FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Bill Belichick, long known as one of the NFL’s biggest socks-to-jocks micromanagers, repeatedly disavowed all knowledge of the deflated-football scandal engulfing the Patriots during a contentious news conference here Thursday.
Passing the buck to quarterback Tom Brady after all 12 of the footballs supplied by the Patriots in last Sunday’s AFC title game were found to be deflated well below the league specification, Belichick said he was “shocked” by the allegations.
“I had no knowledge whatsoever of this situation until Monday morning,” Belichick said during a lengthy opening statement. “I’d say I’ve learned a lot more about this process in the last three days than I’ve talked about it in the last 40 years that I’ve coached in this league. I had no knowledge of the various steps involved in the game balls and the process of between when they were prepared and went to the officials and went to the game.”
His remarks Thursday were Belichick’s most substantive on the controversy since it erupted early Monday morning, just hours after the Patriots’ 45-7 AFC Championship Game victory over the Colts.
That was a sign that Belichick realizes how serious the NFL is taking the latest cheating allegations against him in advance of Super Bowl XLIX against the Seahawks next week.
The league is said to be “distraught and angry” at the scandal, and the Patriots could be fined at least $25,000 and docked draft picks — or worse. NFL vice president of football operations Troy Vincent said earlier this week that the league expects to wrap up its investigation by Friday.
“In my entire coaching career, I have never talked to any player or staff member about the football air pressure,” Belichick said. “That is not a subject that I have ever brought up. To me, the footballs are approved by the league and game officials pregame, and we play with what’s out there. That’s the only way that I have ever thought about that.”
Belichick then told the throng of reporters to speak to Brady for a better understanding. Brady, who earlier this week claimed the allegations were “ridiculous,” is scheduled to speak at 4 p.m. ET Thursday.
“I think we all know that quarterbacks, kickers and specialists have certain preferences on footballs,” Belichick said. “They know a lot more about it than I do. They’re a lot more sensitive to it than I am, and I hear them comment on it from time to time. They will tell you there is never any sympathy whatsoever from me on that subject. Zero.
“Tom’s personal preferences with his footballs are something he can talk about in much better detail and information than I could possibly provide,” Belichick added.
Belichick appeared to contradict his claim of no knowledge of the pregame football inspection by the league when he described his longstanding philosophy of using scuffed and damaged balls in practice.
“My personal coaching philosophy and my mentality has always been to make things as difficult as possible for players in practice,” Belichick said. “So with regard to footballs, I’m sure that any current or past player of mine will tell you that the balls we practice with are as bad as they can be — wet, sticky, cold, slippery. However bad we can make them, I make them.
“Anytime players complain about the quality of the balls, I make them worse and that stops it,” he added. “So we never use the condition of the footballs as an excuse. We kick or play with whatever we have to use, and that’s the way it is. That has never been a priority for me, and I want the players to deal with harder situations in practice than they’ll ever have to deal with in a game.”
Belichick complained about the timing of the controversy overshadowing his team’s Super Bowl run.
“It’s unfortunate that this is a story coming off two great playoff victories by our football team, but again, we’ve been cooperative with the NFL investigation and will continue to do so,” Belichick said.