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Tom Brady

Deflategate probe suggests Patriots' Tom Brady aware of tampering, but clears Bill Belichick

Tom Pelissero
USA TODAY Sports
The investigation into deflated balls used in the 2014 AFC Championship Game didn't exonerate Patriots QB Tom Brady.

An investigation into the so-called Deflategate scandal concluded it is more likely than not that New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady "was at least generally aware of the inappropriate activities" by two team employees that resulted in balls being deflated below the allowable level for January's AFC Championship Game victory against the Indianapolis Colts.

The report, released Wednesday by attorney Ted Wells, found "it is more probable than not that Jim McNally and John Jastremski participated in a deliberate plan to circumvent the rules by releasing air from Patriots game balls," but found no wrongdoing by Patriots ownership, coach Bill Belichick and his assistants, or equipment manager Dave Schoenfeld.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft issued an immediate response, saying the organization is disappointed by the report, which lacked "any incontrovertible or hard evidence of deliberate deflation of footballs" after a three-month investigation triggered when Colts general manager Ryan Grigson tipped off NFL officials to the issue in an e-mail.

In a statement released in conjunction with the report, Commissioner Roger Goodell said NFL executive vice president Troy Vincent and his staff would consider possible discipline and changes to protocols to avoid similar issues in the future. The Colts said they're aware of the investigation's findings and have no comment.

The 243-page report features text messages between McNally, the 48-year-old officials locker room attendant for the Patriots, and Jastremski, a 35-year-old equipment assistant, in which McNally outs himself "the deflator" and the two friends discuss Brady's angry complaints about the inflation level of game balls in an Oct. 17 game against the New York Jets.

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Brady, 37, signed autographs for the pair after the Patriots' divisional playoff win against the Baltimore Ravens, the report said, and communicated with McNally by phone or text message "with significantly increased frequency" in the days after suspicions arose publicly — conversations that were then shared in texts between McNally and Jastremski.

The report notes "there is less direct evidence linking Brady to tampering activities than either McNally or Jastremski." But after interviews with those two, investigators "do not believe that they would personally and unilaterally engage in such conduct in the absence of Brady's awareness and consent."

In a media session Jan. 22, the day before the Patriots left for Super Bowl XLIX in Arizona, Brady said he had "no idea what happened" and "would never do anything to break the rules. I believe in fair play, and I respect the league."

It was not immediately clear whether McNally or Jastremski remained employed by the Patriots, who beat the Colts 45-7 in the AFC title game — outscoring them 28-0 in the second half after officials restored the balls to proper inflation levels — and edged the Seattle Seahawks 28-24 in Super Bowl XLIX two weeks later.

The report also details scientific evidence supporting a conclusion the balls were deliberately deflated, striking down a claim by Belichick based on his own experiment that the inflation level could have been high because of "vigorous rubbing" in the preparation process.

It found McNally's 1 minute, 40 seconds in a Gillette Stadium bathroom was sufficient for deflating 13 footballs. It also struck down a variety of claims by McNally and the Patriots' lawyers as "not plausible," including that the text messages between McNally and Jastremski — some of them explicit — were simply attempts at humor.

Most of the balls New England used in the first half fell below the league-mandated threshold of 12.5 pounds per square inch, theoretically making them easier to grip in adverse weather conditions.

"I want to express my appreciation to Ted Wells and his colleagues for performing a thorough and independent investigation, the findings and conclusions of which are set forth in today's comprehensive report," Goodell's statement said.

"As with other recent matters involving violations of competitive rules, Troy Vincent and his team will consider what steps to take in light of the report, both with respect to possible disciplinary action and to any changes in protocols that are necessary to avoid future incidents of this type.

"At the same time, we will continue our efforts vigorously to protect the integrity of the game and promote fair play at all times."

McNally previously drew league scrutiny more than a decade ago, the report said, after Patriots ball boys relayed non-approved practice balls into an Oct. 25, 2004, game. There was actually no game on that day, but the Patriots beat the Jets 13-7 on Oct. 24, 2004.

At the time, McNally — then the Patriots' equipment manager — described the incident as "just an honest mistake," the report said.

But then-NFL director of game operations Peter Hadhazy wrote in a letter the Patriots had not provided a reasonable explanation for the incident and warned the team could face discipline if it happened again, the report said.

Kraft defiantly touted the integrity of Brady and Belichick when the team arrived in Arizona for Super Bowl XLIX and made it clear at th time that he expected an apology from the league in the event the Patriots were absolved of any wrongdoing.

"I want to make it clear that I believe unconditionally that the New England Patriots have done nothing inappropriate in this process that were in violation of NFL rules," Kraft said Jan. 26. "Tom, Bill and I have been together for 15 years. They are my guys. They are part of my family, and Bill, Tom and I have had many difficult discussions over the years, and I have never known them to lie to me. That is why I am confident in saying what I just said.

"It bothers me greatly that their reputations and integrity and, by association, that of our team, has been called into question."

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Follow Tom Pelissero on Twitter @TomPelissero

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