Posted on 01/22/2015 7:45:17 AM PST by Red Badger
Bill Belichick said he did not know how the Patriots footballs became underinflated in Sundays game. By Matt PepinGlobe Staff January 22, 2015
Coach Bill Belichick said he did not know of any issue with the Patriots game balls in Sundays AFC Championship, and did not learn the league was investigating his team until Monday morning.
He also said he did not know how the Patriots footballs became underinflated during the game.
I have no explanation for what happened, he said.
It was Belichicks first appearance since news emerged that 11 of 12 footballs the Patriots used against the Colts in the AFC Championship were underinflated. He gave a lengthy opening statement, but responded to questions only by saying he had no more to say about it.
When I came in Monday morning, I was shocked to learn of the news reports about the footballs. I had no knowledge whatsoever of this situation until Monday morning. Id say Ive learned a lot more about this process in the last three days than I knew or had talked about it in the last 40 years, Belichick said.
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David L. Ryan/Globe Staff
Bill Belichick said he did not know how the Patriots footballs became underinflated in Sundays game. By Matt PepinGlobe Staff January 22, 2015
Coach Bill Belichick said he did not know of any issue with the Patriots game balls in Sundays AFC Championship, and did not learn the league was investigating his team until Monday morning.
He also said he did not know how the Patriots footballs became underinflated during the game.
I have no explanation for what happened, he said.
It was Belichicks first appearance since news emerged that 11 of 12 footballs the Patriots used against the Colts in the AFC Championship were underinflated. He gave a lengthy opening statement, but responded to questions only by saying he had no more to say about it.
When I came in Monday morning, I was shocked to learn of the news reports about the footballs. I had no knowledge whatsoever of this situation until Monday morning. Id say Ive learned a lot more about this process in the last three days than I knew or had talked about it in the last 40 years, Belichick said. View Gallery Photos: Belichick speaks about Deflategate controversy
Patriots coach Bill Belichick spoke to the media Thursday morning on issues surrounding underinflated balls used during the AFC Championship game.
Belichick said he does not concern himself much with the condition of game balls, although he acknowledged players would have a greater interest in it.
I think we all know that quarterbacks, kickers, specialists, have certain preferences on footballs, they know a lot more about it than I do, theyre a lot more sensitive than I am, and I hear them comment on it from time to time, so I can tell you, and they will tell you, that there is never any sympathy whatsoever from me on that subject, Belichick said.
Belichick said he did not know quarterback Tom Bradys preferences for game balls.
Toms personal preferences on his footballs are something that he can talk about in much better detail and information than I could possibly provide, Belichick said. I can tell you in my coaching career I have never talked to any player, staff member, about football air pressure. That is now 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 whats out there. And thats the only way I have ever thought about that.
Belichick said prior to this issue emerging, he was unaware of the exact process by which game balls were prepared and handled.
Let me just say that my personal coaching philosophy and my mentality has always been to make things as difficult as possible for players in practice, and so with regard to footballs, Im sure that any current or past player of mine will tell you that the balls we practice with are as bad as they can be. Wet, sticky, cold, slippery, however bad we can make them, I make them, Belichick said. Any time the players complain about the quality of the footballs, I make them worse.
The Patriots face the Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX on Feb. 1.
Quarterback Tom Brady is scheduled to meet with the media on Thursday at approximately 4 p.m.
NFL Ping!..............
Belichick vows to find the real deflaters
..here ya go Bill, it wasn't hard to find them
...and send them a strongly worded letter!
I see coach gets his information the same place POTUS does.
ESPN?..............
For the uninformed “me”, could somebody explain what deflation does?
Tom is going to say that he told "someone" the balls seemed a little on the hard side.
He doesn't know if anyone did anything to the balls.
The NFL cannot find anyone responsible for doing this.
The NFL knows this is a non-issue and will fine the Patriots $75,000 (what the rule book calls for ball tampering).
Rules committee will recommend Refs/Umps be in charge of all game-day footballs for next year (similar to MLB).
Let's just play some football.
This is what water-boarding is for.
Bill Belicheat -
“Hey I’m just the coach, I only run this whole team, why’s everybody dumping on me??”
I’m not a Seahawks fan, but I’ll sure as hell root for them on SB XLIX...............pronounced ‘ExLix’.............
Sean Peyton was told by the NFL that he should have known if he didn’t he should have and suspended him a year with lost of pay.
Well that settles that issue. Oops I thought this was something about Obama.
1. Is there a video of the incident?
2. Did the league receive a copy of the video?
3. Did the league watch the video?
4. Was Ray Rice involved?
5. Can we work Michael Sam into this?
I suspect a ‘ball handler’ on the sidelines did it. They were inspected over two hours before the game and passed. That’s a lot of time for mischief.
They showed on GMA this morning that the 2psi could be deflated in just 3 seconds per ball. The balls are in a sack, so if a ball handler had them and was ‘rummaging around’ in the sack, no one would pay any attention................
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