Denverbillsfan
October 7th, 2003, 12:00:15 PM
Just read this and would be very suprised to know if this is really true. Can't believe the Texans would be so stupid to try something as foolish as this since the ball would most likely stay on the Chiefs sideline.
The Kansas City Chiefs possess the most feared return threat in the NFL in the explosive Dante Hall. They believe teams are so afraid to put the ball in his hands, they are willing to do just about anything, including illegally doctoring the ball.
Chiefs head coach Dick Vermeil told The NFL Today and SportsLine.com, through a team spokesman, he has accused the Houston Texans of forging or doctoring the special "K" ball teams use for kicks.
The NFL uses special balls labeled with a "K," along with other marks to denote these balls be utilized for kicking. The Chiefs allege the Texans beat up a ball to soften it and then added a K stamp to it to make it look regulation.
"We noticed there was something different about it, and we brought it to the game officials at the half," Vermeil said.
In the past, kickers put balls in dryers, scraped them across cement, put them in a sauna and performed other assorted tasks in order to soften the ball. The K-ball rule prevents this from happening and leads to fewer touchbacks.
According to Vermeil, after his players noticed the Texans were not using what they believed was a legal ball, the coach took a ball to the game crew. Vermeil was so baffled the Texans would allegedly use such a ploy, he phoned the league office the following morning to file a complaint.
"I don't know anything about that," Texans GM Charlie Casserly said. "I didn't hear any accusations during the game. None of our coaches mentioned anything after the game."
According to team sources, the Chiefs became suspicious when they saw a Texans ball boy sprint around the field to ensure he, and only he, retrieved the ball in question. Chiefs players said they began to watch the ball boy to figure out the mystery.
According to Chiefs coaches, Hall eventually grabbed one of the balls and, believing it to be doctored, brought it to the sideline for a second opinion. Enter Morten Anderson, a man who knows a thing or two about proper kicking balls, and the art of altering balls. Anderson immediately coined it a forgery and brought it to the coach.
"We believe that somebody from the Houston equipment department went ahead, got two balls, fabricated the stamp and put them in the sack," said one Chiefs official who requested anonymity and added he was miffed no action was being taken by the league. "They doctor the ball to soften it, which allows them to kick it further, which they would do to keep the ball from being returned.
"When you looked at the ball, it was obvious that something had been done to it. Nobody is supposed to touch those balls before a game."
After Vermeil talked with head of officiating Mike Pereira, the issue was looked into, but there was no evidence of any wrongdoing. In order to indict a team of such a serious accusation, the league would need the actual ball.
"I spoke to our equipment guys, and we did nothing wrong," Casserly said. "There is no basis for that. I will handle this with the league and Coach Vermeil."
The accusation was the talk of the Chiefs locker room late this week, and some joked teams will do just about anything now to play keep away from Hall.
By the way, Hall returned a kick for a touchdown in the game against the Texans.
http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/story/6697337
The Kansas City Chiefs possess the most feared return threat in the NFL in the explosive Dante Hall. They believe teams are so afraid to put the ball in his hands, they are willing to do just about anything, including illegally doctoring the ball.
Chiefs head coach Dick Vermeil told The NFL Today and SportsLine.com, through a team spokesman, he has accused the Houston Texans of forging or doctoring the special "K" ball teams use for kicks.
The NFL uses special balls labeled with a "K," along with other marks to denote these balls be utilized for kicking. The Chiefs allege the Texans beat up a ball to soften it and then added a K stamp to it to make it look regulation.
"We noticed there was something different about it, and we brought it to the game officials at the half," Vermeil said.
In the past, kickers put balls in dryers, scraped them across cement, put them in a sauna and performed other assorted tasks in order to soften the ball. The K-ball rule prevents this from happening and leads to fewer touchbacks.
According to Vermeil, after his players noticed the Texans were not using what they believed was a legal ball, the coach took a ball to the game crew. Vermeil was so baffled the Texans would allegedly use such a ploy, he phoned the league office the following morning to file a complaint.
"I don't know anything about that," Texans GM Charlie Casserly said. "I didn't hear any accusations during the game. None of our coaches mentioned anything after the game."
According to team sources, the Chiefs became suspicious when they saw a Texans ball boy sprint around the field to ensure he, and only he, retrieved the ball in question. Chiefs players said they began to watch the ball boy to figure out the mystery.
According to Chiefs coaches, Hall eventually grabbed one of the balls and, believing it to be doctored, brought it to the sideline for a second opinion. Enter Morten Anderson, a man who knows a thing or two about proper kicking balls, and the art of altering balls. Anderson immediately coined it a forgery and brought it to the coach.
"We believe that somebody from the Houston equipment department went ahead, got two balls, fabricated the stamp and put them in the sack," said one Chiefs official who requested anonymity and added he was miffed no action was being taken by the league. "They doctor the ball to soften it, which allows them to kick it further, which they would do to keep the ball from being returned.
"When you looked at the ball, it was obvious that something had been done to it. Nobody is supposed to touch those balls before a game."
After Vermeil talked with head of officiating Mike Pereira, the issue was looked into, but there was no evidence of any wrongdoing. In order to indict a team of such a serious accusation, the league would need the actual ball.
"I spoke to our equipment guys, and we did nothing wrong," Casserly said. "There is no basis for that. I will handle this with the league and Coach Vermeil."
The accusation was the talk of the Chiefs locker room late this week, and some joked teams will do just about anything now to play keep away from Hall.
By the way, Hall returned a kick for a touchdown in the game against the Texans.
http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/story/6697337