|
Belichick Blows Smoke at Press Conference
by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700
Copyright
January 22, 2015
All Rights Reserved.
Facing the media today at an overflowing press
conference at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass., 62-year-old New England
Patriots Coach Bill Belichick denied knowing anything about the deflategate
scandal that had 11 of 12 Patriots’ game-balls deflated two pounds below the
minimum of 11.5 pounds per square inch.
For someone innocent of knowing anything about the NFL rules violation,
Belichick looked like deer-in-the-headlights, not his garrulous self. Saying he was “shocked” when he learned the news from the press Monday, Jan. 19,
Belichick denied knowing anything about game-ball deflation. “I had no knowledge whatsoever of
the situation,” Belickick told the press, sidestepping the real issue of
responsibility as head coach for anything that goes on or off the field for the
New England Patriots. Belichick
looked uncomfortable telling the media he knew nothing about the deflated
game-balls.
NFL rules require standardized inflation rates for Wilson’s professional
NFL footballs at 11.5 pounds per square inch to a maximum of 12.5 ppsi. Eleven of 12 AFC Championship
Patriot game-balls were two pounds below the minimum, giving 37-year-old
quarterback and his receiving crew an unfair advantage. With all his 40 years of coaching
experience, Belichick denied that he had any opinion about proper game-ball
pressure, deferring instead to his quarterback’s preferences. Belichick insisted the Patriots
“fully, quickly and completely” cooperated with the ongoing investigation that
seeks to ascertain who ordered the ball-boy or equipment manager to deflate the
game-balls two pounds. “[Brady’s]
preference on his personal footballs are something he can talk about in greater
detail,” said Belichick, putting the onus on his quarterback to explain any
discrepancies to the press.
Ending his press conference abruptly after 11 minutes, Belichick put the
onus on Brady scheduled for his own press conference in Foxboro. Expressing “shock” at the allegations of improper ball deflation, Belichick insisted ball
inflation wasn’t in his purview yet also said he made practice balls worse for
players. “My personal coaching
philosophy, my mentality has always been to make things as difficult as possible
for players in practice,” said Belichick, admitting he made practice-balls worse
than game-balls. “And so with
regard to footballs, any past or current player of mine would tell you that the
balls we practice with are as bad as can be; wet, sticky, cold, slippery . . .”
admitting, he’s intimately aware of football condition. After going into great detail about
practice balls, Belichich denied knowing anything or getting involved with the
game-balls pressure or conditions.
Belichick’s denial over having anything to do with game or practice balls
doesn’t match his statements to the press.
“However bad we can make them, I make them. Any time players complain about the
quality of balls, I make them worse and that stops the complaining. We never use the conditions of the
football as an excuse,” said Belichick admitting that he works in practice on
making practice balls more difficult for players. “In my entire coaching career, I
never talked to any player or staff member about football air pressure,”
insisted Belichick, contradicting his previous statements. While the media and NFL office want to believe Belichick, they can’t ignore his
statements that clearly admit he’s intimately aware of the balls condition in
practices and games. Insisting he
paid no attention of game-ball inflation pressure but deliberately made practice
balls more difficult makes no sense.
Toward the end of his news conference, Belichick promised to do things
differently in the future. “Knowing
that now, in the future, we will certainly inflate the footballs above that low
level to account for any possible change during the game,” said Belichick,
back-peddling, practically admitting he made a serious mistake. Whether or not Belichick passes the buck to Brady to explain how 11 of 12 games balls
lost two pounds of pressure, the coach is still responsible. He paid a draconic price for having
Patriots’ personnel videotape New York Jets’ defensive signals to gain an unfair
on-field advantage. Costing himself
$500,000, Patriots owner Robert Kraft $250,000 and the team a 2008 first round
draft pick, Belichick’s already paid heavily for past shenanigans. NFL officials can’t accept
Belichick’s denials about deflated footballs used in the Jan. 18 AFC
Championship game against the Indianapolis Colts.
Putting the onus on Brady doesn’t for one second get Belichick as coach
off the hook. “I think we all know
that quarterbacks, kickers, specialists have certain preferences on footballs,”
said Belichick, admitting, once again, that he’s acutely aware of proper
inflation pressure on NFL-approved game balls.
“They [quarterbacks, kickers, etc.] know a lot more than I do. They are a lot more sensitive to it
than I am . . “ admitted Belichick, looking to end the news conference. “I hear them comment on it from time
to time, but I can tell you and they will tell you that there is never any
sympathy form me on that subject, zero,” said Belichick, admitting that he knows
a lot more about proper game-ball pressure than his outright denials. No football coach with his 40 years
of experience is oblivious to the NFL’s rule on proper game-ball pressure, nor
to his quarterback’s preference for his game-balls.
|
