Although 'Deflategate' has taken a bit of a backseat to Super Bowl Media Day, the subject is still alive and well. New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning, who defeated Tom Brady in two Super Bowls, had some comments on the issue.
Manning has spent 11 NFL seasons as a quarterback and is among the league's most accomplished players. The 34-year-old prevented Brady from earning his fourth Super Bowl ring the last two times the Patriots reached the biggest game of the year back in 2007 and 2011. Despite his experience, Manning isn't too concerned about the weight properties of his footballs.
"I've never worried really much about the inflation or the certain number of pounds of inflation," Manning said via this New York Post article. "I thought it was kind of strange that Brady knew he liked his ball at 12.5 pounds of pressure in the ball. ... That's the minimum number that you can have, that seemed kind of strange to me. ... I've never heard about anybody deflating the football to their advantage, it's the first I'm hearing about it."
Last week Brady held a press conference to address the issue surrounding the Patriots victory in the AFC Championship Game against the Indianapolis Colts. According to a league investigation, 11 of the 12 football the Patriots used that game were underinflated and were "significantly below" the NFL's requirements - they were two pounds per square inch below the 12.5 minimum.
Brady and head coach Bill Belichick insist they followed the rules and have no knowledge of any wrongdoing. Team owner Robert Kraft went as far as demanding an apology from the league if the investigation cannot find any substantial evidence to prove guilt.
"I am disappointed in the way this entire matter has been handled and reported upon," Kraft said in a surprise appearance at the Patriots' opening news conference on Monday in Phoenix. "We expect hard facts as opposed to circumstantial leaked evidence to draw a conclusion of this investigation."
Manning's comments are surely something new since the whole situation unfolded, but it is known quarterbacks prefer their footballs to be of a certain pressure. The investigation is still ongoing, so it's unknown when the league will reach a verdict on the issue.
