NFL Investigation into Deflategate could be lengthy
By Matt Blanchette
twitter @mattabc6
A day after Patriots leaders Bill Belichick and Tom Brady told their side of the story, the NFL is now breaking its silence. The league confirming that the balls were indeed under–inflated in the first half, but were properly inflated for the second half.
The latest Patriots scandal is gripping the nation. Folks at every coffee shop, radio station and water cooler in America are talking about the same thing: Deflategate.
The NFL hired a private firm with forensic expertise to help in their investigation.
All three major network newscasts still leading with the scandal Friday morning. Quarterback Tom Brady was peppered with questions for over a half hour Thursday and today folks questioning his honesty.
“Is Tom Brady a cheater?” he was asked. “I don’t believe so,” Brady said.
“I just didn’t believe what Tom Brady had to say.” Brady’s response moving former NFL quarterback Mark Brunell to tears.
D’Qwell Jackson, the Colts linebacker who is attributed with blowing the whistle on the Patriots in the first place, denying those reports.
“I”m a linebacker–a defensive guy. So if anybody recognizes anything, it definitely wouldn’t come from me,” he said at the Pro Bowl.
The ball now in the NFL’s court. In a statement today the league says it’s conducted 40 interviews with league officials, members of the Patriots staff and others. And it expects to conduct more.
Brady said Thursday the league had not yet talked to him.
Meanwhile the Patriots still have a game to prepare for. “I don’t think anyone in this locker room is worried about it. We all know next Sunday we are going to get the best number 12 we have gotten all year,” safety Devin McCourty said.
Added Rob Gronkowski: “It’s the Super Bowl. Anything like this gets blown out of proportion no doubt about that.”
