New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady held a press conference Thursday night to address the Deflate-Gate scandal and the accusations that he, or someone within the Patriots organization, had deflated footballs to be used by the New England offense during the AFC Championship Game against the Indianapolis Colts.
Much like Pats head coach Bill Belichick earlier in the day, Brady did his best to both avoid directly answering questions and pleading ignorance of the illegal activity.
When questioned about his stated preference of footballs prepared "a certain way," and "under-inflated," Brady did his best to laugh it off in his "aw, shucks" manner, mentioning that he thought 12.5 psi - the minimum inflation level mandated by the league - was a "perfect ball."
Brady also said that he recognizes the severity of the issue as it pertains to the integrity of the game and the integrity of the league, despite his decision to "laugh it off" when first told of the allegations during his Monday morning radio appearance.
When asked if he felt he should apologize to his fans and fans of the league for the unnecessarily negative focus this scandal has brought, Brady demurred and again referenced the "integrity of the game."
Asked if he thought the issue had been blown out of proportion, Brady would only say, "the integrity of the game is very important."
In an odd twist, Brady revealed that the league has not yet spoken to him about the allegations, a revelation which will almost assuredly draw some further negative press for NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.
