Weeks after the New England Patriots’ Super Bowl victory the DeflateGate scandal continues to rumble on in the background. According to ESPN’s Outside the Lines, a Patriots locker room attendant attempted to introduce an unapproved special teams ball into the AFC Championship game.
The attendant, identified by ESPN as Jim McNally, is said to have been in charge of the officials’ locker room at Gilette Stadium since 2008. He is alleged to have handed a ball, which wasn’t officially approved for kick-offs, field goals and punts to an official during the first-half of the Patriots’ 45-7 victory over the Colts.
Locker room attendants do not usually handle footballs during the game and, according to ESPN’s sources, McNally’s behaviour was suspicious enough for the official to inform the NFL’s vice president of game operations, Mike Kensil. McNally declined to comment for the story.
The Patriots are currently under an NFL investigation over the DeflateGate scandal. The Patriots deny allegations that they deliberately used underinflated balls during their win over the Colts. New England face a fine or a forfeit of Draft picks if they are found guilty.
