:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/46337802/usa-today-8274461.0.jpg)
Anyone that has read the Wells Report has realized that it isn't always clear what Jim McNally, nicknamed "Bird", and John Jastremski are texting about. Despite the explanations the two men gave for the texts, Ted Wells chose to believe there was some nefarious hidden meaning.
Take this text from Bird (Jim McNally) to John Jastremski at 18:01:08 (6:01:08 PM) EST on 11/30/2014:
Deflate and give somebody that jkt.
Is that some secret message to deflate footballs, and what actually is a jkt?
On that exact date, at that exact time, the New England Patriots were playing the Green Bay Packers in Green Bay. In fact, Aaron Rodgers had just thrown a TD pass to Jordy Nelson over Darrelle Revis' with 14 seconds left in the first half. Darrelle Revis wasn't too happy about the situation.
Since McNally only works home games, he was at home watching Jastremski on TV when he sent the text. What was John Jastremski doing at that moment?
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/3698352/qHWtafL.0.png)
He was standing on the sidelines holding a jacket. Could that be the mysterious jkt from the text?
Since this was an away game, and Green Bay staff or officials would be transporting the balls from the field at the half, it is highly improbable Jastremski would be able to deflate any balls at all. After all there was 14 seconds left in the half, and Wells pointed out that you need closer to 70 seconds to blindly deflate footballs. Besides Jastremski looks like he has his hands full. Also, since New England lost the game, doing almost nothing offensively in the second half, the results of any deflation certainly didn't give them any advantage.
Is there another explanation?
Could it be that Bird saw his extremely thin buddy looking overinflated on the sidelines and as a joke told him to deflate himself?
Unless I was Ted Wells, I'd say, "More likely than not."
Special thanks to 16ghostly for seeing Jastremski in the video and synching it to the text.
Also thanks to groud9 for the video capture and Johnny Appleseed putting the picture together.