Great Presser.
What BB suggested was that in "preparing" the footballs as allowed, their tests showed that the balls could later lose 1.5 lbs. of pressure. He described "preparing" as adjusting the exterior feel of the footballs.
Maybe the Pats filled the footballs rapidly with an automatic device at 72 degrees. Maybe they then "prepared" them by rubbing the exterior with some kind of strap or cloth with some grit to it that improves the feel. I'm imagining something like a shoe shine. The temperature of the ball increases and so does the pressure. They give the balls to Brady and the refs to approve, and tell the refs to set the pressure at 12.5, which the refs do. Later the pressure of the footballs sinks as the heated exterior cools and as the air inside the ball reaches the outer temperature (50 degrees).
From Belichik's description of preparing footballs and their internal tests showing a later loss of pressure, this seems like a logical conclusion from his press conference.
This again would be within the letter of the rules (and even the spirit) since "preparing" the exterior feel of the footballs was explicitly allowed.
In any event, the whole circus is and was a complete non-issue.
With 32 teams, 97% or so of all fans are not going to be Patriot fans. (Maybe our percentage is higher, but you get the point.) When you're in the Super Bowl 6 times in 14 years, 9 AFC title games, 12 Division titles, other fans and owners are going to be more than a little sick of you, and they're going to jump on every little thing.
I don't think the taping was a big deal. I don't think this is a big deal.
Brain injuries, murder and other felonies, battering women, intentionally injuring opponents, steroids and other medical treatments that can result in permanent harm -- those are serious issues.
The taping and the ball pressure is, comparatively speaking, nothing. Give the Pats a slap on the wrist if you must, but get on with the game and stop enabling the jealous losers and media hacks who play to the public opinion of the vast majority of fans who support other (less successful) teams.