Foxborough, United States: The New England Patriots hit back at cheating claims on Thursday, with star quarterback Tom Brady denying the club had deflated balls to help them reach the Super Bowl.
Brady and Patriots coach Bill Belichick both appeared on nationally televised press conferences to rebut the claims as the controversy swirling around America’s biggest sporting event reached fever pitch.
NFL chiefs are probing allegations that balls used by the Patriots offense in their 45-7 rout of the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday were inflated below standard league levels — giving Brady and his teammates an advantage by making them easier to handle.
But Brady, one of the scandal-tainted NFL’s biggest stars, flatly denied any involvement in the scandal dubbed ‘deflate-gate.’
“I didn’t alter the balls in any way,” said Brady, who is preparing for a record sixth Super Bowl in Arizona on February 1.
“I feel like I have always played within the rules. I would never break the rules,” added Brady, a three-time Super Bowl winner and two-time NFL Most Valuable Player.
Brady’s comments echoed those made earlier in they day by Belichick, who said he was “shocked” to learn of the possibly illegal footballs on Monday.
“I have never talked to any player, staff member about football air pressure,” Belichick said.
“To me, the footballs are approved by the league and game officials pre-game, and we play with what’s out there.”
Brady had originally laughed off the suggestion of wrongdoing by the Patriots in a radio appearance on Monday, thinking it was “sour grapes.”
By Thursday, the 37-year-old superstar was aware of the magnitude of the issue.
“It’s very serious,” Brady said. “Obviously, integrity of the sport is very important.”
