Open Rants by ZOMBIEMAN

Yeah, yeah, I know. Who cares about kickers? Well, generally I don't either, but the fact remains that kickers across the NFL have not been getting it done this year in Fantasy or real life.

Tom Brady is the reason. This "Deflategate" scandal, in fact, brought strict scrutiny to any variation in the game balls.

The NFL rule book lays out not only the proper inflation weight, but also the color of the ball, the dimensions and shape it must be.

From the rule book: “The Ball must be a “Wilson,” hand selected, bearing the signature of the Commissioner of the League, Roger Goodell. The ball shall be made up of an inflated (12 1/2 to 13 1/2 pounds) urethane bladder enclosed in a pebble grained, leather case (natural tan color) without corrugations of any kind. It shall have the form of a prolate spheroid and the size and weight shall be: long axis, 11 to 11 1/4 inches; long circumference, 28 to 28 1/2 inches; short circumference, 21 to 21 1/4 inches; weight, 14 to 15 ounces. The Referee shall be the sole judge as to whether all balls offered for play comply with these specifications. A pump is to be furnished by the home club, and the balls shall remain under the supervision of the Referee until they are delivered to the ball attendant just prior to the start of the game.”

This new enforcement of the rule, that was probably just to make sure Tom Brady didn't "cheat", has very drastically affected the performance of kickers in the NFL.

Stephen Gostkowski is on my league's waiver wire. So is Blair Walsh and Steven Hauschka. 3 of the top kickers in recent years. 

They have all been terrible. Why? Well it appears to me that Quarterbacks weren't the only ones who liked their footballs a certain way. Who would have thought that the kickers were adding air, deflating air, scruffing up the ball, etc. to enhance their performance?

Yes, I am ranting about kickers, which is crazy enough, but the fact remains that a majority of NFL kickers are not getting it done this year. 

Ball inflation enforcement is real and the kickers in the NFL can thank Tom Brady for that.