Brady ‘aware’ of scandal
NFL PROBE SAYS PATRIOTS STAR WAS ‘GENERALLY AWARE OF INAPPROPRIATE ACTIVITIES’
Patriots quarterback’s reputation tainted as he is implicated in ‘Deflategate’ report
New England Patriots star Tom Brady was probably aware of a plot to deflate balls used in a key play-off game, an NFL probe ruled on Wednesday, dealing a blow to the image of one of the most prominent athletes in American sport.
A National Football League investigation into the “Deflategate” affair found that it was “more probable than not” that Patriots employees had conspired to tamper with the pressure of balls in the team’s AFC Championship game against the Indianapolis Colts, which they won 45-7.
The probe found that Brady — who went on to lead the Patriots to a Super Bowl victory over the Seattle Seahawks — was “at least generally aware of the inappropriate activities.”
It was not immediately clear what sanctions the NFL would take following the bombshell findings in the 243-page report, which named kit men John Jastremski and Jim McNally as the suspected architects of the plot.
Patriots coach Bill Belichick was exonerated in the report.
Brady, 37, a four-time Super Bowl winner who is married to Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen, had previously denied any involvement in ball tampering. “I didn’t alter the balls in any way,” Brady said soon after the allegations aired. “I would never break the rules.”
Deflating the pressure of match balls is believed to improve grip and seen as favouring a passing offence like the Patriots.
Improved performance
However, the NFL probe noted that Brady turned in an improved performance in the second half of the Colts game after the deflated balls were reinflated to the correct pressure, completing 12 of 14 passes for 131 yards and two touchdowns.
The probe, authored by investigator Ted Wells, cited exchanges of text messages between Jastremski and McNally as evidence of a conspiracy to alter ball pressure. The report said there had been a “material increase” in phone and text communications between Brady and Jastremski after the allegations first surfaced on January 19. Brady declined to hand over details of his own emails, text messages and phone records, according to the report.
“Based on the evidence ... it is more probable than not that Tom Brady was at least generally aware of the inappropriate activities of McNally and Jastremski involving the release of air from Patriots game balls,” the report said.