Tom Brady, Bill Belichick Deny Knowledge of Deflated Balls

Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

The New England Patriots returned to Gillette Stadium on Thursday to begin practice preparations for their Super Bowl matchup with the Seattle Seahawks, but the focus was on the deflated footballs that were supposedly used in the AFC Championship game this past Sunday.

Dozens upon dozens of reporters packed the stadium’s media room, eagerly awaiting word from head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady on the allegations that the team under-inflated 11 of their 12 game balls by two pounds.

Both Belichick and Brady washed their hands of any wrongdoing as the two claimed they were totally unaware of any tampering that may have taken place with the footballs. Their press conferences were dedicated entirely to the “deflate-gate” scandal.

Belichick took to the podium first around 9:30 a.m. He promptly denied having any prior knowledge regarding the footballs and the weight in which they were inflated to. In fact, the news came as a major “shock” to New England’s long-time coach.

“I was shocked to learn of the footballs on Monday. I had no knowledge until Monday morning. I’d say I’ve learned a lot more about this process in the last three days than I knew, or had talked about it, in the last 40 years that I’ve coached in this league,” Belichick said.

As head coach of the team, Belichick is a very busy man. He made it clear that his other duties make it impossible to pay any sort of attention to the weight of game balls.

“In my entire coaching career, I have never talked to any player or staff member about football air pressure,” he said. “The footballs are approved by the league and officials pregame, and we play with what’s out there. That’s the only way that I have ever thought about that,” Belichick added.

Belichick ultimately deflected the questioning to Brady, who took to the podium a few hours later, just after 4:00 p.m. He was immediately hammered with questions, but Brady maintained his innocence.

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"“I feel like I have always played within the rules,” Brady said. “I would never break the rules.”"

Brady outlined the process in which he goes about selecting game balls for the referees to inspect. He was quite detailed with his explanation as he highlighted his personal preferences.

“When I pick those footballs out, at that point, to me, they’re perfect. I don’t want anyone touching the balls after that. I don’t want anyone rubbing them, putting any air in them, taking any air out. To me, those balls are perfect, and that’s what I expect when I show up on the field,” Brady said of his footballs.

Brady went on to reveal that he likes his football to be inflated to 12.5 pounds per square inch, which is the lowest weight allowed by the NFL. He also stated that he was unable to tell the difference between the supposed under-inflated balls that were used in the first half and the normally inflated balls that were used in the second half.

“I’m not squeezing them, that’s not part of my process. I grab it. I feel the lace, the leather. I feel the tack on the ball. That’s really what you go for,” Brady said.

Whether folks choose to believe Brady and Belichick or not, there’s no substantial evidence linking them to the ball deflation. They gave no implicating answers during their pressers. The NFL can’t hand out punishment for a phony wrongdoing. The Patriots remain innocent until proven guilty.