Tom Brady has spoken for the first time since the NFL’s report into the Deflategate scandal, which concluded that the New England Patriots quarterback was probably aware that two team employees had deliberately broken league rules by deflating footballs. The incident occurred during the Patriots’ AFC Championship game victory over the Indianapolis Colts.
“I don’t really have any reaction [to the report],” said Brady at a college speaking engagement at Salem State. “It has only been 30 hours. I’ve not had much time to digest it. When I do I will be sure to let you know how I feel about it. And everybody else.”
Brady was asked whether the report’s findings had tarnished his team’s image after their Super Bowl victory earlier this year. “Absolutely not,” said an adamant Brady. “We earned everything we got and achieved as a team, and I am proud of that and so are our fans,” he added.
Brady faces a fine or suspension over the incident but said he is happy to wait for the NFL’s decision. “There is a process going forward and I am involved in this process,” he said.
Brady has always been a divisive figure, and the last few days have bought vitriol from his critics and staunch support from his backers. His agent, Don Yee, said the Patriots and Brady had been the victims of a ‘sting operation’ by the NFL. “As a human you care about what people think. I think also as a public figure you learn not everyone is going to like you,”rady said. “Good, bad or indifferent there are a lot of people who don’t like Tom Brady, and I am OK with that.”
