quarter against the Buffalo Bills at Gillette Stadium on November 23, 2015 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)