Bill Belichick sidesteps Deflategate questions
CHANDLER, Ariz. – Bill Belichick didn't talk Deflategate. The New England Patriots coach didn't have to.
Belichick can thank prominent attorney Ted Wells – and defiant owner Robert Kraft -- for getting him off the hook after Wells effectively issued a statement effectively preventing Belichick and his players from discussing the issue with Monday's statement that the league's investigation will "take at least several more weeks.''
Belichick and his players sidestepped the underinflated footballs issue when the AFC champions appeared for Monday night's Super Bowl XLIX arrival news conference at the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort and Spa. The team was honored at a downtown Boston send-off pep rally before boarding their afternoon charter flight just ahead of a historic blizzard forecast to hammer the Northeast.
Owner Robert Kraft came out first and emphatically denied any wrongdoing by his organization, particularly his beleaguered coach and quarterback and demanded an apology from the league if the investigation clears his coach and quarterback of any wrongdoing.
Belichick was grateful for the support of a loyal owner who stood by him.
"I have a great relationship with Mr. Kraft, I really appreciate the opportunity every day to coach the New England Patriots,'' Belichick said. "In order to work out a trade, Mr. Kraft gave up quite a bit in the trade for me to be part of this organization when I resigned from the New York Jets (in 2000).
"And for his support that he and his family have given me…I'll be forever indebted. We have a great professional relationship and we have a great personal relationship.''
As for addressing further questions about underinflated footballs, Belichick wasn't going there.
"I've had two lengthy press conference, my entire focus and attention is going to be on the Seattle Seahawks,'' Belichick said.
He was asked about a Fox Sports report that a Patriots locker-room attendant is now the focus of the league's investigation.
"I've covered everything I could cover in the previous week and my attention is focused on the Seattle Seahawks,'' Belichick said. "Right now, the only thing I'm focused on is the Seattle Seahawks."
During an impromptu Saturday news conference Belichick disavowed any knowledge that 11 Patriots footballs were tampered with during last Sunday's AFC Championship Game rout of the Indianapolis Colts. ESPN first reported 11 of a dozen balls the Patriots used in the first half of the championship game were below the league-mandated 12.5 pounds per square inch.
Kraft came strong in defending the reputations of Belichick, Brady and by association his organization.
"If the Wells investigation is not able to definitively determine that our organization tampered with the air pressure of the footballs, I would expect and hope the league would apologize to our entire team, and in particular, coach Belichick and Tom Brady for what they have had to endure this past week,'' Kraft said.
"I am disappointed in the way this entire matter has been handled and reported upon. We expect hard facts as opposed to circumstantial leaked evidence to drive the conclusion of this investigation."
The league announced Friday that Wells, NFL executive vice president Jeff Pash and an investigative firm specializing in forensic evidence were leading its probe into the deflated football allegations.
"We are in the process of conducting a thorough investigation on the issue of the footballs used in the AFC Championship,'' Wells said in his statement. "This work began last week, stretched through the weekend, and is proceeding expeditiously this week notwithstanding the Super Bowl.
"We are following customary investigating procedures and no one should draw any conclusions about the sequence of interviews or any other steps, all of which are part of the process of doing a thorough and fair investigation. I expect the investigation to take at least several more weeks, in the interim, it would be best if everyone involved or potentially involved in this matter avoids public comment concerning the matter until the investigation is concluded.''
Wells, who conducted the investigation into the 2013 Miami Dolphins locker-room Bullygate scandal, said the results will be shared publicly.
