Deflate-Gate

Would I be stunned to find out that the Patriots deflated the balls prior to the game? On a scale of 1-10 with 1 being flabbergasted, I would rate the extent of my surprise at 3 or 4.  I don't think it is impossible, just unlikely.

One thing that I don't quite get with the discussion is a point that has not been brought up, at least I have not seen it.

After every play, every single play, a referee touches the ball.  A player catches a pass-- he throws it to a referee who often throws it to another referee who puts the ball down. A runner is tackled--he tosses the ball to a ref or leaves it on the ground for a referee to pick up the ball.  An incomplete pass is retrieved by a referee who then sets the ball down.

If the balls were discernibly deflated how is it possible that not once during the game did the referee acknowledge something strange? The only time the ball was changed was at the beginning of the second half when after a kickoff the same ball that was used to kick off was the ball put into play.  Different balls are used for kicks than other plays.

Maybe the referees will be called into the NFL inquiry and identify something peculiar with the balls. But if they do not, how deflated could the balls have been?  And if the refs could not identify a poorly inflated ball, how much of an advantage could it have given the Patriots?

Again, it would not startle me to speechlessness to discover shenanigans.  And if that was the case it is unconscionable even if every team does the same thing, and even if it pales in comparison with what the Raiders would do on a regular basis.  (I once heard how the Raiders would soak the endzone the Chiefs would practice in during pregame, so that every Chief player's shoes would be heavy after simple jumping jacks).  Regardless of chicanery of others, you don't do it yourself AND you are foolish and stupid, besides dishonest if you do.

Yet, can't believe such chicanery was done in this instance or else it would have been detected.