UNITED STATES NEWS

Brady: Deflated balls scandal doesn’t taint Super Bowl win

May 7, 2015, 10:37 PM

FILE – In this Jan. 18, 2015, file photo, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady looks to...

FILE - In this Jan. 18, 2015, file photo, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady looks to pass during the first half of the NFL football AFC Championship game against the Indianapolis Colts in Foxborough, Mass. An NFL investigation has found that New England Patriots employees likely deflated footballs and that quarterback Tom Brady was "at least generally aware" of the rules violations. The 243-page report released Wednesday, May 6, 2015, said league investigators found no evidence that coach Bill Belichick and team management knew of the practice. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)

(AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)

SALEM, Mass. (AP) — New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said Thursday night the scandal surrounding his use of deflated footballs in the NFL playoff last season hasn’t detracted in any way from his Super Bowl title.

“Absolutely not,” Brady told a friendly university crowd in his first public appearance since an NFL investigation concluded Brady likely knew Patriots employees were cheating.

“We earned everything we got and achieved as a team, and I am proud of that and so are our fans,” he said.

Brady declined to discuss his thoughts about the 243-page report that said that he was likely at least aware two team employees were breaking rules by deflating footballs for him.

“I don’t really have any reaction. It has only been 30 hours. I’ve not had much time to digest it,” Brady said. “When I do I will be sure to let you know how I feel about it. And everybody else.”

Brady said he will address things more once things play out and he is more comfortable. Brady is still waiting to see whether the league will discipline him with a fine, suspension or both.

“There is a process going forward and I am involved in this process,” he said.

Asked whether public backlash is bothering him, Brady said he accepts his role as a public figure and has people who support him and help him get through it.

“As a human you care about what people think. I think also as a public figure you learn not everyone is going to like you,” he said. “Good, bad or indifferent there are a lot of people who don’t like Tom Brady, and I am OK with that.”

The report by Ted Wells, an independent investigator hired by the NFL, found some of Brady’s claims implausible in explaining why balls were underinflated during the Patriots’ 45-7 win against Indianapolis in the AFC title game.

The superstar quarterback spoke at a Q&A session moderated by sportscaster Jim Gray during a previously scheduled, sold-out event at Salem State University. He arrived by helicopter for the talk on leadership, avoiding a long line of fans outside and media waiting for him to enter. The event was delayed more than 30 minutes to allow fans to file in, including some wearing Brady jerseys. During the wait, the crowd chanted “Brady” and “MVP,” then gave him a standing ovation as he walked in.

Gray said the session would largely stick to subjects they planned previously when they arranged the talk four months ago. But he acknowledged the difficulty in avoiding one of the hottest topics in sports.

“There’s an elephant in the room,” Gray said.

“Where?” Brady responded.

Gray shot back: “You might be the only one in the room who does not see it.”

Gray did not ask Brady directly whether he cheated or about specific issues raised in the report, including text messages and phone conversations that indicated the employees were trading autographed footballs and sneakers for doctoring the balls for Brady.

The NFL requires a range of 12.5-13.5 pounds per square inch of air. Footballs with less pressure can be easier to grip and catch. Some quarterbacks prefer footballs that have less air, and Brady played a role in a 2006 rewriting of the rules that allowed visiting teams to supply the footballs it would use on offense.

The first four minutes of the hour-long session were devoted to Brady’s reaction to the report. The subject did not come up again.

Brady seemed at ease throughout the event, which included questions about Seattle coach Pete Carroll’s ill-fated call for a pass that was intercepted in the end zone by cornerback Malcom Butler in the final minute of the Super Bowl.

“It was more of a great defensive play than a bad offensive play,” Brady said.

He laughed when asked about a recent online video showing him jumping off a cliff into water in Costa Rica.

“It was kind of a spur of the moment thing,” he said. “I’ll never do it again.”

And he reiterated that a “family commitment” kept him from the recent White House ceremony honoring the champion Patriots.

“Did the team go?” Brady said to laughter. “If we get that opportunity (next year) there’s no doubt I’ll be there.”

Earlier Thursday, Brady’s agent, Don Yee, said the NFL was determined to blame Brady for deflated footballs, while the investigation omitted key facts and buried others.

The team didn’t respond to requests from The Associated Press seeking comment about the report from Brady and Patriots coach Bill Belichick. The Patriots didn’t make anyone available on Thursday, canceling prior plans to allow two players to be interviewed during voluntary team workouts held at the team’s headquarters in Foxborough.

The report didn’t find any evidence that Belichick or the coaching staff knew anything about deflating the balls.

The Patriots are scheduled to play their opener against the Steelers in the kickoff game of the NFL regular season on Sept. 10.

___

AP Pro Football Writer Barry Wilner in New York contributed to this report.

___

AP NFL websites: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

United States News

Pages from the United Healthcare website are displayed on a computer screen, Feb. 29, 2024, in New ...

Associated Press

UnitedHealth says wide swath of patient files may have been taken in Change cyberattack

The company said after markets closed that it sees no signs that doctor charts or full medical histories were released after the attack.

39 minutes ago

Associated Press

The Rev. Cecil Williams, who turned San Francisco’s Glide Church into a refuge for many, has died

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The Rev. Cecil Williams, who with his late wife turned Glide Church in San Francisco into a world-renowned haven for people suffering from poverty and homelessness and living on the margins, has died. He was 94. Williams and his wife, Janice Marikitami, who passed away in 2021, appeared in Will Smith’s […]

1 hour ago

...

Amy Donaldson, KSL Podcasts

The Letter: Sense of dread precedes second 1982 Millcreek Canyon murder

This true crime podcast details the second man killed in a double murder outside a Millcreek Canyon restaurant in 1982.

2 hours ago

Associated Press

Alabama lawmakers advance bill to ensure Biden is on the state’s ballot

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — The Alabama Senate voted Tuesday for legislation meant to ensure President Joe Biden will appear on the state’s November ballot, mirroring accommodations made four years ago for then-President Donald Trump. The issue of Biden’s ballot access has arisen in Alabama and Ohio as Republican secretaries of state warn that certification deadlines […]

2 hours ago

Associated Press

Transgender Tennessee woman sues over state’s refusal to change the sex designation on her license

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A transgender Tennessee woman sued the state’s Department of Safety and Homeland Security on Tuesday after officials refused to change the sex on her driver’s license to match her gender identity. The lawsuit was filed in Davidson County Chancery Court in Nashville under the pseudonym Jane Doe by the American Civil […]

2 hours ago

Associated Press

Ex-police officer pleads guilty to punching man in custody about 13 times

BOSTON (AP) — A former Weymouth, Massachusetts, police officer pleaded guilty Tuesday to assaulting a man in his custody nearly two years ago by punching him about a dozen times without justification. Justin Chappell, 43, pleaded guilty to one count of deprivation of rights under color of law, according to federal prosecutors. U.S. District Court […]

3 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

...

DISC Desert Institute for Spine Care

Sciatica pain is treatable but surgery may be required

Sciatica pain is one of the most common ailments a person can face, and if not taken seriously, it could become one of the most harmful.

...

Collins Comfort Masters

Here’s 1 way to ensure your family is drinking safe water

Water is maybe one of the most important resources in our lives, and especially if you have kids, you want them to have access to safe water.

...

Day & Night Air Conditioning, Heating and Plumbing

Day & Night is looking for the oldest AC in the Valley

Does your air conditioner make weird noises or a burning smell when it starts? If so, you may be due for an AC unit replacement.

Brady: Deflated balls scandal doesn’t taint Super Bowl win