"Short Wave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 31 Dec 2007 13:26:14 -0800 (PST), Chuck Gould
wrote:

Wet and cold won't favor either team. Did you know the 'Hawks practice
with a wet football? They dunk it into a garbage can filled with water
before every practice snap. More accurately replicates the usual
playing conditions.

A lot of teams do that if the weather is going to be questionable.

People don't realise this, but the problem with throwing a wet weather
football isn't the grip - it's the weight. American footballs are
made with a special patented Chemical process called Grip-Tite and
grip is further enhanced by the special pebbling process used when the
leather is tanned and formed. Under certain conditions, an American
football can gain as much as 6 ounces of weight.

Which is not to say that wet, cold footballs don't have gripping
problems, but the main problem is the variable weight.

Comparison chart... http://www.13thman.com/cflvsnfl.html