If you were wondering what the hell the NFL was up to after New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady spilled that he had not even talked to so much as an intern at Thursday’s press conference, worry no more. The NFL released a statement on DeflateGate and the continuing investigation.
“Our office has been conducting an investigation as to whether the footballs used in last Sunday’s AFC Championship Game complied with the specifications that are set forth in the playing rules,” the NFL said. “The investigation began based on information that suggested that the game balls used by the New England Patriots were not properly inflated to levels required by the playing rules, specifically Playing Rule 2, Section 1, which requires that the ball be inflated to between 12.5 and 13.5 pounds per square inch. Prior to the game, the game officials inspect the footballs to be used by each team and confirm that this standard is satisfied, which was done before last Sunday’s game.”
You can read the NFL’s full statement here.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft issued his own statement Friday afternoon.
Robert Kraft statement on #DeflateGate: pic.twitter.com/7jX09cFzFv
— WBUR (@WBUR) January 23, 2015
The investigation will be led by NFL Executive Vice President Jeff Pash and lawyer Ted Wells. If Wells’ name looks familiar, it’s because he led the investigation into the Miami Dolphins during the Richie Incognito/Jonathan Martin bullying scandal in 2013.
While no one from the NFL has talked to Brady, according to the statement they’ve spent the last week at the Patriots’ facilities conducting around 40 interviews with personnel and game officials. They’ve also gotten their hands on “electronic” information, physical evidence and, supposedly “video evidence” that, if true, may snap the universe in twain under the weight of its own irony.
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In the wake of the probe, it’s important to look at what we know for sure as of Friday morning.
-The original report from ESPN’s Chris Mortenson that 11 of the 12 footballs the Patriots used in the first half of the AFC Championship were under-inflated by 2 PSI may not be true. In fact, according to Sports Illustrated’s Peter King, all 12 of the Patriots footballs were under-inflated.
-The officials checked all 12 of the Patriots footballs and all 12 of the Colts footballs at halftime. The Colts footballs were properly inflated and remained at the same PSI even after the game concluded, so every meteorologist or climate expert out there trying to figure out how nature helped the Patriots cheat, you can drop it. They’re busted.
-After the Patriots’ footballs were inflated to the proper PSI at half time, they were weighed again at the end of the game. There was no change in weight, meaning, unequivocally, that the 12 footballs were tampered with by a human being, with air pressure specifically removed, after the refs original pre-game inspection. There is no other explanation.
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Needless to say, the idea that Tom Brady had no idea that the footballs were under-inflated has met with incredulity by his fellow NFL quarterbacks, retired or currently playing.
“On the ball situation, I think you should question the ball boys and it usually comes back to the special teams and the quarterback,” said Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo.
Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Fame quarterback and CBS analyst Terry Bradshaw mocked the very idea that Brady wasn’t behind the balls being deflated.
“Honestly I can’t imagine a ball boy, after Tom Brady has picked out the balls he wants, saying ‘OK Tom’s outta here, let’s drop two pounds,'” Bradshaw said. “I don’t see that happening. I have a hard time believing that someone would take it on their own to drop two pounds. That’s inconceivable to me.”
Dallas Cowboys Hall of Fame QB Troy Aikman believes the Patriots, and specifically Tom Brady, have been cheating like this for years.
“In terms of taking air out of the footballs, that didn’t just happen in the AFC Championship game,” Aikman said. “There’s no way it didn’t occur all these years and then all of the sudden going into the biggest game of this season, Tom Brady says, ‘Hey let’s take a little air out of the balls.’ This has been going on for a while. It’s obvious that Tom Brady had something to do with this.”
Aikman believes the NFL should come down hard on Belichick and the Patriots, harder even than they did on the New Orleans Saints for the BountyGate scandal, in which coach Sean Payton and then defensive coordinator Gregg Williams were suspended for an entire season.
“Now twice under Bill Belichick, and possibly a third time, they’ve cheated and given themselves an advantage,” Aikman said. “To me, the punishment for the Patriots and/or Bill Belichick has to be more severe than what the punishment was for the New Orleans Saints.”
That much should be obvious, but the question is, does NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell have the stones to do it? Especially before the Super Bowl on Feb. 1.
“I think there’s a great deal of pressure on Roger Goodell in light of everything that’s happened this year and the way that he’s handled all of these situations,” Aikman said. “And hasn’t handled them particularly well, by the way. (A punishment) is going to have to be handed down pretty quickly I would think to put everyone’s mind at ease before everyone gets to Phoenix for the Super Bowl.”
The sooner the better.
