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| Bill Belichick on DeflateGate: ‘I don’t have an explanation’ | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| New England Patriots Coach Bill Belichick, his reputation on the line over allegations that the team used underinflated footballs in the AFC championship game, strongly defended himself, distancing himself from the controversy, saying that he had “never touched a game ball,” that reporters should ask quarterback Tom Brady about the matter and that he would take steps to keep this from happening again. | New England Patriots Coach Bill Belichick, his reputation on the line over allegations that the team used underinflated footballs in the AFC championship game, strongly defended himself, distancing himself from the controversy, saying that he had “never touched a game ball,” that reporters should ask quarterback Tom Brady about the matter and that he would take steps to keep this from happening again. |
| “Tom’s personal preferences on footballs are something he can talk about in detail,” Belichick said in a lengthy statement. | “Tom’s personal preferences on footballs are something he can talk about in detail,” Belichick said in a lengthy statement. |
| Belichick said he “had no knowledge” of the controversy until Monday morning and was “shocked” to learn of the controversy. “When I came in Monday morning I was shocked to learn of the news reports of the footballs,” Belichick said. “I had no knowledge whatsoever of this situation until Monday morning. I’ve learned a lot more about this process in the last three days than I knew or had talked about in the last 40 years coaching in this league. | Belichick said he “had no knowledge” of the controversy until Monday morning and was “shocked” to learn of the controversy. “When I came in Monday morning I was shocked to learn of the news reports of the footballs,” Belichick said. “I had no knowledge whatsoever of this situation until Monday morning. I’ve learned a lot more about this process in the last three days than I knew or had talked about in the last 40 years coaching in this league. |
| Belichick, a coach who is known for controlling every facet of the football organization. spoke for about 10 minutes and was uncharacteristically expansive in sharing details of just what he knew and when. Clearly, his legacy is on the line as he takes the Patriots to the Super Bowl for the sixth time and DeflateGate is something that neither the NFL nor the Patriots wants to linger into the weekend, with players and media arriving in Phoenix on Sunday for Super Bowl week. | Belichick, a coach who is known for controlling every facet of the football organization. spoke for about 10 minutes and was uncharacteristically expansive in sharing details of just what he knew and when. Clearly, his legacy is on the line as he takes the Patriots to the Super Bowl for the sixth time and DeflateGate is something that neither the NFL nor the Patriots wants to linger into the weekend, with players and media arriving in Phoenix on Sunday for Super Bowl week. |
| “My entire coaching career, I have never talked to any player, staff member about football air pressure,” Belichick said. “That’s not a subject 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 I have ever thought about that.” | “My entire coaching career, I have never talked to any player, staff member about football air pressure,” Belichick said. “That’s not a subject 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 I have ever thought about that.” |
| His comments put the focus squarely on Brady now, who has said in the past that he prefers footballs that are underinflated. He will take questions from the media later Thursday. Belichick isn’t the first to suggest that any hanky-panky would have come at the direction of a quarterback. They’re notoriously finicky about footballs and Hall of Fame coach John Madden said Wednesday that Brady was the guy to talk to. | His comments put the focus squarely on Brady now, who has said in the past that he prefers footballs that are underinflated. He will take questions from the media later Thursday. Belichick isn’t the first to suggest that any hanky-panky would have come at the direction of a quarterback. They’re notoriously finicky about footballs and Hall of Fame coach John Madden said Wednesday that Brady was the guy to talk to. |
| Belichick took pains to explain just how little regard he has for footballs and his players’ preferences for certain ones. “Wet, sticky, cold, slippery — however bad we can make ‘em, we make ‘em. When players complain, I make ‘em worse.” Other than that, he said he has little interest in the footballs themselves and has no sympathy for players who wish footballs were different. | Belichick took pains to explain just how little regard he has for footballs and his players’ preferences for certain ones. “Wet, sticky, cold, slippery — however bad we can make ‘em, we make ‘em. When players complain, I make ‘em worse.” Other than that, he said he has little interest in the footballs themselves and has no sympathy for players who wish footballs were different. |
| The Patriots coach did promise that the issue would never come up again, saying he would take steps to ensure that balls are inflated to the league-mandated 12.5-13.5 pounds per square inch with margin to spare. “If a ball deflated from 13.2 to 12.9, it wouldn’t matter,” Belichick said, “If it deflated from 12.5 to 12.3 it would. As an example. We’ll take steps in the future to make sure we don’t put ourselves in that type of potential situation again.” | The Patriots coach did promise that the issue would never come up again, saying he would take steps to ensure that balls are inflated to the league-mandated 12.5-13.5 pounds per square inch with margin to spare. “If a ball deflated from 13.2 to 12.9, it wouldn’t matter,” Belichick said, “If it deflated from 12.5 to 12.3 it would. As an example. We’ll take steps in the future to make sure we don’t put ourselves in that type of potential situation again.” |
| Now, the attention turns to Brady. On Monday, in his only comments to this point, the three-time Super Bowl winner laughed off the budding DeflectGate, calling the idea “ridiculous” on a Boston radio show. “I think I’ve heard it all at this point,” Brady said with a laugh. “That’s the last of my worries. I don’t even respond to stuff like this.” | Now, the attention turns to Brady. On Monday, in his only comments to this point, the three-time Super Bowl winner laughed off the budding DeflectGate, calling the idea “ridiculous” on a Boston radio show. “I think I’ve heard it all at this point,” Brady said with a laugh. “That’s the last of my worries. I don’t even respond to stuff like this.” |
| He will now. | He will now. |
| More reading: | More reading: |
| Why the NFL can’t afford to bungle a scandal this time | Why the NFL can’t afford to bungle a scandal this time |
| Five questions answered about DeflateGate | Five questions answered about DeflateGate |
| Is Patriots’ legacy tainted? | Is Patriots’ legacy tainted? |