Sarris Candies displays “deflategate” chocolate football
CANONSBURG – Sarris Candies confectioners are getting some “kicks” out of their latest creation. The “Bradie” ball is every bit as sweet as the other chocolate footballs they sell, but has a noticeable dip in its side.
This “deflategate” delicacy isn’t putting a dent in anyone’s day, though. It has customers in stitches.
“We just did it for something cute to post online, just for fun, to see what people do,” said owner Bill Sarris.
Many are speculating on – and the NFL is investigating – how the New England Patriots came to be using underinflated footballs during their AFC championship game victory, but Sarris took a lighter approach in its commentary. Well, not too light – the hollow, milk chocolate football weighs about two-and-a-half pounds.
Sarris employees posted a picture of the Bradie ball on social media Tuesday and jokingly exaggerated its weight.
“Net weight 13 lbs … Oops! We meant 11.2 lbs,” read the caption. “Bradie,” named for a particular Patriot, was misspelled to avoid any thorny legal issues.
Three hours after being posted on Facebook, the Bradie ball had nearly 700 “likes” and was shared more than 600 times. Many people commented they “love it,” and one woman said she laughed so hard she snorted.
But laughs turned into deflated hopes when Sarris managers revealed the item wasn’t for sale. Sarris said the store received about 30 calls Tuesday from people interested in purchasing a Bradie ball.
They were mostly Steelers fans who “wanted to beat up on New England,” he joked.
Sarris uses a mold for its regular chocolate footballs, which weigh about 16 ounces apiece. Die-hard football fans can even purchase a 48-ounce chocolate football helmet that costs $60.
Molding the football into a misshapen masterpiece was easier said than done, though. Confectioners started working on the Bradie ball at 6 a.m., and had to dump a few duds before figuring out how to give it a deflated appearance.
As for the winning deflategate technique? Sarris isn’t sharing.
“You’ll have to ask the Patriots how they did it,” he said. “We’re not giving the secret away.”