When science fair time comes around, fourth graders tend to take on modest projects: They compare plant fertilizers, for example, or construct paper mache volcanoes. Ace Davis, a 10-year old from Lexington, Kentucky, is more ambitious. He set out to determine whether New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, a four-time Super Bowl MVP, didn't play fair.
For the project, Davis concluded that yes, "Tom Brady is indeed a cheater."
The fourth-grader's take on the infamous "Deflategate" scandal earned him a first-place prize, according to his dad, Christopher Davis, who posted pictures of the project on Facebook.
"He's not a big fan of school," Ace's dad told CBS News. The project "was just an attempt to get him interested and excited."
Now, though, he writes, Ace Davis "is moving on to district."
In 2015, after their AFC Championship Game against the Indianapolis Colts, the Patriots were accused of intentionally deflating footballs they used while on offense. Softer balls have more grip, which benefits the quarterback. Plus they're easier to catch for receivers, since they bounce less.
Brady originally called the accusations "ridiculous" but, after an investigation, he was suspended for four games and the Patriots were fined $1 million.
Davis, who plays quarterback in a local recreational league, laid out his hypothesis on a tri-fold poster: "Through various testing measures of different weights (psi-pounds per square inch) of footballs, we should find that the under-inflated footballs provide a competitive advantage in a game."
To test his theory, he had family members toss balls, some more pumped up than others, in his backyard. After calculating average distances thrown, he found that the less full balls went further.
Conclusion: Tom Brady is indeed a cheater.Ace Davis's science fair project
The 10-year-old's methodology hasn't been peer reviewed, but it's probably compelling to the Tom Brady haters out there, and there's no shortage of those.
If he ever met Brady, Davis, a Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan, says he would tell the star he "needs to retire."
Brady, though, has shown no signs of slowing down. The 41-year-old is about to compete in his ninth Super Bowl, as the Patriots are set to face off against The Los Angeles Rams on February 3 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. You can still nab tickets, if you're willing to spend roughly $3,330 to $15,925.
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