NFL insider reveals shocking information that proves Tom Brady’s innocence in infamous Deflategate scandal
Tom Brady is the most accomplished athlete in NFL history. Since Brady announced his retirement, NFL fans have shared some of their favorite (or least favorite) memories of his legendary career.
The 44-year-old is in the news a week after retiring as new information has come out about the infamous "Deflategate" scandal he was involved in seven years ago. The scandal happened in the 2015 AFC Championship game.
The New England Patriots allegedly deflated footballs intentionally.
NBC Sports' Mike Florio has a new book, Playmakers, which proves Brady's innocence in the Deflategate scandal. Florio points out that the NFL tested the inflation of footballs during halftime of games that season.
Florio revealed that Jeff Pash, who was the NFL general counsel at the time, ordered for the halftime measurement numbers to be erased. Florio also mentions that the law of gas dictates that footballs will deflate in exposure to cold temperatures.
Exposure to warm temperatures causes the PSIs (pounds per square inch) of footballs to increase.
As a result, the measurements the NFL obtained shouldn't have been far off from the measurements recorded throughout the season in varying atmospheric conditions.
"Indeed, it was believed that the actual numbers measured in the footballs used by the Patriots were generally consistent with the numbers that the atmospheric conditions should have generated that day." Florio said. "This should have resulted in a finding that, at most, the evidence was inconclusive as to whether there had been deliberate deflation on the day in question."
Who was the source for the notorious (and false) 11-of-12 footballs report that sparked Deflategate? What happened to the air-pressure measurements randomly taken during the 2015 seasons? Playmakers found the answers to both of those questions. wp.me/pbBqYq-ccpQ
With the NFL erasing the data recorded throughout the season, Tom Brady's chances of clearing his name sunk.
Florio also unveiled who leaked the "deflated" PSIs to ESPN's Chris Mortenson, who first reported the story. Troy Vincent, the NFL's executive V.P. of football operations, was the source for Mortenson.
Florio's new information condemns the NFL and its attempt to suspend its best and most recognizable player. Florio sent the NFL two emails, allowing them a chance to defend themselves.
He never received a response during the process of writing his book.
The Deflategate scandal was an ugly mark on Tom Brady's career
Deflategate caused Tom Brady to serve a four-game suspension to begin the 2016 season. Many fans, particularly of the Patriots, proclaimed Brady's innocence and stood by their franchise quarterback.
However, the scandal provided ammunition for the swarm of people who didn't like Brady to accuse him of being a cheater.
Thanks to a fresh piece of information from Florio, Tom Brady's guilty ruling of being responsible for Deflategate is alleviated. Several fans now understand the basic science behind the deflating of footballs and are relieved to hear the saga is finally over.
Nothing surprising here for anyone who closely followed Deflategate way back when. Science and science alone completely explained the PSI in the Patriots footballs the day of that AFC Championship game. twitter.com/ProFootballTal…
The remaining unanswered question is what motives Pash had by trying to throw Brady under the bus. Florio addressed this question, saying,
"Why would the league delete the numbers? It’s simple. For cold days, the numbers were too close to the actual numbers generated by the New England footballs at halftime of the playoff game against the Colts. Which means that the numbers generated at halftime of the January 2015 AFC Championship were not evidence of cheating, but of the normal operation of air pressure inside a rubber bladder when the temperature drops. Just as it was expected."
That's a question that could harm the NFL's reputation. The league is already under fire after Brian Flores alleged in his class-action discrimination lawsuit that the Miami Dolphins incentivized him $100K to lose games intentionally during the 2019 season.
Having his name cleared from Deflategate is one of the best ways Tom Brady could start his retirement.