Deflategate Media Day Brings More Questions Than Answers

Friday, January 23, 2015

Matt LaPan, Go Local Sports Reporter

 

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Bill Belichick addressed the media about Deflate Gate on Thursday

The New England Patriots are preparing to partake in their 6th Super Bowl in the Tom Brady-Bill Belichick era. They will be taking on the Seattle Seahawks in a matchup of the NFL’s elite teams. Yet the coverage around the Super Bowl has not been on the game, but rather on the recent scandal that has rocked New England — Deflategate.

Deflate Gate

The Patriots have been found to have used under-inflated footballs in their AFC Championship game, a scandal that is dominating the NFL news landscape this week. After more reports have surfaced in recent days, the Patriots finally had a chance to address the reports and give their thoughts.

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Bill Belichick and Tom Brady addressed the media from the podium while other members of the Patriots addressed the media from the locker room.

Bill Belichick

Belichick was first to address the media, choosing to deliver a candid opening statement that lasted close to six minutes. Belichick opened his press conference by stating that he was “shocked” when he learned of the report about deflated balls when he came to Gillette Stadium on Monday morning.

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Bill Belichick

Belichick continued, “I’m trying to coach the team and that’s what I want to do. I think we all know that quarterbacks, kickers, specialists have certain preferences on footballs. They know a lot more about it than I do. They’re a lot more sensitive to it than I am. I hear them comment on it from time to time, but I can tell you and they will tell you that there is never any sympathy whatsoever from me on that subject. Zero. Tom’s [Brady] personal preferences on his footballs are something he can take about in much better detail and information than I could possibly provide. I could tell you that in my entire coaching career I have never talked to any player, staff member about football air pressure. That is not a subject that I have ever brought up. To me the footballs are approved by the league and game officials pregame and we play with what’s out there. That’s the only way that I have ever thought about that.”

Belichick, much like the rest of the Patriots, went on to say how disappointing it was that Deflate Gate was overshadowing the team’s great playoff run. “It’s unfortunate that this is a story coming off of two great playoff victories by our football team and our players,” Belichick said. “But again, we’ve been cooperative with the NFL investigation. We’ll continue to do so and we will turn all our attention and focus on to the Seattle Seahawks, a very well coached, talented, tough, competitive football team.”

Belichick concluded his press conference by claiming “I don’t have any explanation for what happened” repeatedly before leaving the podium.

Following the Belichick press conference, the Patriots announced that Tom Brady would be speaking later in the day, moving his official press conference up one day.

Before Tom Brady took the podium, the Patriots had an open locker room session where some players chose to address the situation as well. One of those players was receiver Brandon LaFell. "They can call us whatever they want,” LaFell said when asked about the Patriots being called cheaters in the wake of the scandal. “We’re playing in the Super Bowl and that’s what we’re focused on."

LaFell was also asked about the ball feeling different against the Colts. "No,” he said. “All game it was cold. The ball was hard all game. It wasn’t a difference for me."

LaFell was not the only player to speak, however. Devlin McCourty also took a chance to address the situation when he was asked about the ability to feel the difference in an under-inflated ball as a defender. "When I get an interception, I'm pretty excited,” McCourty stated. “I’ve never squeezed the ball and felt anything."

Tom Brady

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Tom Brady

All of this was a precursor to Tom Brady’s press conference. More than 25 television camera’s and dozens of reporters from both local and national media flocked to the Patriots press room. The press conference lasted over 30 minutes and consisted of a multitude of questions. Brady’s press conference started with a very direct question, “When and how did you supposedly alter the balls?” Brady appeared to be seriously effected by the question, but replied, “I didn’t have any – I didn’t alter the ball in any way. I have a process that I go through before every game where I go in and I pick the footballs that I want to use for the game. Our equipment guys do a great job of breaking the balls in. they have a process that they go through. 

“When I pick those balls 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. That happened obviously on Sunday night. It was the same process that I always go through. I didn’t think anything of it. Obviously I woke up Monday morning and answered a question on the radio about it and that was the first I really hard about it.”

Throughout the lengthy press conference Brady continually stated that he had no knowledge of any wrongdoing. Brady was asked the same question multiple times, repeatedly answering with the same answers. Brady went over what he believed the ideal range of inflation was and whether he felt a difference against the Colts.

The entire day was concluded by Brady informing the media that he had not been contacted by the NFL in the investigation into "Bounty" Gate. This was followed by D’Qwell Jackson, the player that was indicated by media members as saying that the ball he intercepted was under-inflated, saying that he never made that claim during, or after the game in an interview with NFL.com’s Jeff Darlington.

Following the day of media questions, Patriots answers and awkward situations, there are more questions than there are answers in Deflategate. While the scandal is not over, as we await the official ruling from the NFL, the day might have given Patriots and NFL fans a chance to do one thing — start to focus on the actual Super Bowl game.

 

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