Patriots' Tom Brady: 'I wouldn't do anything to break the rules'

[Stephen Retired]

Source: USA Today

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady addressed the team's Deflategate controversy Thursday afternoon.

"I didn't alter the ball in any way," said Brady, explaining he has a "process" to select the balls prior to any game, including Sunday's 45-7 AFC Championship Game victory over the Indianapolis Colts.

"I don't want anyone touching the balls after that ... to me those balls are perfect," he said of his pregame routine.

"Now that happened (balls were altered) obviously on Sunday night." However, he said he didn't detect a change over the course of Sunday night and didn't notice any difference in air pressure between the first and second halves of the game.

"I didn't think twice about it," said Brady. "Once I approve the ball, that's the ball I expect out there on the field."

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/patriots/2015/01/22/tom-brady-deflategate-reaction-underinflated-balls-bill-belichick-colts/22172661/

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See? No scandal here!

[bravenak]

1. So- is he saying he picks deflated balls?nt

[Stephen Retired]

2. He's saying he picks the balls he's comfortable with

They've already been inflated. It's like feeling eggs before you boil them, so you get a sense of which ones are likely not to bust.

[King_Klonopin]

32. Or like the tomato squeeze test ... nt

And the officiating crew does their own "test" after the QB.

[George II]

4. They have to be inspected by the officials before the game.

[bravenak]

6. I hope they give those balls a proper rubbing and squeezing in the future.

[lovemydog]

16. With just the right amount of pressure.

Too much and they can explode.

[MissDeeds]

14. Good point

The officials should be an important part of the investigation.

[tabasco]

41. And then they're given back to the team for pre-game

What's your point?

[George II]

43. My point is that about 2 hours before the game they met the regulations. Then...

...all throughout the game one official touched the ball before EVERY play. Funny how that person didn't notice anything funny but a Colt's defensive player, who touched the ball once (an interception) noticed that something was wrong.

People are blaming Belichick, Brady, and the Patriots. But how about the official who spotted the ball before EVERY play - was he sleeping? Didn't he notice a difference between the Patriots' balls and the Colts' balls during the first half?

[geek tragedy]

3. "I am not a crook." nt

[George II]

5. Has ANYONE thought of inspecting the Colts balls to see what pressure THEY were?

[NobodyHere]

9. They were inspected

and every ball had an acceptable PSI

[George II]

17. Was this after the game or the usual pre-game inspection?

[ColesCountyDem]

18. What I've gathered from the news coverage is this:

The 12 balls supplied by the Colts were checked pre-game, at half time and post-game, and were found to be properly inflated.

[NobodyHere]

33. Checked at the same time as the Pats deflated balls.

nt

[MissDeeds]

12. Good point

The Pats didn't need to cheat to win the game; they were favored to win. The question is who would benefit most by discrediting the Patriots.

[christx30]

30. Al-Queda? King George III? n/t

[Angleae]

31. There are 4 teams that could benefit from it.

If the Patriots ultimately lose draft picks, Buffalo, Miami, and New York (Jets) could be boosted. Also the Seahawks due to the constant questioning taking away from preparation for the Super Bowl.

[liberalhistorian]

36. Just because someone or some group

doesn't need to cheat doesn't mean that they won't. I grew up with teacher parents, who saw more than their fair share of smart students cheating when they didn't need to do so.

And BeliCHEAT and the Cheatriots already have a history of this. It wouldn't surprise me at all if they pulled this off.

[Happyhippychick]

7. He thinks his balls are perfect but they were deflated

Typical

[George II]

10. He didn't say they were deflated.

I mentioned this elsewhere here, did anyone think of inspecting the Colts' balls too? Who knows, they might have been in the same condition. How often do they inspect balls during or after a game in the course of the regular season?

I wouldn't be surprised if this is something that is very common but no one whined about it before.

[Happyhippychick]

11. I didn't say that he said they were deflated. I said he thinks they were perfect.

But I was really just making a joke about men and balls.

[tishaLA]

8. "...but I would let Josh McDaniels do it for me" nt

[Dr. Strange]

20. Why would you say something like that about McDaniels?

He doesn't have a history of cheatin--

Oh, never mind.

[TerrapinFlyer]

13. People are becoming obessed with BALLS...

I am not a Patriots or a Colts fan....

The Patriots crushed the Colts. They could have used a basketball, and the score would have been the same.

People need to stop whining about the balls. It's a GAME!

[frylock]

15. doesn't change a thing

[TerrapinFlyer]

19. What "doesn't change a thing".. your post?

meanwhile to World continues on....

[liberalhistorian]

37. It doesn't matter if they would have won

anyway. Cheating is cheating, period. In fact, its kind of worse when a person or team would have won or passed anyway and yet they cheated. It's like saying that a student shouldn't be punished for cheating because they would have passed anyway. Yes, they very well may have, but that still doesn't excuse their cheating or make it right.

[TerrapinFlyer]

40. I am assuming you have the proof they cheated....

otherwise you are just another obsessed ball conspiracy theorist.

[liberalhistorian]

42. No, I don't have absolute proof

and we can't know for sure yet what, if anything, really happened or who was responsible. I'm saying IF it turns out to be true then it is still wrong regardless of whether or not they would have won anyway.

I seem to recall "spygate" being dismissed and considered a "conspiratorial" attempt to "discredit" the Pats, also, before the truth came out and it cost the team big time.

And nice red herring there. Instead of addressing whether or not cheating is wrong even if you'd have won otherwise, you do nothing but throw around the words "obsessed" and "conspiracy."

[C Moon]

21. Am I mistaken, or did they play better in the 2nd half (with the inflated footballs).

[Nyc72dem]

28. They played WAY better

blown up media crap

[madokie]

22. I don't see a problem here

except with those who want there to be a problem here

[oberliner]

23. Unless he's lying

Which he almost certainly is.

[madokie]

24. In your eyes he is anyway

but that only matters to you and like minded individuals. To me it matters not

[oberliner]

25. And every football player who has been asked

Have you read/seen Mark Brunell or Jerome Bettis's comments to name just two?

[madokie]

26. Let it rest

It really is not an advantage whether the ball was right on, under or over inflated. It mattered not to the outcome of that game. The patriots kicked the colts ass up one side of the field and down the other the whole game and at one point the pressure was right on according to what I read

Let it rest and lets get on with important things that need to be discussed that might make a difference.

[oberliner]

27. OK I'm good with that

But I still think Brady lied about it.

[liberalhistorian]

38. Really? His being a liar wouldn't

matter? Wow.

[Raster]

29. I'll take one for the Team! I volunteer to check Tom Brady's balls.

Sometimes you just got to step up and do what's right!

[shawn703]

34. It's an intention to cheat

Whether or not the Patriots needed to cheat to win (a 38 point victory would suggest they didn't need to do it) is irrelevant.

If a Republican happens to win in 2016 by 4 points and only intended to steal 2 or 3 points through vote flipping, would it be okay to dismiss it as inconsequential since without the vote flipping the Republican would have won anyway?

[liberalhistorian]

39. Thank you. That's the very point

I've been trying to get across and you've said it much better than me.

[liberalhistorian]

35. ROFLMAO!

Thank you for the comedy break, Mr. Brady, I sure needed it this morning. LOL.